Author Interview & Book Giveaway: J Tullos Hennig on SUMMERWODE

This week, we're pleased to welcome author J TULLOS HENNIG with SUMMERWODE, from the Books of the Wode series. One lucky winner will receive a copy of the novel in e-book format. Here's the blurb about the novel.

The Summer King has come to the Wode...

Yet to which oath, head or heart, shall he hold?

Once known as the Templar assassin Guy de Gisbourne, dispossessed noble Gamelyn Boundys has come to Sherwood Forest with conflicted oaths. One is of duty: demanding he tame the forest’s druidic secrets and bring them back to his Templar Masters. The other oath is of heat and heart: given to the outlaw Robyn Hood, avatar of the Horned Lord, and the Maiden Marion, embodiment of the Lady Huntress. The three of them—Summerlord, Winter King, and Maiden of the Spring—are bound by yet another promise, that of fate: to wield the covenant of the Shire Wode and the power of the Ceugant, the magical trine of all worlds. In this last, also, is Gamelyn conflicted; spectres of sacrifice and death haunt him.

Uneasy oaths begin a collision course when not only Gamelyn, but Robyn and Marion are summoned to the siege of Nottingham by the Queen. Her promise is that Gamelyn will regain his noble family’s honour of Tickhill, and the outlaws of the Shire Wode will have a royal pardon.

But King Richard has returned to England, and the price of his mercy might well be more than any of them can afford...

**Q&A with J Tullos Henning**

What are you currently working on?

The fifth novel, Wyldingwode, to complete the Books of the Wode. I'm also working on several new speculative fiction short stories, and researching a new historical novel.

Speaking of the Wode Books, when will the next one be out? And how many books are planned?

The 4th book, Summerwode, releases 16 May, 2017. It's on preorder now!

There are five novels planned in the story cycle. The duology of Shirewode and its prequel Greenwode are available began it all. A trilogy that begins with Winterwode will continue with Summerwode, and will end with Wyldingwode (#amwriting).

Why the LBGTQ slant on Robin Hood?

Why not?

Don't just take my word for it, though; several scholars have explored the possibility. There are many excellent essays and non-fiction studies of Robin’s role as a cultural--and changeable--icon. The Robin Hood Project at The Library of Rochester is an excellent place to begin an acquaintance with the ever-morphing facets of the Robin Hood/Robyn Hode mythos.

But I think it really comes down to this: respect. Whenever you take an old warhorse of a legend, you owe it to the Story to respect its legacy, but its purpose in existence. Which means you question it, turn it over and inside out and re-imagine it, shape it to the best of your ability into a vital continuation of its Story. To just rehash a tired trope is disrespectful to not only the power of legend, but your own talents.

Why Robin Hood (okay, Robyn Hode) as a Druid? Why the fantasy element?

Again, why not?

There are so many reasons to explore Robin/Robyn as Green Man of the Forest. Legend and Myth cling to him, and rightfully so. And myth has its own truths, sometimes stronger than what is considered “fact”. All too often the term fantasy is used to dismiss someone else’s belief systems. No question, I’m a great whopping history geek, but also, I’m hyper-aware (no doubt due to my Choctaw heritage) that history is suspect. Speculative, even.

Not to mention, I adore speculative fiction, and am a SF/Fantasy fan from waaaay back. Eons before it was considered cool.

Do you do a lot of research?

Yes, indeed. I love research; have done and still do, ever on. It's not just about long hours in closed stacks, but even more the hands-on trial/error and life experience which, I hope, shall continue for some time. Most of that research never ends up as prose, granted... but it shouldn't. Having knowledge and authority speak through the storytelling is sooo much better than overwhelming an audience with "see what I know?" (Not to mention that for me, Story often trumps Fact. Because Facts can be so... chancy.)

When did you start writing, and what are some major influences on your writing?

I’ve been writing and drawing my own worlds for a very long time; basically since I could hold a pencil. I had an abortive writing career in the 80s, but it’s all part of the process. The books I’m writing now are much better, anyway. *grin*

Influences...On the subtextual level, it's all about the myths, folklore, ancient stories, cultures, and possibilities. Listening to the elders share stories, and to the ideas children express before some of the less palatable aspects of culture start trying to shut them down.

As to specific works/writers: I hail the 3 Marys: Mary Renault, Mary Stewart, and Mary O'Hara. Parke Godwin, Louise Erdrich, Ray Bradbury, Paula Gunn Allen, Starhawk, Leslie Marmon Silko, Albert Payson Terhune, Colleen McCulloch, Taylor Caldwell, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Robert Heinlein, Virginia Woolf. There are others, but these come soonest to mind. No one should regret reading any of these author's works.

THANK YOU!

BUY LINKS:

DSP Publications 

Kobo 

Barnes & Noble 

Amazon 

E-books 1 & 2 in the series are currently on sale through most retailers until the 16 May release: GREENWODE is free, and SHIREWODE is $2.95!

About the Author

J Tullos Hennig has always possessed inveterate fascination in the myths and histories of other worlds and times. Despite having maintained a few professions in this world—equestrian, dancer, teacher, artist—Jen has never successfully managed to not be a writer. Ever.

Her most recent work is a darkly magical & award-winning historical fantasy series re-imagining the legends of Robin Hood, in which both pagan and queer viewpoints are given respectful voice.

Musings blog (You can subscribe to my newsletter at either the Musing blog or main site—you’ll receive the first and earliest notification on all updates and news, plus a gift: several short stories seldom seen in the wild.)

Bookbub

Goodreads

The Wode FacebookPage

JTH’s profile onFacebook

Excerpt Thursday: SUMMERWODE by J Tullos Hennig

This week, we're pleased to welcome author J TULLOS HENNIG with SUMMERWODE, from the Books of the Wode series. One lucky winner will receive a copy of the novel in e-book format. Join us again on Sunday for an author interview, with more details about the story behind the series. Here's the blurb about the novel.

The Summer King has come to the Wode...

Yet to which oath, head or heart, shall he hold?

Once known as the Templar assassin Guy de Gisbourne, dispossessed noble Gamelyn Boundys has come to Sherwood Forest with conflicted oaths. One is of duty: demanding he tame the forest’s druidic secrets and bring them back to his Templar Masters. The other oath is of heat and heart: given to the outlaw Robyn Hood, avatar of the Horned Lord, and the Maiden Marion, embodiment of the Lady Huntress. The three of them—Summerlord, Winter King, and Maiden of the Spring—are bound by yet another promise, that of fate: to wield the covenant of the Shire Wode and the power of the Ceugant, the magical trine of all worlds. In this last, also, is Gamelyn conflicted; spectres of sacrifice and death haunt him.

Uneasy oaths begin a collision course when not only Gamelyn, but Robyn and Marion are summoned to the siege of Nottingham by the Queen. Her promise is that Gamelyn will regain his noble family’s honour of Tickhill, and the outlaws of the Shire Wode will have a royal pardon.

But King Richard has returned to England, and the price of his mercy might well be more than any of them can afford...

**An Excerpt from SUMMERWODE**

Someone shouldered hard into him, nearly sending him sprawling. Quick as a ferret, Robyn recovered and danced sideways, hand to knife and a ready snarl upon his lips.

He faced a small brace of soldiers. The one who’d nearly plowed him over hadn’t so much as stopped, but his two companions recognized a threat when they saw it. Hands on sword hilts, one with yellow chevrons emblazoned on his tunic raised a mailed fist and a voice tinged of the shire as Robyn’s own. “Gerrout, bloody fool—!”

“Is there some problem?” Gamelyn appeared at Robyn’s right, voice soft, nearly too reasonable. Deceptive as always, were one not paying attention to the steel beneath the velvet—and most didn’t.

Robyn fingered his dagger into a better position.

These soldiers, however, eyed the red sigil upon Gamelyn’s gray cloak. “Your pardon, Brother Templar,” the one in yellow offered, with a conciliatory spread of hands. His companions muttered like apologies, ducking their heads: hounds threatened with the whip. One even crossed himself as they retreated.

Robyn watched them go rather stupidly, ears still heated, heart pounding. A hand snatched his sleeve and pulled him out of the main path, close by the roar and clang of a smith’s furnace; for a half breath Robyn almost went for Gamelyn, too, stifled it just in time.

The flame was at forging heat, and they were closer than was comfortable; that and the clang-ti-tink-clang of the smith’s hammer against iron and anvil struck Robyn back into his senses. Both hands were gripping his arms, now, and hard enough to make him wince. Robyn tossed the forelock from his eyes and let a smile curve his mouth, jerking his chin at Gamelyn’s tabard. “I keep forgettin’ how handy yon sign bides in a tussle.”

The disquiet knit upon those gilt brows melted. One arched, familiar vexation. “I can’t take you  anywhere, you daft pillock.”

“And here I thought I were taking you.”

“Hardly.” Gamelyn gave him a tiny shake, an unspoken You’re all right, then? and at Robyn’s shrug, released him. “We’ve too long been in the forest.”

Nay, hardly long enough by my reckoning. But Robyn followed, gritted teeth and muscles against the beckon and lure of sensation.

Gamelyn was right; what made up the purest of survival instincts in the forest could prove ruinous in this teeming, dangerous place. Even the silent, careful pace of a forest dweller would be nowt to the likes of these but the cant of a hesitant villein… easy prey to the road-filthy men who were still arriving, marking territory with swagger and weaponry.

It was a lesson hard-learned in boyhood, long since shucked away in his own place. But this now, here?

Aye, here. What villeins bided in the camp were blending into the scenery, busy at the drudge work. Not walking the muddy, main paths as broad-shouldered and accoutered—entitled—as nobleman in whose wake Robyn ambled. No question Gamelyn had the way of it; not just because of the cloak he wore, but the manner of his wearing it. People unconsciously gave way… and twisted a curious brow at the lanky fellow keeping pace with the Templar Knight: a proper wild man dressed in furs and leathers with a monster of a longbow strapped to his back.

One foot faltered and skittered sideways in a particularly wet patch; Robyn heaved his balance back and nearly ran into another soldier stinking of mud, blood, and balls. Again, Gamelyn had to yank him out of the way.

Bloody damn, but it was a sad case when he couldn’t even walk straight, and him proper sober!

“Robyn?”

And bloody damn but Gamelyn was sounding as Shall we wrap you in a wool basket, pet? as Will Scathelock! “Aye, but ’m fair enough to skelp you one, see if I waint.”

“Fine.” Gamelyn’s nose took a decided noble’s tilt. “I’ll just let the bastards knock you sideways next time, shall I?”

“You’re saying that like I’m all up for letting ’em knock me si—!” It rattled up into a yip as Gamelyn grabbed his arm and dragged him between two hobbled sumpters.

“I’m saying we’ve no room for pride!”

“Lessen it’s yours,  milord?”

“ Putain de…!” It was a barely stoppered growl between bared teeth, those green eyes gone to gilt… and bloody sodding damn but it stood every bit Robyn had to attention when Gamelyn transformed into dangerous, knife-edge Templar.

With the added mercy of blocking every other sensation, at that.

Abrupt exasperation filled Gamelyn’s gaze. Robyn’s lip twitched sideways, and he leaned in, head cocked. “So that’s the secret to doin’ battle, then. Haver away t’ noise by having a proper rod in your pouch and no way to ease it?”

Another Frank curse; even fouler, Robyn would warrant, the way it burst from between curled lips and gritted teeth. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’ve a price on your head to make any man here wealthy.”

“Ah, but your Master would see me safe.”

“Safe.” A snort. “That depends on which Master you mean.”

Robyn snorted back. “You and Marion both, thinkin’ that bloody Temple sorcerer more’n he is.” Robyn leaned closer. “I never forget what I am, even here. ’Tis you as ent believing in what you are—“”

“My lord Confanonier?”

Gamelyn lurched back as if he’d been caught with his hand down Robyn’s breeks. No such luck, Robyn mourned.

“Ah,” Gamelyn said, prim. “Stephen.”

“Commander sent me to find you.” Young Stephen was fair-haired, flushed, and rather buggy-eyed at finding his superior surrounded by a pair of horse’s arses.

And no doubt, given the look Gamelyn flicked his way, Robyn was being considered as a matched third of the pair.

But Stephen’s attention was fastened, not on Gamelyn, but Robyn. The lad tried to speak several times, then finally stammered out, “M-my lord, is that him? Robyn Hood?”

Gamelyn rolled his eyes, and Robyn started to laugh.

BUY LINKS:

DSP Publications 

Kobo 

Barnes & Noble 

Amazon 

E-books 1 & 2 in the series are currently on sale through most retailers until the 16 May release: GREENWODE is free, and SHIREWODE is $2.95!

About the Author

J Tullos Hennig has always possessed inveterate fascination in the myths and histories of other worlds and times. Despite having maintained a few professions in this world—equestrian, dancer, teacher, artist—Jen has never successfully managed to not be a writer. Ever.

Her most recent work is a darkly magical & award-winning historical fantasy series re-imagining the legends of Robin Hood, in which both pagan and queer viewpoints are given respectful voice.

Musings blog (You can subscribe to my newsletter at either the Musing blog or main site—you’ll receive the first and earliest notification on all updates and news, plus a gift: several short stories seldom seen in the wild.)

Bookbub

Goodreads

The Wode FacebookPage

JTH’s profile onFacebook

Movie Adaptations: The Crusades

By Lisa Yarde

There have been few movies done on the Crusades since the 1930s, beginning with Cecil B. Demille's The Crusades. Varying depictions of the Crusades onscreen show simplified views of the conflicts. They are either spiritual quests to reclaim the Holy Land or brutal invasions that expanded European interests in the region, with Christian knights and Saracen defenders in interchanging roles as villains or victims of aggression. The historical truth about "holy war" during the Crusades is not as clear-cut.

There were nine crusades in total, including what's known as the Children's Crusade. They began in 1095 when Pope Urban II proclaimed at the Council of Clermont that Christians should liberate the Holy Land from the infidel Saracens, in places like Antioch, Acre, Tyre and Jerusalem. He inspired men with promises that God would forgive all their sins if they "undertook the cross" and gave their lives in the effort. Within months, the poorest soldier to the kings and dukes of Europe had affixed a red cross, sewn on his tunic or mantle at the right shoulder. For the next two hundred and seventy years, countless numbers died in the capture or defense of the Holy Land. These events gave rise to several military brotherhoods among knights including the Order of the Hospitallers of St. John and the Templars.


Marton Csokas dressed as a Templar in Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Most screen versions of the Crusades barely skim the surface of the conflicts or contain inaccuracies, altering the history for dramatic purposes. The most recent depiction of the Crusades has been in films about Robin Rood. The first is Kevin Costner's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), in which the lead is a prodigal son held for ransom by the Saracens, and Robin Hood (2010), where Russell Crowe's Robin Longstride and his friends are archers in King Richard the Lionhearted's army, returning from the Crusades. While each briefly touched on the brutal experiences of Crusader soldiers, in the first there is a little more shown as Robin languishes in jail with other knights. When they break free, one of them extracts a deathbed promise from Robin to take care of his sister, setting up the premise of a relationship between Maid Marian and Robin.


Orlando Bloom's Balian of Ibelin defending Jerusalem in Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
The last film in which the Crusades received the full treatment was 2005's Kingdom of Heaven, starring Orlando Bloom and Eva Green. The movie does correctly show the differences between the various military orders, including the Hospitallers and Templars, and the ravages of Baldwin IV's leprosy, but the history of the protagonist and his love interest is not accurate. Balian of Ibelin was not a blacksmith in France and was born in the Holy Land as a legitimate heir, not a bastard.

Queen Sybilla of Jerusalem was devoted to her husband Guy de Lusignan and willingly gave the kingship to him when her brother Baldwin IV died. She and Balian did not have a romantic relationship. The Crusaders also did not capture or kill the sister of the Saracen leader, Saladin. Kingdom of Heaven also portrays the Christian cause in an unfavorable light, with the antagonists pressuring for outright warfare against the Saracens.

What portrayals of the Crusades have stuck with you? Any recommendations?

Lisa J. Yarde is a historical fiction author. Her ON FALCON'S WINGS, an epic medieval novel chronicling the starstruck romance between Norman and Saxon lovers, is available now.

Book Release: WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS

And last but not least in our November mini-theme of guest posts by Kensington authors, this week we're featuring yours truly! My print debut is WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS:

***

In this dazzling, original tale, Carrie Lofty imagines a new chapter in the well-loved Robin Hood fable. Meet Robin's rakish nephew, Will Scarlet, a man whose talents with the sword and the ladies are legendary--until his desire for one woman changes everything.

A swordsman for the Sheriff of Nottingham, Will Scarlet has finally emerged from his famous uncle's shadow. But when he's unwittingly drawn into a bloody battle between the Sheriff and a nobleman, it's impossible to tell friend from foe. A woman's screams lead Will straight into the carnage to save her--but the ravishing young lady is not the helpless maid she appears to be...

Meg of Keyworth lost her sight to illness years ago, but that hasn't stopped her mission to save her imprisoned sister, who's been arrested by none other than Will Scarlet. Meg wants to hate Will for betraying her family, but he sparks heated desire in her heart--a desire that only he can satisfy. Meg is lovely and loving, and bedding her is sensual bliss. To please her in every way is what he wants most, for Will knows he will cherish her forever....

***

Welcome!

Thank you! I'm happy to have founded this place two years ago, because I always believed I'd have something to promote someday. Thanks to all the great ladies who contribute month after month for keeping our little corner of the internet running strong.

So what question are you most frequently asked about this book, and why is it so important to answer?

By far, it's "Why Will Scarlet?" I think people are curious. Many Robin Hood books have been written, just like King Arthur and other English legends, but rarely have authors touched on Will Scarlet's role in the old folktales--and certainly not within a romance. Overwhelmingly, the response from people I've pitched to has been postive. Most people have an idea of who Will Scarlet is, which makes him ambiguous, mysterious and open to interpretation, and they're curious as to what my interpretation will be.

Did Will Scarlet actually exist?

No. He's a creation who appeared first in A Gest of Robyn Hode in the late 15th century, and he's been know by so many different names: Scarlett, Scarlock, Scadlock, Scatheloke, and Scathelocke. In these same ballads, he's been a cad, a sidekick, a thug, a victim, a teenager, a turncoat, a dandy--basically whatever the author needed him to be for the purposes of their Robin Hood story. I just decided to take his character a step further and see if he had the mettle to be a hero.

Talk a bit about Meg. Did people really know how to do what she does? And what about her blindness?

I based the circumstances of her blindness on the meningitis Johnny Rotten (the Sex Pistols) suffered as a child. He went into a coma for six months, reawakened with no memories, and has endured vision problems all his life. As for her knowledge of science, I gave her a very influential and knowledgeable great-uncle to draw from: Adelard of Bath. He was a man well ahead of his time, so it seems only natural that he'd be related to an equally avante garde woman. From explosions to salt acid to understanding that the earth is round, Adelard was a brilliant guy. I had fun intergrating his learning into my story.

Now that you're all done writing and proofing WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS, what will you miss the most about it?

I loved being inside Will's head. The poor guy is trying so hard to be bad, to take the simple and self-serving way out, but he just can't manage it. His conscience and sense of justice are just too strong. That push-pull between desire and righteousness was a lot of fun, quick, witty, snarky fun to write. But I certainly won't miss writing from Meg's blind point of view. That was a trick and a half!

So what's the skinny on this big contest?

You still have a day or two to get involved. My long-time friend Ann Aguirre is sponsoring it, so go have a blast with the free goodies. I'm also hosting a contest (on a much smaller scale) on my website.

What's next for you?

The sequel to WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS, currently titled SCOUNDREL'S KISS, will be released in late 2009. In it, a Spanish warrior monk falls for the woman he's sworn to protect, but she tempts him to abandon his vows of obedience, non-violence and chastity.

***

Reviews:

"The leading man will win readers' hearts as only a bad boy can. Lofty writes adventure romance like a born bard of old." 4 Stars ~ Kathe Robin, Romantic Times BOOKreviews

"A clever imagining of characters we thought we knew. I thoroughly enjoyed it."
~ Jo Goodman, USA Today Bestselling Author

***

Even though there are contests aplenty running around the internet at the moment, we're still giving away a signed copy of WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS right here at Unusual Historicals, as well as a copy of my debut short story, "Sundial". Your question: who or what do you think of when you hear the name Will Scarlet? A winner will be drawn at random in one week. Good luck, and thanks for supporting Unusual Historicals!

Religious Beliefs: Robin Hood & the Church

By Carrie Lofty

With the emergence of any profound social or religious movement, the need to secure the willing approval of the populace becomes essential--or else the movement fails. And no movement in English history was as violently contested as the Reformation, when Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and founded the Church of England, leading to bloodshed between Catholic and Protestant adherents in the realm.

Prior to the Reformation, ballads of Robin Hood's derring-do had existed for centuries. The earliest written ballad is Robin Hood and the Monk, penned in (roughly) 1461, which offers us a complex and nuanced view of how religion filtered through the popular consciousness--and, by comparison, how drastically the later Robin Hood stories worked toward securing popular support for Protestant faiths.

In Robin Hood and the Monk, Robin is a devout follower of Mary. His devotion is so great that he insists on traveling into town to offer prayers at her church. This sparks an argument with Little John, who believes Robin's frequent pilgrimages will get him into trouble. Sure enough, a monk reports Robin to the Sheriff of Nottingham, leading to Robin's arrest. Only after penitent prayers--and the timely intervention of Little John and the merry men--is Robin freed. They humiliate the sheriff, but more interestingly, they murder the monk and his page.

What to make of this?

Obviously, reverence for Mary during the 15th century held a great deal of importance, in that Robin risks capture to act on his devotion. But then he is betrayed by a monk, a man of the Church. After his release, Robin's anger toward the sheriff is relatively mild, warranting a mere bit of humiliation, but he strikes out with violence against the monk. Perhaps this suggests a certain lenience--and even the expectation of corruption--from men such as the sheriff, but a more harsh hatred toward hypocritical church officials.

This dual approach--belief in Mary and the tenants of the Church, but disdain for its earthly officials--may suggest how eager the population was to see corruption purged from the Church. They didn't necessarily want an entirely new faith, but they demanded change. Robin Hood, as an aristocratic hero intended for a yeoman audience, helped them live this fantasy through the creation and perpetuation of his myths.

During Elizabeth I's reign, when she and her government effectively shored up power for Protestantism, popular entertainment favoring Protestant causes proliferated. In the works of Shakespeare and others, bishops became buffoons and priests become villains.

The Robin Hood myths changed as well. Religious figures from the Catholic Church transformed into lascivious and greedy characters, often conspiring with wicked noblemen to deprive Robin's people of a just living. In Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford, Little John strips the bishop of his cloak and discovers 300 gold pieces. Eventually the bishop is left with only his boots and his life, and he's thankful for that much. The tone of the ballads changed as well, becoming more lighthearted. Humiliation was the order of the day. Corrupt officials were mocked and exposed, not murdered, thus securing Robin's place as a true and faultless hero. No more pesky ambiguity.

Other characters from the Catholic Church became true villains, again in concert with noblemen who backed either Catholicism or personal gain at the expense of good (Protestant) people. In Of Robin Hood's Death and Burial by Sebastian Evans, an abbess conspires against and eventually kills Robin, which reinforces the notion that a hero as great as Robin Hood could only be killed by treachery--never by a fair contest of skill against skill. This "death by betrayal" became a prominent feature of all post-Reformation retellings.

Popular media (ballads, stories, and eventually movies) since the Reformation have placed Robin Hood and his good deeds squarely against such corruption. While the Sheriff figures prominently in every representation from the late 19th century forward, he is often backed by powerful officials who either finance or influence his villainy.


In this clip from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves--a late 20th culmination of these changes to the myth--the bishop marries Marian to the Sheriff against her will. His villainy is doubly reinforced by his association with the sheriff's pet witch and their reliance on the dark arts, and he pays the ultimate price when he is pushed to his death by Friar Tuck. Tuck offers a pleasing alternative to the corruption, showing that independence and spiritual purity are preferable to fancy clothes, artificial doctrine, and the potential for clerical abuse.

As with all good myths, the stories of Robin Hood are flexible enough to change with the times, finding value in reflecting and reinforcing the timbre of society. Only by taking control of popular moral outlets such as these myths can proponents of social and religious movements hope to find acceptance among the populace and secure long-lasting change.

For more Hood-tastic information, see the invaluable Robin Hood Project.