Meet My Protagonists....Sold to the Viking Warrior by Michelle Styles

SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR Is my 25^th Harlequin/ Mills & Boon Historical and is officially published on 1 February. It is rare in the publishing world to have published over 25 books (I had a couple of things by other publishers prior to being published by Harlequin).

A small departure for me is that although it is a Viking, it is set in the Western Isles of Scotland. I became interested in the area and its history when my youngest son spent a summer volunteering with the RSPB on Oronsay, a tidal island off Collinsay. When he returned , he was full of tales of how the Vikings had based their fleet on Collinsay and there were a number of Viking burials on Oronsay. My husband and I then spent a holiday on the magically beautiful island of Islay which also boasted a large Viking population and the idea for SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR was born.

Unfortunately not much is really known about the exact history of Islay during that time period. Most histories start with Somerled, the semi-legendary founder of the MacDonald clan and who was himself half Celtic and half Norse. The name Somerled is a corruption of the Old Norse for Summer  Warrior.  Islay under Viking rule was most likely controlled by the Viking ruler of the Isle of Manx. We do know at this time, that ruler was Ketil who is mentioned in the Laxdaela saga. His overlord was Harald Finehair, the first king of Norway.

The heroine is Eilidith,  a lady of the cennell Fergusa on Islay. Cennell is the early Gaellic term for clan. At this point, mac simply meant son of, rather than the more formal naming of a clan. When Liddy was young, her home was invaded by Vikings. Her father, the chieftain or king of the cennell paid tribute to the Viking warlord and was able to keep his lands as long as he continues to provide tribute. Liddy married a Gaelic king, Brandon of the cennell Connall, one of the lone holdouts against the Vikings. Islay was not completely controlled by the Vikings, the Celts did manage to cling on and thrive in places. 

However, the marriage was not a success. He only wanted to marry her for her dowry and he had a narcissistic personality disorder. He made Liddy feel insignificant and ugly. Their twins were lost in a tragic boating accident which Liddy took the blame for. Brandon was trying to force her into a convent when he drowned.

When she was little, her grandmother used to say the butterfly mark below her lip marked her out as someone who do great things for the family.  When her father and brother are being at the Viking stronghold, Liddy decides to take her father’s ring, the one given to him by the Viking warlord to free them.

My inspiration for Sigurd

The Hero is Sigurd Sigmundson, a sell-sword Viking. He is the bastard of a Viking warlord and his Celtic princess slave girl and was more favoured by his father than his legitimate half-brother.  His life of relative luxury came to an abrupt end when his father died and his father’s wife was able to enact her brutal revenge. Sigurd barely escaped with his life.

He has spent years rebuilding his life and trying to get revenge against his half-brother. Using the skill of his arm and his natural leadership ability, he is now poised to realise his dreams. The Viking king has ordered him to bring the Viking war lord of Islay to justice after he refused to pay the tribute required. That warlord happens to be Sigurd’s half-brother.

You can read the first chapter on overdrive.com .

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide variety of time periods for Harlequin Historical. Her latest SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR has just been published. You can visit www.michellestyles.co.uk for more information about Michelle and her books.

Everyday Fashions: The Vikings + flash giveaway

By Michelle Styles

To a certain extent, it is hard to know precisely what Viking women wore and how they wore their hair. The are no portraits of Viking women and very few representations of them in statues or on coins (the usual sources for such things).

However, unlike Christians in this period, their graves can be full of grave goods but textiles are rarely preserved. Enough scraps have been found to attest that the Vikings seem to prefer bright colours and good quality cloth. It is known that sometimes cloth was given as a high status gift, particularly silk. 

We know that women wore two broaches which fastened their apron dress to a long under-gown.  The apron dress might or might not be pleated. Sometimes the long under gown had a train. The under gowns always seem to have gone to the floor.  Given the types of cloth found, plus the fragments of looms, we know the gowns were often trimmed with  embroidery or gold or silver shot ribbon.

Reproduction of a Viking woolen apron dress

The shape and decoration of the broaches indicated where in the Viking world the women came from but most were oval. And when they are discovered in a grave, it is a huge indication that the grave belongs to a Viking woman.

Around their waist, they often wore a chain  or chatelaine where the keys to various trunks and items used for personal grooming such as an ear-spoon or tweezers. It is postulated that a Viking woman’s status is very much tied to the quality of her chatelaine and the various objects which hung from it.

We know from an Arab account about a visit to Hedeby, Viking woman wore eye make up to increase their beauty. There is some evidence that men wore eye makeup as well!

As necklaces of beads are often found in graves, we can assume that women wore beads. The beads are often imported, showing that they did help give the woman status.

On her head, she most likely wore a line head dress which tied under the chin.

In cold weather, she might a cloak with fasten on one shoulder. Depending on her status, it might be made of fur.

As the Viking Age progressed, there is evidence that women abandoned their traditional style of dress to ape the fashions of the Carolingian and later Ottoinan courts. Basically, the oval broaches start disappearing from the graves and more silver pendants are found.

Various items would hang from the belt as they did not have pockets.

For men, everyday clothing consisted of a long tunic, belted over trousers. They wore leather shoes laced up around the ankle. Any cloak would be fastened with a single broach.

The clothes were simple but functional. It was rare for cross-dressing but it could occasionally happen. For example a woman who was a shield maiden might wear masculine dress to emphasize her status. If the sagas are to be believed, when she stops being a shield maiden, she returns to female dress.

FLASH GIVEAWAY:

Michelle Styles is offering  a signed copy of her latest book SAVED BY THE VIKING WARRIOR to one commentator. The winner will be chosen from the comments on Friday 22 August. Void where prohibited

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods, including the Viking. Her latest SAVED BY THE VIKING WARRIOR is published today 19 August 2014.

Author Interview: Heather Day Gilbert

This week, we're pleased to welcome author Heather Gilbert, whose latest novel, GOD'S DAUGHTER, is set during the Viking Age of exploration and conquest. The author will offer a free copy of God's Daughter to a lucky blog visitor; leave your email in the comments. Here's the blurb.

One Viking woman. One God. One legendary journey to North America. 

In the tenth century, when pagan holy women rule the Viking lands, Gudrid turns her back on her training as a seeress to embrace Christianity. Clinging to her faith, she joins her husband, Finn, on a journey to North America. 

But even as Gudrid faces down murderous crewmen, raging sickness, and hostile natives, she realizes her greatest enemy is herself--and the secrets she hides might just tear her marriage apart.

Almost five centuries before Columbus, Viking women sailed to North America with their husbands. God's Daughter, Book One in the Vikings of the New World Saga, offers an expansive yet intimate look into the world of Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir--daughter-in-law of Eirik the Red, and the first documented European woman to have a child in North America.

**Interview with Heather Day Gilbert **

What drew you to the Viking people/time period?

I’ve always been interested in the Vikings, ever since I was a kid and my grandma told me we were related to Eirik the Red. I always felt proud to know the Vikings came to North America long before Columbus, and when I read the Icelandic Sagas, I realized women came on those trips—even had the first documented European baby born in North America. I wanted to travel with these women…if only through research and a fictional storyline.

Which of these Viking women is your historical novel, God’s Daughter, based around?

The first novel in my series (Vikings of the New World Saga) is based around Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir. According to the sagas, “Gudrid was a woman of striking appearance and wise as well, who knew how to behave among strangers.”

Gudrid was an early convert to Christianity, and I wanted to explore her struggle with paganism, which is also documented in the sagas. I tried to base most of the action sequences around the saga descriptions, but fictionalized Gudrid’s internal struggles with depression, abandonment, etc. I really love Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, and I wanted to bring an entire time period to life through the eyes of one woman, much like she did with that novel.

You pursued traditional publication with this novel. What made you decide to self-publish it?

God’s Daughter was out on submission with Christian publishers over a year. When the final, glowing review came back, it was the same response—strong writing, but we can’t market the Medieval time period. It was frustrating to see Vikings doing well in the world of TV and movies (Thor, the Vikings miniseries on the History Channel, etc.); not to mention all things Medieval were thriving (Game of Thrones, Diana Gabaldon).

I realized that if I wanted to strike while the Viking iron was flaming hot, I needed to get my book into the hands of readers—and not just Christian readers. Yes, the book has a Christian worldview, but I really wanted to get the truth out about Vikings—that they weren’t just harsh and cruel. They had families and dreams and many of the same struggles we do.

What marketing techniques did you use to get the word out on God’s Daughter?

During the year my book was out on submission, I worked on my author platform, almost like a job. I built up a twitter following, started a FB author page—the whole shebang. Once I determined to self-publish, I started contacting groups I belonged to, asking for early readers who would hopefully become influencers. I also vlogged about my decision here: My Viking Novel Announcement, so my blog and FB followers could get excited about this release months ahead of time. I also contacted book reviewers and blogs, like yours, to try and get the word out. I ran a series of pinnable quotes from my novel, to give readers early visuals and *hopefully* start some hype ( God's Daughter pinnable quotes series).

Basically, I determined to leave no stone unturned. I threw myself and my novel out there, ready to be a grand experiment in hybrid-authordom. My agent totally supported my self-pubbing this novel, even while my Contemporary Appalachian Mystery novel is out on submission. I was thrilled that many authors read and rallied around this novel.

What is the second book in the series going to be about?

The second novel, Forest Child, is based around Freydis Eiriksdottir, who was the (illegitimate) daughter of Eirik the Red. She’s also infamous in the sagas for her travels to the New World…but I can’t spill too much of her story. Let’s just say she’s a real wild child. Because I write in first-person point of view, she’s been one of the greatest joys and yet greatest challenges to write.

Thank you so much for having me here today! I hope I’ve piqued your interest in the Viking women who traveled across oceans and an "unusual" time period that deserves more exploration!

About the Author:

Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing stories about authentic, believable marriages. Sixteen years of marriage to her sweet Yankee husband have given her some perspective, as well as ten years spent homeschooling her three children. Heather is the ACFW West Virginia Area Coordinator.

You can find Heather at her website, Heather Day Gilbert--Author, and at her Facebook Author Page, as well as Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Goodreads. You can find God's Daughter here on Amazon.

Witchcraft & Sorcery: The Art of Seidr in the Viking Era.

By Michelle Styles

The Vikings were the last great pagan  European culture prior to their conversion to Christianity in approximately 1000 AD.  What we know about their religion comes primarily from the Prose and Poetic  Eddas which Snorri Snorrson  wrote sometime in the early 12^th century . So the exact role of sorcery and witches is not known.

We do however know that Odin gave his eye so he could acquire knowledge. He also hung by his left foot (perhaps the origin of the Hanged Man in Tarot) so that he could learn the runes. Odin apparently possessed the ability to shape shift and used to wander the world in different disguises. He apparently taught his priests sorcery in exchange for their various sacrifices. It is said that the goddess Freya taught Odin much of what he learnt as she was part of the Vanir.

The Vikings  believed in seidr or the practice of witchcraft. (quite probably like shamanism). There was white and dark seidr.  White seidr included the arts of healing , controlling the weather and the ability to call up game and fish for the hunter. The black form included the power to raise the dead, curse an enemy, blight land and destroy love.

There is some evidence that the ritual connected with seidr included chanting as there is an Christian era law which prohibits the use of spell-chanting or galdresang. It is also possible that seidr had some relation to spinning and the distaff as spells were often supposed to spun or woven.

From various  Eddic poems, particularly ‘Loki’s Quarrel’ stanza 24 it is clear that most practitioners of the art of seid were women as Loki taunts Odin as being less than a man for having practiced it. It apparently included tinkling of bells and womanish body movements.

Some people speculate that the Oseburg ship  does not contain a queen but rather a great sorceress. The reasoning being that among the grave goods was an ornate staff which is associated with witchcraft and several cannabis seeds.

Unfortunately most of the rituals have been lost once Scandinavia became Christian  Like many other places, witches  went from being held in high esteem to being persecuted. This reached a height during the 17^th century when in northern Norway over  150 people (mostly women) were killed as a result of witch trials. In 2011 Queen Sonja of Norway opened a memorial to the victims.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods, including Viking. Her last book Paying the Viking’s  Price is published by Harlequin in November 2013. You can learn more about Michelle and her books, including reading extracts on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Five Fascinating Facts about the Vikings in Northumbria

By Michelle Styles

The capital city of  Northumbria Eforwic (York) was first captured on 1 November 866 when the city was busy celebrating All Saints Day. There was hardly any bloodshed because supposedly everyone was at church except for the Vikings. It was the Vikings who renamed the city Jorvik. Vik means a bay in Old Norse. The Romans called it Eboracum and the Anglo Saxons changed it to Eforwic.

The Vikings reputedly attacked Northumbria as revenge for the death of Ragnar the Hairy Breeched whom the Northumbrian king Aella put to death by imprisoning him in a snake pit. His three sons – Ivar the Boneless, Ubbi and Halfdan of the Wide Embrace invaded England to revenge him. the actual historical context is that there was thought to be a civil war raging in Northumbria between Osbert and Aella and the Vikings took advantage of it. It is thought that consolidation pressures in Scandinavia drove warriors out of their  homelands.

On 21 March 867, the Northumbrians tried to retake the city but the Northumbrian army was soundly defeated. Both Osbert and Aella were killed. Aella is supposed to have been ‘Blood-eagled’ -- hacking his ribs from his spine and pulling his lungs out. The only time this sort of death is mentioned in the Viking sagas. There is no historical evidence that it actually happened. The Vikings were known to turn the defeated on their stomachs to allow the eagles to feast on their backs. The Anglo-Saxon church made Aella into an instant saint.

In 872 Northumbria rebelled again. The rebellion was put down in 874. In 876 Halfdan, after wintering on the Tyne in 875, shared out  Northumbria’s lands  and his warriors settled. Prior to this, the Vikings just demanded Danegeld and used the country as their own private larder. The northern part of Northumbria (basically the county of Northumberland) became a client kingdom of Northumbria –Bernecia.  The Yorkshire division into Ridings dates from the Viking era.

Halfdan died in 878 and Northumbria plunged into a period of civil war. A recently discovered a hoard of coins from the period shows several Viking kings’ names which have been lost to history.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods. Her next book Paying the Viking’s Price is set in 876 Northumbria and is published in November 2013. You can learn more about Michelle and her books (including reading an excerpt  of Paying the Viking’s Price) on www.michellestyles.co.uk.

Guest Author: Sandra Hill

Our guest today is Sandra Hill, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including more than fifteen that take place in tenth century Britain and the Norselands, involving both Saxon knights and Viking warriors. VIKING IN LOVE...a Viking princess and a Saxon lord.

Check out the end of this post where you can enter to win a copy of its prequel, MY FAIR VIKING. Here's the blurb for VIKING IN LOVE:

She said...

Caedmon of Larkspur is the most loathsome lout I have ever encountered! When my sisters and I arrived at his castle, we were greeted by servants and children running wild, while Caedmon lied abed after a night of ale. No doubt there will be another child soon, because I must admit he's as handsome as he is virile. And I must endure him, for we are in desperate need of protection, though I can only imagine what this knight will demand of me in return.

He said...

After nine long months in the king's service all I wanted was peace...not five Viking princesses running my keep. And the fiery redhead who burst into my chamber that first morning is the worst of all. Why, I should kick her out...but I have a much more wickedly delightful plan for Breanne of Stoneheim, one that will leave her a Viking in lust....Ten nights with a knight!

***

"Earthy, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and lusty, this tenth-century revel takes readers back to a much-less-refined time and is just plain fun. Her fans are sure to enjoy this latest addition." ~ Kristin Ramsdell, Library Journal

"I was laughing literally from the first page and had to subject my family to a few lines, who in turn joined my fits of giggles...Haven't tried Sandra Hill's work yet? Well, you should!" ~ Julianne Draper, Tampa Books Examiner

"VIKING IN LOVE is sinfully magnificent! Sandra Hill's exceptionally talented style of writing results in a book all readers will adore. Imaginative scenes jam packed full of romance, humor and adventure." ~ Tammy Faris, Romance Readers Connection

***

Why Vikings?

I first got interested in Vikings when researching a family genealogy and discovered I could trace my paternal roots all the way back to the tenth century and a Viking named Hrolf the Ganger, first duke of Norsemandy (later called Normandy). But then I was drawn in by a fascinating, often neglected, group of people, especially the men, who were undoubtedly tall and handsome, great seafarers and skillful warriors. And talented lovers, as evidenced by the vast number of women of different countries who welcomed them to their beds. Plus, and this is important to me, they had a great sense of humor, an ability to laugh at themselves.

But weren't they rapers and pillagers?

Some of them might have been, but mostly this was a fabrication of the biased historians of that time, almost all of whom were monks who disdained these heathen invaders. In truth, the tenth century was a violent time, and cruelty occurred in all cultures, including Britain where they were not above skinning a man alive and tacking the remains to a church door. Most Vikings just wanted new lands to settle since the harsh Norselands could not support their increasing numbers. That's why there are no Vikings per se today. They blended into the societies that they settled or conquered.

You've written so many Viking novels. Do you still have to do research?

Yes, and I love it. Actually, new information is being discovered all the time as archaeologists uncover more about these compelling people. For example, a recent find showed that some Viking men had small holes drilled in their front teeth...for jewels. A dig in York showed evidence that the Vikings ate bread made of stone ground wheat that still had particles of stone in them.

Tell us something more that we don't know about Vikings?

Well, you might not be aware that many of the famous knights of the Middle Ages were descendants of Vikings. Or did you know that the nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down" was presumably written about a time when Vikings ruled Britain. And, yes, there were Viking kings in England for a time.

Any suggestions for books that readers or writers might want to consult about Vikings?

There are so many, but a few of my favorites are: A HISTORY OF THE VIKINGS by Gwyn Jones; THE VIKINGS by Else Roesdahl; LIFE AND DEATH IN THE TENTH CENTURY; or any of the sagas or eddas. And for humor regarding Vikings, there is THE LOST DIARY OF ERIK BLOODAXE, VIKING WARRIOR by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore.

Is VIKING IN LOVE a stand alone book or part of a series?

Actually, it's both. It is the eighth book in my Viking Series I, but all my books are intended to stand alone. The order goes thus: THE RELUCTANT VIKING, THE OUTLAW VIKING, THE TARNISHED LADY, THE BEWITCHED VIKING, THE BLUE VIKING, MY FAIR VIKING, and A TALE OF TWO VIKINGS. The one most closely related to VIKING IN LOVE is MY FAIR VIKING because the heroine is the first of the Viking princesses.

Tell us a little more about VIKING IN LOVE.

With pleasure. I call this my medieval version of the Dixie Chicks video "Goodbye Earl." In the video the three girls kill Earl, the abusive husband of one of them and dump him in a lake. In my book, the five princesses kill the abusive husband of one of them...an earl, of course...and dump him in the bottom of a privy.

You can read a short excerpt here.

Is your back list still available new?

Most of them are, and, in fact, Harper Collins bought my entire backlist from Dorchester...seventeen books, and they should be reissued, if they aren't already available.

What's next?

In September, THE VIKING TAKES A KNIGHT, a further sequel to the Viking I series will be out. Another Viking princess! Here's a blurb and cover art.

The Viking is a princess...

And all she wants is refuge for herself and one unique orphan from a vicious Saxon commander who would harm the children and destroy her honor. At her age, she no longer expects to find a husband, or even a lover, especially not the arrogant Lord of the Bees!

The Knight studies bees...

And what he longs for is peace and quiet. John of Hawk's Lair is certainly not seeking a nagging wife and noisome children. As a knight in the king's service, he spends his cherished time at home working on his beekeeping experiments. So when an irksome Viking princess comes barging into his castle with a horde of orphan children he does everything he can to get rid of her.

Together they made honey...

How about those Viking Navy SEALs you've made so popular?

That's from my Viking Series II. Coming in November will be DARK VIKING, in this case a female Navy SEAL (and former stunt woman) who travels back in time in full diving gear (head to toe wet suit and flippers) where she is mistaken by a Viking warrior for an ugly fish. The hero is brother to Thorfinn from VIKING UNCHAINED.

Do you like to hear from readers?

I love to hear from readers and hope they will visit my website where I have more book news, videos, free novellas, jokes, and freebies.

As always I wish readers smiles in their reading. Please ask me any questions you have about Vikings or any of my other books.

***

Thanks for being here, Sandra!

Sandra is giving away a copy of MY FAIR VIKING to one random person who posts a comment. As sometimes it can be difficult to think up something to comment on, perhaps you can tell us what you think of Vikings. Are they pillaging barbarians or sexy heroes? We'll select a winner next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

The Seasons: Viking Jul

By Michelle Styles

Jul--or, as it is sometimes spelt, Yule--may come from the Old Norse Jol. Jol blot was a mid winter festival associated with sacrifice and the rebirth of the sun. Blot means "sacrifice," often of blood.

When Scandinavia became Christian around 1000 AD, King Haakon moved the festival of Jol to coincide with Christmas. The two have been intertwined ever since. Of course Christmas was originally developed to counteract Roman Saturnalia, and celebrations started about 200 years after Christ. There is a tradition in Coptic Christian Church of celebrating Christ's birth in May.

Where they could, the new religion incorporated the older traditions. However since Christ had sacrificed himself for everyone, the blood sacrifices died out. But very little is known of the actual meaning and celebration of Jul. Some believe that it was the time of Odin leading the Wild Hunt and that the veil between the world of the dead and the world of the living was very thin. Scholars are divided on the length of the festival. Some say three days, others twelve. In Iceland there is a tradition of Yule boys bringing presents in the 13 days before Christmas. The one thing that everyone agrees on is that it was a multi-day feast.

There are a few references in the sagas about Jul being broken or a berserk withholding a fight as he did not want to break Jul, so some believe that this period was a time of peace or truce. It was also a time of promises, unbreakable oaths and resolutions. These were often conducted over a boar sacrificed in Freyr's honour. Freyr was a god of the harvest and fertility.

Things like the Boar's Head Carol (English), where a Boar's head is bedecked with bay and rosemary or even the tradition of a Yule Ham, are thought to be related back to Viking tradition. It remains a popular tradition in Norway to give a marzipan pig at Christmas for good luck and prosperity.

Because the goat was special to Thor--another god honoured at this time of year--people would go around dressed in goatskins, singing and making merry. It is from here that some believe wassailing developed.

In Norway, there is a tradition of a Jul beer or a specially brewed beer for the Yule season. This beer was not brewed at other times.

The Yule log was important because it kept fire in the world and helped to ensure the next harvest would be good. Today it is more likely to be a cake eaten for good luck.

While the religion that inspired the traditions has long since vanished, the rituals remain. However you celebrate, may this season bring peace, joy and prosperity to all.

Michelle Styles's latest romance, THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS, is out now!

Guest Author: Michelle Styles

Unusual Historicals is delighted to welcome back long time contributor Michelle Styles who is here to speak about her new novel THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS, which is Michelle's third Viking romance. She assures us that while linked, each is a stand alone adventure. Romantic Times gave THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS four stars!

"No one touches my woman. She bears my mark. I claim her."

Dangerous warrior Ivar Gunnarson is a man of deeds, not words. With little time for the ideals of love, Ivar seizes what he wants--and Princess Thyre will not become the exception to his rule!

Mysterious and enchanting, Thyre rouses Ivar's desire the moment he lays eyes on her. With Viking factions engaged in a bloody feud, Thyre is yet another captive this hardened warrior conquers--but to be king of Thyre's heart will entail a battle he has never engaged in before...

***

What inspired you to write THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS?

While I was writing TAKEN BY THE VIKING, I knew that I wanted to tell Ivar's story. Anyway, I happened to read Queen Emma and the Vikings, which is a biography of an 11th century English queen (wife to Ethelred the Unready and Canute) and peaceweaver. Her father was a Viking who settled in Normandy, and he met her mother when the mother took her sister's place in bed. And I thought what an interesting premise.

I did some more research and discover the whole concept of hospitality did extend to women sleeping with warriors. Several of the sagas mention it as well. And I knew I wanted to look at the relationship of Viken to its immediate neighbour to the East. Surprisingly this proved slightly more difficult to research, as really the only primary source documents covering the period had been well used by Tokien and Wagner to create their masterpieces. It would be difficult to have a king called Gandalf for example.

Was it easy to write, after all you already knew the time period and the characters?

THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS was an incredibly difficult book for me. I knew the story I wanted to tell but somehow I kept missing. My editors were very patient with me and believed in my ability to turn the story around. I think that faith and pushing paid off with the final story.

How long did it take you to write THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS then?

I write every single day and I try to write 2,000 words per day or thereabouts. However with THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS, I ended up taking a wrong turn to begin with or rather it wasn't a wrong turn, it just wasn't the right way to tell the story. And I realised this a few weeks after I turned it in. Once the revisions came back, I made sweeping changes and turned those in. However, my editor still was not happy, so I had to revise the ms again and again. All told it took about nine months. But there was waiting while I worked on another manuscript (COMPROMISING MISS MILTON).

And what can you tell us about the cover? It's lovely!

Isn't a great cover? I think it ranks up there with my favourite covers. I love the feel of it and the artist even managed to capture the fact that Thyre has a dimple in her chin. It is an important plot point and so I was pleased to see it there. Also I love the whole feel of the cover. It captures the mood of the book.

So Michelle, is the Viking time period popular and are you going to be writing any more Vikings?

Ah, the Viking time period is popular. My Viking books have been published all around the globe. It has always done well for HMB Historical and they are actively looking for new voices. I am just writing Regency/early Victorian at the moment and my editors think I am making a good contribution there and so they want me to concentrate on that. However, my editors are swayed by readers writing into them directly and I tend to follow editorial direction on which time period they would like. One of my great strengths apparently is that I am versatile and can bring a number of time periods to life. Also there are more publishing slots for Georgian/Regency/Victorian than there are for Unusual Historical. So if people want more Vikings from me, they will have to convince my editors who will then say in their very lovely voices--Michelle, you will write another one, won't you? Or at least a woman can dream!

On a more serious note, the editors, in particular Senior Editor Linda Fildew, are very committed to the concept of Unusual Historical and are looking for strong manuscripts in any time period. So if you have a good Viking, medieval, Australian western, Far Eastern, Egyptian that fits the Harlequin Historical guidelines, it is worth submitting. The bar is set high but it does happen. It is the first three chapters and a synopsis and you can submit via email. The short story line Undone has also expanded and is now publishing two stories per month, so they are actively looking for more stories there.

You are recently back from a research trip to Istanbul, will you be setting any Vikings there?

At the moment, I am researching a Regency set duet which has two cousins who were captured by Algerian pirates. But I know all about Varangian Guard in the Byzantine period. Carol Townend is currently working on something with Anglo Saxon warriors who were forced out after the Norman conquest and went to Byzantium. It all sounds rather wonderful and I can't wait to read it.

So what is next for you?

Next up is the February 2010 release of SOLD AND SEDUCED in the North American Direct market. This means it is going e-book (the Kindle edition, for example) and sold through the eHarlequin website.

After that, my May 2010 release will be COMPROMISING MISS MILTON. My editor sent through the blurb the other day and it reads like this:

Marrying the Governess!

Buttoned-up governess Daisy Milton buries dreams of marriage and family life in order to support her sister and orphaned niece. But maddeningly attractive Adam, Viscount Ravensworth, is one distraction that shakes Daisy's safe, stable existence.

Now ghosts from Adam's past in India threaten Daisy's future. Just what will it take to convince a tightly-laced miss to forgo society's strict code of conduct...and come undone in the arms of a reformed rake?

***

Thank you, Michelle, for visiting. Remember to leave a comment to be put in the draw for a signed copy of THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS. I'll draw a winner at random next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Michelle suggests answering the question: Does a good cover make a difference when you buy a book, or does the back cover copy sway you more? We'll be curious to hear your feedback!

Dynasties: The Ynglings

By Michelle Styles

One of the problems with researching the early Vikings is that so much is shrouded in myth and mystery. Various sources mention the Ynglings as an early Norse dynasty, but how real were they? And do they still exist today?

The Ynglings are known as semi-legendary because scholars are fairly certain they existed; they are mentioned in a number of independent sources that appeared shortly appeared after the Age of Migration finished in around 700 AD. The problem with the Age of Migration or the Dark Ages is very few primary sources exist for the tribes who were migrating around Europe. The Ynglings are mentioned in Saxo Germanicus, Beowolf (in Beowolf, they are referred to as Scyling), and in the Ynglinga saga and a shorter work by Snorri Sturulson.

Yngling means "descendant of Frey" and they supposedly subdued most of Sweden between the 500-700 AD. Sturluson also mentions that they may have been descended from a man called Skelfir, and thus were more properly called Skalfings.

One of the most famous of the Ynglings, Ottarr or Ohthere, refused to pay tribute to the Danish king Frodi (and yes, you do have the Anglican version, Frodo, used by Tolkien--encountering Tolkien is a slight hazard when researching the early Vikings!), and freed his part of Sweden from the tribute. He and his sons are mentioned in Beowolf and Saxo Germanicus. The details are vaguely given which leads some scholars to conclude that the story was so well known that the skalds did not have to relate the full details.

The last Yngling king in Sweden was Ingjald Ill-Ruler who enlarged his kingdom with the simple expedient of burning the other kings inside his hall. His daughter Asa was considered to be devious. One of his sons, Olof Tratalga, who was the last true Yngling, ruled part of Norway for awhile but proved such a bad ruler that he was eventually burnt to death in his long house. The remains of burnt long house dating from this time and roughly in the correct area have been found.

Later, the descendants of Harald Finehair (so called because he refused to cut or comb his hair until after a certain princess, Gyda, married him, something she refused to do until he became king of all Norway) claimed to be part of the Yngling dynasty in order to give Finehair's unification of Norway some legitimacy in the early 9th century. The Finehair dynasty (or at least claims to have been descended from him) ruled Norway until about the 14th century. If you do various twists and turns and leaps of faith, the current Norwegian kings are related.

So real or not, it is interesting that some in Norway would still claim descent from the Ynglings.

Research: Primary Sources and the Vikings

By Michelle Styles

Iris Murdoch in her novel The Nice and The Good stated about early Greek history, 'It sets a special challenge to the disciplined mind. It is a game with very few pieces, where the skill of the players lies in complicating the rules.' The same could be said for the Viking era.

There are very few primary source written documents from actual Vikings and what little we do have from them is inscriptions on stones, rather than long passages which give insight into what they believed or how they live. These stones are also mainly concentrated in a few areas of Scandinavian so how representative of the Vikings as a whole is open to debate. Equally much of the wood and textiles date from the Oseburg ships and the early Viking era rather than the later period. We know about the beds, the sleighs, the bone ice skates and the buckets, but not necessarily what they symbolised to the Vikings.

The contemporary writing about the Viking tends to be from monks who had no reason to be sympathetic to the Vikings and sometimes it is hard to discern if the events actually happened or if indeed the Vikings were convenient scapegoats for other raiders or disaffected warriors. To the monks, it is clear from their tirades that the Vikings with their pagan ways were the Antichrist sent to punish. They were responsible for plundering, raping and pillaging the countryside, particularly as they had no respect for the Christian church and its teaching. Amongst other things, the monks condemn the Viking habit of bathing.

To accept the monk's view of the Vikings are face value is to ignore the very real contribution the Vikings made. For example the founding of various cities and towns including Dublin and Kiev as well as any town ending in the suffix "--by" in England. Their street names which often in "--gate," meaning street, still are used in London and York. Recent excavations in York and other places have revealed small scale industrial craft making including jewellery, combs, tools and the like. The quantity of feign items Vikings did engage in trade as well as plundering.

The other major contemporary source is various travel writing from Muslim travellers in particular The Travel book of Ibrahim ibn-Jakub. But how much was real and how much was fantasy for consumption back home is open to debate. For example, one Muslim traveller describes human sacrifice in a Viking settlement in Russia. The only problem is that nowhere else is such a thing described.

The other major source of written information about the Vikings--the Icelandic sagas--were composed after the Viking age ended. And it is possible they reflect the concerns of medieval Christian Iceland rather than the Vikings. The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson which purports to give all Norse mythology and thus providing our only knowledge of Viking religion and religious practices was composed in the 13th century. With its emphasis on the destruction of the world and volcanic imagery, The Prose Edda does speak to the Icelandic experience rather than necessarily the Scandinavian.

Sturluson is also responsible for the History of the Kings of Norway, also known as The Great Orb for its majestic opening lines. Again because the history was oral tradition until the mid-13th century and the Viking age ended for all intents and purposes in 1066, one must question its accuracy. How much can it actually tell about what happened and how much is coloured by Christian perception and nostalgia for a vanished world?

Adding to the complications is the Victorian rediscovery of the Icelandic texts and how they reinterpreted to suit the author. For example, do the sagas show heroic leadership or proto-socialism? Equally as Tolkien used many of the sagas as a basis for his Middle Earth, can readers believe in a king called Gandalf?

However, the problems with primary source documentation is part of what makes writing about the Vikings exciting. It means that you can go searching for nuggets and seeing how they stack up against the archaeological sources. But really the skill comes from using the meagre sources to create a vivid and believable world.

Michelle Styles has written three historical romances set in early Viking times. Her latest, THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS, will be published in December 2009.

Men: The List of Rig

By Michelle Styles

Because of the two Eddas, poetic and prose, it is possible to understand more about the way the Vikings thought and acted--in particular how they viewed themselves and what traits they held to be important.

The so-called List of Rig, which only exists in an incomplete form. is probably the best saga to shows which traits were considered to desirable.

Rig most likely comes from the Irish word for king, or ri. This saga is supposed to be about the god Heimdall's creation of mankind and Viking society.

It explains the basic structure of society, dividing it into three parts: labourer, farmer and finally lord. In each segment certain traits are praised.

For example, the labourer is praised for making strong baskets, being able to work with swine, look after goats and dig turf. When his future partner arrives, they talk and whisper together then go to bed together. The farmer or thane is supposed to be able to build houses, make carts and ploughs, and tame oxen. It is also notable that the farmer gets married properly to his wife rather than simply setting up house like the labourer does. They also spread the bed coverlets before going to bed. The farmer is also constantly working and has no time for leisure pursuits. He whittles and works with wood.

For the lord, the making of bow strings and arrows is important as is the ability to hunt with hounds, to ride horses, to wield a sword and to swim as well as being able to play tafl. In short, he has leisure time and knows how to use it wisely.The lord also has to know how to use his wealth--offering his followers treasure and gifts. He also takes time out for romance as the list mentions looking into one another's eyes--something that is missing from the labourer's or the farmer's list.

When the lord marries, it is mentioned that Erna, the wife is radiant and wise and that they loved one another. Erna the wife brings embroidered coverlets rather than simply woven ones, again implying that she is not just spinning the entire time and has some time for leisure pursuits. It is also mentioned that lords drink wine rather than drinking ale.

Finally, anyone marked out for kingship must know their runes, as well as how to deaden sword blades and quiet oceans, only then will he be considered worthy.

What is clear from this particular saga is that it is not simply the arts of war that are prized for Vikings but also other traits such as being able to play strategy games, conduct a romance, help in childbirth (the mention of a man helping out in childbirth surprised me know end, but I suspect it also might be a reference to the practice of exposing sickly babies) and knowing how to correctly interpret signs and riddles.

Anyway, reading the List of Rig helped give me insight into those qualities that the Vikings considered important for their men to have.

Michelle Styles has written three historical romances about the Vikings. The third one, THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS, will published in North America in December 2009.

Places You've Never Heard Of: Bygdoy

By Michelle Styles

About twenty five years ago, I was travelling through Europe for the first time and had to change trains at Eindhoven. It suddenly struck me that there were cities, big cities that I had never heard of but probably millions of others had. And when I go places, I do try to remember it is probably more my own ignorance about a place rather than a place being unknown.

Anyway, I am not certain how many readers of this blog will know about Bygdoy in Norway. Before I went to Oslo, I had no idea it existed but I was very glad to have found it.

Bygdoy is a peninsula in the Oslo fjord (originally an island, hence the "oy" suffix) and houses some of Norway's most important museums as well as the royal family's summer residence. If you are going to Norway, you need to plan to spend a day there and even then, it is hard to see everything. It is best approached by ferry.

First there is the Kon-Tiki Museum, which is dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl's voyages. It houses the famous raft which he piloted from Peru to Polynesia as well as the papyrus boat, Ra II which sailed from Morocco to the Caribbean in 1970.

Then there is the Fram Museum which houses the Fram, the boat that Amundsen used on his polar expeditions. Amundsen was the first man to reach the South Pole in 1911 and the museum provides a glimpse of what it was like.

After that, the Norwegian folk museum is an open air museum with over 153 different structures including a stave church. There is also a huge collection of interiors as well as toys, traditional costumes and Ibsen's study. It quickly give a bird's eye view of Norway and the many different styles of the various regions.

And finally, there is the Viking Ship Museum which houses the three most important Viking ships discovered in the Oslo fjord. The Oseberg ship was discovered with its grave goods intact and is thought to be the burial chamber of Queen Asa. You can see the various beds, sledges, textiles and other items. When you are standing next to the ships, the size is immediately apparent, particularly when you compare them to the Kon-Tiki or indeed the Fram.

So if you are ever in Norway, do make time to go to Bygdoy and see the museums. It is a day well spent.