Unusual Historicals at HNS 2013: Historical Fiction Off the Beaten Path

Last weekend I attended the Historical Novel Society Conference in St. Petersburg, FL. (omg, was it really over a week ago?) It was wonderful to meet Lisa Yarde in person — let me tell you, she is just as sweet and friendly as you would imagine. I also got a chance to hang out with fellow U.H.-ers Kim Rendfeld and Stephanie Dray, though unfortunately I didn't cross paths with J.S. Dunn. It really was a fantastic weekend — I met so many writers, readers, and bloggers, and the vast majority of them shared my interest in the kind of historical fiction we promote here at Unusual Historicals.

your intrepid panelists (l-r):
Julie, moi, Andrea, Audra

Along with author Julie K. Rose, blogger Audra Friend of Unabridged Chick, and reviewer Andrea Connell of Queen’s Quill Review, I participated in a panel called "Historical Fiction Off the Beaten Path". We took a look at some novels published within the last few years that veer away from current trends in ways such as:

• less-explored locations or time periods
• unusual protagonists or points of view
• no famous historical figures as characters
• LGBT or POC (person of color) protagonists
• stories that mix genres or sub-genres

To get the conversation going, Julie did an analysis of all books reviewed for the HNS in the first quarter of 2013, which includes large press, small press, and self-published titles. Out of over 200 books reviewed:

• 69% took place in the 19th & 20th centuries
• 63% were set in England or the United States
• Only 16% were set outside Europe & North America
• Fewer than 10% featured POC protagonists
• Only two books featured LGBT protagonists

Though this might seem like an overwhelming tilt, there are areas of variety, and the balance is slowly growing. In that same sample:

• 25% of self-published titles were set before the 5th century (more than any other publishing method)
• 29% of small presses titles were set between the 5th-17th centuries (more than any other method)
• The Big 6 focused on the 18th-20th centuries (73%) but took chances on several unusual titles

We had a great discussion with our audience about what makes a novel unusual, and what readers would like to see more of in historical fiction. There's a strong desire for less-visited locations and lesser-heard points of view, and audience members were eager to share recommendations and learn where to find more. (Goodreads was the #1 recommended resource, along with blogs like U.H.) Especially requested were stories featuring POC and LGBT protagonists, particularly when the character's sexuality or race is not a source of conflict, and the everyday lives of other non-famous people whose story is often overlooked.

I'm not ashamed to say it was extremely satisfying to reinforce my belief that every story has an audience. There might only be room on the promo shelf for the most popular topics, but readers are hungry for variety; they just need a little help finding it. Even the most well-explored settings can be viewed from new angles. That's the great thing about historical fiction — there's room for everyone here.

The Children of King Henry I of England

King Henry I of England

Henry I of England (1100 to 1135), son of William the Conqueror, was as noteworthy for his political power, as for the tragedy of his legitimate son and daughter's lives. Henry had the misfortune to lose his heir William in a fire on the English Channel and while his barons swore to support his daughter Matilda's claim, they changed their minds after Henry's death, allowing for his nephew Stephen to seize the throne. Perhaps more notorious was the number of illegitimate children Henry fathered. Even more exceptional, most of Henry’s bastards went on to prominent positions throughout the British Isles and France. The daughters married into powerful families including the Scottish royal line, while the sons became earls, archbishops and abbots of the feudal Church.

Artist's illustration of Bristol Castle, which Robert de Caen originally built

Robert of Caen, born in 1090, lived in his father’s household from at least the age of ten. In 1119, he married an heiress Mabel, a granddaughter of the powerful Earl Roger Montgomery of Shrewsbury. She brought the wealth of lands in Gloucester to the union. A few years later, when Henry summoned his barons to England to recognize Matilda as a future Queen, Robert swore an oath in support of her, as did the King’s nephew Stephen. When he usurped Matilda’s claim, Robert accepted his rule. Two years later, he became Matilda’s commander-in-chief during the Anarchy (1135 to 1154), a tumultuous period when she and her cousin vied for the throne. In 1141, Matilda’s supporters captured King Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln, but seven months later, his allies apprehended Robert. In a prisoner exchange, both men gained their freedom. Robert continued his campaign to establish her rule and that of her son, the future Henry II, but he died before its achievement on October 31, 1147.

Loch Tay island, where Queen Sybil's church stood

Sybil, born possibly two years after Robert, was King Henry’s daughter by his long-time mistress, Sybil Corbet. The daughter had another connection to the royal family, being the granddaughter of Count Robert of Mortain, brother of William the Conqueror.  After 1107, Sybil married the young Scots King Alexander. Although they were devoted to each other, they did not have any children. She died in 1122 and Alexander founded a church on the island of Loch Tay, where she died. Alexander never re-married and his brother David inherited the throne.
 
Sybil’s full-blood brother Rainald de Dunstanville first became Earl of Cornwall, when he supported King Stephen. Like his half-brother Robert of Caen, he soon switched sides and led a rebellion. Rainald married well in 1139 to Beatrice, an heiress with lands throughout Cornwall. They would have seven children together. Two years later, his half-sister Matilda conferred the earldom on him again. The Anarchy allowed Rainald to evade payment of taxes on his holdings, which did not change until 1175, when Rainald died without a living male heir.

In 1103, Juliane, another bastard daughter of King Henry by his mistress Ansfride, married Eustace de Pacy in Normandy. The couple shared similar circumstances. Eustace’s father William de Breteuil acknowledged him despite his illegitimate birth. Sixteen years later, King Henry held his own granddaughters from Juliane as pledges for Eustace’s safekeeping of the castle at Ivry. Eustace failed in his bid and as revenge, Henry had his granddaughters eyes put out and the tips of their noses cut off. A naturally aggrieved Juliane sided with her husband against her father. He besieged her in the castle at Breteuil. She requested a meeting with him, but tried to put a bolt from a crossbow in his heart. Surrounded and helpless, Juliane surrendered. Later, she and her husband sought Henry’s forgiveness and she retired to the abbey at Fontevrault.
 
Isabel is one of the most provocative of Henry’s illegitimate daughters. The controversy stems from her ancestors’ ties to Henry. Isabel was the granddaughter of Comte Robert de Meulan, who had been an advisor to King Henry from the beginning of his reign. The men were longtime friends and Henry would have seen Robert’s children grow up during his long reign. When Robert died in 1117, Henry claimed his eldest sons, the 13-year-old twins Waleran de Meulan and Robert of Leicester as wards. Their sister Isabel was at least three years younger, yet in 1120, she bore Henry an illegitimate daughter who shared her mother’s name. While this last of the King’s mistresses went on to marry Gilbert de Clare and become the mother of Richard, known as Strongbow, her daughter never wed.     
 
Henry acknowledged at least fifteen other bastards during his lifetime. No other English king, including Charles II five centuries later, fathered as many illegitimate children. For those aligned with Henry’s children through marriage and political alliance, the link to royal blood mattered most, not the legitimacy of that connection.

Photo Essays: The Alhambra

By Lisa Yarde

The Alhambra is not only the most visited, but also the best-conserved site from the Moorish period in Spain. It has existed since at least the 9th century. It became the royal residence of the sovereigns of Granada, from 1236 until 1492. In November 2001, I visited and fell in love with this old relic of a bygone era, after researching the Nasrid Dynasty that ruled from the Alhambra.

In Arabic, the name Alhambra, from the Arabic al-Qal'at al-Hamra, means "the red one" and refers to the color of its red, brick walls. It rises from a sloping hill, known as the Sabika in Moorish times, and overlooks the city of Granada. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it was more than a royal palace in Moorish times; a palatial city, it housed the residence of the ruling monarchs, their families and advisors and the military barracks


There are two entrances to the Alhambra; in the north, the Puerta de las Armas (the Gate of Arms) and in the south, the Puerta de la Justicia (the Gate of Justice), which is the best-preserved of the two and the gate through which modern-day visitors enter the Alhambra. The 14th century King Yusuf I is thought to be responsible for its construction in 1348.

After you enter the Puerta de la Justicia, the stout walls of the Alhambra’s Alcazaba (Arabic al-Quasaba) rise in the west. This military fortification goes back to the 9th century, and contains the barracks of the kingdom’s soldiers, a kiln and cistern, and the Moorish prison. In the 13^th century, King Muhammad III had his primary residence in the Alcazaba, from which he could hear the screams of countless prisoners whom he tortured during his murderous reign.

The most prominent tower of the Alcazaba, Torre de la Vela, rises 87 feet. The Torre de la Vela offers a fantastic view of Granada, provided you’re willing to ascend the spiral staircase that rises to the summit. In January 1492, when the united Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, completed their Reconquista with the capture of Granada, they raised a cross at the Alcazaba for the first time in seven centuries. 

East of the Alcazaba is the palace of Mexuar (Arabic mashwar), which was not considered a palace when King Ismail I (maternal nephew of Muhammad III) built it in the early 14^th century. The King’s council met in this chamber to supervise administrative duties and enforce judicial edicts. There were once two floors in the room, allowing the Moorish King to watch the activities below while hidden from view.

The northern façade of the Mexuar serves as a portico for the Cuarto Dorado (Golden Room) courtyard. Sunlight filters in through the open roof and glints off the walls, illuminating decorative motifs and the shield and emblems of Ferdinand and Isabella. Lattice windows on the second floor overlook the space and there are two doors, only one of which is open to the public.

The Cuarto Dorado is part of the Torre de Comares (Comares Palace), built primarily under the 14^th century King Muhammad V, who was son of Yusuf I and grandson of Ismail I. The Hall of the Ambassadors on the northern façade is the largest room in the Torre de Comares. This was the center of diplomatic life in the Moorish period.

The cedar ceiling of the Sala de Barca, just outside the Hall of the Ambassadors, represents the seven heavens of Islamic religion.

The entrance to the Hall of Ambassadors derives from the Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtles), where marble columns reflect in the recesses of a long central fountain set in the marble pavement. King Charles V destroyed whatever once stood to the south of the Patio de los Arrayanes.

The Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions), considered the private residence of Muhammad V and his family, has it its center a stone basin supported by 12 marble lions. Since the Koran forbids the figurative representation of animals (as well as humans, no one knows whether the figures are from the Moorish period or the later, overlapping Mudejar period, which artisans blended Christian and Muslim styles.

The Sala de los Mocárabes (Hall of the Mocárabes), through which visitors enter the Patio de los Leones got its name from the Christian architects who worked on the Alhambra after the Reconquista, men influenced by the Moorish style. They changed the original cupola for a baroque ceiling.

The Sala de los Abencerrajes (Hall of the Abencerrajes) derives its name from an Arabian noble family, the Banu Sarraj. Legend (mainly from the fertile imagination of Washington Irving) states that in 15^th century, King Abu’l-Hasan Ali (Spanish Muley Hacen), the penultimate monarch massacred the Saraj family because their chieftain Ahmet was having a love affair with the King’s second wife, Soraya (Spanish Isabel de Solis).  

In the Sala de los Reyes (King's Hall) to the east, a painting adorns the central vault of the ceiling. It supposedly features the first ten Moorish Kings of Granada.

The Sala de las dos Hermanas, (Hall of the Two Sisters), which was built by 1362, is perhaps the most beautiful room adjoining the Patio de los Leones. The ceiling features gold and lapis lazuli. Legend states the name comes from two sisters held as captives during the Moorish period, or it could derive from the two slabs of marble at opposing corners of the room.

Beyond it is the Mirador de Daraxa (corrupted from the ‘Ayn dar Aisha), which is supposedly a reference to King Abu’l-Hasan Ali’s first wife, Aisha. Legend says that the jealous first wife pined away for her husband, who had cast her off for his second wife, from this spot and plotted her revenge through her son, Muhammad XI (Spanish Boabdil). It overlooks a garden.

The baths of the Alhambra are between the Sala de las dos Hermanas and the Patio de los Arrayanes. When I last visited, they were not open due to restoration work.

The Partal dates from the 15th century. It was the primary residence of King Yusuf III, grandson of Muhammad V.

Further east of the complex is the Generalife (Arabic Janat al-Arif), built by Ismail I in the 14^th century, as a summer palace of the Nasrids. Again, legend points to this site as the meeting place of Soraya and Ahmet of the unfortunate Sarraj clan.

On the now obliterated southern portico of the Patio de los Arrayanes is the palace of Charles V, an Italian renaissance structure. Its architect, Pedro Machuca, was a student of Michelangelo in Florence. It houses the National Museum of Spanish-Moorish Art, where you can see many relics from the Alhambra.

Lastly, the Church of Santa Maria now stands on the site of the mosque of the Alhambra, which Muhammad III built.

The Alhambra is a place of fragile beauty, frightful violence and tragic history. To learn more, visit Alhambra.org.


Lisa J. Yarde is a historical fiction author. Her novels ON FALCON'S WINGS, an epic medieval novel chronicling the starstruck romance between Norman and Saxon lovers, and SULTANA, set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain, are available now.

The Entertainers: Famed Poets and Musicians of Moorish Spain

By Lisa Yarde

When the Moors invaded Spain in the eighth century, they brought the classical traditions of a rich culture steeped in the arts of poetry and music for two centuries. Before Islam, Arabian culture celebrated music and poetry, but the Prophet Muhammad disapproved of the arts so linked to lingering pagan practices. In Andalusia, the Moorish descendants of Arabian, Berber and Spanish peoples developed varying styles of music, like the nubah, as well as the risqué muwashshah and zajal poetry, which they set to song. Later, the courtiers of Moorish Spain composed qasidas to commemorate important events and extoll the virtues of their patrons.

The nubah involved a group of people singing verses individually, accompanied by bow-stringed instruments and drums. The muwashshah typically has three line stanzas with a recurring rhyme, introduced at the beginning. The zajal was a spontaneous form of short poems, sung in stanzas and followed by a different rhyme each time. Many of the themes in both poetic forms expressed ideals of religious duty but more often, beauty, sensual pleasures or love, typically lost love. The qasidas were the longest form of all, at least 50 lines that rhymed.

Oud player

Ziryab is the father of the Hispano-Arab musical styles of the Moorish period and founded the nubah tradition.  He was born in Iraq in the early ninth century, and may have been Kurdish or of mixed Arab and African descent. He lived in the cultural capital of the eastern Muslim world at Baghdad and trained under another musician until he surpassed his master. A dangerous rivalry developed and Ziryab wisely left for Moorish Spain. A year later, he met his patron, the Ummayad prince Abd ar-Rahman II at the capital in Cordoba. The prince paid Ziryab a monthly salary of 200 gold dinars, which the musician spent on his richly decorated home and costly brocades.  He also founded a school in Cordoba, where he taught fellow musicians. Ziryad also improved the oud, more commonly known as the lute in medieval European society, by adding a fifth red string between the second and third ones. Click here for a sample of the oud played in composition with the guitar and drums, similar to music of the twelfth century in Moorish Spain.

Nearly two centuries after Ziryab, in 1001, the Caliph of Cordoda fathered a child, Wallada. Historians have described her as beautiful, with fair skin, light or blue eyes or blonde hair. In her mid-twenties, her father died and since he had no living sons, Wallada inherited all his property. She used this wealth to build a home where she entertained guests and dazzled them with her poetry. Wallada never married but she did take an equally famed lover, the poet Ibn Zaydun. As the pair were from rival clans, their love affair was a risk but neither cared for the consequences. Nine of Wallada’s letters to Ibn Zaydun have survived. They demonstrate a passionate, but tumultuous relationship that ended bitterly and with some regret for their lost love. A monument to their love exists in Cordoba.

Monument to Wallada and Ibn Zaydun

At the beginning, the lovers enjoyed the following poetic exchange:

Wallada
The nights now seem long to me, and I complain night after night
That only those were so short, which I once spent with you

Ibn Zaydun
Your passion has made me famous among high and low your face devours my feelings and thoughts.
When you are absent, I cannot be consoled, but when you appear, my all my cares and troubles fly away.

When Wallada later feared that Ibn Zaydun had fallen in love with one of her slaves, she recited:
If you had been truly sincere in the love, which joined us, you would not have preferred, to me, one of my own slaves.
 In so doing, you scorned the bough, which blossoms with beauty and chose a branch, which bears only hard and bitter fruit.
 You know that I am the clear, shining moon of the heavens but, to my sorrow, you chose, instead, a dark and shadowy planet.

Eventually, the pair reconciled, but the renewal of their lovers’ vows did not last. 

Alhambra Palace

In the final flowering of Moorish Spain’s power, a bitter rivalry between two court poets culminated in the violent deaths of both men. In the mid-fourteenth century, the Andalusian poet-vizier Ibn al-Khatib served several of the rulers of Granada, the last bastion of Spanish Islam. He had a protégé, Ibn Zamraq, who he trained for several years. Perhaps Ibn Zamraq grew tired of waiting in the wings for his master to die and pass on his important post of vizier. Ibn Zamraq bided his time, composing qasidas and poems in the muwashshah style, etched in marble that still adorn the Alhambra Palace today. In 1371, when Ibn al-Khatib retired in disgrace (Ibn Zamraq may have aided in his downfall), his former protégé sent assassins to Morocco to ensure he would never return. Ibn Zamraq eventually fell out of favor and met a brutal end in 1393.

Ibn Zamraq’s qasidas survive, including:  
Are there not in this garden wonders
Which God has refused to be rivaled in beauty?
Carved from a pearl of diaphanous light
Its basin is adorned with pearls on all sides.
In it, silver melts and flows amidst jewels
Then departs equal to it in beauty, white and pure

The traditions of the Moorish poets and musicians still survive in Morocco today, where those exiled from their home lived their final years, after the re-conquest of Spain.

Lisa J. Yarde is a historical fiction author. Her novels ON FALCON'S WINGS, an epic medieval novel chronicling the starstruck romance between Norman and Saxon lovers, and SULTANA, set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain, are available now.

15 Minutes of Fame: The Rebellion of 1088

By Lisa Yarde

After the death of William the Conqueror in 1087, his sons Robert, William Rufus and Henry vied for the greatest share of their father's inheritance. The disposition of gold coins for Henry, and the duchy of Normandy to Robert and the kingdom of England to William Rufus did not resolve the matter as easily as William the Conqueror might have intended. Instead, many magnates with properties and castles on both sides of the Channel found their loyalties divided.

At the end of March 1088, around Easter, more than half of the largest landowners in England were determined to unite the Anglo-Norman aristocracy under one leader. Their choice was Robert of Normandy, who had coveted England for years. Perhaps they favored him because of his famed generosity to his supporters, as he often lavished wealth on mercenaries and knights in his retinue. Or, they thought he would be a more agreeable king than the current one. In the first six months of his reign, Robert's younger brother William Rufus had made himself one of the most hated monarchs in English history. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states, he was "hateful to almost all his people and odious to God."

Men of the king's own family led the rebellion; his uncles Odo de Bayeux and Robert de Mortain, the younger brothers of William the Conqueror. Others included Robert de Mowbray, Roger Bigod, Robert de Montgomery and his son Robert de Belleme, as well as Eustace of Boulonge. They all expected Duke Robert would sail from Normandy, but he had run out of money and appealed to his younger brother Henry for help. Henry gave Robert half of his inheritance from their father and for his trouble, he gained a county. Robert used the funds to raise reinforcements for his supporters in England, but in an unexpected move, William Rufus rallied and gained support. He besieged his uncle Odo at Pevensy Castle and captured him. Bad weather and a stalwart defense from the English navy weakened Duke Robert's invasion force. By July 1088, William Rusfus had also captured Rochester Castle. The rebellion was over, six months after it had begun. Some rebels, like Roger de Montgomery, took the bribes William Rufus offered and abandoned the cause. Other magnates, including Robert de Belleme and Roger de Bigod, forfeited their property for several years or went into temporary exile. Robert de Mowbray and Robert de Mortain received pardons, but William Rufus reserved the worse punishment for his uncle Odo. He deprived Odo of all his land and banished him from England.      

Lisa J. Yarde is a historical fiction author. Her novels ON FALCON'S WINGS, an epic medieval novel chronicling the starstruck romance between Norman and Saxon lovers, and SULTANA, set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain, are available now.

Cowards: Prince Juan of Castile

By Lisa Yarde

Near the end of the thirteenth century in medieval Spain, jealousy and bitterness made for a strange alliance between a rebel Spanish Christian and his Moorish or Muslim counterparts. On the shores of Tarifa, the Castilian army defended itself against a confederation of Moorish troops from Morocco and Granada, the last bastion of Spanish Islam, and the insurgent prince of Castile, the Infante Doñ Juan (1262-1319).

Juan was the son of the illustrious King Alfonso X, called the Wise by his people, born in 1262. Unfortunately, Juan inherited none of the wisdom or chivalrous behavior of his father. After the accession of the Infante's brother Sancho IV in 1284, Juan sought refuge in Portugal to continue his vicious struggle against the king. When he defected to Portugal, part of his retinue included a young page, Fernan Alonso de Guzman, who would play a tragic role in the actions of cowardice that followed.

King Sancho appealed to his counterpart, Dinis of Portugal, to expel the Infante. The Portuguese acquiesced, a move that only embittered Juan further. He fled across the Mediterranean Sea to Morocco, where he offered his services to the Marinid ruler, Abu Ya’qub Yusuf. The Marinids had long played a role in the politics of Spain, alternating between the roles of ally and foe with Christian Spain, as well as the rulers of Moorish Granada. Lately, Abu Ya’qub Yusuf had been on the losing side of several conflicts. Juan promised to fight for the Moroccans, launching an attack at Tarifa with five thousand warriors. King Sancho had captured the coastal city in 1292 from the Marinids, who once held it as part of a treaty with Granada. Juan thought he could easily force the capitulation of Tarifa, because he held something very dear to the defender of the city.

The castle at Tarifa, site of Juan's shameful invasion

Tarifa's protector was Doñ Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, a Leonese knight descended from Moors, whose family had converted to the Christian faith in generations past. He had given his eldest son into service to the kings of Castile. In 1294, the Infante Juan appeared on the shores of Tarifa at the head of his five thousand troops. He led the young son of Doñ Alonso, his own page Fernan Alonso, before the gates and threatened to put him to death unless his father surrendered Tarifa. Juan had no reason to suspect his cowardly actions would not bring about the desired result. Years before, he had besieged a fortress at Zamora on his father’s behalf. Zamora submitted because Juan promised to kill the young son of the woman who held command in her husband’s stead.

Spanish chroniclers recorded the answer Doñ Alonso gave Juan: “I did not beget a son to be made use of against my country, but that he should serve her against her foes. Should Doñ Juan put him to death, he will but confer honor on me, true life on my son, and on himself eternal shame in this world and everlasting wrath after death. So far am I from yielding this place or betraying my trust, that in case he should want a weapon for his cruel purpose, there goes my knife!”

When Doñ Alonso threw his knife over the wall, Juan cut the young page’s throat. His allies were horrified by his actions and abandoned the siege. The Infante withdrew in disgrace to Granada.

My next novel, Sultana's Legacy, opens with the Infante Juan's cruelty at Tarifa.

Lisa J. Yarde is a historical fiction author. Her novels ON FALCON'S WINGS, an epic medieval novel chronicling the starstruck romance between Norman and Saxon lovers, and SULTANA, set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain, are available now.

Guest Author: Lisa J. Yarde

This week, we're welcoming longtime contributor Lisa J. Yarde, as she celebrates the release of her latest novel, Sultana, set in thirteenth century Spain. It's available now. Here's the blurb:

In thirteenth-century Moorish Spain, the realm of Granada is in crisis. The union of Fatima, granddaughter of the Sultan of Granada, with the Sultan’s nephew Faraj has fractured the nation. A bitter civil war escalates and endangers both Fatima and Faraj’s lives.

All her life, Fatima has sheltered in lavish palaces where danger has never intruded, until now. A precocious child and the unwitting pawn of her family, she soon learns how her marriage may determine her future and the fate of Granada. Her husband Faraj has his own qualms about their union. At a young age, he witnessed the deaths of his parents and discovered how affluence and power offers little protection against indomitable enemies. Guilt and fears plague him. Determined to carve his own destiny, Faraj struggles to regain his lost inheritance and avenge his murdered family.

Throughout the rugged frontiers of southern Spain, the burgeoning Christian kingdoms in the north and the desert states of North Africa, Fatima and Faraj survive ruthless murderers and intrigues. They unite against common enemies bent on destroying the last Moorish dynasty. While Fatima and Faraj establish a powerful bond, the atmosphere of deceit creates opportunities for mistrust and tests their love.

Do you have a favorite character in the story?

Of course, the heroine Fatima is my favorite character. She was a remarkable woman. While researching the details of her life, I realized how brave, resourceful and smart she must have been to survive the intrigues surrounding her. I wanted to write about a heroine whom readers could admire for her strength as well as her inexhaustible devotion to her family. A close second favorite is Fatima’s servant, Niranjan. He is her eunuch and most loyal aide, always at her side to offer her physical protection. He is willing to undertake any task on her behalf. More importantly, he serves as Fatima’s conscience through the book.

Have you traveled to any of the locations in Sultana?

Yes, I am truly fortunate that the primary setting of the story, the Alhambra Palace in the southern Spanish city of Granada is open of visitors. It is astonishing to me that one of the finest examples of Islamic art and architecture is still standing after several centuries of warfare, natural disasters and the attempts of Napoleon’s troops to blow it up. I visited the Alhambra Palace in November 2001 and spent considerable time exploring the palaces and surrounding area. While it does not looks exactly as my characters would have experienced it, the Alhambra Palace still reflects much of the Moorish era in Spain.

What is it about the Moorish period in Spain that readers might find fascinating?

When I took a religious studies class in the first year of college, I was amazed to learn that there had been an Islamic presence in Europe. For seven hundred years, a diverse people had ruled what would become one of the most influential Catholic nations. The thirteenth century in Spain was a brutal and turbulent era, as most of the medieval period, but it was also the flowering of an age of artistic, intellectual and architectural brilliance in Spain. The Moorish period helped bring Spain out of the Dark Ages. When Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon conquered Granada, which was the last bastion of Spanish Islam in the country at the end of seven centuries, they held so much admiration for Moorish culture that they often took to dressing in Moorish clothing. They preserved the Alhambra Palace, rather than destroying it, and Isabella’s final resting place lies in Granada. I think that speaks volumes.

Many of the characters in the novel are historical figures. How difficult was it to blend fiction with historical fact?

The medieval period is a fascinating era, but part of the difficulty lies in obtaining good sources. For instance, Fatima may have been as young as eight years old or as old as twelve when she married – the sources do not agree. Also, the final end of the antagonists the couple faces is uncertain. That is the difficult part of attempting to tell this story. It is nearly impossible to be 100% certain of the events that occurred. I have found the best method for handling this problem is to review a variety of sources. If most point to a particular event happening on a certain date, even with a few contradictions, I go with the most popular date.

Another challenge is to develop characters and personalities for figures who have been long dead, while being true to their documented personalities. The Nasrid dynasty is not popular like the Tudors, or even their enemies, the Trastamara dynasty from which Isabella of Castile hailed. There are scant but decent sources available on Fatima’s family. With Sultana, I relied on some but often, later events helped me gain an understanding of my characters’ personalities. For instance, I have portrayed Fatima’s elder brother Muhammad in Sultana as a cruel child because of his documented actions in later years. I wanted to show the seeds for that brutality developing in his early years.

What are you currently working on writing?

The sequel of Sultana, which is called Sultana’s Legacy, is due this fall. I am steadily applying edits. It is a much darker story than Sultana is, terribly bloody and intense. Fifteen years after the events of Sultana, the peace and prosperity of Fatima and Faraj's life has been shattered. Betrayal and uncertainty surrounds them. War threatens the fragile existence of the kingdom of Granada. With a madman bent on seizing the throne, Fatima must survive intricate plots and protect those whom she loves the most. Her enemies are determined to destroy the enduring legacy of the Sultans of Granada forever. She risks everything for her beliefs, even the potential loss of her greatest ally and enduring love, her husband Faraj. Even tragic defeats and her greatest achievement cannot prepare her the most shocking deception - betrayal by a beloved son.



Thank you for hosting me at Unusual Historicals.

Please leave a comment to win one of two copies of Sultana, in paperback or on Kindle - your choice!

Lisa J. Yarde is a historical fiction author. Her novels ON FALCON'S WINGS, an epic medieval novel chronicling the starstruck romance between Norman and Saxon lovers, and SULTANA, set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain, are available now.

Excerpt Thursday: Lisa J. Yarde

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming longtime contributor Lisa J. Yarde, as she celebrates the release of her latest novel, Sultana, set in thirteenth century Spain. It's available now. Join us Sunday, when Lisa will be here to talk about her book and give away both paperback and Kindle copies! Here's the blurb:

         In thirteenth-century Moorish Spain, the realm of Granada is in crisis. The union of Fatima, granddaughter of the Sultan of Granada, with the Sultan’s nephew Faraj has fractured the nation. A bitter civil war escalates and endangers both Fatima and Faraj’s lives.

All her life, Fatima has sheltered in lavish palaces where danger has never intruded, until now. A precocious child and the unwitting pawn of her family, she soon learns how her marriage may determine her future and the fate of Granada. Her husband Faraj has his own qualms about their union. At a young age, he witnessed the deaths of his parents and discovered how affluence and power offers little protection against indomitable enemies. Guilt and fears plague him. Determined to carve his own destiny, Faraj struggles to regain his lost inheritance and avenge his murdered family.

Throughout the rugged frontiers of southern Spain, the burgeoning Christian kingdoms in the north and the desert states of North Africa, Fatima and Faraj survive ruthless murderers and intrigues. They unite against common enemies bent on destroying the last Moorish dynasty. While Fatima and Faraj establish a powerful bond, the atmosphere of deceit creates opportunities for mistrust and tests their love.

Excerpt from Chapter 25 of Sultana

Fatima learns that her greatest wish is within her grasp and a great destiny lies ahead of her.

Gharnatah, al-Andalus: Safar 677 AH (Granada, Andalusia: July AD 1278)

Fatima endured seven weeks of bitter silence, during which she received no word from Faraj. Her father shared the daily dispatches on the reclamation of the port at al-Jazirah al-Khadra and the defense against the Castillans. Still, no word arrived of her husband’s fate. She retreated into a shell of suffering, filled with self-recrimination. The remembrance of his final words offered little comfort in the emptiness of her bedchamber at night.

On the first cool day of the summer, Sultana Shams ed-Duna insisted she accompany her and the kadin Nur al-Sabah to the souk of Gharnatah. Her stepmother refused Fatima’s initial rebuff.

After prayers, the trio, in the company of Niranjan, the palace guard and some servants, took the route down the Sabika hill and across the bridge of the Hadarro River. The Qaysariyya spread across the dun-brown plain at the south of the city, the marketplace extending from the foot of the Sabika hill to the red brick walls of Gharnatah. Jewish and Christian merchants plied their trade alongside their Moorish counterparts, the local goldsmiths, armories, shoemakers, blacksmiths and textile makers.

The Sultan’s guards jostled everyone and made a clear path for the women. Fatima shrank from the resentful gazes of those displaced by the guards’ rough handling. She kept close to Shams ed-Duna and Nur al-Sabah, who doggedly haggled with the market sellers, while their slaves idled alongside the narrow streets and alleyways. Merchants offered slaves from faraway lands, bartering away their lives as easily as the silk, leather goods, brocades, ivory and olive oil sold in the souk.

The stench of piss and offal in the streets vied with ambergris, musk and incense from a nearby stall. Fatima gripped her stomach, as a wave of dizziness overcame her.

The kadin frowned at her. “Are you unwell?”

“I hadn’t expected it to be so crowded, or smell so bad.”

“Look, it’s a symbol of the Nauar.” Shams pointed to a burnished copper wheel dangling from a tent post under a faded, blue awning. “I have not seen one since I left Fés el-Bali.”

Nur al-Sabah peered over her shoulder. “Hmm, the Gypsies. Is it true they foretell the future?”

Fatima shook her head. “What nonsense they must teach in Christian households. The Nauar speak only in riddles to confuse and delude the mind.”

Shams asked, “How can you be so certain? Have you ever been to one?”

Fatima replied, “I wouldn’t dare. Sorcery and divination is the work of the court astrologer. Ask him anything you would like. I’m sure Father wouldn’t object.”

Then, a heavily veiled woman followed by two eunuchs exited the shop. One of the slaves pressed two silver dirhams into the olive brown hand of a little girl with bulging, black eyes. She took the coins and disappeared into the tent. The other eunuch handed his mistress a silken kerchief. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes, before bustling through the marketplace, her slaves following.

“I’d like to go in.” Nur al-Sabah cupped the roundness of her belly jutting beneath the green silk robe. “The court astrologer has promised another girl, but I know the Sultan wants a son. Perhaps the Nauar might know for certain.”

Fatima sniffed at this and looked away. She did not resent Nur al-Sabah’s desire anymore. Still, her father did not need more sons. He already had her brother Muhammad and now Shams ed-Duna’s boy.

Shams ed-Duna tugged at her hand. “What harm could there be if you came with us, Fatima?”

She pulled away. “I forbid it!”

Shams ed-Duna chuckled and Nur al-Sabah rolled her eyes.

Fatima gritted her teeth together and then expelled a sighing breath. “Very well, I’ll indulge you both in this foolishness. Come, let us see this fraud.”

They crossed the street, avoiding refuse and excrement, while a cadre of the guards and their servants surrounded the stall. Niranjan held aside the low curtain hanging over the entryway. Fatima glanced at him briefly, but he averted his eyes from her. She entered first and asked the little girl with black eyes for the fortune-teller. She led them behind a cloth curtain and gestured to the lone seat at a table.

Behind it, a shriveled figure with lips drawn tight over her teeth peered at them in silence. A ring of seashells, all oddly shaped, dotted the edge of the table, with one black pebble in the center. Fatima grinned at this poor mockery of mystic symbolism, but Shams ed-Duna urged her forward.

The gypsy woman bowed her head. “Peace be with you.”

Fatima asked, “And with you. Are you the one who speaks of the future?”

“Do you wish to know the future, noble one?”

Ignoring Nur al-Sabah’s gasp, Fatima leaned forward. “Why do you call me ‘noble one’ when you do not know me?”

“It is what you are.” The woman turned to the girl hovering at her side. Whispering in some language other than Arabic, she waved the girl away. The child soon returned with a cup of fragrant tisane, which the woman offered to Fatima. “It cannot harm you.”

Fatima glared at her companions, both of whom nodded. She drank the brew, bitter to the tongue at first, but sweeter as she continued. She finished and handed the cup to the woman, who said, “If you could swirl the cup, noble one?”

Fatima ground her teeth together, but complied. She set the vessel down with an abrupt clank. A few of the leaves clung to the sides and bottom. Her gaze fixed on the woman who nodded. “We must wait for the leaves to settle.”

When Fatima groaned, Shams pressed a hand against her arm. “Be patient.”

After an interim, the gypsy asked, “What is it that you wish to know, noble one?”

Fatima countered, “Tell me what you see.”

The woman stared into the cup and after a brief interval, she pronounced, “The future of Gharnatah lies within you.”

Fatima smiled at her companions. “You see? An answer, if I can call it such, without any meaning. Just as I expected.” She stood and looked down her nose at the gypsy. “Can your leaves tell you anything about me?”

The woman stated, “Nothing you would believe, princess of Gharnatah.”

Nur al-Sabah pecked at her arm and whispered something, but Fatima stilled her and leaned toward the gypsy. “Why do you call me a princess?”

“It is what you are. As I have said, the future of Gharnatah lies within you. Already, you carry one of its heirs in your womb, your son, who shall become the Sultan of Gharnatah.”

Shams ed-Duna pressed her hand against Fatima’s shoulder, but she shrugged her stepmother off. “If you knew anything of me, you would know that no child of mine could ever be Sultan. It is treason to suggest it, when the Sultan already has an heir. Besides, I would know if I am with child.”

“I speak only of what I see, noble one. You are a princess of Gharnatah. You carry a son. One day, he shall become the Sultan. Such is the fate that awaits you, whether you would wish it or not.”

Lisa J. Yarde is a historical fiction author. Her novels ON FALCON'S WINGS, an epic medieval novel chronicling the starstruck romance between Norman and Saxon lovers, and SULTANA, set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain, are available now.

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.

Weekly Announcements - 12 Feb 2011

Carrie Lofty's May 2nd release from Carina Press, PORTRAIT OF SEDUCTION, set in Napoleonic Austria, has its cover!

Greta Zwieg forges masterpieces. With her copies on their walls and the original paintings safely hidden, the noble families of Austria can rest assured their treasures will survive Napoleon's advances. But now Greta's uncle is changing the rules, selling her counterfeits as originals. Greta abhors the deceit. Though anxious for her family's safety in a perilous time, she is determined to put things right.

Oliver Doerger is living a lie of his own. While acting as valet for his aristocratic half-brother, Oliver saves Greta's life and is overwhelmed by the forbidden passion that flares between them. While he's not truly a servant, he is a bastard and a spy--certainly no match for a woman of such exquisite quality.

Though both fear discovery, they cannot resist each other. But when the truth comes out, and the city falls into chaos, Greta and Oliver will be forced to choose: love or duty?

In addition, Carrie's upcoming Victorian romance from Pocket, HIS VOWS TO KEEP, which is set in colonial South Africa, is available now from pre-order.

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Lisa J. Yarde will be a regular contributor at the Best Damn Creative Writing Blog, with weekly articles on writing and publication, starting in February.

Lisa will also self-publish her next historical fiction title, SULTANA, a story of murder, revenge and intrigue set in thirteenth-century Moorish Spain. Ebook versions available now at Amazon and Smashwords, while the paperback will appear in April.

In thirteenth-century Moorish Spain, the realm of Granada is in crisis. The union of Fatima, granddaughter of the Sultan of Granada, with the Sultan’s nephew Faraj has fractured the nation. A bitter civil war escalates and endangers both Fatima and Faraj's lives.

All her life, Fatima has sheltered in lavish palaces where danger has never intruded, until now. A precocious child and the unwitting pawn of her family, she soon learns how her marriage may determine her future and the fate of Granada. Her husband Faraj has his own qualms about their union. At a young age, he witnessed the deaths of his parents and discovered how affluence and power offers little protection against indomitable enemies. Guilt and fears plague him. Determined to carve his own destiny, Faraj struggles to regain his lost inheritance and avenge his murdered family.

Throughout the rugged frontiers of southern Spain, the burgeoning Christian kingdoms in the north and the desert states of North Africa, Fatima and Faraj survive ruthless murderers and intrigues. They unite against common enemies bent on destroying the last Moorish dynasty. While Fatima and Faraj establish a powerful bond, the atmosphere of deceit creates opportunities for mistrust and tests their love.

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Join us Sunday when E. D. Walker will be here to chat about THE BEAUTY'S BEAST, a Norman-themed romance. She'll also be giving away two copies! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Beth Elliott's latest steamy medieval romance, APRIL AND MAY. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Kristina McMorris, Denise Agnew Michelle Styles, and Elizabeth Lane will be coming up. Join us!

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Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...