Riddle of the Gods is now available
Great news! The fourth book in my series about Olaf Tryggvason – Riddle of the Gods – is now available .
The War between Danes and Saxons
In ca. AD 950, the Saxon king Otto I subdued King Gorm’s Danes. This post takes a closer look at their ongoing struggle.
The Wends and Vikings
This post will take a closer look at a West Slavic people called the Wends (or Vends), who were frequent targets of Viking raids.
Researching, Outlining and Writing a Historical Fiction Novel
Writing historical fiction is a multi-step process. This post will focus on the first steps in that process: researching and outlining.
The Siege of Kiev in 968
The city of Kiev (Kyiv) in Ukraine has seen much warfare in its long history and has borne witness to many sad events. This post will focus on one of those events – the Siege of Kiev in AD 968 – which plays a major role in the opening scenes of my novel, Sigurd’s Swords.
Grand Prince Sviatoslav
Grand Prince Sviatoslav, ruler of the Rus in the 10th century, features largely in my novel, Sigurd’s Swords. He is a courageous man and a warrior’s leader, but did his courage lead to his downfall?
Ansgar: Apostle of the North
Christianity did not come quickly to the early Scandinavians. While the majority of western Europe had already accepted the Christian faith, the Vikings preferred their old gods and resisted the incursion of the new faith. It was not until the 800s that one man began to change that. His name was Ansgar.
Was Olaf Tryggvason at the Battle of Maldon?
There has long been a debate about whether Olaf Tryggvason was at the Battle of Maldon, a battle believed to have taken place on Aug 11 in AD 991. This post will take a closer look at that question and hopefully shine a bit more light on that subject.
Kievan Rus’ and the Vikings
From the feedback I’ve received, it’s clear that more is known of the Vikings in England, France and Ireland, and that fewer readers know about this place called Kievan Rus’ or Gardariki – a place that will eventually become what is now called Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine – or the important role it played in the Viking story and in the history of Eastern Europe. Hopefully this post will help shine a bit more light on that bygone kingdom.
Sigurd’s Swords is Now Available on Amazon!
I am thrilled to announce that my fifth novel and the second in the Olaf Saga series of books, Sigurd’s Swords, is now available to order on Amazon in print and eBook formats.