Gunnhild, Mother of Kings
This post takes a deeper dive into the fascinating Norse character Gunnhild, Mother of Kings and wife to Erik Bloodaxe.
The Kings of Vingulmark and the Future of Norway
This week’s people of interest are Harald Fairhair’s son, Olav, and grandson, Trygvi, both kings of Vingulmark (and later, Vestfold), which is the area around present-day Oslo, and whose name means impenetrable forest.
The Kings of Vestfold – Björn and his son, Gudröd
This week’s people of interest are Harald Fairhair’s son, Björn, and grandson, Gudröd, both kings of Vestfold as their forebears Harald and Halvdan had been before them. Read on to find out more.
Jarl Tore “the Silent”
This week we look at another influential character in the life and times of Hakon the Good: Jarl Tore Ragnvaldsson or Jarl Tore “the Silent” of More.
Jarl Sigurd of Lade
One of my favorite characters in my novels about Hakon the Good is Sigurd Hakonsson, the jarl (or earl) of Lade. Read on to hear his story and how he factors into the life of Hakon the Good.
King Athelstan’s Influence on Hakon The Good
Today, I wanted to take a closer look at King Athelstan, king of the English, and more specifically, at his possible influence on his foster son, Hakon the Good.
Gotta have faith?
A blogger recently asked me about the role of faith in my novels. It’s an interesting question, and one I wanted to give some attention to here. Read on to find out more…
Raven’s Feast is out!
I’m excited to let you know that Raven’s Feast, the sequel to God’s Hammer and the second book in Hakon’s Saga, has launched and is now available in print and ebook formats.
How much would you sacrifice to rule a kingdom?
That is the central question that Hakon Haraldsson must answer in GOD’S HAMMER. It is not an atypical question for the Dark Ages. There are countless stories of warlords and kings dying in their pursuit of the throne, or dying to protect it. Yet Hakon’s story stuck a chord with me because Hakon was not the typical Viking leader.
What’s in a name? Place names in historical fiction.
One of the most difficult judgment calls in writing historical fiction is the handling of names and place names, especially when dealing with time periods where written resources are scarce. Here’s why…