Books
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Articles
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Starting a new series is always exciting – new characters to develop and place in my fictional Saxon world and new challenges in bringing another period of time to life. It might still be set in Saxon England, but Saxon England endured for over six hundred years. In that time, kingdoms waxed ...
Throughout the 700s, the ancient Saxon kingdom of Mercia was the powerhouse in Saxon England. The key to its success, as in the Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex both before and after it, was the longevity of its kings. First, King Æthelbald, and then his successor, although not his ...
Historical Heroes: ÆthelstanThroughout the 700s, the ancient Saxon kingdom of Mercia was the powerhouse in Saxon England. The key to its success, as in the Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex both before and after it, was the longevity of its kings. First, King Æthelbald, and then his ...
Short Stories
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I’m used to dealing with warriors. I’m not sure what to make of the man before me. I’ve heard a great deal about King Alfred. It seems much of it is true. I confess I’m disappointed.I came here to find an ally in arms, prepared to assist me in beating back the Raiders, a man committed to ...
I’m the last of my family, and as I sit here, bounded by four unyielding walls, it grows daily less and less likely that I’ll ever continue my family line. We, who rose from little, and achieved so much, will die out here, in a prison of my king’s making.I know that I’m to blame. I must ...
Book Reviews
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Camelot begins in much the same way as the previous book, Lancelot. The lead character is a young man, about to take his vows to become a monk on the tor at Glastonbury when his world completely changes. The depiction of life on the tor is wonderfully evoked, and even if the author could have ...
The Queen's Rival is a stunning look at the 'later' life of Cecily Neville from 1459 until 1483. This is not a 'quiet' period of history and to cover the tumultuous events, the author adopts the technique of recording the letters of the main protagonists, either from the pen of Cecily or from ...
Iron & Gold is a distinctive collection of six short stories which span the Middle Ages. There is an overwhelming narrative of honour, integrity, love and timelessness which unite these tales. Additionally, there are interviews with each of the authors after each story providing a uniique ...
AD826, the old king of Mercia has been usurped by Beornwulf, swept to power by the kingdom’s ealdormen and breaking a near 200-year line of succession. It’s here, under King Beornwulf’s reign, we meet a young, orphaned Icel, living in Mercia’s capital; his warrior uncle, Cenfrith, the only ...
Author Interview
What prompted you to choose the period that you wrote your first book in?I studied history at University and fell in love with the period before 1066 in Britain and the wider Scandinavian world. But I discovered my first historical character, Ealdorman Leofwine (from the Earls ...
Warrior of Mercia is the third book in The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. How has your main character, Icel, changed throughout the series so far?Icel began life as a young lad whose only thought was to become a healer. ...
M.J. Porter, congratulations on the Brunanburh Series. Why does Æthelstan appeal to you as a historical figure, and why does his story demand retelling in contemporary society?Æthelstan is an intriguing character to explore. We actually know very little about him, and his name has been largely lost to history. His achievements, sandwiched between those of ...