About
Alfundo “Fun” London was born in Florence, Italy. His mother was a beautiful blonde tarantella dancer with an adventurous spirit. Much less is known of his father, a sailor who was lost in the stormy seas off the coast of Ithaca shortly after Fun was conceived. After spending his youth on the island of Corsica learning the language and ways of the French, he found his way to America where he now resides. He spent summers working for a carnival where he met many interesting people who fueled his imagination.
“I have always loved life, and I find each person I meet to be of great interest. I believe in the basic goodness in us all and in the joy of creating. I write to bring some of my joy to others. Remember, if you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.” Fun London
The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p>Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following twelve years, he became the King's most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne—the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn't particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him sometimes paid the price of his fame.<br /><br />This is a story of Godwine's family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project and concentrated on her husband, the less dangerous subject. In THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY, I am telling the story as it might have survived had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers.<br /><br />This book is part two of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. Book one, GODWINE KINGMAKER, depicted the rise and fall of the first Earl of Wessex who came to power under Canute and rose to preeminence at the beginning of Edward the Confessor's reign. Unfortunately, Godwine's misguided efforts to champion his eldest son Swegn recoiled on the whole family, contributing to their outlawry and Queen Editha's disgrace. Their exile only lasted one year and they returned victorious to London, though it was obvious that Harold's career was just beginning as his father's journey was coming to an end.<br /><br />Harold's siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; in their memoirs we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig's case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective.<br /><br />Harold was his mother's favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig's vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig's love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest. This subplot comes to a crisis in book three of the series, FATAL RIVALRY.</p>
Story Behind The Book
I started writing because I got tired of reading the stories that populated the school readers for students to study in English classes. I’m trying right now to sum them up in one word. I’ve got it down to three.
Depressing. I find too many stories about rape victims, poverty, personal tragedy, etc. The basic content is suffer, suffer, suffer, suffer, beautiful sadness, and at the end somehow endure. Not the topic or message I see as helpful, entertaining, enlightening, or interesting to the youth of America.
Degrading. The stories seem to emphasize the worst in life. Much like watching many of the reality TV shows. Or Law and Order SVU. Or the nightly news.
Boring. The worst part about the stories was how little interest they generated with the students I was tutoring. Students who were not being inspired to read. They hated the stories.
So I try to write stories and books that are fun, that have action, that make you laugh, that entertain, and that remind our youth that life can be a great adventure. If I do that I figure they just might pick up another book and read some more.
Reviews
<p>I loved this story. I am a grandmother and I was very happy to find such a wholesome, entertaining tale. It's suitable for all of my grandchildren who range in age from middle grades to adults.<br /><br />
As I read I could picture the characters walking in the beautiful, magical world where the Wonderkind live. I found the underground wildlife to be fascinating.<br /><br />
The author kept me interested and curious to find out what would happen next. I'm very anxious to read more about the background of this race and the future of the Wonderkind as well. I hope the author is planning to release more soon!<br /><br />
Amazon Verified Customer</p>
