About
Mother of five children, grandmother of eight, and great-grandmother of three. Writer/Poet/Author. Published: Arising From the Insanity: The Written works of Naomi R. Butler Arthur, January 2009.
I am a firm believer that God the Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the Holy Bible, reigns supreme and without Him, my life would have taken a very different turn. I would have never survived this life without His intervention!
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
Deep, dark, and horrid secrets can destroy a soul. They cause depression, contributes to mental illness and, many times, even suicide. But, if we can only have the courage to reveal that which we have hidden from others for so long, that secret can no longer have any power over us.
For many years I knew that my story must be told, but when? How? Finally in 2009, my time came; the opportunity came for me to publish my story in poetry.
I am pleased to offer Arising from the Insanity: The Written Works of Naomi R. Arthur to those who feel they are, or have been, trapped in the deadly cycle of abuse. You do not have to stay locked away in those prison walls, break yourself free. You have the right to happiness and independence. There is hope!
Reviews
This is a very honest and wonderful piece of artistic work that will
help anyone who has been a victim of abuse.The author's writing style
and honesty in dealing with the tough subject of her abuse helps and
allows the reader to understand their own history of abuse. <br /><br />"A must read for anyone who has been a victim or was subjected to living in an abusive environment"!
<br /><br />POWERFUL & HEALING<br /><br />J. Brooks
