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
Are you one of millions of people who sat glued to their television sets each week watching their favorite reality talent contestant perform, cheering them on, voting for them, and - if they survive to break through as potential stars - following their budding careers? I admit that I got caught up in the excitement one season and became a fan of an idol who inspired me to explore my own talents. So, I have written a novel that came to me in a dream about a fictitious pop star discovered on a fictitious TV talent competition show. I know mine isn't the first story told about an undiscovered talent's humble beginnings and the road that led them into the spotlight on a hit TV talent show and culminated in a life-changing victory. However, where those stories end, mine is just beginning. When I Remember Love takes readers along on the journey of a newborn star who discovers his soul mate while on the verge of superstardom. How does one balance a normal family life while swept up in the exciting, frenetic life of a superstar? Can love survive in such a surreal environment? Will it stand the test of time under those circumstances? Readers of my novel get a glimpse behind the concert stage and, for mature readers, into the bedroom of hot superstar, Aidan Price, and his beautiful wife Jenna, whose passion ignites on the pages of my book.
Reviews
My video, When I Remember Love won first place for October on <a href="http://yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com">http://yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com</a>.<br />Five blue ribbon review on<span style="text-decoration:underline;"> <span>http://www.romancejunkies.com</span></span><br />Over 20 five star reviews on<a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Remember-Love-Trish-Silver/dp/1440119589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261927195&sr=8-1"> <span>www.Amazon.com</span></a><span class="-a">.</span> Much praise on Good Reads and Linked in for the three pages I have on my website <a style="font-family:'yui-tmp';" href="http://trishsilver.com">http://trishsilver.com</a> that help new authors promote their books.
