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Malcolm Campbell

Malcolm Campbell

About

Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of the magical realism novella "Conjure Woman's Cat" and five contemporary fantasy novels including "The Seeker," "The Sailor," and "The Betrayed" in the Garden of Heaven Trilogy. He is also the author of the comedy/satire "Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire." These novels, and a variety of short stories, were published by Vanilla Heart Publishing.

 

The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

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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

My father was a journalist and journalism educator who often invited colleagues and students out to the house for hamburgers and hot dogs and a lot of good stories about the old days or newspapers. I worked as a Navy journalist and taught journalism myself for a few years. The book is a result of combining my dark-side sense of humor with the look and feel of those old stories I heard both as a kid and as a teacher into a very improbable murder investigation. This book isn't based on a true story. It's based on a pack of lies, so what more could you possibly ask for if you need something to read while you're sleeping it off in the drunk tank at your local police station. You'll find a lot to laugh at in the book, but for Pete's sake, don't let the police see it.

Media Links

Living Jackson Magazine

🔗 http://www.campbelleditorial.com/SeaOfFire.html

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Reviews

<p>&quot;Unless you are secluded in a vault while reading, the whole neighborhood will delight in hearing your hilarious laughter.&quot; -- <a href="http://www.livingjackson.com/">Living Jackson Magazine</a><br /><br /> &quot;Armed with a sharp wit and a (secretly) soft heart, Jock sets out to investigate the theft of the mayor's missing horse, Sea of Fire. For readers, arriving at the solution to the crime is secondary to simply enjoying as the colorful (and aptly named) characters become embroiled in a multitude of small-town hi-jinks. From the opening paragraph, Jock finds himself sucked into a world of deception, murder, and illicit trysts. Despite being set in modern times (as evidenced by the existence of Krispy Kremes), Sea of Fire has a delightfully old-time noir feel, kicked up a notch by fast-paced dialog and laugh out loud puns.&quot; -- <a href="http://www.unplugyourhead.com/nowisthetime/index.html">Nancy Whitney-Reiter</a>, author &quot;Now is the Time to Do What You Love&quot;</p>