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Charmaine Gordon

Charmaine Gordon

About

Former actor for many years with film,stage,daytime drama credits. I decided to write a story, then another... and here I am with a publisher, three books, and one to be released in late July. What a joy!

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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<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

Elizabeth Malone wakes up the morning after an amazing night of passion with her husband of forty years to find a note: &quot;Dear Lizzie, it's not you, it's me.&quot; Abandoned by her husband, disappointed in daughter Susie's casual attitude-&quot;Dad's having a mid-life crisis., Beth decides to re-establish herself as the winner she once was. When Frank Malone returns, he's in for a big surprise!

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Reviews

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="0" align="right"></td> <td valign="top" width="100%" align="left"> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;font-weight:bold;" class="h3color tiny"></div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"><span style="margin-right:5px;"><span class="swSprite s_star_5_0"><span>5.0 out of 5 stars</span></span> </span><span style="vertical-align:middle;"><strong>A Woman's Journey to Success</strong>, May 22, 2010</span> </div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top">By </td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A13LOSN7XQW2GP/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chelle <span style="white-space:nowrap;">Cordero<span class="swSprite s_chevron custPopRight"></span></span></span></a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A13LOSN7XQW2GP/ref=cm_cr_dp_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&amp;sort_by=MostRecentReview">See all my reviews</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;" class="tiny"><strong><span class="h3color tiny">This review is from: </span>To Be Continued (Paperback)</strong> </div>Shattered by the desertion of her husband after a 40-year marriage, Beth Malone learns to survive and thrive on her own. Her problems are compounded when her &quot;daddy's little girl&quot; daughter sides with her father. <br /><br />Beth, formerly Lizzie, takes a good, hard and long look at herself and realizes how she allowed herself to live in the background and backseat. It's time she brought herself to the front. Her former swim trophies once made her feel like a winner - now she intends to be a winner in life. <br /><br />With the support and encouragement of a new cast of friends (Lisa, Sister M&amp;M, Hilly, Tommy &amp; more), Beth builds a successful business, feels the reward of &quot;giving back&quot; and discovers new love. When soon-to-be ex-husband Frank comes back, she has the self-confidence needed to show him the door. <br /><br />The story is empowering, you'll cheer for Beth at every step. The cast of characters is intriguing and memorable. The author's talent is remarkable. <br /><br />I highly recommend this book for everyone <br /><br />~Chelle Cordero, author [...] </td></tr></tbody></table>