Godwine Kingmaker: Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p><span><span>Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.</span></span></p>
Story Behind The Book
My wife and I were taking a long hike through the woods when I began telling her about this idea for a novel. As we walked and talked, the characters came alive, strolling along with us. The plot grew, the twists and turns snaking along with the mountain trail. By the time we were done, I had the entire story mapped out, told in detail as if it were something that had already happened.
That night, in our small camping tent, I began writing the first pages. That "Note to the Reader" and introduction are almost exactly what you read in this sample. Of the four novels I've written thus far, Half Way Home may just be my favorite.
