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Lisa A. Shiel

Lisa A. Shiel

About

LISA A. SHIEL researches and writes about everything strange, from Bigfoot and UFOs to alternative history. She has been interviewed for big-city newspapers, national magazines, TV news, and talk radio shows including the G. Gordon Liddy show. Lisa has a master’s degree in library science and was previously president of the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association.

Lisa's nonfiction books are Forgotten Tales of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, The Evolution Conspiracy, Strange Michigan, and Backyard Bigfoot. As a fiction writer, Lisa developed the Human Origins Series—which includes the novels The Hunt for Bigfoot and Lord of the Dead. 

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>

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<p>Skillfully immerses the reader in the strange and murky worlds of human origins, archaeological secrecy, and ancient cultures. With believable characters, a fast-paced plot, and a fantastic premise at its heart, Lisa A. Shiel's book is one not to be missed by anyone with an interest in the mysteries of this world and beyond. --Nick Redfern, author of <em>Body Snatchers in the Desert</em></p> <p>This is the second book in a series, which is based on the premise that humanoid aliens landed on earth tens of thousands of years ago. They bred 'Big Foot' yetis as helpers and created humans with which to interbreed. The aliens became the ancient gods of the Egyptians. Going into cryogenic sleep for centuries at a time, the aliens come back from time to time to wreck havoc with one another and their human descendants. The action reminds me very much of the movie series, ''The Mummy,'' with incredible high adventure. The pace is frenetic and the story lends plausibility to an number of evolution theories. We rated this book a solid four hearts. --Bob Spear, <em>Heartland Reviews</em></p> <p>Youll be carried along by the action...just going along for the ride...life and death situations, narrow escapes, mysterious characters abound. This is a great adventure story. You may even pick up a bit of history now and then...A very enjoyable experience. The theater of the mind can be even more exciting than the big screen. --Andrew Grgurich, <em>Marquette Mining Journal</em></p> <p>Shiel uses her extensive knowledge of archaeology, anthropology, and Bigfoot to write a very rich story. I really enjoyed the exploration of the ancient cultures and their traditions. I would highly recommend this book to readers that have an open mind about the origin of man and who enjoy fast-paced stories that involve alternative histories about ancient cultures. --Paige Lovitt, <em>Reader Views</em></p>