Sherrill S Cannon

Sherrill S Cannon

About

I am a mother of four and a grandmother of ten. I have written eleven published rhymed children’s stories and two poetry books which have won 90 awards.  Peter and the Whimper-WhineysThe Magic Word, Santa's Birthday Gift, Gimme-JimmyManner-Man, My Fingerpaint MasterpieceMice & Spiders & Webs...Oh My!. The Golden Rule, My Little Angel, A Penny for Your Thougts, A Dime is a Sign, David's ADHD and Peter and the Whimper-Whineys Coloring Book which has just been released.  I also have written seven published and internationally performed musical plays for elementary school children.  I love to write.  My friends and family ask me if I think in rhyme and meter, and I have to admit that sometimes this is true!  A former teacher, all of my books are in rhyme and all try to teach something like good manners and caring for others.  I have had a varied career. I grew up in the Willard Hotel in Washington DC (my Dad was the manager) and lived in the DC area where I was a teacher and coach for ten years; and then became a professional newspaper sports photographer and columnist for several years.  Later, I became a Dinner Theatre Company Stage Manager, and finally became a Business Administrator. My husband and celebrated our 60th  wedding anniversary in June!  We are now retired, and we travel in our RV from the east coast to the west coast each year to spend time with our children and grandchildren... sharing my books along the way!

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

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

5.0
1 ratings

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

Santa’s Birthday Gift was written in response to a grandchild’s question, after reading the story of the Nativity. She asked, “But where’s Santa?”

Reviews

<p><span style="color:#000000;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;">Midwest Book Review: &quot;Santa's Birthday Gift&quot; is a charming children's Christmas book that explains origins of Santa's role in connection with the birth of the Christ child. &quot;Santa's Birthday Gift&quot; is beautifully written in a gentle versed narrative and illuminated with starlit illustrations of the Nativity including the jolly angel-elf in red known as Santa. Written in answer to a child's question about the traditional Nativity, &quot;But where is Santa?&quot;, &quot;Santa's Birthday Gift&quot; is the perfect explanation of mysterious Christmas customs and traditions for young children. &quot;Santa's Birthday Gift&quot; will enchant inquisitive children of all ages</span></p>