Helen Hollick

500 AD. Britain is at peace. But after the war cry - bitter the grave.At long last, the peace King Arthur has fought for has settled over Britain, but he is a warrior, restless for battle. When his territory of Less Britain is under threat from barbarian raiding he sails to Gaul, intending to be away for only a few months.When he fails to return, and rumour spreads of his death, who will take his place as King of All Britain - and who will Gwenhwyfar, his wife, take as a new husband?Not accepting her widowhood she is determined to discover Arthur's fate.But sometimes it takes more than courage to face the reality of truth...The Kingmaking: Book OnePendragon's Banner: Book TwoShadow of the King: Book ThreeThe Boy: Who became a ManWho became a King: Who became a Legend... KING ARTHURThere is no Merlin, no sword in the stone, and no Lancelot.Instead, the man who became a kingand our most enduring hero."If only all historical fiction could be this good." Historical Novels Review"... Juggles a large cast of characters and a bloody, tangled plot with great skill. " Publishers Weekly"Hollick's writing is one of the best I've come across - her descriptions are so vivid it seems as if there's a movie screen in front of you, playing out the scenes." Passages To The Past"Hollick adds her own unique twists and turns to the familiar mythology" Booklist"Uniquely compelling... bound to have a lasting and resounding impact on Arthurian literature." Books MagazineAMAZON READERS' COMMENTS"Spell-binding, magnificent, gutsy, heartbreaking, raw with bloodshed, triumphant Helen Hollick's Arthurian trilogy quickly draws you into the world of legend. No genteel fairy tale story of Camelot, this Gutsy, sweaty, and real. The Dark Ages brought vividly, to life This is the legend I want to believe in.""In this version of the King Arthur story, Arthur is a dark hero. He is young, selfish, ambitious and callous. He makes decisions based on his own desires with little thought to future consequences, making enemies left and right. Yet Ms. Hollick does a fabulous job of letting the reader glimpse just enough of his fears and vulnerabilities to keep him from being unlikeable, and to sway the reader to root for his success. I thoroughly enjoyed the portrayal of Gwenhwyfar. She is a worthy heroine. Full of action, troubled heroes, wicked villains, violence, betrayal and, of course, true love, this well-written book is an intense read and a real page-turner.""Helen Hollick brings her multi-layered, complex characters to life on the page. I especially enjoyed her depiction of the feisty, independent Gwenhwyfar - who is somewhat of a warrior in her own right. Ms. Hollick's interpretations of the Sacred Stone, The Lady of the Lake, Stonehenge, etc., are really original.""Arthur is at times very unlikeable: no modern man in fancy dress here, but a man of his time - and that time was brutal. As for Gwenhwyfar... a brilliant heroine, at times strong, at times horribly vulnerable. Their relationship is compelling and feels true""What a story I fell in love with Arthur from the start, a flesh and blood hero with flaws. This] wonderful trilogy doesn't rely on unnecessary padding, the descriptions are heart rending. Here is a writer in the older style not ' jump on the bandwagon writing ' Read and enjoy..."

459 A.D. Arthur has the kingdom he fought so hard to gain.But keeping it - and his family - safe, proves to be even harder.Two enemies threaten everything that is dear to him: Winifred, his vindictive first wife, and Morgause, priestess of the Mother and malevolent Queen of the North.In this story of harsh battles, treasonous plots, and the intrigues of political upheaval during Britain's Dark Ageswe do not have the familiar tales of the Arthurian legend, but one much older, darker and deeper.The story of a man with ambition, determination and human flaws.The story of King Arthur as it might have really happened.The Kingmaking: Book OnePendragon's Banner: Book TwoShadow of the King: Book Three

The third Jan Christopher Cosy MysteryWas murder deliberate - or a tragic mistake?January 1972. The Christmas and New Year holiday is over and it is time to go back to work. Newly engaged to Detective Sergeant Laurence Walker, library assistant Jan Christopher is eager to show everyone her diamond ring, and goes off on her scheduled round to deliver library books to the housebound - some of whom she likes; some, she doesn't.She encounters a cat in a cupboard, drinks several cups of tea... and loses her ring.When two murders are committed, can Jan help her policeman uncle, DCI Toby Christopher and her fianc , Laurie, discover whether murder was a deliberate deed - or a tragic mistake?

'Had I known what was to happen soon after we arrived at Mr and Mrs Walker's lovely old West Country house, my apprehension about spending Christmas in Devon would have dwindled to nothing.' Library Assistant Jan Christopher is to spend Christmas with her boyfriend, DS Laurie Walker and his family, but when a murder is discovered, followed by a not very accidental accident, the traditional Christmas spirit is somewhat marred... What happened to Laurie's ex-girlfriend? Where is the vicar's wife? Who took those old photographs? And will the farmer up the lane ever mend those broken fences? Set in 1971, this is the second Jan Christopher Cosy Mystery. Join her (and an owl and a teddy bear) in Devon for a Christmas to remember. Will the discovery of a murder spoil Christmas for Jan Christopher and her boyfriend DS Laurie Walker - or will it bring them closer together?

When the only choice is to run, where do you run to?When the only sound is the song of the sea, do you listen?Or do you drown in the embrace of a mermaid? Throughout childhood, Jesamiah Mereno has suffered the bullying of his elder half-brother. Then, not quite fifteen years old, and on the day they bury their father, Jesamiah hits back. In consequence, he flees his home, changes his name to Jesamiah Acorne, and joins the crew of his father's seafaring friend, Captain Malachias Taylor, aboard the privateer, Mermaid. He makes enemies, sees the ghost of his father, wonders who is the Cornish girl he hears in his mind - and tries to avoid the beguiling lure of a sensuous mermaid... An early coming-of-age tale of the young Jesamiah Acorne, set in the years before he becomes a pirate and Captain of the Sea Witch.

When a group of North London writers meet each month for a chat, coffee, and cake - what else is on their agenda? Constructive criticism? New Ideas? An exciting project? And maybe, more than one prospective romance...?Eavesdrop on the monthly meetings of the North Finchley Writers' Group, follow some ordinary people with a love of story writing, and an eagerness for success. Discover, along with them, the mysteries of creating characters and plot, of what inspires ideas, and how real life can, occasionally, divert the dream..."A thoroughly lovely, fun, read. Believable characters who I got to know quite well. Really enjoyed it. True to life I'd say ""So entertaining I laughed a lot - and recognised many a writer's dilemma "

Series: Capt. Jesamiah Acorne & his ship, 1719VOYAGE FIVE: ON THE ACCOUNTCaptain Jesamiah Acorne is in trouble. Again. Arrested for treason and smuggling, believing his beloved ship Sea Witch lies wrecked on England's North Devon Coast, his only hope of escaping the noose is for someone to quash the charges. That someone turns out to be his ex-lover - but there is a price to pay. He needs to find a boy who has disappeared and a valuable casket that more than one person wants to get their hands on. When people start getting murdered and Barbary pirates kidnap his wife, Tiola, his priorities rapidly change - but who is lying about what? Is returning to piracy a wise idea? Is Tiola having an affair with her mysterious Night-Walker 'friend'? Meanwhile, Tiola has her own battles to fight - keeping herself and Jesamiah alive

1719Approaching England's North Devon Coast Captain Jesamiah Acorne is worried. A Royal Navy frigate is trailing in his wake and Sea Witch has a cache of contraband aboard. His instinct is to hoist sail and flee, but he cannot attract attention for his wife, Tiola, is ill and getting worse. She says the sea is affecting her, but Jesamiah has never seen seasickness like this before - is it something else? Something to do with her being a white witch?Like an approaching storm, his worries get deeper, darker, and more sinister. Unpleasant ruffians are looking for a list of traitors' names, Tiola's brother is in jail, and Sir Ailie Doone - the last of the notorious Doones of Exmoor - wants Jesamiah to sail to C diz on a secret mission in aid of the Jacobite cause.Except that being captured by the Spanish and meeting with an old friend, the beautiful English spy, Francesca, is not part of Jesamiah's plan. Once again he is in danger of losing his fidelity, his freedom - and maybe even his life. Tiola meanwhile has her own fears to face. Why is the ethereal spirit of the sea, Tethys, determined to have Jesamiah for her own? To save him, Tiola must find a way to recall her previous lives and discover why events of the past are influencing those of the present - why the ripples in time are echoing in the ripples in the sand.

VOYAGE THREE: BRING IT CLOSE Too much trouble has come too close Jesamiah Acorne, Captain of the Sea Witch, has accepted a government-granted amnesty against his misdeeds of piracy, but old enemies do not forget the past. In particular Edward Teach - Blackbeard himself - has a bone to pick with Acorne. Following an indiscretion with an old flame, Jesamiah finds his fianc e, the midwife and white witch Tiola Oldstagh, has gone to North Carolina to help with a difficult birth. The problem; that is where Blackbeard now resides. He mustn't discover that Tiola is Jesamiah's woman. She will have to hide her identity and her gift of Craft from the black-hearted pirate who has sold his soul to the devil. With Sea Witch damaged and himself wounded, Jesamiah has to take stock of his situation, but arrested for acts of piracy how is Jesamiah Acorne to clear his name, overturn a sentence of hanging, keep Tiola safe, put an end to Blackbeard and deal with being haunted by the ghost of his father? Bring It Close moves from the Bahamas to North Carolina and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia at a swashbuckling pace. There is intrigue, misunderstanding, romance and adventure all wrapped up in a blend of mystical fantasy.

Ex-pirate Capt. Jesamiah Acorne is in trouble. Big Trouble All he wants is to marry his girl, Tiola Oldstagh, and like contented aboard his ship, Sea Witch. But Tiola's husband refused to grand a divorce unless Jesamiah retrieves some barrels of indigo and smuggle out of the Spanish-held Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The Governor of Nassau wants Jesamiah to go there too, to help incite a rebellion, and Captain Henry Jennings wants him to find a lost spy. To cap it all, Commodore Vernon of the Royal Navy wants to expand his fleet and craves the Sea Witch of himself .As Jesamiah's hopes for a quiet life tumble about him, the onset of war with Spain scuppers everyone's plans. Hispaniola is governed by a tyrant who has promised to hand draw and quarter Jesamiah if ever he sets foot there again, while the lovely widow Se ora Francesca Escudero would prefer to seduce him.Intrigue, fights, betrayals, and romantic passion follow Captain Acorne like a ship's wake-not the ingredients for a quiet life and not Jesamiah's idea of the Pirate Code

The Time: The Golden Age of Piracy - 1716. The Place: The Pirate Round - from the South African Coast to the Caribbean. Escaping the bullying of his elder half-brother, from the age of fifteen Jesamiah Acorne has been a pirate with only two loves - his ship and his freedom. But his life is to change when he and his crewmates unsuccessfully attack a merchant ship off the coast of South Africa. He is to meet Tiola Oldstagh an insignificant girl, or so he assumes - until she rescues him from a vicious attack, and almost certain death, by pirate hunters. And then he discovers what she really is; a healer, a midwife - and a white witch. Tiola and Jesamiah become lovers, but the wealthy Stefan van Overstratten, a Cape Town Dutchman, also wants Tiola as his wife and Jesamiah's jealous brother, Phillipe Mereno, is determined to seek revenge for resentments of the past, a stolen ship and the insult of being cuckolded in his own home. When the call of the sea and an opportunity to commandeer a beautiful ship - the Sea Witch - is put in Jesamiah's path he must make a choice between his life as a pirate or his love for Tiola. He wants both, but Mereno and van Overstratten want him dead. In trouble, imprisoned in the darkness and stench that is the lowest part of his brother's ship, can Tiola, with her gift of Craft and the aid of his loyal crew, save him? Using all her skills Tiola must conjure up a wind to rescue her lover, but first she must brave the darkness of the ocean depths and confront the supernatural being, Tethys, the Spirit of the Sea, an elemental who will stop at nothing to claim Jesamiah Acorne's soul and bones as a trophy for herself

The historian R. H. Tawney famously wrote, ‘The sixteenth century lives in terror of the tramp.’ The eighteenth century lived in terror of the tramps of the seas – pirates. Pirates have fascinated people ever since. It was a harsh life for those who went ‘on the account’, constantly overshadowed by the threat of death – through violence, illness, shipwreck, or the hangman’s noose. The lure of gold, the excitement of the chase and the freedom that life aboard a pirate ship offered were judged by some to be worth the risk. Helen Hollick explores both the fiction and fact of the Golden Age of piracy, and there are some surprises in store for those who think they know their Barbary Corsair from their boucanier.Everyone has heard of Captain Morgan, but who recognises the name of the aristocratic Frenchman Daniel Montbars? He killed so many Spaniards he was known as ‘The Exterminator’. The fictional world of pirates, represented in novels and movies, is different from reality. What draws readers and viewers to these notorious hyenas of the high seas? What are the facts behind the fantasy? Helen Hollick reveals all, weaving into the history her own fictional creations.