In the aftermath of the US Presidential election, I returned
a manuscript I’d abandoned earlier in the year, partly because I knew my heroine
needed to be a proper warrior and I wasn’t sure how she’d be received. Suddenly, the way forward became clear and I was able
to write the strong woman protagonist that I had envisioned. It also enabled me
to focus my annoyance at male entitlement behaviour and use it in a
constructive fashion. Some of the writing process for me is utilizing my
emotions in a positive fashion.
Do not let anyone fool you, women have always been strong. And
history is littered with examples of women who broke the mould if you look beyond
the brief outlines. For example, one of Xerxes’s main naval commanders was a
woman – Artemisia of Caria. He revered her advice above his other naval
commanders and when she said to attack the Greeks at the battle of Salamis, he
did. Or Septima Zenobia who fought the late Roman Empire. Or St Bathilde who rose from
being a slave to ruling the Merovingian Empire and who instituted the first
laws against slavery in the 7th century. To name but three. They
tend to be overlooked, just as the women who ran banks and had licenses to
print money during the Regency period are overlooked and brushed under the
carpet. As an aside, I still see no reason (except for a male self-publicist’s
word) why the Lady Patronesses who had access to bank records, foreign courts etc would need
to hang on Beau Brummell’s words about who to admit.
Within the Viking sagas, there are the Valkyries, long held
to be a myth because no solo grave was ever found which contained both women’s
implements and weapons. However, DNA testing recently turned this on its head
when it proved a number of male warriors were in fact female. It had merely been
male prejudice that had them wrongly attributed.
When it came to revisions, my editor gently pointed out that
I had bottled showing the villain getting his just desserts. I had to agree. In
discussions with my daughter, I realised that my heroine had to act. It was a
case of an editor’s eyes really opening up mine to the possibilities. I do
think The Warrior’s Viking Bride is one of the best books I have written thus
far.
The reviews I have received for The Warrior’s Viking Bride have confirmed
my view. 4 stars from the RT. No one does Vikings better than Michelle Styles. The Warrior’s Viking Bride is a passionate romance between a Shield Maiden
and a Gael warrior, who find love amid danger and betrayal. Styles’ attention
to detail will captivate readers, as will her powerful characters and elaborate
plots.
And a lovely one from Chicks, Rogues and Scandals.
This is so good, I cannot recommend it more.
You can read the first chapter of The Warrior's Viking Bride for free.
Giveaway
I have teamed up with Book Sweeps and 41 other authors to
create a lavish giveaway which includes my latest The Warrior’s Viking Bride as
well as a chance to win a new e-reader. The giveaway ends on 19 February and is
very easy to enter.
Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romances generally featuring strong heroines. Her latest The Warrior's Viking Bride is published on 22 Feb (in case you haven't guessed) You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk
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