Blog
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#OTD 8 June 1191 – King Richard I’s fleet arrives in Acre
What a momentous day it must have been when Richard the Lionheart’s fleet finally sailed into the harbor at Acre in the Holy Land. Many of the crusaders (called ‘pilgrims’ in their own time) had been on the journey for more than a year. King Richard’s troops had gathered in Tours in present-day France to…
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#OTD 27 May 1199 – John crowned King of England at Westminster
Richard I, the Lionheart, died on April 6, 1199. His brother John was in Brittany at the time visiting a possible rival to the crown, the young Duke Arthur, son of Richard and John’s late brother Geoffrey. John fled the Breton court secretly after a messenger delivered the news. Had the Bretons heard it earlier, we might…
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#OTD 6 April 1199 – Richard the Lionheart dies
Richard was crowned king in September 1189, succeeding his father Henry II. He ruled less than 10 years. Histories written in the 19th-20th centuries complain he spent only 6 months of his reign in England, but Richard was a man of his times and should be judged according to 12th century standards. His realm stretched…
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#OTD 29 March 1194 – Richard the Lionheart visits Sherwood Forest
The siege of Nottingham ended, so what’s a king to do? Relax! Go hunting in Sherwood Forest. “On the twenty-ninth day of March, Richard, king of England, went to Clipston and the forests of Sherwood, which he had never seen before, and they pleased him greatly; after which, on the same day, he returned to…
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#OTD 26 March 1199 – Richard the Lionheart wounded at Chalus
Richard I of England had been at war with the French since his return from the Crusades and his captivity in Germany. While a truce had been signed with King Philip of France, Richard marched south to lay siege to the Viscount of Limoges’ castle at Chalus-Chabrol and to others at nearby Nontron and Montagut. This area…
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#OTD 25 March 1194 – Richard the Lionheart arrives at the Siege of Nottingham
King Richard I, the Lionheart, had taken the Cross and journeyed to the Holy Land in 1190. He led his army of approx. 15,000 men to within 12 miles of Jerusalem, but did not re-take the holy city. After a truce with Salah-al-Din, Richard attempted to return home, but was faced with enemies on his path.…
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DiverseReader – #Review & #Giveaway for For King and Country
Meredith likes For King and Country!! Maybe you will too. To celebrate, I am doing a giveaway on DiverseReader for a chance to win an e-copy of this tale of war, passion, and forbidden love. You’ll also have a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card. Get over there now and read Meredith’s review. Enter the…
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A Discovered Diamond – Book Review of For King and Country
There is a new site in town – rather, on the web – for reviews of historical fiction: Discovering Diamonds. You should definitely bookmark or follow this site if you are looking for good historical fiction. And I am thrilled to report that For King and Country, Book II of Battle Scars, has been selected as…