I’m hosting a guest post for the book tour for “Anvil of God”. Enjoy reading.
Why would anyone write about 8th century France?
Actually the more important question is why would anyone read about the 8th century France? After all, there are plenty of books about time periods with which we are already familiar: Henry VIII and his many wives, the Knights Templar and the Crusades, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra – even the legend of King Arthur. Why pick a time frame so obscure?
The short answer is I was looking for a new adventure. And that’s what readers will find in the award-winning Anvil of God, Book One of the Carolingian Chronicles – a great new adventure. The 8th century is pivotal to the rise of Christianity and western civilization and the figures who frame it are dynamic and unforgettable.
Anvil begins with the death of Charles the Hammer, a bastard son who at 19 seized the father’s fortune and spent the next 27 years conquering Europe on behalf of the Merovingian Kings. Although he longed to place his sons on the throne, his untimely death leaves this legacy unfinished. His death creates a vacuum of power across the continent and throws his grieving family into the center of conflict. Son battles son, Christianity battles paganism and his young daughter must choose between love and her family’s ambitions.
Originally, I planned to write about the last great Carolingian, Charlemagne. I took a class in college with a history professor named Charles Wood, who was one of the foremost historians of his day. We studied Charlemagne and I became fascinated by the epic poem The Song of Roland. It reminded me of the Illiad and I always imagined that when I got around to it, I would write a novel about the poem.
When I started to do the research, however, I kept looking for a place to start the story. I kept going further and further back in time to find where the story really begins. I ended up two generations earlier, riveted by the story of Charles’s daughter Trudi fleeing his court in the dead of night to pursue love among his enemies. It was the scandal of the 8th century.
That story and the story of Charles’s widow trying to protect the rights of her 14 year-old son, frame the action of Anvil and give life to why history unfolded the way it did. It’s a great story and I hope you enjoy the adventure. I know I did.
About the Author
With an AB degree in history from Dartmouth College, J. Boyce Gleason brings a strong understanding of what events shaped the past and when, but writes historical-fiction to discover why. Gleason lives in Virginia with his wife Mary Margaret. They have three sons.
His latest book is the historical fiction, Anvil of God, Book One of the Carolingian Chronicles.
Visit his website at www.jboycegleason.com.
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About the Book
It is 741. After subduing the pagan religions in the east, halting the march of Islam in the west, and conquering the continent for the Merovingian kings, mayor of the palace Charles the Hammer has one final ambition—the throne. Only one thing stands in his way—he is dying.
Charles cobbles together a plan to divide the kingdom among his three sons, betroth his daughter to a Lombard prince to secure his southern border, and keep the Church unified behind them through his friend Bishop Boniface. Despite his best efforts, the only thing to reign after Charles’s death is chaos. His daughter has no intention of marrying anyone, let alone a Lombard prince. His two eldest sons question the rights of their younger pagan stepbrother, and the Church demands a steep price for their support. Son battles son, Christianity battles paganism, and Charles’s daughter flees his court for an enemy’s love.
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