Promo: The Warriors’ Prize by Jennifer C. Wilson
Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Jennifer C. Wilson to my blog. Jen is celebrating her new release, The Warriors’ Prize. A wonderful friend and fellow Ocelot Press author, Jen talks about the (in)famous Border Reivers. Have a read! Oh, and do check out the novel, too!
The Warriors’ Prize is currently on blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. Make sure to check out all the other fabulous posts on tour.
Growing up in the north-east of England, I always had a knowledge of the reivers, the families which inhabited the Anglo-Scottish border, and who were at the peak of their activity and power between the end of the 13th century to the early 1600s. Despite significant evidence of their lawlessness and violence, there was also something romantic about them, although that’s now largely acknowledged to be the ‘fault’ of Sir Walter Scott, who gathered many of what are now referred to as the ‘border ballads’, spreading tales of chivalry and heroics.
In truth, the reivers considered themselves neither truly English nor Scottish, but ‘borderers’, and the way of living was hard. Farming crops in the area was difficult, and raids were frequent, both across the border and of their own neighbours. As a result, family feuds were common, as groups bonded together for both defence and attack.
The reivers situation developed mostly as a result of the ongoing Anglo-Scottish wars, with the two neighbouring countries seemingly unable to live alongside each other peacefully for more than a handful of years, regardless of how many treaties were signed, or wars were threatened. Tension therefore was high along the border, with the region most frequently the victim of attacks from English or Scottish armies.
Joint attempts to govern the area were attempted, with the installation of Wardens within each of the ‘Marches’ (the sections into which the borders were divided), the intention being that under ‘March Law’, the Wardens on either side of the border would work together to bring about justice. Unfortunately, the independent nature of the borderers often extended to the Wardens themselves, and even during the ‘Days of Truce’, when complaints against either side were meant to be (peacefully) presented, chaos generally reigned. Wardens were often selected from border families, and with family ties being stronger than care for the legal system, corruption was rife, and many issues ended up being settled personally, rather than any attempt through the courts.
This is where the famous ‘hot trod’ comes in – if you were a victim of a raid, you had the right of immediate retaliation by gathering a group of men together to reclaim stolen property, even crossing the border to do so if necessary. Carrying a sod of burning peat at the end of a lance indicated what the party in question was doing so, and it was seen as a duty amongst neighbours to ride out in support of one another, never knowing when they would need the favour returned. For those unable to react so swiftly, the ‘cold trod’, within six days, could be undertaken, but without the protection of legal permission.
With its own (largely ineffective) legal system, a general lack of respect for authority, and rumours of flag-switching amongst its inhabitants, the borders became an imposing region, with borderers considering themselves mostly disconnected from governance from either London or Edinburgh. There are even tales of borderers simply putting on a show of fighting when called to fight for their respective countries, with no intention of killing or harming each other, as reported by an English witness to the Battle of Pinkie in 1547.
It’s no wonder then, that the reivers are an attractive notion for historical fiction: there were ways around the law for even the most heinous of crimes, and however hard kings might have wanted to control the area, many largely gave up.
Finally, in 1603, James VI/I had the chance to really do something about the problem, with one monarch now having control of both sides of the border. Technically, there wasn’t a true border in existence any more, and although some suddenly became loyal (and vocal) servants to the king, many were now subject to rapid justice, including execution without trial for crimes they were previously accused of. They were banned from carrying weapons, and no longer allowed to own valuable horses, thereby taking away the ‘tools of their trade’, as well as physically having their lands repossessed. When transportation was also added into the mix, the borders finally had a sense of peace and stability.
Despite this rather inglorious end, and the very clear evidence that border reivers were vicious, cruel, and frankly, mafia-style thugs in a lot of cases, there’s still something of a sense of pride which remains in the area. And against all odds, so many of the family names still dominate the region. Wilson might not be one of the major clan names, but we’re still here, alongside Armstrongs, Charltons, Robsons and Dodds, on both sides of the border.
Blurb:
Stirling Castle, 1498
Visiting court for the first time since her father's death, Lady Avelina Gordon finds herself drawn to the handsome warrior, Sir Lachlan MacNair. But as a woman who has seen too many of her friends lose everything for 'love', she keeps her heart guarded.
Castle Berradane, 1502
Lady Avelina is unceremoniously told to expect her new husband within the month. The man in question: Sir Lachlan.
Lachlan arrives in Berradane carrying his own secret, and a determination to control his heart. As attraction builds between the couple, they find themselves under attack and fearful of a traitor in their midst.
Can the teamwork they've shown in adversity so far pull them through one final test, and will they find the strength to risk their hearts, as well as their lives?
International Buy Link: https://mybook.to/TheWarriorsPrize
About the Author:
She won North Tyneside Libraries' Story Tyne short story competition in 2014 (no dead monarchs, but still not a cheerful read), and has been filling notebooks and hard-drives ever since. Her Kindred Spirits series, following the 'lives' of some very interesting ghostly communities, is published by Darkstroke, and her historical romances by Ocelot Press.
Jennifer is currently exploring some new ideas for historical romance, and hoping to visit Kindred Spirit friends old and new, north of the border...
Connect with Jen:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984
Website: https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/
The Warriors’ Prize is currently on blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. Make sure to check out all the other fabulous posts on tour.
The Warriors’ Prize
Jennifer C. Wilson
The Border Reivers – the historical inspiration behind The Warriors’ Prize
Growing up in the north-east of England, I always had a knowledge of the reivers, the families which inhabited the Anglo-Scottish border, and who were at the peak of their activity and power between the end of the 13th century to the early 1600s. Despite significant evidence of their lawlessness and violence, there was also something romantic about them, although that’s now largely acknowledged to be the ‘fault’ of Sir Walter Scott, who gathered many of what are now referred to as the ‘border ballads’, spreading tales of chivalry and heroics.
In truth, the reivers considered themselves neither truly English nor Scottish, but ‘borderers’, and the way of living was hard. Farming crops in the area was difficult, and raids were frequent, both across the border and of their own neighbours. As a result, family feuds were common, as groups bonded together for both defence and attack.
The reivers situation developed mostly as a result of the ongoing Anglo-Scottish wars, with the two neighbouring countries seemingly unable to live alongside each other peacefully for more than a handful of years, regardless of how many treaties were signed, or wars were threatened. Tension therefore was high along the border, with the region most frequently the victim of attacks from English or Scottish armies.
Joint attempts to govern the area were attempted, with the installation of Wardens within each of the ‘Marches’ (the sections into which the borders were divided), the intention being that under ‘March Law’, the Wardens on either side of the border would work together to bring about justice. Unfortunately, the independent nature of the borderers often extended to the Wardens themselves, and even during the ‘Days of Truce’, when complaints against either side were meant to be (peacefully) presented, chaos generally reigned. Wardens were often selected from border families, and with family ties being stronger than care for the legal system, corruption was rife, and many issues ended up being settled personally, rather than any attempt through the courts.
This is where the famous ‘hot trod’ comes in – if you were a victim of a raid, you had the right of immediate retaliation by gathering a group of men together to reclaim stolen property, even crossing the border to do so if necessary. Carrying a sod of burning peat at the end of a lance indicated what the party in question was doing so, and it was seen as a duty amongst neighbours to ride out in support of one another, never knowing when they would need the favour returned. For those unable to react so swiftly, the ‘cold trod’, within six days, could be undertaken, but without the protection of legal permission.
With its own (largely ineffective) legal system, a general lack of respect for authority, and rumours of flag-switching amongst its inhabitants, the borders became an imposing region, with borderers considering themselves mostly disconnected from governance from either London or Edinburgh. There are even tales of borderers simply putting on a show of fighting when called to fight for their respective countries, with no intention of killing or harming each other, as reported by an English witness to the Battle of Pinkie in 1547.
It’s no wonder then, that the reivers are an attractive notion for historical fiction: there were ways around the law for even the most heinous of crimes, and however hard kings might have wanted to control the area, many largely gave up.
Finally, in 1603, James VI/I had the chance to really do something about the problem, with one monarch now having control of both sides of the border. Technically, there wasn’t a true border in existence any more, and although some suddenly became loyal (and vocal) servants to the king, many were now subject to rapid justice, including execution without trial for crimes they were previously accused of. They were banned from carrying weapons, and no longer allowed to own valuable horses, thereby taking away the ‘tools of their trade’, as well as physically having their lands repossessed. When transportation was also added into the mix, the borders finally had a sense of peace and stability.
Despite this rather inglorious end, and the very clear evidence that border reivers were vicious, cruel, and frankly, mafia-style thugs in a lot of cases, there’s still something of a sense of pride which remains in the area. And against all odds, so many of the family names still dominate the region. Wilson might not be one of the major clan names, but we’re still here, alongside Armstrongs, Charltons, Robsons and Dodds, on both sides of the border.
~~~
Blurb:
Stirling Castle, 1498
Visiting court for the first time since her father's death, Lady Avelina Gordon finds herself drawn to the handsome warrior, Sir Lachlan MacNair. But as a woman who has seen too many of her friends lose everything for 'love', she keeps her heart guarded.
Castle Berradane, 1502
Lady Avelina is unceremoniously told to expect her new husband within the month. The man in question: Sir Lachlan.
Lachlan arrives in Berradane carrying his own secret, and a determination to control his heart. As attraction builds between the couple, they find themselves under attack and fearful of a traitor in their midst.
Can the teamwork they've shown in adversity so far pull them through one final test, and will they find the strength to risk their hearts, as well as their lives?
International Buy Link: https://mybook.to/TheWarriorsPrize
~~~
About the Author:
Jennifer C. Wilson
Jennifer has been stalking dead monarchs since she was a child. It started with Mary, Queen of Scots, then moved onto Richard III. At least now it results in a story!
Jennifer has been stalking dead monarchs since she was a child. It started with Mary, Queen of Scots, then moved onto Richard III. At least now it results in a story!
She won North Tyneside Libraries' Story Tyne short story competition in 2014 (no dead monarchs, but still not a cheerful read), and has been filling notebooks and hard-drives ever since. Her Kindred Spirits series, following the 'lives' of some very interesting ghostly communities, is published by Darkstroke, and her historical romances by Ocelot Press.
Jennifer is currently exploring some new ideas for historical romance, and hoping to visit Kindred Spirit friends old and new, north of the border...
Connect with Jen:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984
Website: https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/
That was really interesting information, Jen. thank you and good luck with the The Warrior's Prize. a really lovely read that I've just finished!
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