Lord of Sherwood by Laura Strickland: The Reluctant Hero

Do heroes always know they’re heroes? In my new release, Lord of Sherwood: The Guardians of Sherwood Trilogy Book Three, Curlew Champion thinks of himself as an average man. He knows that one day he will take his place in the magical Triad destined to uphold the sanctity of Sherwood Forest as have his ancestors before him, right back to his great-grandfather, Robin Hood.  But as this excerpt shows, he believes his cousin and fellow Triad-member, Heron Scarlet, is the one with the true promise:

Curlew knew himself to be dull and ordinary compared with Heron’s brilliance. Aye, he had caught glimpses of his own reflection in pools and in the village pond—he had even seen himself, quite startlingly, in the fire once whilst Heron sat in a trance. A blend of both his parents, he had his father’s height and gray eyes and his mother’s deep brown hair. Folk said he had her grace as well, but what was that worth? He cared far more that he had inherited both his

Grandfather Sparrow’s and his great-grandfather Robin’s skill with the bow. Aye, that was a talent to have, and he rarely missed a target.

 

Curlew is also well aware that when the third member of their Triad appears, she will need to make a choice between himself and Heron: one of them will bond with her as a man bonds with a woman, while the other will dedicate himself to Sherwood Forest. All his life, Curlew has longed for the kind of deep and spiritual relationship shared by his parents, but he’s far too humble to think that when this magnificent woman appears, could choose him …

 

I believe there’s something inspiring and irresistible about a hero who doesn’t recognize his own heroism. As a reader—or a writer—I love journeying with him until that moment when he realizes he, and no one else, can accomplish the one thing that will win him his deepest heart’s desire.

 

If you’d like to accompany Curlew Champion on just such a journey, he invites you to step into the deep magic of Sherwood, spend a while fighting for justice at his side and discover whether an ordinary man can be the hero needed by his people, and the woman of his heart.

Blurb:

Curlew Champion, master archer, has always known his destiny.  With his cousin, Heron Scarlet, he will become a guardian of Sherwood Forest and further his people’s fight against Norman Tyranny.  But the third member of the triad is still to be revealed, the woman who will complete the magical circle and, perhaps, answer the longing in Curlew’s heart.

Anwyn Montfort has fled disgrace in Shrewsbury and come to Nottingham at her father’s bidding.  He wishes her to make a good marriage and settle down.  But the wildness that possesses her refuses to quiet.  She knows she’s been searching for something all her life, but not until she glimpses Curlew does her spirit begin to hope it has found its home.

Only the magic of Sherwood can bring them together, and only their union can complete the spell woven so long ago …

 Lord of Sherwood: The Guardians of Sherwood Trilogy Book Three will be available 8/8/14 from Amazon and The Wild Rose Press!