Good Morning, Goddess Fish!

Good morning, everyone! Grab a mimosa and a croissant, and let's party!

I'm Jude Johnson, published with Champagne Books, and I am thrilled to be here at the Party Pavillion. I adore history, love stepping into the past, and enjoy taking readers on a trip away from the here and now. Tomorrow, April 2nd, Champagne will release Out of Forgotten Ashes, Book Two of the Dragon & Hawk historical Western/romance series about a Welsh immigrant and the mystic Mexican-Native healer who captures his heart. Lots of details of Native American, Mexican, and Welsh lore make this series a rich tapestry of action, adventure, and romance set in the Arizona Territory of the 1880s.

I hope you'll enjoy the excerpts I'll be posting, and join in on a contest I'm devising...and yes, it will have something to do with April Fools' Day!

~Jude Johnson
http://jude-johnson.com

Welsh Lovespoons

Anyonewho knows me knows that I am passionate about Wales, where I was born and spentmost of my life. I set my story,‘Dancing With Fate’ in 5th Century Wales and used much of the wild scenery,with its mountains and lakes as background to that story. My first fulllength futuristic novel ‘Starquest’ had several chapters set on the planetNiflheim, and again the inspiration for that planet came from onmemories of the Welsh mountains, and was reflected in the sequel, ‘Children OfThe Mist.

Wales is full of traditions and customs, one of the oldest being the love spoon. First of all, what is a‘lovespoon’ exactly. Well, in the words of David Western, a very talentedhand carver of these items: “Welsh lovespoons trace theirroots back to the 1600’s. They are hand carved tokens of love or esteem, eachan extraordinary work of art... Originally, it was a handmade spoon givenby its maker to the girl who had captivated his heart in the hopes itsacceptance would lead to the beginnings of a courtship. The custom wasknown throughout Wales andwas known to exist in Sweden,the Alpine regions and even down to Hungary;it is even reputed to have occurred in areas of Spain, France,Italy and Greece. It is in Waleshowever, that the lovespoon has survived the industrial revolution and it isthe only country where it has survived in a notable fashion."

David was born in Cardiff and now lives in Victoria, BC. He is not only highly skilled, but very passionate about his craft. Thepicture is of a love spoon formed tor represent the Welsh dragon for the Portland ‘West CoastEisteddford’ 2009. I think it is exquisite.

Ican Imagine a young Welsh man after a hard day’s work, returning to his familyhome and spending the long evenings carving a piece of wood into the shape of awooden spoon, with an ornately decorated handle. The more complicated anddifficult the design, the more it would symbolize the depth of his love anddesire to labour on behalf of the woman he yearned for.

Theyoung carver would probably have been shy and unwilling to show hisemotions, and would attempt to convey his true feelings through the use ofvarious symbols and motifs. Over the centuries, many more such symbols havebeen added and as the love spoons became more elaborate and decorative, theyhave become valued as collectibles. Many if the symbols used are familiarthroughout Europe. For instance, a chain or a Celtic knot would mean a wish to be together forever, a diamond would meanwealth or good fortune and the richness of a life filled with love, a crosswould mean faith, a flower would mean affection, or a dragon for protection, orto symbolize Walesitself.

How romantic is that?, There has to be a wealth of romance tales inthis one love token, alone!

Excerpts reprinted with permission from DavidWestern's blog, all material © 2009, David Western --http://davidwestern.blogspot.com/

David is a regular contributerto Americymru, a blog specifically aimed at People with Welsh roots, living andworking in the USA: http://americymru.blogspot.com/

Don't forget - anyone who comments will be entered into a draw to win a download of Dancing With Fate. (or another of my books if you've already read it.)
Lyn

USE COUPON No.EV52N at checkout to purchase for 99c (coupon good until Monday 3rd October)

www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com

www.hywelalyn.co.uk
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NR Party! Dragon & Hawk from Champagne Books!

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to join the Goddess Fish Party for June with the new print release of my historical Western romance, Dragon & Hawk from Champagne Books!

It's the hot, dry, dusty Arizona Territory not long after the gunfight at the OK Corral. Evan Jones, immigrant miner from Wales, is desperate to go back to a land of flowing water, trees, and green grass--by any means. But robbing stagecoaches isn't as easy as it sounds...Evan and his two brothers are forced back to dangerous mining work just in time to be caught in a disastrous cave-in. When a mysterious Mexican-Native healer called The Señora enters their lives, Evan isn't sure what to make of a woman who befriends Apaches, dresses in pants, and rides astride like a man.
Reyna Montoya Svenson is a widowed accomplished curandera, a Mexican healer who uses herbs and a bit of mysticism to treat her patients. When a cave-in at the copper mine in Bisbee requires her skills, she doesn't hesitate to help. But she never counted on meeting a handsome man from a land completely different from anything she's known. When she realizes Evan's totem, his Native spirit guide, is a Red Dragon, she's unnerved. Dragón is the mortal enemy to her own totem, Hawk. And when Evan scorches her pride with rude language and nasty comments,  she takes flight to avoid acknowledging the fact she's fallen in love with a man who cannot respect her.
Evan soon comes to regret his outburst and embarks on a journey to find the woman he knows only as The Señora, leading to many adventures and earning him the hatred of vicious outlaw, Frank Howe--whose vengeance affects them all...

I'll be posting an excerpt next but first I'd like to know how much everyone knows about Wales and famous Welshmen. Comment on this post with the name of a Welsh entertainer knighted by Queen Elizabeth and I will draw one person's name for a free PDF of Dragon & Hawk at 7 pm Pacific Time. Don't worry: I'll have other prizes to give away on other posts too!

~Jude Johnson

 

 Author, Dragon & Hawk

Available from Champagne Books

Website: jude-johnson.com 

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Dancing With Fate - Romantic Fantasy

Good Morning everyone. First of all I would like to thank Judy and Marianne for hosting the Goddess Fish Release Party, and for inviting me to be here. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

A bit about me:  I'm a Welsh writer currently living in a small village in England.  I love the outdoors, all animals, especially horses, and write Fantasy and Futuristic Romance, with a 'sweet to spicy' rating.

I have just re-released my fantasy 'Dancing With Fate' through Smashwords.  The  novella was originally published by The Wild Rose Press as part of their 'Song Of The Muses' series.  The landscape and legends of my native Wales helped inspire the story, although I needed to do quite a lot of research into Greek mythology as well.  I featured two of my horses, Hari and Sal in the story.


 Here's the blurb:

When Terpsichore, the Greek Muse of Dance, is assigned to revisit 5th Century Wales, and help the people regain their love of dancing, her task seems simple enough. She is unaware there is a hidden agenda. Before she can return to Olympus her path crosses that of the mysterious Myrddin, and her heart is lost.

But Myrddin is promised to another. His mind is set on the dangerous task that lies before him, and the woman he has sworn to save. Nevertheless, he cannot deny the growing attraction between him and the beautiful stranger he meets along the way.

Terpsichore and Myrddin face a deadly force that threatens to part them forever. Is she destined to lose the only man she has ever truly loved? Is there nothing she can do to save him? Finally, when all seems lost, in desperation she finds herself DANCING WITH FATE.

Excerpt:

She was the loveliest woman Myrddin had ever seen. Spellbound, he watched her step from the falls. He should have turned away but he found it impossible not to watch her as she dried herself. When she started to dance, he was captivated by her grace and the eloquence of her movements. 

She seemed unconcerned about her nakedness. Not that she had anything to be ashamed of; such exquisite beauty should not be covered. Long, dark red-brown hair fell like a veil of silk to below her knees. Her skin was smooth and flawless; her breasts were firm and high, full but not heavy, above a tiny waist.  Her rounded hips undulated sensuously in time to her singing, while her upper body remained perfectly still, apart from the expressive movements of her arms. Her legs were slim and very long and she moved on tiptoe, her small feet scarcely seeming to touch the ground. Between her fingers, she held a long piece of silky material, which she swirled around her, until it seemed almost like a living thing.

Myrddin watched, enthralled. He'd never known anyone to dance as she did. The way she swivelled her hips had him mesmerised. Her voice was soft and clear, with a haunting quality. It reminded him of the musical bells of Maes Gwyddno, the civilization that now lay drowned beneath the sea. At times of danger, if one listened hard enough, one could hear the bells ringing from beneath the waves. Moreover, it may have been a trick of the light, but she seemed to radiate a soft glow, pure and shimmering. He shook his head in disbelief. He must be imagining it. He'd eaten nothing since dawn, this was surely a vision brought on by weakness from hunger.

Myrddin crept closer and a twig cracked underfoot. Before he could take cover, the beautiful dancer stood motionless. Her eyes, green as the depths of the ocean, looked directly into his.

I will be giving away a copy of Dancing With Fate
--so leave a comment and be entered to win!

PURCHASE HERE 


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