Be honest, who does not love the stories of Atlantis or Brigadoon or any other disappearing and disappeared world? World mysteries have always fascinated me, wondering what people imagined from these lost communities and - even more so - what they wanted them to be and represent. The Destruction of Ravenser Odd I stumbled across the history of Ravenser Odd entirely by chance. But what a chance! Here was a setting for a story, one which was almost Biblical in its existence and destruction. Unlike Dunwich, which gradually succumbed to the sea, Ravenser Odd was swallowed in a very short space of time, the final straw coming in The Great Drowning of Men on Saint Marcellus' Day 1362. As well as this, the town was in the Humber, an area with which I was very familiar, having lived in Barrow-upon-Humber for ten years and being an alumnus of Hull University. Could there be a better setting for a historical fiction tale which was to be laced with horror? Well, I didn't think so. The
This week for #HistFicThursdays, I'm delighted to once again be teaming up with The Coffee Pot Book Club for author Cindy Burkart Maynard's blog tour! Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from her fabulous book, Esperanza's Way!
First of all, let's meet the book...
Motivated by the memory of her mother dying in her arms, Esperanza resolves that she will one day walk the halls of the Scola Medica at Salerno and train to become a healer. Fate brought Amika, a talented herbalist, into her life and helped Esperanza take her first steps toward gaining the knowledge that would fulfill her dream. Unfortunately, a tragic accident forced Esperanza to flee Amika's home. Her journey toward finding the path to success is littered with stumbling blocks, some more difficult to avoid than she expected.
You can buy Esperanza's Way via this Universal Link
And here's an excerpt from the first chapter
to whet your appetite:
to whet your appetite:
PONFERRADA, SPRING 1259
A mangle-eared mutt cocked his head toward the sky sniffing the breeze, sensing the approaching storm. The dog lowered its head, hunched its shoulders, and sidled into an alley. A concussive boom tore the clouds open, and torrents of rain sluiced over the stone-built town of Ponferrada. Up and down the street people scurried for shelter.
“Amika, help me haul this table up against the wall out of the rain.” Gabriela, stocky though she was, struggled to muscle a heavy oak table under the covered walkway that lined the street.
The two women were fortunate their apothecary shop lay along the ancient pilgrimage route, the Camino Santiago de Compostela. Road-weary pilgrims, always in need of remedies to assuage their aches and injuries, walked past their shop every day.
“I'll be right there,” Amika propped her broom against the wall. Like the dog, she turned a weather eye to the skies. This rain is going to be hard enough to drown fishes, she thought. “Esperanza, take these jars and bottles inside.”
A waif-like girl scooped their wares into a well-worn wicker basket. Her serious demeanor and small size belied her twelve years.
Inside their stone house on the ancient cobblestone street, an apothecary cabinet, burnished by age to a rich mahogany patina, dominated the room. An intricate warren of compartments and 11 drawers held ointments, elixirs, and infusions. Bundles of herbs hung upside down from the ceiling. A symphony of spicy, citrusy, fruity, and minty smells harmonized like a fragrant orchestra.
When customers entered and inhaled the aroma, their spirits lightened, buoyed by the aromas of nature. With their wares safely inside, the three companions settled on a bench, warming themselves before a capacious open hearth.
Now, let's meet the author:
Cindy Burkart Maynard is passionate about history, and the natural world, a passion that adds rich detail and context to her historical fiction novels. Her characters come to life on the page as they portray what it was like to live in another time and place. She weaves compelling, dramatic stories based on strong characters facing daunting challenges. She has co-authored two nonfiction works about the Colorado Plateau and the Desert Southwest and contributed articles to Images and Colorado Life Magazines. She has been a Volunteer Naturalist for Boulder County for more than twenty years, and served as a Docent at the Sonora Arizona Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ.
Awards:
Colorado Authors League Award Winner for Western Literature
Women Writing the West Award Finalist
WILLA Literary Award finalist for soft cover fiction.
Readers’ Favorite Five Star Author
Winner of the Marie M. Irvine award for Literary Excellence
Professional Affiliations:
Historical Novel Society of North America
Lighthouse Writers
Women’s Fiction Writers Association
Colorado Authors League
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Authors Guild
Thanks so much for hosting Cindy Burkart Maynard today, with an enticing excerpt from Esperanza's Way!
ReplyDeleteCathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club