Gina Rae Mitchell

Princes and Kings by Sydney Williams (A Rose in a Thorn Bush #1) | Author Interview, $15 Gift Card, Excerpt

A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.

Book Details

Princes and Kings by Sydney Williams
Published by Tellwell Talent on 08/13/2021
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fantasy
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 180

In the year 1240 AD, the land of Gwynedd Wales found itself without a leader when their king, Llywelyn the Great, died at a ripe old age. The natural successor to the king was his son Dafydd, who took on the job of ruler after his death. Soon after taking on the job he was forced to sign a treaty with the king of England and send his brother Gruffudd and his nephew Owain to England to be imprisoned in the Tower of London in exchange for keeping his land and title. His other nephew, Llywelyn, became the new head warrior after his father's imprisonment, travelling the country and patrolling the borders to the north and the south.

After four years imprisonment in the Tower of London, Gruffudd died while attempting to escape from his tower cell, and his son Owain was released by the king himself. He wanted Owain to help him start a civil war in Gwynedd. Meanwhile, after finding out about his brother's death from a letter sent by his nephew Owain, Dafydd declared war on England, prompting Owain to escape Winchester Castle, where he had been recovering from his time in prison to find his brother Llywelyn and help him in the war between England and Gwynedd.

During the course of the war, Dafydd was killed in battle, leaving the Welsh army without a leader. Being the brave and noble man that he was, Llywelyn called the men to him and, with his leadership, they managed to send the English packing. With the new weight of responsibility thrust upon his shoulders, Llywelyn rode home at the head of the army to find that his world had changed. Now not only was his father gone but his mother as well, and the land of Gwynedd was once again without a leader.

It became clear that the best man for the job was Llywelyn himself, and he decided that there was nothing else to do but become the new ruler. He would do anything to keep his people safe, even if that meant taking on a responsibility that he felt he was too young for. He would never abandon his people for anything and let the English take everything from him.

 

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Excerpt from Princes and Kings

Chapter 1: A Funeral to Remember

The town of Aberfraw Castle in the Valley of Clwyd Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales in the year 1240 AD

As the royal party moved through the streets, one of the young street urchins darted up to Lord Owain, the eldest son of Lord Gruffudd, and attempted to slip his hand into his pocket. Owain quickly grabbed the boy and shook him roughly. “Have some respect,” he snapped.

Hearing the altercation, Gruffudd turned his head and smiled at the boy. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin, tossing it to the boy.

“Run along now and remember to have more respect for your superiors in the future,” he said, giving him a cuff to the arm. The boy, red-faced nodded his head in thanks and ran back into the crowd.

“Why did you do that?” Owain asked.

“Because now he will go on his way and not bother us again,” Gruffudd explained.

Owain simply shook his head in disgust, and with a surly look towards the crowd, rubbed his hands on his tunic. The boy’s clothing had been so filthy that he could feel the dirt coating his fingers.

His brother, Llywelyn, Gruffudd’s second eldest son turned to his brother Owain and cuffed him on the shoulder. “Lighten up,” he said with a smile.

Owain gave him a dirty look. “Will you ever grow up and act your age?” he asked grumpily.

“I think I am doing just fine. Why don’t you grow up?” Llywelyn said, giving his brother a playful shove. Owain shrugged and shoved him back, causing Gruffudd to turn his head and look at his two sons.

“That is enough from the two of you! This funeral procession is not a party,” he scolded and turned his head around to the front once more. Sanena squeezed her husband’s fingers lightly and smiled at him with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

“They are just getting out their nerves,” she said calmly. “Remember they were both very close to their grandfather.”

“I know that,” Gruffudd said. “But that doesn’t mean they are allowed to act like a couple of children.”

“You need to relax,” she said, giving his fingers another light squeeze. “Everyone is a little tense right now. I am sure, after the funeral, we will all feel much better.”

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Purchase Links for Princes and Kings

Amazon     Bookshop/IndieBound     Kobo

AppleBooks/iTunes     The Book Depository

Waterstones

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An Interview with Sydney Williams

How long have you been writing?
I have always written something ever since I was a child; but I have only been writing professionally for about two years, which is the amount of time it has taken to right and publish my novel.

How do you choose your character names?
Because I am working from historical notes many of my character names are already chosen for me, but as for the characters I have made up to fill in the rest of the story the names just seem to come to me somehow.

What inspired you to write in this genre?
I have always loved history, and how historical fiction authors can take a few historical notes and bring different events and characters to life once more. I have always wanted to do that and I am so happy that I have and I plan to keep doing so in the future.

If an author fictionalized your life, in which genre would it belong?
That is a hard question. I have had a very interesting life and you could take it and either write a non-fiction biography or you could take it and turn it into either a fiction or fantasy novel. I have toyed with the idea of turning my life story into either a fiction or fantasy novel over the years, and maybe I will figure out how to do so one day.

Do you have a set writing schedule?
Not really, no. I do a lot of different things throughout the day and so I don’t have a set time that I write. But I always try to get in at least a few sentences everyday whether that be a blog post or my new book.

Do you need silence to write, or can you work in any environment?
I prefer silence, but I am blind and so I use a screen reading program with headphones so I can block out the world around me if silence is not an option.

Which three words best describe you?
I think the three best words that describe me as an author are disciplined, imaginative, and passionate.

Is there anything you would like my readers to know about you and your book?
My book, Princes and Kings is my first novel. It is based in Wales in the 13th century and is the first book in the three-part series I am writing about the life of the Welsh ruler, Llywelyn, the last king of Wales. Llywelyn is a Welsh legend and I was drawn to his story because of my family heritage on my father’s side. It was a joy to write and I am so happy I get to share my love for history and the stories of different historical characters with others through my writing.

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Tour Giveaway!

Sydney Williams will be awarding $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!

Full Tour Schedule

November 10: Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love
November 17: Rogue’s Angels
November 17: Sadie’s Spotlight
November 24: Literary Gold
December 1: Sybrina’s Book Blog
December 8: Gina Rae Mitchell
December 15: All the Ups and Downs
December 29: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
January 5: Fabulous and Brunette
January 12: The Avid Reader
January 12: Westveil Publishing
January 19: Kit ‘N Kabookle
January 26: The Key Of Love
January 26: The Obsessed Reader
February 2: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews

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Purchase Princes and Kings online from a local book store.

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