OF Love and Vengeance
undying hatred for the Norman she holds responsible for the deaths of so many innocents.
Discovering Aymon has committed an act of treason gives her the chance to seek vengeance
he deserves. But can Laila let Aymon die at the hands of the king once she learns the truth?
A hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever should. With
the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a wife who will give him heirs and
obey his every command. Instead, he finds himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when
she learns the truth of his treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret?
Publisher: Wild Rose Publishing
Excerpt :
Aymon caught a flicker of movement from a window on the second story. “I think we’re about
to meet the welcome party.” An arrow zoomed toward him and landed on the pommel of
his saddle. A half an inch closer and he would no longer be able to sire children. As if in
demonstration of his ability with the bow and arrow, the shooter fired again. This time directed
toward Hugh. The second arrow too came within a half an inch of his friend’s manhood.
“You missed!” Aymon called toward the shooter. He questioned his stupidity for mocking
someone with such a good aim.
“You want me to show you how good an aim I really am?” a woman’s voice echoed out across
the yard.
“Bloody hell,” Hugh half cursed, half laughed. “Where does a woman learn to shoot like that?”
Aymon was shocked and admittedly a little impressed a woman had such remarkable shooting
skills. He could use such a sharp shooter on his side in battle. After all, it was better to have
someone so skilled firing for you than at you.
Aymon raised his black leather gloved hand in surrender. “No. I’m firmly attached to my balls,
thank you very much.”
“Who are you?” the shooter demanded. “And what do you want? There is nothing of value here
for you to steal. Be on your way, man, and leave me in peace.”
“Some would say a female is of value,” Aymon drawled sardonically.
A second arrow lodged firmly on the pommel between his legs.
“I do not give third chances. I’ll give you to the count of three to leave. Or else you will find an
arrow straight through your heart.”
Aymon’s warhorse whinnied, and he fought to control the beast whose temperament was as
black as his coat. “Put down your weapon!”
“One!”
“We mean you no harm!”
“Two!”
“I am Lord Aymon, and this is Lord Hugh. I’ve come to claim what is rightfully mine.”
Silence.
The two men looked at one another unsure what to do. “Should we storm the building and lay
claim to what is yours?”
Aymon shook his head. He dismounted but never took his eyes from the door to the manor.
“She will soon make her appearance.”
Hugh, too, dismounted. “How can you be so sure?”
Aymon looked at his friend. “We do not have arrows through our hearts.”
Barnes and Noble
Character interview with Laila
from, Of Love and Vengeance.
from, Of Love and Vengeance.
How is it you became responsible for your nephew?
My sister, Ead, succumbed to a fever. Tynte, my family home, suffered greatly at the hands of the invading Normans. After the birth of her babe she did not fully recover. She was grieving for her husband, and our father. She fought to stay alive for her son but I think perhaps she did not have enough fight left in her.
That is how I came to be responsible for my nephew. While I love him dearly and enjoy greatly looking after him, there isn’t a day I do not pray for Ead to still be with me. I miss her dearly.
Do you have your own friends around you to support you in these difficult times?
I do. Alyse and Fira are two of my closest friends. Yes, they are serfs, but I do not ever view them as serfs. I enjoy their company and love speaking with them. And then there is Hildred. She has been like a mother to me. My own mother died when I was very young and Hildred has been there for me ever since. I rely on Hildred for support and strength.
Do you have an opinion to share about your Lord's friends, such as Hugh?
Admittedly, at first, I did not like Hugh. But, the more I got to know Aymon, the more I got to know Hugh. He is a loving father and misses his daughters greatly. He is the closest thing to a family Aymon has, they’ve known each other since they were seven. Now, I have a lot of respect for Hugh, but at first I did not. I think he is a very kind, loyal man.
Looking back on your first meeting with Lord Aymon,
do you have any regret about your method of getting his attention?
What you must understand is this, the Norman’s invaded my country. They murdered thousands upon thousands of innocent men, women and children. Including my own father. They estroyed everything in their path. So when a Norman came to my home to take it from me, well, you can imagine how I must have felt.
Surely there must be some quality or attraction to Lord Aymon.
Oh yes, there are many. He is extremely loyal. He is dependable and will do the right thing, even if it means risking his own life. He has accepted Drake, my nephew, as his own son, and he did not force himself upon me, which I know most other men would. He has a sense of humor too, and he recognizes that I am intelligent and that I am my own person. He has not tried to change me.
I hear he is a very large man, over six feet tall.
Oh yes. I always have to crane my neck just to be able to look him in the eyes! And he is a largely built man too. I often think of how it must have been to be confronted with him on the battlefield. Yet,
despite his size, he is a very gentle man with me.
Does he have some physical feature you find attractive?
I admire his hair. I often find myself wanting to run my fingers through it. And his eyes. He has this ability to look straight into your very soul. At first I found that a little unnerving, but now I like it.
Is his mind sufficient for your intellect?
Very much so. He is a very intelligent man. I enjoy our conversations greatly. And I love playing chess with him. Sometimes I even let him win!
What quality about him can you admire?
His loyalty. He is loyal to his king, yet he is loyal to his sense of what is right and wrong. And often these two things conflict and he is not afraid to risk his own life to ensure innocent people do not suffer.
My sister, Ead, succumbed to a fever. Tynte, my family home, suffered greatly at the hands of the invading Normans. After the birth of her babe she did not fully recover. She was grieving for her husband, and our father. She fought to stay alive for her son but I think perhaps she did not have enough fight left in her.
That is how I came to be responsible for my nephew. While I love him dearly and enjoy greatly looking after him, there isn’t a day I do not pray for Ead to still be with me. I miss her dearly.
Do you have your own friends around you to support you in these difficult times?
I do. Alyse and Fira are two of my closest friends. Yes, they are serfs, but I do not ever view them as serfs. I enjoy their company and love speaking with them. And then there is Hildred. She has been like a mother to me. My own mother died when I was very young and Hildred has been there for me ever since. I rely on Hildred for support and strength.
Do you have an opinion to share about your Lord's friends, such as Hugh?
Admittedly, at first, I did not like Hugh. But, the more I got to know Aymon, the more I got to know Hugh. He is a loving father and misses his daughters greatly. He is the closest thing to a family Aymon has, they’ve known each other since they were seven. Now, I have a lot of respect for Hugh, but at first I did not. I think he is a very kind, loyal man.
Looking back on your first meeting with Lord Aymon,
do you have any regret about your method of getting his attention?
What you must understand is this, the Norman’s invaded my country. They murdered thousands upon thousands of innocent men, women and children. Including my own father. They estroyed everything in their path. So when a Norman came to my home to take it from me, well, you can imagine how I must have felt.
Surely there must be some quality or attraction to Lord Aymon.
Oh yes, there are many. He is extremely loyal. He is dependable and will do the right thing, even if it means risking his own life. He has accepted Drake, my nephew, as his own son, and he did not force himself upon me, which I know most other men would. He has a sense of humor too, and he recognizes that I am intelligent and that I am my own person. He has not tried to change me.
I hear he is a very large man, over six feet tall.
Oh yes. I always have to crane my neck just to be able to look him in the eyes! And he is a largely built man too. I often think of how it must have been to be confronted with him on the battlefield. Yet,
despite his size, he is a very gentle man with me.
Does he have some physical feature you find attractive?
I admire his hair. I often find myself wanting to run my fingers through it. And his eyes. He has this ability to look straight into your very soul. At first I found that a little unnerving, but now I like it.
Is his mind sufficient for your intellect?
Very much so. He is a very intelligent man. I enjoy our conversations greatly. And I love playing chess with him. Sometimes I even let him win!
What quality about him can you admire?
His loyalty. He is loyal to his king, yet he is loyal to his sense of what is right and wrong. And often these two things conflict and he is not afraid to risk his own life to ensure innocent people do not suffer.
She has been writing the moment she picked up a copy of Diana Gabaldon's first Outlander novel twenty something years ago. She thought to herself, 'this is what I want to do' - not travel back in time, but become a novelist! She has always had snippets of dialogue and scenes floating around in her head with characters screaming at her to bring them to life.
In 2013, Louise won first prize in the Crested Butte Sandy Writing contest – Historical category for her story, The Promise, which is now called, Of Love and Vengeance.
When not writing, she can be found covered in mud, crawling under barbed wire and hoisting herself over twelve foot walls - under the guise of competing in Spartan races all over Australia.
AUTHOR LINKS:
EMAIL: louise_lyndon@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.LouiseLyndon.com
Blog: http://www.LouiseLyndon.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Louise-Lyndon/1472910852955051
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouiseLyndon1
Pinterest: llyndon3513
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ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt & I loved the character interview, I'm going to visit amazon today for this one. Thank you
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt & I loved the character interview, I'm going to visit amazon today for this one. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the interview with your character.
ReplyDeleteLove the character interview. I like getting to see into their heads. :-)
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