Basingwerk Abbey
In 1132, King Madog of Powys brought an order of Benedictine monks to Teigengl, a cantref in Northeast Wales. They settled first at Hen Blas, a former llys of the Princes of Gwynedd, before moving in 1157 to the current location of Basingwerk Abbey. Surviving ruins, which are extensive, include the 12th century chapter house, which is the oldest part of the abbey, a dormitory, the dining hall with its own through to the kitchen, and the outline of the cloister. The church itself is also a significant ruin. The area around Basingwerk was fought over by the kings of Gwynedd and Powys for decades, if not centuries. Particularly after the arrival of the Normans, King Madog of Powys often allied with Earl Ranulf of Chester against King Owain Gwynedd in their contest for control of northeastern Wales. By 1147 Read more…
Gareth & Gwen Podcast Interview
Alexandra Amor interviewed me for a podcast a few weeks ago about the Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries if anyone is interested in giving it a listen … On her site: https://alexandraamor.com/solving-crime-in-medieval-wales-with-sarah-woodbury/
Brother Cadfael’s Penance (review)
Ellis Peters began her Brother Cadfael series in 1977 with A Morbid Taste for Bones. Twenty books later, she wrote Brother Cadfael’s Penance, my personal favorite. She saved the best for last, as she died in October, 1995. Ellis Peters was the nom de plume of Edith Pargeter. Although she began the Brother Cadfael mysteries towards the end of the life, she had a long career in many other areas. Although she left school at fifteen, she taught herself Czechoslovakian, and then translated a number of works into English. http://www.dawleyheritage.co.uk/unpublished-articles/342/biography-of-edith-pargeter-by-p-wolfe Here’s the pitch for the final book: “For Brother Cadfael in the autumn of his life, the mild November of our Lord’s year 1145 may bring a bitter–and deadly–harvest. England is torn between supporters of the Empress Maud and those of her cousin Stephen. The civil strife is about to jeopardize Read more…
Introducing … The Uninvited Guest!
My second Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mystery is now available! It is the winter of 1143 and all is not well in the court of Owain, King of north Wales. His future in-laws are untrustworthy, the Norman lords on his eastern border are restless, and among his wedding guests lurks a cold-blooded killer. Gareth and Gwen have marriage plans of their own, but their love will have to wait while the pair race to separate truth from lies, friends from foes, and unravel the mystery before King Owain—and his new bride—fall victim to their uninvited guest. The Uninvited Guest is available at Amazon for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Uninvited-Gareth-Medieval-Mystery-ebook/dp/B007B2G3U6/ref=sr_1_10?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329685937&sr=1-10 And at Smashwords for Apple/Nook/Sony (and international) readers: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/134421 It is coming soon to the other outlets as well as in paper form at Amazon. It can be purchased now in paperback here: https://www.createspace.com/3803889 Read more…
Introducing . . . The Good Knight (A Medieval Mystery)
Intrigue, suspicion, and rivalry among the royal princes casts a shadow on the court of Owain, king of north Wales… The year is 1143 and King Owain seeks to unite his daughter in marriage with an allied king. But when the groom is murdered on the way to his wedding, the bride’s brother tasks his two best detectives—Gareth, a knight, and Gwen, the daughter of the court bard—with bringing the killer to justice. And once blame for the murder falls on Gareth himself, Gwen must continue her search for the truth alone, finding unlikely allies in foreign lands, and ultimately uncovering a conspiracy that will shake the political foundations of Wales. The Good Knight is available NOW at Amazon, Amazon UK and at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/90803
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