BELOVED CRUSADER 99cts in kindle - Hurry.

99cts in kindle for a few days:

BELOVED CRUSADER

Curse of the Lost Isle Book 6
(standalone)

http://amzn.com/B00W3T24PK





1096 AD - To redeem a Pagan curse, Palatina the Fae braves the Christian world to embark on an expedition to free the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem from the Turks.

Pierre de Belfort, Christian Knight of Lorraine, swore never to let a woman rule his life, and doesn't believe in love. Thrown together into the turmoil of the First Crusade, on a sacred journey to a land of fables, they must learn to trust each other. For in this war, the true enemy is not human... and discovery could mean burning at the stake.

"... a vivid look at what life could have been for Pagans and Christians alike. Palatina and Pierre are so lifelike, one could expect them to step out of the page, chain mail jingling and swords flashing." 5 stars (exceptional - crowned heart for excellence) Ind'Tale Magazine

"Palatina and Pierre have a magical, but real bond that makes you turn the page to see what happens next. With sexy, sinuous, and dangerous impediments, the metal of this couple is surely tested. By the Rood, Vijaya Schartz sure knows how to turn research and imagination into a Happily Ever After." Hope Chase 5 stars on Amazon.

"a great combination of history, fantasy and adventure coupled with romance... romantic tension between Pierre and Palatina... The religious conflict between Christians and Pagans added to the drive of the story and I found it very informative and enlightening... the writing was very good, the storyline interesting and the characters memorable." Book Nerd Review

Also check out the boxed set of books 1-2-3-4 available everywhere in all eBook formats. In kindle here:
http://amzn.com/B00VGMYSCM

Find all my books at:

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo

Vijaya Schartz
 Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
 http://www.vijayaschartz.com 

MY NEXT HERO IS A BARBARIAN - by Vijaya Schartz

Hard at work on my next medieval novel, set in the middle east during the crusades, I thoroughly enjoy the research, as I always do. In Damsel of the Hawk, Book 7 in the Curse of the Lost Isle series, my hero is a barbarian of the Golden Horde. He is a Kipchak warrior from the personal elite guard of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios in Constantinople.

Recruited by the Byzantines to repel the Turks, the Kipchaks had a strong reputation for honor, unflinching loyalty, and courage in battle. They were the ultimate warriors of their time. They were among the early tribes (like the Huns) to sweep from the steppes and invade what is now Russia, down to the Caucasus mountains, between the Black Sea and the Caspian, all the way to Turkey.

Like the Caucasian people of the time, my new hero has golden skin, blue eyes, and long black hair. He rides a small dun-colored stallion at great speed, can loose an arrow from the saddle at a full gallop. Like all Kipchaks, he wears a silk armor with rectangular iron plates called lamelles, a pointed helmet, and a silver mask to cover his face in battle.

The date is 1204 AD, and this historical period is critical. Constantinople just fell to the Roman Crusaders who looted the golden city. Far in the eastern steppes, in Mongolia, a little known warrior named Temujin is uniting the tribes under his command. Soon, he will become emperor under the name of Genghis Khan, and his empire will stretch from the Danube to Kamchatka and even into China.

Although the tribes worshiped many minor gods, the principal deity of the warriors of the steppes was the sky god Tengri. In Tengrism, Shamans officiated through blood sacrifices, visions and prophecy. But if their prophecy did not come true, they incurred the risk of being killed... a good deterrent against false pretenses, attempts at manipulation, or abuse of power.

Tengri was known to make plants grow and the lightning flash. Since Tengri was omnipresent, one worshiped him simply, by lifting the hands upwards and bowing low, praying for him to bestow good mind and health, and to assist in performing good deeds. It was the individual's responsibility to initiate those good deeds, and to consciously live in harmony with natural law and the spirits of nature.

Ancient alien theorists would have a field day with this mythology. All the descriptions tend to indicate an omnipotent being from the sky in a vessel as large as a city, where he lived with all his subalterns. Albeit the fly away paradise. According to legend, Tengri terra-formed Earth when it was entirely covered with water. He brought dry dirt above the surface, and created all life, including man. Tengri gave a soul to each human being at birth. When a person died, their soul would fly like a bird to the "fly away paradise" of the great god Tengri. An 8th century inscription in the Orkon Valley in Mongolia says: "All human sons are born to die in time, as determined by Tengri."

It was believed that Tengri assisted those who revered him and who were active in trying to accomplish his will. Genghis Khan himself, like many other kings or "Khans" of the steppes, claimed he drew his power and his success from the blessings of the eternal sky god, Tengri. Some rulers even claimed to be the direct sons of Tengri.

Tengri is still worshiped in the modern world in a few small Mongolian societies. By the end of the middle ages in Eastern Europe and in the Middle East, Tengrism melded with Judeo-Christian and Moslem religions. In some places, like in Turkey, the word used for Tengri still means God. Remnants of Tengrism can also be found in Tibetan Lamaism. The word "Lama" itself has its source in the creation myths of Tengrism.

If you like the rich cultural diversity of the middle ages, you may want to give a try to the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE series. The boxed set is a bargain, and the two latest books stand alone. They are available everywhere in all formats, but until the end of this month, all BWL eBooks are BOGO (Buy one, get one free) at the BWL store. Find my BOGO bargains HERE

 

CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE boxed set
Includes the first four novels in the series
In kindle here: http://amzn.com/B00VGMYSCM

From history shrouded in myths, emerges a family of immortal Celtic Ladies, who roam the medieval world in search of salvation from a curse. For centuries, imbued with hereditary gifts, they hide their deadly secret, stirring passions in their wake as they fight the Viking hordes, send the first knights to the Holy Land, give birth to kings and emperors... but if the Church ever suspects what they really are, they will be hunted, tortured, and burned at the stake.
5 stars on Amazon "Edgy Medieval, yay!"
 

BELOVED CRUSADER
Curse of the Lost Isle Book 6
in kindle here: http://amzn.com/B00W3T24PK

1096 AD - To redeem a Pagan curse, Palatina the Fae braves the Christian world to embark on an expedition to free the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem from the Turks.
Pierre de Belfort, Christian Knight of Lorraine, swore never to let a woman rule his life, and doesn't believe in love. Thrown together into the turmoil of the First Crusade, on a sacred journey to a land of fables, they must learn to trust each other. For in this war, the true enemy is not human... and discovery could mean burning at the stake.

"... a vivid look at what life could have been for Pagans and Christians alike. Palatina and Pierre are so lifelike, one could expect them to step out of the page, chain mail jingling and swords flashing." 5 stars (exceptional - crowned heart for excellence) Ind'Tale Magazine July/August 2015 issue.

HAPPY READING!

Vijaya Schartz

Action, Adventure, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME - by Vijaya Schartz

If you were born in June, your birth flower is the rose, and your birth stone the pearl. Another June flower is the honeysuckle, a symbol of everlasting love, often mentioned in medieval songs. But these gorgeous long stem roses we know today do not exist in nature. They are hybrids manipulated by man for millennia, to enhance their beauty or their fragrance.

Most species of roses came from Asia along the silk road and were cultivated in northeast Africa and the near east as far as five thousand years ago. Ancient Zoroastrian texts mention roses with hundreds of petals, and the legends say that originally the rose didn’t have thorns. The thorns only appeared when evil descended to earth.

Alexander the Great discovered the rose in Persia, and the Roman emperors soon followed in his steps and fell in love with it. The Romans brought the white rose with them all the way to England where it flourished. In Rome, they used it lavishly and even to excess. Nero was known to bury his banquet guests under mounds of rose petals, to the point of suffocation. After the fall of the Roman Empire, during the dark ages and the barbarian invasions, the rose that had symbolized the oppressor was shunned in most of Europe and mostly forgotten. The early middle ages only knew the primrose, the hawthorn, climbing rose vines, and other wild varieties of the rose family, native to Europe.

As Islam spread over the middle east, the oriental rose supplanted the lotus as the queen of all flowers. The Turks and the Persians of the time believed that roses were born from drops of sweat from their holy prophet. Soon, their passion for roses spread to Arabia. As early as the tenth century, the Arabs, who perfected the process of distilling perfumes, traded rose water and rose-perfumed oils as valuable commodities to their occupied territories in Spain, and even to China.

In the twelfth century, the Crusaders returning from Jerusalem and Constantinople brought the beautiful rose back to Europe, along with its legends, its fragrance, and its healing powers. Robert de Brie brought to France the Damask rose. With new influx from the middle east, rose water became the rich women’s favorite luxury. So much so that the most ascetic leaders of the Church felt the need to forbid such decadence, considering it sinful.

It didn’t prevent medieval women from growing their own rose gardens inside the walls of their fortresses, where they enjoyed spinning, sewing, and embroidering among the fragrant flowers. Soon they learned to distill their own rose water and later made their own perfumes, especially in Provence, where the climate allows the flowers to grow in abundance.

Queen Eleanor of Provence, who married Henry III of England, was the first to adopt a white rose as her family emblem. Her son Edward also chose a rose. The houses of York and Lancaster made their family symbols famous in the War of the Roses. Later, the Tudors combined the two roses into a double rose.

Rosa in Latin is the verb “to love,” and Rose in French is the color pink, the color of most wild roses. In late medieval times, the rose became a cherished symbol in many courtly love stories and legends. My Curse of the Lost Isle series is inspired by such authentic legends.

 

BELOVED CRUSADER

Curse of the Lost Isle Book Six (standalone)

http://amzn.com/B00W3T24PK

 

1096 AD ‑ To redeem a Pagan curse, Palatina the Fae braves the Christian world to embark on an expedition to free the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem from the Turks. Pierre de Belfort, Christian Knight of Lorraine, swore never to let a woman rule his life, and doesn't believe in love. Thrown together into the turmoil of the First Crusade, on a sacred journey to a land of fables, they must learn to trust each other. For in this war, the true enemy is not human... and discovery could mean burning at the stake.

Find all my books on: AMAZON  -  B&N - ARE - SMASHWORDS  -  iBOOKS  etc. 

SUNDAY SNIPPETS - BELOVED CRUSADER, Curse of the Lost Isle Book 6 by Vijaya Schartz

Please visit all the other blogs in this tour and discover new authors:

 http://connievines.blogspot.com

http://triciamcgill.blogspot.com

http://www.jamiehill.biz

http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com

http://mizging.blogspot.com

BELOVED CRUSADER, April 2015 release from Books We Love Ltd, is Book 6 of the Curse of the Lost Isle medieval fantasy romantic series. Unlike some other books in the series, Beloved Crusader is a standalone story, the only book in this series featuring Palatina the Fae, a sister of Melusine.

1096 AD - To redeem a Pagan curse, Palatina the Fae braves the Christian world to embark on an expedition to free the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem from the Turks. Pierre de Belfort, Christian Knight of Lorraine, swore never to let a woman rule his life, and doesn't believe in love. Thrown together into the turmoil of the First Crusade, on a sacred journey to a land of fables, they must learn to trust each other. For in this war, the true enemy is not human... and discovery could mean burning at the stake.


SHORT EXCERPT (from Chapter One)

He finally emerged through the water curtain and stepped onto the flat river stone marking the threshold of her cave. She breathed easier.
Heart pounding, barely containing her excitement, she watched his tall figure stride with purpose into her lair. The warrior dwarfed the stone arch of the entrance with his imposing presence. The flames of the oil lamps wavered, casting shifting shadows on the rough stone shelves, strewn with worn, heavy volumes of ancient knowledge.
He walked slowly, deliberately, like a predator stalking prey. His wet tunic molded muscular shoulders. Golden hair dripped on his square face, tanned by the outdoors. A northerner.
A large silver cross glinted on his bare chest through the open fold of his linen tunic. A Celtic cross in a circle. A Pagan symbol... also used by Christians.
Palatina sensed a hint of Fae blood roiling through his veins, and she probed the mind of the handsome man to determine whether or not she could trust him. To her surprise, she could not read his thoughts. Strange. Perhaps, his spatter of Fae blood protected him from her probing.
"Who dares disturb the peace of this sacred cave?" Her voice strangled in her throat from lack of use. Her tone sounded strangely formal.
A small rodent scampered into the rocky recesses of the large cave.
The man took a deep breath, released it slowly, then faced her at three paces, feet slightly apart, hands behind his back. Still seated on her elevated flat rock, she gazed on an even keel into his deep blue eyes... eyes that could make any woman forget her duties.
He tilted his head, and the square lines of his smooth face relaxed into an amused smile that dimpled his cheeks and bared perfect white teeth. "I was expecting someone older."

HAPPY READING!

Also visit my new website at http://www.vijayaschartz.com 

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick.

BELOVED CRUSADER is out!

BELOVED CRUSADER, Book 6 in the Curse of the Lost Isle medieval fantasy romance series, is out in kindle and in paperback any day now.

1096 AD - To redeem a Pagan curse, Palatina the Fae braves the Christian world to embark on an expedition to free the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem from the Turks. Pierre de Belfort, Christian Knight of Lorraine, swore never to let a woman rule his life, and doesn't believe in love. Thrown together into the turmoil of the First Crusade, on a sacred journey to a land of fables, they must learn to trust each other. For in this war, the true enemy is not human... and discovery could mean burning at the stake.


This novel is a standalone, the only book about Palatina the Fae, although she appears as a child in Book 2.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE SERIES

Book 1 - Princess of Bretagne
Book 2 - Pagan Queen
Book 3 - Seducing Sigefroi
Book 4 - Lady of Luxembourg
Book 5 - Chatelaine of Forez
Book 6 - Beloved Crusader

Boxed set - Curse of the Lost Isle, includes the first four novels in the series.

Find all these books on Amazon HERE

Previous titles are also available in other eBook formats and in print.

Visit my revamped website:

http://www.vijayaschartz.com 

Researching Medieval Times in pictures - by Vijaya Schartz

Castle in Forez

The Curse of the Lost Isle is an ongoing series that will include many installments.

I am currently writing Book 5 - CHATELAINE OF FOREZ, to come out this winter, but as I research small details, I come across fodder for my future novels in the series. 

This book will again feature Melusine the Fae, a princess of Strathclyde, former lady of Luxembourg, but a few decades have passed.

The Curse of the Lost Isle series
4 books published so far - in kindle only

 

Arms of Forez

This is the banner of Forez, and the golden dolphin represents Melusine the Fae, a water creature. As many of you know, Melusine is immortal, but cursed to become a water serpent from the waist down one day each month. At the start of the 11th Century, she roams the swamps, lakes, springs, and rivers of Forez, where she meets Count Artaud, a Pagan knight, who might be the reincarnation of Melusine's very first love, Sigefroi of Luxembourg.

During research, I'm often distracted by facts and images that pop up in my searches. I'm very visual, so images bring up a slew of ideas.



Book 6 will cover the first Crusade, and it became difficult to remain focused on the book I'm presently writing, so I decided to stash away pictures and information for the future books in the series. Here are some of my precious finds I stashed on Pinterest for my next novel. 

Godfrey of Bouillon 1st Crusader

Godfrey of Bouillon (in Belgium) will be a character in Book 6. He initiated the first knights' Crusade, which will serve as the backdrop for that novel.

But right now, I have to get back to writing Book 5, CHATELAINE OF FOREZ, so you can enjoy it during the holidays.

Wishing you all HAPPY READING.

Vijaya Schartz
Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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