The beauty of nature, whether it’s an awesome sunset, the color of the fall leaves or the striking beauty of lightning is breathtaking, mysterious and has a power all its own.
To the druid, the sentry of the world, nature was the driving force and was dependent on the precarious balance of air, earth, fire and water. Their beliefs were strong and drawn from the spiritual unity of the natural forces. Druids were not masters but rather servants of nature. In addition, they were the philosophers, judges, mathematicians, and scientists of the day. Druids did not codify their story but rather believed in the oral history. Nothing was written down. The only accounts that do survive are from the early Greeks and Romans who had first-hand knowledge. Druids were the caretakers of the lore and also great healers who were respected and considered the keepers of the ‘Old Faith.
Followers of the ‘Old Faith’ didn’t worship a deity although they did have the concept of a Mother Goddess which symbolized the earth and the fertility of nature.
When the Romans came to Britain the druids, and the deep respect people had for them, was a threat that needed to be eliminated. It began with character assassination and ended with eradication. To justify the slaughter, the Romans went on a smear campaign. But that’s another story.
Why are fantasy writers drawn to druids? I can’t speak for other authors, but I can tell you why I was drawn to druids in my story. The deep beliefs, the devotion to his land and his people, are the underpinnings of my hero’s personality. I challenged my hero and made him face the worse decision of his life. He will have to choose between his duty to his beloved manor and people and his own desires—protect his wife at the risk of his manor and people’s survival.
The twist is that no man, not even the greatest druid, can do it alone. In my new story, KNIGHT OF RAPTURE, our druid hero will need the strength of his wife, his soul mate, to bring this story to a happy ever after.
For months Lord Arik has been trying to find the precise spell to rescue his wife, Rebeka, but the druid knight will soon discover that reaching her four hundred years in the future is the easiest part of his quest.
Bran, the dark druid, follows Arik across the centuries, tireless in his quest for revenge. He’ll force Arik to make a choice, return to save his beloved family and home or stay in the 21st century and save Rebeka. He can’t save them both.
Rebeka Tyler has no recollection of where she’s been the past five months. On top of that, ownership of her home, Fayne Manor, is called into question. When accidents begin to happen it looks more and more like she is the target. Further complicating things is the strange man who conveniently appears wherever trouble brews—watching her, perhaps even….protecting her? Or is he a deliberate attempt to distract her? Rebeka can only be sure of one thing—her family name and manor have survived for over eleven centuries. She won’t let them fall… in any century.
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