Blog Tour Guest Post by Garth Pettersen, Author of Ravens Hill: The Atheling Chronicles: Book Five

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

In 1030 C.E. — When Harald, the second son of King Cnute, returns from fighting the king's enemies in Northern Wales, he expects his life to return to normal. He's surprised when he's granted a large landholding—an idyllic life, far from the power-mongering of King Cnute's court, farming in the Midlands, evening walks with his beloved Selia. It’s a gift they cannot refuse, but the king has other plans for Harald and his wife.

I'm pleased to welcome author Garth Pettersen to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

Ravens Hill is the latest instalment in my series The Atheling Chronicles. Harald is the second son of King Cnute, the Viking king of England. When the king grants Harald and his wife, Selia, a large landholding in the Midlands, the couple face new challenges: someone is trying to make them sell and leave, the stern abbess of the neighbouring convent wants their estate added to the abbey-lands, their steward is devious, and the housecarls (guards) are brutal and untrustworthy. To make matters worse, there has been a murder.

What is your preferred writing routine?

First off, I don’t spend the whole day writing. My wife and I have an acreage where we board horses, garden, pick fruit, raise chickens, etc. There is always much to do and I try to balance indoor computer work with outdoor physical work. What works best is for me to make an appointment to write, just as I would make a doctor or dentist appointment. Then when I show up on time, I get down to writing. I find it is not the amount I write that really matters, it's writing something on the WIP (work-in-progress) every day. If I don’t, I lose momentum and then it’s difficult to get started again.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

1.) Write for the enjoyment of writing, and don’t worry about quality (do not be led by your inner critic).

2.) At the same time, learn the craft of writing—read articles on writing, read manuscript style guides, read books on writing (Thrill Me by Benjamin Percy, On Writing by Stephen King, The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler)

3.) Join a writers’ group that is a good fit for you, and begin to get and give feedback. You learn from both.

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

Promoting with services such as E-Reader News Today or E-Book Discovery is money well spent. Lately, my publisher and I decided to scale the pricing for The Atheling Chronicles-e-Books. Book #1 is free, book #2 is $0.99, book #3 is $2.99, book #4 is $3.99, and Ravens Hill is $4.99. Book One is being downloaded by the hundreds, and I’m hoping the story will hook readers into reading the whole series. We’ll see at the end of the quarter.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research.

I am constantly discovering new things about the Early Middle Ages. Did you know there was no word for the colour orange in the English language (other than “yellow-red”) until oranges were encountered in Spain? 

Another interesting fact, is that the crew of a Viking longship, before rowing the vessel would furl the sail, take down the mast, and then move it aft,. Often you see pictures of Viking ships in full sail with the oars out and the crew rowing. Nope.

And those pictures of Vikings with horned helmets? Nope again. It would have been too easy for an opponent to grab a horn and pull off the helmet. The horned helmet idea came from 19th century opera.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

Finding a fit punishment for the culprit, but I can’t talk about that without giving away the ending.

It was also challenging to write a murder mystery for the first time. I am what’s known as a “pantser.” I write by “the seat of my pants” not relying on a detailed outline, so I didn’t know who the murderer was until halfway through the story. When I did figure it out, I had to go back and shape the character differently. It was fun, though.

What are you planning to write next?

I am working on book #6 in the series, where Harald’s father, King Cnute is having health problems. Harald must decide, if his father should die, whether he will accept the crown if it is offered, or reject it and allow one of his conniving brothers to rule. Stay tuned.

Garth Pettersen

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About the Author

Garth Pettersen is an award-winning Canadian writer living in the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, BC, Canada where he and his wife board horses. Pettersen has a BA in History from the University of Victoria and is a retired teacher. His short stories have appeared in anthologies and in journals such as Blank Spaces, The Spadina Literary Review, and The Opening Line Literary 'Zine. Garth Pettersen's historical fiction series, The Atheling Chronicles, is published by Tirgearr Publishing and is available through most online outlets. Book #4 in the series, The Sea’s Edge, received a first-place Incipere Award. Find out more at Garth's website https://www.garthpettersen.com/ and find him on Twitter @garpet011