What's Next?
So what's my next book? I knew you'd ask!
But the pictures in the slide show above aren't for my next book. No. Another one has that honor. More about that later. What's that, you ask? Okay, okay. So, more about that NOW, NOW, NOW!
The next book is called Once Upon A King - The Lost Prince. And like all good tales, it begins with "Once upon a time . . .."
Here's the cover:
~*~*~*~*~*~
Not to worry. There will be more about this tale as we get closer to publication. But here's a bit of a teaser. This book is where The Dreams of Oakhurst begins.
The book after that one will be called A King's Promise, and it will be the second book in the Once Upon A Duke series. This story is set in 1830. So . . . why then?
Well, I'll tell you. Do you happen to recall meeting the future George IV in Dreams Within Dreams? The meeting occurred during the first birthday party held for Alexandra’s and Richard’s toddling son, Edward Berkeley. His great-grandmother, The Duchess of Wessex, hosted it at her London home in Kensington Palace. Yes — George was a small boy at that time.
Do you know that none of the Georgian kings particularly liked their sons? It's true. George II had even banished his eldest son, Frederick, from the Court. But Frederick died anyway, before he could be crowned king. Ergo, the monarchy and people of England were saddled with dear old George III, George II's grandson by Frederick. In true Georgian form, George IV was not beloved of his father, either. The boy eventually grew into a man — with huge appetites — for art, architecture, food, fashion, liquor . . . . In fact, the only person or object he seemed to loathe was his wife. Anyway, you get the picture. Needless to say, George IV wasn't beloved by his people. As it happened, he died in late June of 1830. And the succession to the British throne was none too secure.
So what if a man who had known George all his life decided to change the foreseeable future . . . so to speak? Young Edward Berkeley eventually became that man. Do you also remember that, near the end of Dreams Within Dreams, Edward had been named the Marquess of Trowbridge, a courtesy title given him by his great-grandfather, The Thirteenth Duke of Wessex? Edward eventually became a man to be reckoned with — and the results will surprise you.
Joanna should be ready to roll off the presses, so to speak, by late 2022 — so don't forget to stay tuned.
Now . . . on to the last book in the series. Cool!
I'm also planning a prequel to all the Once Upon A Duke and Dreams of Oakhurst stories, called Pale Dawn, a tale set a very, very long time ago—fifty generations before Alex Campbell, to be exact. The heroine is named Gwenlliant. She was Alex Campbell's ancestress. Gwenlliant was the only surviving child of a once great king whose name was . . . Arthur.
Gwenlliant was a Brittonic princess, born at the great castle of Ehangwen, from the part of the British Isles we now know as Wales. She meets a man whose name is Cynric (pronounced Ken-rick). He, too, is a Briton, the son of Cerdic — the first king of the West Saxons. So-o . . . how did that come about?
Before the worst king of all, the monstrous Maelgwyn, could reach Ehangwen . . . to kidnap Gwenlliant and burn the castle and raze it to the ground, erasing any evidence that Arthur had ever lived, Cynric and his men saved her and salvaged a few of her belongings, including a book — a very precious one. It had belonged to her father — and now it belongs to her. The monk, Gildas had handed the De Excidio et Conquestu Brittaniae to Arthur as an indictment for his supposed crimes. The book contained a foreword page naming Arthur the third king — the one he'd called Vortipor — the Protector — the man he accused of rape and murder, and of failing to protect his people and kingdom — the bad son of a good king. As if there had ever been anything good about Uther Pendragon. Yes . . . the book had belonged to Arthur . . . but he, and his great dream for Britain, now lay dead on the beachhead of Camlann, his blood soaking the terrible battlefield.
And now the book belongs to Gwenlliant. What will become of her . . . much less of her father's book? It is all that remains of him . . . and she has vowed to protect it with her life.
There's much more to come about this couple and the ones preceeding it. Yes, they all experience difficult tribulations, and each couple has a happily ever after--or at least, a happily for now. But not before a lot of trials beseige them., Of course.
But the pictures in the slide show above aren't for my next book. No. Another one has that honor. More about that later. What's that, you ask? Okay, okay. So, more about that NOW, NOW, NOW!
The next book is called Once Upon A King - The Lost Prince. And like all good tales, it begins with "Once upon a time . . .."
Here's the cover:
~*~*~*~*~*~
Not to worry. There will be more about this tale as we get closer to publication. But here's a bit of a teaser. This book is where The Dreams of Oakhurst begins.
The book after that one will be called A King's Promise, and it will be the second book in the Once Upon A Duke series. This story is set in 1830. So . . . why then?
Well, I'll tell you. Do you happen to recall meeting the future George IV in Dreams Within Dreams? The meeting occurred during the first birthday party held for Alexandra’s and Richard’s toddling son, Edward Berkeley. His great-grandmother, The Duchess of Wessex, hosted it at her London home in Kensington Palace. Yes — George was a small boy at that time.
Do you know that none of the Georgian kings particularly liked their sons? It's true. George II had even banished his eldest son, Frederick, from the Court. But Frederick died anyway, before he could be crowned king. Ergo, the monarchy and people of England were saddled with dear old George III, George II's grandson by Frederick. In true Georgian form, George IV was not beloved of his father, either. The boy eventually grew into a man — with huge appetites — for art, architecture, food, fashion, liquor . . . . In fact, the only person or object he seemed to loathe was his wife. Anyway, you get the picture. Needless to say, George IV wasn't beloved by his people. As it happened, he died in late June of 1830. And the succession to the British throne was none too secure.
So what if a man who had known George all his life decided to change the foreseeable future . . . so to speak? Young Edward Berkeley eventually became that man. Do you also remember that, near the end of Dreams Within Dreams, Edward had been named the Marquess of Trowbridge, a courtesy title given him by his great-grandfather, The Thirteenth Duke of Wessex? Edward eventually became a man to be reckoned with — and the results will surprise you.
Joanna should be ready to roll off the presses, so to speak, by late 2022 — so don't forget to stay tuned.
Now . . . on to the last book in the series. Cool!
I'm also planning a prequel to all the Once Upon A Duke and Dreams of Oakhurst stories, called Pale Dawn, a tale set a very, very long time ago—fifty generations before Alex Campbell, to be exact. The heroine is named Gwenlliant. She was Alex Campbell's ancestress. Gwenlliant was the only surviving child of a once great king whose name was . . . Arthur.
Gwenlliant was a Brittonic princess, born at the great castle of Ehangwen, from the part of the British Isles we now know as Wales. She meets a man whose name is Cynric (pronounced Ken-rick). He, too, is a Briton, the son of Cerdic — the first king of the West Saxons. So-o . . . how did that come about?
Before the worst king of all, the monstrous Maelgwyn, could reach Ehangwen . . . to kidnap Gwenlliant and burn the castle and raze it to the ground, erasing any evidence that Arthur had ever lived, Cynric and his men saved her and salvaged a few of her belongings, including a book — a very precious one. It had belonged to her father — and now it belongs to her. The monk, Gildas had handed the De Excidio et Conquestu Brittaniae to Arthur as an indictment for his supposed crimes. The book contained a foreword page naming Arthur the third king — the one he'd called Vortipor — the Protector — the man he accused of rape and murder, and of failing to protect his people and kingdom — the bad son of a good king. As if there had ever been anything good about Uther Pendragon. Yes . . . the book had belonged to Arthur . . . but he, and his great dream for Britain, now lay dead on the beachhead of Camlann, his blood soaking the terrible battlefield.
And now the book belongs to Gwenlliant. What will become of her . . . much less of her father's book? It is all that remains of him . . . and she has vowed to protect it with her life.
There's much more to come about this couple and the ones preceeding it. Yes, they all experience difficult tribulations, and each couple has a happily ever after--or at least, a happily for now. But not before a lot of trials beseige them., Of course.