by Beverly EnwallIn the 15th century Spain consisted of two
powerful rival kingdoms, Aragon and Castile. Aragon had wily King John who
knew how to keep the nobles in line, and King John had a son and a daughter in
whom he took great pride. Castile, on the other hand, had Henry IV, referred
to as Henry the Homophile and Henri sans Espoir, who wore a plain gray robe and
cap, hated protocol, received visitors while ensconced on large tasseled
pillows, and had much feared Moors in pantaloons, turbans and scimitars as his
personal guard. The common people loved him, powerful noble clans hated him,
other nobles used him to their advantage as the moment dictated, his rival lovers
took advantage to secure themselves a fortune, and everyone worried about
Castile's future, for Henry, wed to his second wife, had no heir nor was it
likely he would.
What Henry did have was his Minister, the Marquis of
Villena, called the “hand from hell in a velvet glove,” a man who "never
raised his voice and never lowered his guard," one of many Christian Jews
in power at that time. The tangled events of Henry’s reign were driven by
intrigue and plots and politics, but, as they are more often than historians
care to admit, by men and women falling in love. Into the mix Villena, for
his own purposes, brings Beltrán de la Cueva, exceedingly handsome, charming,
adept at music, languages, the hunt, the dance, a perfect façade. The ploy has
more success than Villena could have hoped for, as well as results he had never
expected nor wanted. No one pays much attention to Henry’s half-sister, the
pious Isabel locked away in a lonely castle.
The novel follows closely the history of events and people, so well
documented by historians of the day who wrote with a fondness of details,
be it dress, manner or even foul speech. It is all part of history.
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THE CROWN OF CASTILE
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THE FIRST FORT
by Beverly Enwall FOR THE YOUNGER READER
This story follows the actual
history of William Ruffin, a 16-year-old Huguenot, the youngest of those
French Huguenots who, fleeing the Catholic persecutions, had set out for
the New World in hopes of finding enough gold to buy the French King's favor.
They arrived in 1562 near present day Charleston, South Carolina, and William
was among the twenty-seven men who stayed on at the hastily built fort while
the others returned to Europe for supplies, promising to return before the winter storms.
Meanwhile at the small fort William must deal with the Indians, the growing hatreds in the fort, and the threat from the Catholic Spaniards who patrol the coast and are building a real fort in St. Augustine to protect their holdings and the Catholic faith in the New World. Based on the French and Spanish chronicles written at the time.
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THE FIRST FORT
Also available for immediate download
Download price $6.00
Use BUY NOW button below
All major credit cards accepted.
Payment is processed through
Paypal with its secure site and protections against identity theft.
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