by Jean Gill
If you enjoyed this book, please share your thoughts in a review, however short.
Reviews help other readers find a book and allow publishers access to online book-sharing.
Email me
I love to hear from readers.
Anyone who reviews one of my books can have his/her dog featured in the Hall of Fame on my state-of-the-art website
The story of Dragonetz and Estela continues in Bladesong Book 2 of The Troubadours Quartet.
'Jean Gill is the master of historical intrigue,' C.M.T. Stibbe, author of 'The Fowler's Snare
Wonderful (historical romance). If you love historical romance and adventure, you must pick up this series! - Autumn Birt, Born of Water
1151: the Holy Land during a fragile peace.
Estela, the troubadour, is following the destiny of her beautiful voice. Dragonetz, her passionate knight has a dangerous mission to fulfil; divided by the times they love in, they fight to be together.
Imprisoned in Damascus, Dragonetz suffers the mind games inflicted by his anonymous enemies, as he is forced to remember the traumatic events of the crusade, two years earlier. His military prowess is as valuable and dangerous to the balance of power as the priceless Torah he has to deliver to Jerusalem, and the key players want Dragonetz riding with them - or dead.
Instead of remaining safely at home, Estela is desperate to rescue Dragonetz at all costs. She sets out for the Holy Land, never realising that the person she thinks will be her knight’s saviour might actually be his doom. Can Estela get him out alive, despite Nur-ad-Din, the Muslim Atabeg; Mélisende, the Queen of Jerusalem; and an avenger from the past? Will she still want to, when she knows what they’ve done to him?
Once more ‘the master of historical intrigue’ whirls the reader off into medieval mayhem. Jean Gill’s details of crusading strategy and riding a camel are as convincing as the pangs of medieval childbirth. She brought medieval France to life in ‘Song at Dawn’; now she adds 12th century Damascus and Jerusalem with equal aplomb.
Watch the trailer
This was Book 1 of The Troubadour Quartet.
For news of Book 4 and a FREE ebook of ‘One Sixth of a Gill’, please visit www.jeangill.com and sign up for my newsletter. This collection of shorts was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf and SpASpa Awards
A book with ‘Wow’ factor - Geoff Nelder, Aria
A fantastic array of wonderful prose, from bee-keeping to Top Tips on Dogs! A FINALIST and highly recommended - The Wishing Shelf Awards
A rare treat - J.G. Harlond, The Empress Emerald'
An eclectic mix - quite unputdownable - B.A. Morton, 'Mrs Jones'
Five-minute reads. Meet people you will never forget: the night photographer, the gynaecologist's wife, the rescue dog. Dip into whatever suits your mood, from comedy to murders; from fantastic stories to blog posts, by way of love poetry.
Fully illustrated by the author in black and white; Jean Gill's original photographs are as thought-provoking as her writing. An out of body experience for adventurous readers. Or, of course, you can 'Live Safe'.
Not for you
the blind alley on a dark night,
wolf-lope pacing you step for step
as shadows flare on the walls.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to
Kaye for her thorough editing and constructive criticism
and John Green for his impeccable translation of Marcabru's poem 'Pax in nomine Domini'. I know he will run round in lustra at some of my wilful interpretations.
the Dieulefit Writers’ Group, for existing, and especially to Laurent for constructive criticism of ‘Song at Dawn’
and to the like-minded souls on authonomy.com for their support and helpful comments
Historical Note
When actual historical figures appear in the narrative, I used historical fact whenever I could find it, and then added detail which fits with historians' research. The 12th century left little in writing so both fact and interpretation are widely disputed by historians, leaving room for a novelist to explore what might have happened. There is no record of Aliénor visiting Narbonne but it is certainly possible in the dates I have suggested, and it seems likely that she and Ermengarda would have formed an alliance. Also, the notion that Aliénor brought sugar back from the Crusades and made it part of Narbonne's trading goods has some evidential support, linking Aliénor strongly with Narbonne.
Aliénor is of course known in English as Eleanor but I have tried to keep the flavour of the period by retaining French or Occitan names, unless this confuses the narrative. Spelling of names was arbitrary and every other male ruler in Occitania was called Raymond so I have used the different language spellings to try to distinguish between the various Raymonds, who would in fact all have enjoyed every spelling possible at the time.
Although Estela and Dragonetz are completely fictional characters, they live in the real world and events of the 12th century, which I have recreated to the best of my ability. All the lyrics in the book are from existing texts attributed to different troubadours but where the historical troubadours appear in the narrative, such as Marcabru, his lyrics are indeed his own. Again, he could have been in Narbonne at this time. Amazingly, the Prince of Orkney did indeed call at Narbonne and write heroic verse for Ermengarda at roughly this date.
In Occitania (now the south of France and north of Spain) it was a time when Muslims and Jews shared their amazing science, medicine, engineering, technology and even philosophy. Some Christians, like Dragonetz, recognized the future; others preached hellfire and damnation. Among the heathen inventions which drew the wrath of the Church, threatening its coffers and its monopoly on the word, was paper.
The medieval Church was so successful in stamping out the production of paper in Christian Europe that it took 200 years before the knowledge of the 12th century re-appeared, leading to that freedom of thought across time that we call a book.
Historical Characters appearing in the novel
Aliénor of Aquitaine/ Eleanor of Aquitaine - Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of France
Abraham ben Isaac/ Raavad II - Jewish leader and famed interpreter of the Torah, father of Abraham ben David, a Jewish leader in Nîmes
Alphonse nicknamed 'Jourdain'/ 'Jordan', Comte de Toulouse, father of Raymond, killed by poison in Caesarea in 1148
Alphonso, King of Castile, Emperor of Spain - died in 1144 leaving his estate to the Templars
Archbishop of Narbonne, Pierre d'Anduze, brother of Ermengarda's husband
Archbishop Suger - royal prelate in Paris, Adviser to King Louis
Bèatriz, the future Comtesssa de Dia/Comtesse de Die and famous troubairitz
Bernard of Clairvaux - influential Abbot leading and reforming the Cistercian order, whose preaching helped launch and bless the disastrous 2nd Crusade
Bernard d'Anduze - Ermengarda's titular husband, brother of the Archbishop of Narbonne
Ermengarda/Ermengard/Ermengarda, Viscomtesse of Narbonne from four years old
Jarl Rognvaldr Kali Kolsson, Prince of Orkney
Louis VI - King of France, married to Aliénor
Pope Eugene III
Raimon Trencavel, brother to Roger and Comte de Carcassonne on his brother's death in 1150
Ramon Berenguer, Comte de Barcelone, Prince of Aragan and Overlord of Provence
Raymond V, Comte de Toulouse
Raymon of Antioch, Aliénor's uncle and rumoured lover, killed by Saracen troops in 1148
Raymond and Stephanie of les Baux, rulers of Provence
Roger Trencavel, Comte de Carcassonne, died in 1150
Sicard de Lautrec, ally of Toulouse
Troubadors - Marcabru,Cercamon, Peire Rogier from the auvergne, Raimbaut d'Aurenja/Raymon of Orange, Guiraut de Bornelh
In charge of the Templar Commandery at Douzens - Peter Radels, Master; Isarn of Molaria and Bernard of Roquefort, joint commanders
Historical sources that were particularly usef
ul were:-
Troubadours et cours d'amour - J Lafitte-Houssat
Ecrivains anticonformistes du moyen-âge occitan - René Nelli
La Fleur Inverse - Jacques Roubaud
Voix de femmes au Moyen Age - Danielle Régnier-Bohler
Les Troubadours - Henri Davenson
Ermengard of Narbonne and the World of the Troubadours - Frederic L. Cheyette
Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir
Blondel's Song - David Boyle
Holy Warriors - Jonathan Phillips
The Crusades - Thomas Asbridge
About the Author
I’m a Welsh writer and photographer living in the south of France with a big white dog, a scruffy black dog, a Nikon D700 and a man. I taught English in Wales for many years and my claim to fame is that I was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in Carmarthenshire. I’m mother or stepmother to five children so life has been pretty hectic.
I’ve published all kinds of books, both with conventional publishers and self-published. You’ll find everything under my name from prize-winning poetry and novels, military history, translated books on dog training, to a cookery book on goat cheese. My work with top dog-trainer Michel Hasbrouck has taken me deep into the world of dogs with problems, and inspired one of my novels. With Scottish parents, an English birthplace and French residence, I can usually support the winning team on most sporting occasions.
My recommendations, if you would like to read another of my books:-
If you want to read about my life in France, try How Blue is my Valley. Humorous travel/autobiography about my first year living in Provence and how it compared with Wales. Amazon uk No1 bestseller in 2013.
‘Laugh out loud in many places... such a vivid picture of fields of lavender, sunflowers and olive trees that you could almost be there with her.’ Living France Magazine
The true scents of Provence?
Lavender, thyme and septic tank.
How can you resist a village called Dieulefit, ‘God created it’, the village ‘where everyone belongs’. Discover the real Provence in good company...
If you are a dog-lover, try Someone to Look Up To. Based on true stories. It’s a dog’s life in the south of France.
From puppyhood, Sirius the Pyrenean Mountain Dog has been trying to understand his humans and train them with kindness...
How this led to divorce he has no idea. More misunderstandings take Sirius to Death Row in an animal shelter, as a so-called dangerous dog learning survival tricks from the other inmates. During the twilight barking, he is shocked to hear his brother’s voice but the bitter-sweet reunion is short-lived. Doggedly, Sirius keeps the faith.
One day, his human will come.
If you like romance, try Snake on Saturdays.
‘One of the best books I’ve read this year.’ Nicolle, goodreads
Helen Tanner lives alone and likes it that way. She runs her own business, spends her evenings out with friends, and tries to think as little as possible about the tragedy she has left behind. Until, that is, a dark-haired vet walks into her shop and into her life.
Her first unpromising encounter with Llanelli vet Dai Evans turns into a tumultuous affair which brings about irrevocable changes for both of them. Dai becomes closer to his farming family, and helps them through the BSE crisis, while Helen is forced not only to consider a new future, but to face up to a troubled past.
If you like biographies and true war stories, try Faithful through Hard Times.
‘A most unusual military history book. There are few military non-combatant accounts of life in the Second World War, fewer still from an Other Rank. Based on words and feelings recorded at the time it is probably unique.’ - Don Marshall, Military History Enthusiast
This is not a WW2 memoir. It is a riveting reconstruction from an eye-witness account written at the time in a secret diary, a diary too dangerous to show anyone and too precious to destroy.
The true story of four years, 3 million bombs, one small island out-facing the might of the German and Italian airforces - and one young Scotsman who didn’t want to be there.
If you like Young Adult that works for adults too; if you’re left-handed or know a leftie, try On the Other Hand
A mix of gripping story with fascinating facts on left-handedness. Everyone should think left-handed - or so 14 year old Jamie thought when she tied her hand behind her back for a day-long protest in school, against persecution of left-handers over the centuries. Her best friend Ryan publicised their cause with a new series of articles in the school magazine but just when their campaign is going well, Ryan’s Mum drags him off from Wales to live in America. There he faces bullying at its most deadly and Jamie has to live from one email to the next to know whether her friend is coping. Teachers’ resource materials available free from www.jeangill.com/
If you like food and France, try A Small Cheese in Provence
Provençal food for the brain as well as the table. Cheese information, recipes, stories and quotations in French, Occitan and English with beautiful full colour photographs throughout. A must for cheese-loving Francophiles, who will discover the Picodon ‘a small cheese in Provence’ that even travelled into space on an Apollo mission.
Jean Gill’s publications
Novels
Someone to Look Up To (lulu) 2011
the story of a special dog
The Troubadours Quartet
Book 3 Plaint for Provence (The 13th Sign) 2015
Book 2 Bladesong (lulu) 2012
Book 1 Song at Dawn (lulu) 2011
The Llanelli Saga
Book 2 San Fairy Anne (lulu) 2010
Book 1 Snake on Saturdays (Gomer) 2001
Jamie and Ryan Books (middle grade)
Book 2 Crystal Balls (lulu) 2010
Book 1 On the Other Hand (Dinas) 2005
Non-fiction/Memoir/Travel
How Blue is my Valley (lulu) 2010
A Small Cheese in Provence (lulu) 2009
Faithful through Hard Times (lulu) 2008
4.5 Years - war memoir by David Taylor (lulu) 2008
Short Stories and Poetry
One Sixth of a Gill (The 13th Sign) 2014
From Bed-time On (National Poetry Foundation) 1996
With Double Blade (National Poetry Foundation) 1988
Translation (from French)
The Last Love of Edith Piaf - Christie Laume (Archipel) 2014
A Pup in Your Life - Michel Hasbrouck 2008
Gentle Dog Training - Michel Hasbrouck (Souvenir Press) 2007
