The Verdict on the Plot

Old drawing from the 60s but you should prtend Falni is Cerridwwen.

27 people voted for their choice of what plot lines we should follow in future.  Here are the results.

1. Journeys of two Irish bards. 30.77% (8 votes)
2. Adventures of a dispossessed king's son. 19.23% (5 votes)
3. A queen goes to the aid of a monastery that was destroyed by Vikings. 15.38% (4 votes)
4. Two royal sisters, a nun and the wife of a king, help each other. 15.38% (4 votes)
5. Stories about the common people living near an Anglo Saxon stronghold. 7.69% (2 votes)
6. How the not-so-nice mercenaries met. 7.69% (2 votes)
7. The voyages of a Danish merchant sea captain. 3.85% (1 vote)
8. Villagers forced into banditry by a greedy overlord. 3.85% (1 votes)
9. The characters in An Involuntary King when they were children. 0.00% (0 votes)

So, Shannon and Rory it will be, especially as the dispossessed king's son will have apossible novel of his own, that is, one in which he plays a significant role.  The same is the case with the not-so--nice mercenaries who will find themselves part of the Elerde novel.

For the record, there already are adventures written for Shannon and Rory here on the blog. 

• Shannon's and Rory's Youth Series
• Shannon and Heather Series
• Shannon in Norway Series
• Rory and Cerridwen series
• Rory and Ceri Vignettes

The plots that did not get as many but at least got one vote -- thank you for not voting for "Críslicland Babies" -- will get up here eventually.

By the way, this blog is up for grabs for fan fiction!  Hint hint.

In the meantime, I am back to the extensive table of contents.  I hope to have the first installment of "The Road to paris" starring Shannon O'Neill and Rory McGuinness, with Dorothy Lamour as Cerridwen.

What's Next?

his post makes it 330 give or take. Wow! And it ain't over by a far piece!

Looking through my records, it seems that the only stories left to post are as follows:

· A few miscellaneous stories about Lawrence and Josephine a few years after all this that has gone before.
· The Juliana stories, the first that I wrote just for fun before deciding to do the novel. In them Lawrence, as you may recall from the Old Stories, has a mistress. Once Laura and I got talking about the stories we decided this would never have happened. So bear that in mind when you start reading!!
· "A DC Detective in King Lawrence's Court" - from Ghostletters. This bit of filk was interwoven with the Juliana story, so I decided I would put it on this blog. Barbara Weitbrecht wrote half the stories and will be so credited.

And when these are all up, in a few months, it will be time to start writing NEW stories! What happened after the novel ended? Elerde's story? More Shannon and Rory? Peter and the other children grown up? We'll see.. and if you have a preference, do drop me a note.

By the way, there are lots of stories involving these characters on Ghostletters! Shannon has a love affair on a moon of Saturn. Peter visits his friend Tareisia in New York State. Shannon hangs with some vampires. Shannon's lost weekend with an Immortal. Want to read them? Then you will have to join Ghostletters and look at the archives. Do that at http://www.ghostletters.net/  .

What's Next for "An Involuntary King: The Stories"?

The Options

We have reached the end of of the stories that went into the making of the novel, both the stories written by teenaged nan and laura and those Nan wrote, with Laura as a consultant, from 2006-2007.

What next?  Well, you could buy the book and read the completed novel!  You can find it on the online booksellers and also on Smasgwords as an ebook.  It is on Bookshare for people with print impairments.  It is waiting at the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library for a volunteer to read it.  To find out more see More About An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England.

That's not the end!  There are quite a few more stories.  They are mostly, if not all, from Ghostletters, a creative and collaborative writing group, and include stories from 2006 and after that are not part of the novel.  Some may become part of new novels.  Some are story lines that will never be part of any of Lawrence and Josephine's story, and others are simple farces written just for fun.

For instance:

Shannon and Rory's Youth

How the bards met and became musicians.

Shannon's and Rory's Journey

Shannon, believing he can get heather back, journeys to Scotland to find her.

Shannon in Norway

After an aborted suicide attempt, Shannon finds himself in Norway with amnesia.

Rory Without Shannon

Believing Shannon is dead, Rory tries to go on with his life, and finds love!

After the Homecoming

The latest stories, in progress, about what became of our heroes after Lawrence and Josephine's Yule reunion. 

Juliana

Remember Juliana, the courtesan at Trent whom Lawrence, out of character, brings home to Lawrencium, causing the queen to flee?  These apocryphal tales were actually the first ones I wrote for Ghostletters.  With the understanding that none of this could ever possibly h appen, I will present them here.  many of these stories are rated R.

A DC Detective in King Lawrence's Court

Sealwyf and I wrote these collaborative stries just for fun, about Bo Butler, a DC private investigator, and his adventures in 8th century England  after being hired by Lorin to locate and bring back the queen.  Follows the events in the Juliana story.

Other Ghostletters Stories

To read these, join Ghostletters and look back in the archives to find Shannon's lost weekend with an immortal Scotswoman, Shannon and Rory's trip to bisit vampires in 21st century France, Peter's visit to 2007 to visit his friend Tariesa in Upstate new York, and Shannon's and Peter's remarkable adventures  on Encelatus, a moon of Saturn in the 26th century much of which is also rated R.  Ain't fiction grand?!

You are welcome to express your preference for which tales we do next.

In the meantime I will take a break from posting in order to catch up on the New stories Index.

Questions, comments and other messages should be sent to hawthorne@nanhawthorne.com .

OK, fess up, who is Laura?  That, dear readers, remains a mystery I shall never solve for you.

Characters In An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England

The following is a list of all the named characters in the novel An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England. I have marked all the characters who had their origins in the old stories.

Characters in Novel

Key:
can be found in the old stories and in the novel
old names for characters in both the old stories and the novel

Ælflynn - Healer at Grantham
Aldwin of Sleaford - A thegn whose identity Lawrence uses
Alfgar - King Arneth's aide de camp
Alric - A captain in Lawrence's army
Ansovald - Lawrence's oldest friend, a Frank
Arneth the elder - Father of Lawrence and Arneth the younger
Arneth the younger - Elder brother of Lawrence, ætheling of Críslicland
Athelwick - Lawrence's commanding officer, later a commander in his armies
Atheric - One of Malcolm's commanders

Botopher of Skirbeck - Nephew of Earl Guthlac of Skirbeck, later earl of Skirbeck, commander in Lawrence's armies

Caithness - Daughter of Lawrence and Josephine, twin to Elaine
Cedric the Metalsmith - A craftsman of Lawrencium
Ceretic of Keito Uxello - Uncle of Josephine and Lorin, husband of Modron, father of Ruallauh, Cingen, and Ioruert, Earl of Keito Uxello
Cingen ap Ceretic - Son of Earl Ceretic and Modron, cousin of Josephine and Lorin
Clotuyali - Steward of Keito Uxello
Colum - Officer in O'Donnell's guard
Crawler - Bandit
Cynewulf, Bishop - Bishop of Lindisfarne and poet, historical figure

Douglas - One of O'Donnell's chief officers

Eaba - Wife of Earl Harold
Eban - Crísliclandian spy at Cross Gates
Edith - Mother of Lawrence and Arneth the younger, wife of King Arneth, queen of Críslicland
Edred - Earl Harold of Grantham's scout, later Lawrence's aide de camp
Edwærd - Father of Josephine and Lorin, King of Affynshire
Edwin of Skirbeck - One of the men under Lawrence's command when he was a junior officer
Elaine - Daughter of Lawrence and Josephine, twin to Caithness
Elerde of Leon - Elerde of Brittany - Mercenary lord from Brittany , part of Malcolm's cabal, confederate of Gadfrid, in love with Josephine
Eormenthryth - Healer
Ethelberga - Old woman of Ratherwood
Ethelfrith - Governor General of Affynshire under Lawrence

Finn O'Donnell - Finnegan O'Donnell - Ulster mercenary lord, part of Malcolm's cabal

Gadfrid of Tetforde - Gaylorde - Son of Nifhmund, cousin of Lawrence
Godgifu - Little girl at bandit camp
Greta - Sister of Hild
Gulda - Tavern wench in Hucknall
Gunnilde - Wife of Earl Sagar
Guthlac of Skirbeck - Earl of Skirbeck
Gwenlian - Wife of Ansovald

Harold of Grantham - Earl of Grantham
Heraral - One of Elerde's trusted lieutenants
Hild - Young woman in Grantham, lover of Shannon O'Neill
Horsa of East Anglia - Chief commander of King Arneth's and then King Lawrence's armies

Ioruert ap Ceretic - Son of Earl Ceretic and Modron, cousin of Josephine and Lorin
Ishaq of Andalusia - Shannon's and Rory's music master when they were lads, former lover of O'Donnell

Jack - Leader of the bandits
Josephine (Sunshine) - Daughter of King Edwæed of Affynshire, wife of Lawrence, queen of Críslicland

Kira - Serving woman at Grantham

Lagu - One of Lord Elerde's trusted lieutenants
Larisa - Daughter of Lawrencium cloth merchant, betrothed of Lorin
Lark - Bandit
Lawrence - Son of King Arneth and Queen Edith, later King of Críslicland
Llaenawc, Father - Josephine's confessor
Lorin - Brother of Josephine, son of King Edwærd
Louuen - Officer of Lord Elerde's mercenary troop
Luco Treni - Leader of the lapsed Celtic lords of Affynshire

Madoc - Boatman who helps Lorin and Larisa escape
Maegwig of Cross Gates - Earl of Cross Gates, pretender to the throne of Affynshire
Maeldoi - Officer of Lord Elerde's mercenary troop
Malcolm of Horsfort - Earl of Horsfort, leader of cabal that takes Affynshire
McBride - O'Donnell's officer left in charge of Keito Uxello
Modron - Wife of Earl Ceretic , mother of Ruallah, Cingen and Ioruert, aunt of Josephine and Lorin
Mouse - Bandit

Nifhmund of Tetforde - Claudius - Brother of King Arneth, father of Gadfrid

Oswald - One of the men under Lawrence's command when he was a junior officer

Pede - One of Lawrence's officers
Peter - Eldest son of King Lawrence and Queen Josephine
Petronius - Master stone mason and builder

Rædwald - One of the men under Lawrence's command when he was a junior officer
Ricbeorht of Flanders - Flemish mercenary lord, part of Malcolm's cabal
Ricca - Gadfrid's concubine
Rioch - Officer of Lord Elerde's mercenary troop
Roddy MacDhui - O'Donnell's chief lieutenant and lover. In original stories he is the lover of Samir al Tamid who is not in the novel.
Ronan - Percy - Housecarl in Lawrence's household
Rory McGuinness - A bard from Ulster, Ireland, friend of Shannon O'Neill, Irish Gaelic: Ruári Maghunasadh.
Rowena - Serving woman at the Palace of Sunshine
Ruallauh ap Ceretic - Eldest son of Earl Ceretic and Modron, cousin of Josephine and Lorin, later King of Affynshire, a master archer

Sagar of Lincoln - Earl of Lincoln, commander in Crísliclandian army
Sceftwine - Officer in Lawrence's army
Seaxwulf - Earl Sagar's steward
Shannon O'Neill - A bard from Ulster, Ireland, friend of Rory McGuinness, Irish Gaelic: Siánnone ui Níal
Stump - Bandit
Sven Ormtngel - Svvea (Sweden) mercenary lord, part of Malcolm's cabal

Tavish - Son of Ansovald and Gwenlian. In old stories he is the bastard son of Lawrence and a Welsh woman named lanimere.
Teoful - Dissenting member of Lawrence's council
Thrydulf - Usurper at Grantham

Urm - Right-hand man to Gadfrid

War-Brother - Lawrence's war horse
Willihad, Brother - Missionary to the Frisians, historical figure
Wulfstan - Gadfrid's crony at Lingcoln

Just some of the characters in the old stories that did not make it into the novel:

Anne - Lorin's first wife
Christophe - a French (sic) courtier
Clancy O'Neill - Shannon's youngest brother, Lawrence's page
Deidre - daughter of Shannon and Heather
Emily - wife of Sean of Connery
Falni - Norse woman, sister of Ranigg, Shannon's lover
Heather O'Nill - wife of Shannon
Jocelyn - Josephine's friend, betrothed of Sir Percy
Juliana - courtesan, mistress of Lawrence
Kathleen O'Neill - Shannon's sister
Lachrimae - a French (sic) princess - pictured right
Lanimere - mother of Tavish and Mistress of Lawrence
Laurie - Lorin's and Ann's adopted daighter
Llewellyn ap Cador - Welsh chief who offers Lawrence and court sanctuary
Lorelei - Lawrence's sister
Marie - Lawrence and Josephine's adopted daughter
Peter of Connery - Sean's brother
Ranigg - Norse fisherman who rescues Shannon from drowning

Tomorrow there will be a snap quiz. Just kidding!
Rolance - Josephine's son with Roland as a reult of the rape
Roland - Lawrence's younger brother
Ronald O'Neill - Shannon's brother
Samir Al Tamid - a Saracen warrior fighting for Lawrence
Seamus O'Neill - Shannon's bastard son
Sean of Connery - a Scottish minstrel
Virginie - a French (sic) lady

How An Involuntary King Came To Be

Read the stories that went into making An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England the rich, vibrant saga it is. Read a different story every day!

How It Came To Be

"The Story" was the name we gave what eventually became the novel "An Involuntary King" when we started writing it in the 1960s. "Christenlande" is, by the way, the name we gave to the kingdom back then.

My friend, who asked not to have her name on this site, and I met at the Methodist Camp in Southeast Alaska in 1963. I was from Juneau and she from Ketchikan. When we and a couple other girls first started to "pretend" -- my friend and I shared a passion for this wonderful pastime1 -- we were playing at Indian prince and princess. I was the prince. As a girl I always identified with the stronger, more active character in a story, i.e. the male. (I was "Brother" when playing "House". Boy was that ever to play with my beliefs about myself l after...) I don't remember how but somehow we switched over to King and Queen of a non-exist ant medieval country called "Christenlande" which was supposed to be in Eastern England. I had seen the movie Lawrence of Arabia and in love with the name "Lawrence" so that became the King's name. My friend kept the Indian princess's name for the Queen, namely "Sunshine". It was sometime later that the Queen's name was changed to "Josephine".

When the one week camp was over we determined to continue to pretend through letters. There are a few of these letters between the King and Queen left which you can see at The Letters. It got to be silly, the King and Queen having to be apart all the time so they would have to write letters. So we began to write what we called "scenes" or short chapters of an on-going tale. The scenes can be found in The Stories. We sent these stories back and forth through the mail until about the time I graduated from high school (in Chicago) in 1970. About that time my friend was living in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

One thing to note... we decided to set "The Story" -- which my friend named Faithful Forever, a fact that should amuse you once you have read several of the stories -- in the Dark Ages so that it would not conflict with known history. The stories all took place in the 760s and 770s. We always used the same date as it really was when we wrote the stories, only 1,200 years earlier. So when you see that a letter was written in July of 766 it was actually written in July, only in 1966.

My friend and I were quite opposite in how we approached writing the stories. When I received a letter from her, I tore it open and read the story immediately. Like as not I would then get right down to the next chapter and mail it as soon as I could. My friend was more ruminative. When I visited her in Ann Arbor in about 1968 I got to see this firsthand. She thought long and dreamily about the story and took her time writing it. It drove me to distraction. I lived, breathed, ate and slept the story. Frequently when you run into a new character there is some significance in our real lives. Mike Elerde was a boy my friend had a crush on in junior high, becoming "Elerde". When I saw The Fighting Prince of Donegal I went Ireland mad and created many of the Irish characters, notably Shannon O'Neill, and when I read a novel about County Tyrone I took that book's hero's name for Shannon's dearest friend, Rory McGinnis's.

I tended to drag every friend I could into the story. The most successful effort brought a new friend in Sacramento, California, Linda Laaksonen, into the story. She was a big James Bond fan, or more, yes, you guess it, a Sean Connery fan.. there Shannon's Scottish friend, Sean of Connery. It was the sixties and life got weird for both my friend and me. In 1970 she was 17 and I was 18. When we both went off to college the stories and letters stopped.

I used to dream that while I was riding the bus to school the characters from "The Story" would come and sit with me and talk to me. I still think of them when I hear the lyrics of my favorite song, The Ash Grove:

I only can brood on the past and its brightness
The dear ones I long for again gather here.
From every dark nook they press forward to meet me;
I lift up my eyes to the broad leafy dome,
And others are there, looking downward to greet me
The ash grove, the ash grove, again is my home.
[Traditional Welsh song\]

All this is now long, long ago. My husband, Jim, typed up all these stories for me (with some help.2) But I am grateful to my friend for being my writing partner, to Jim for bringing these stories back into my life again now that I am legally blind and cannot read the print copies (this was the best Christmas gift I ever received), and to Sir Tim Berners-Lee for inventing the web so I could share the tales with you. I dedicate this web site to my dear friend who wrote this with me and all the happy dreamers who scribble their adolescent tales and never let them go from their hearts. And to Lawrence D'Arnett, King of Christenlande, I say, "Back atcha, bro!"

A good place to start on The Story is the little history I wrote at some point. You can also see a map of the castle at Lawrenciium on the Stories index.

I would love to hear from you about what you think of these tales or to answer any questions. Just drop me a note at hawthorne@nanhawthorne.com ..

I apologize for any frustration you may have as I try to get links set up to all the stories... it's a lot of work and I am working hard at it. The typos constitute a veritable epidemic.

One new comment added on March 9, 2006 - Hello, my good old friend whom I have recovered after a long search. I am glad to have been able to share that our stories have a place and go on =, although I know it must be a bit intimidating to read the words of the teenager you once were. But you will always mean a great deal to me. I can only hope you can come to enjoy our old friends again as I have.

1 I played Robin Hood every possible chance I had. Our backyard on B Street was perfect for it.

2 With the help of my good friend, Tara Yaranon and also an optical scanner and text conversion software called Abbyy Fine Reader.