Wednesday, November 8, 2017

#Arthurian Literature ~ The Round Table #ourAuthorGang #kingarthur

The Round Table — the most iconic piece of furniture of all time.

By Mary Anne Yarde

Painting where King Arthur presides at the Round Table with all of his Knights ~ Wikipedia


For something so incredibly large, it remains as obstinately difficult to find as Arthur and his knights.

In 1100c. Robert Wace, a Norman Poet, took it upon himself to translate Geoffrey of Monmouth's, History of the Kings of Briton, from Latin to Norman French. But Wace was a poet, and he did not think it disrespectful to fiddle with the original work. He was, after all, improving upon it. He was sure no one would notice if he added a rather large round table to the tale.

Wace presents his Roman de Rou to Henry II ~ Wikipedia.

"...Because of these noble lords about his hall, of whom each knight pained himself to be hardiest champion, and none would count him the least praiseworthy, Arthur made the Round Table, so reputed by the Britons..."
Robert Wace, Roman de Brut, translated by Eugene Mason

Wace had, with his poetic licence, cemented The Round Table into the legend. And from there on in, The Round Table became a prominent addition to the Arthurian romances that were published in the Middle Ages.

By the time Sir Thomas Malory was languishing in jail and composing his great work Le Morte d' Arthur, The Round Table had been so ingrained into the minds of the populous that a story about Arthur would not be the same without The Round Table in it.

The Round Table, like the stories of Arthur, was elaborated, made into something epic in its description. As the numbers of knights were added to the story, the table increased in diameter. And it became a draw for this mythical time — all the knights wanted to join the Fellowship Of The Round Table. It was the ultimate goal for these young, brave men.

Sir Galahad takes the "Siege Perilous ~ WIkipedia 

But for me, this is the most interesting part. The Round Table became so much part of the legend that suddenly we needed to know where it was. Where could it be? Surely somewhere we would find evidence of The Round Table? I mean a table that size isn't going to be languishing in someone's garage, is it...?

 There have been many places that have been associated with The Round Table. By all accounts, it was once seen at Winchester. Indeed, there is a replica still hanging from the wall at Winchesters Great Hall — although this dates back to Tudor times rather than Arthurian times. I hate to say it, but just like with Camelot, you cannot find something that was never there in the first place.

Winchester Round Table ~ Wikipedia.


However, I do wish those who search for the Round Table all the luck in the world, although maybe you want to start with Robert Wace, Roman de Brut…


***

Do you ever wonder what happened after the death of King Arthur?
Then check out The Du Lac Chronicles series...


Amazon US
Amazon UK

Read for FREE with


Tuesday, November 7, 2017

#Book in the Spotlight from Toi Thomas #OurAuthorGang

I like the idea of seeing myself progress as a writer and I also like being able to explore different genres. My collection of short stories, Legend of the Boy, In the Window, and Other Short Stories, is an exploration of an author’s voice and developing creativity. It’s, sometimes dark and intense, adult fiction that is suitable for teens.


It’s all about the boy…

The boy who must destroy the world so he can save humanity.

The boy who sweeps the girl off her feet.

The boy who brings two lovers together.

The boy who grows into a bad man and changes a woman’s life.

The boy who won’t let death stop him from getting what he wants.

Everything spanning from science fiction, paranormal, romance, and psychological thriller is here within the pages of this book. Which of these boys will capture your sense of wonder, rage, romance, or perhaps even fear? You decide.

Add on Goodreads 

 Please enjoy this excerpt from the title story, Legend of the Boy.

A few moments of silence screeched to a halt when the boy heard the sound of joints squeaking and knobs turning. There was a slow vibration settling along the boy’s spine. He realized that he was moving. The bed he had been strapped to was slowly ascending to an upright position. The boy was frightened and bewildered. He waited in anticipation as the knobs continued to turn, the joints continued to squeak, and his bed continued to eerily rise. Once upright, the boy glanced around, darting his eyes, aware of the sweat that may drip into them. At first, he saw nothing except a white wall across the room. Then he felt a tugging below him, like a child reaching for a mother’s hand. There were wheels attached to the base of the bed struggling to achieve motion, like a train moving uphill.

Suddenly the bed jolted, jerking the boy’s body back and forth as the bed rolled across the room with a menacing screech. He shook his head in desperation. His nose flared and cheeks reddened in anger. What is the meaning of this? Pushing stiff breaths between his lips, the boy considered belting out obscenities, but then the wall began to move. It was sliding away, revealing a clear glass pane behind it. Brows furrowed, the boy took a breath assuming he would look out and see some great horror…”

~

Please enjoy this excerpt from the other title story, In the Window.

Pexels.com
Tobey stepped toward Derek, his friend and partner, with an expression comparable to that of a child who’d just dropped their ice cream scoop after waiting in a long hot line. “Derek, this is our last chance. This job could turn things around. We’ve been wanting to go legit … well, this is our opportunity.”

The morning was coming, but it was bringing no light, only the gloom of a storm. Finally, Derek walked up to Tobey with an expression of understanding. “I’m still upset about you tricking me, but I’m not mad. I know why you did it, but I still can’t go in that house.”

“Why? What is it about this job that’s any different from any other that we’ve done?”

Derek looked at the window again and then at Tobey, shaking his head. He knew Tobey couldn’t see her, but it didn’t matter to him. He could see her. All the money in the world wouldn’t be enough to make him go into that house with her. He cleared his throat and told Tobey plainly, “The target is still in the house.” Droplets of rain began to fall like sporadic leaks in an old roof.

Tobey looked confused, and then responded in a matter of fact tone, “I know she’s still in the house, Derek. That’s why we’re here. It’s what we do. We’re the cleaners. We clean up the mess, get rid of the body, and flip the house … Now, unless there’s something I’m missing, we need to go to work.”

Legend of the Boy, In the Window, and Other Short Stories copyright © 2015 Toinette Thomas
Amazon

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#paranormal, #fantasy, #romance, #thriller, speculative fiction
COMMENTS

Stream

Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Talented author Toi Thomas shares on A Small Gang of Authors. Come by and check out her latest post!
 
 · 
Reply

Ruth de Jauregui

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Oh these excerpts are fabulous! I'm going to share in my Alien Star Books FB page too.
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

Erika M Szabo via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
 
 · 
Reply

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Sounds fascinating!
+
1
2
1
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you.

Joe Bonadonna

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great excerpts, Toi! Love the concept.
+
3
2
3
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you. Both of these stories are a little dark, but at least one of them leaves you hopeful and the other, well... you get a bit of closure.
 
You're welcome!

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas offers up two tantalizing excerpts from her stories, "Legend of the Boy," and "In the Window."
+
3
4
3
 
 · 
Reply

Mary Anne Yarde

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great Excerpt!!
+
1
2
1
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you.

Grace Au

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Looks like another to add to my TBR list! Thanks for sharing, Toi!
+
2
1
2
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you. I hope find something to connect to within the pages.

Toi Thomas

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
So happy to share this book today.
+
2
3
2
 
 · 
Reply

Toi Thomas via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I'm so happy to share my first collection of short stories, an exploration of genre writing and growth as a new author. I adore these stories and hope you will too.
+
2
3
2
 
 · 
Reply

Rich Feitelberg

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Interesting. Always glad to find a new source of short stories. Need to spotlight mine at some point.
+
4
3
4
 
 · 
Reply
 
Thank you.

Rich Feitelberg via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly
 
+
2
3
2
 
 · 
Reply

Featured Post

Online Magazines