Thank Goodness It's Friday! Today, let's welcome Kryssie Fortune to my blog with her research on how a man becomes a knight, and her book, One Knight Stand. Imagine King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Whether your favorite is Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, or Sir Gawain doesn’t matter. Their greatness shines through the ages—but how do you become a knight? Every noble’s son learned basic swordplay and archery. They’d ride daily and maybe learn tracking skills. Then, at an age where modern day children are learning their multiplication tables, their family sent them to live with strangers and train as a page. Homesick and lonely, these boys would run messages or help serve meals. Sounds harsh, but in a time of kill or be killed it made sense. As well as attending to his duties, the boy had practice battle skills. In between all that, they learned how to read and write in Latin and French. Then there was the poetry and the dancing. Their one goal – to become a Knight. Eventually the boy would become a squire. The word squire comes from the French word for shield-bearer, and that’s exactly what a squire did. He would carry his Lord’s shield, clean his armor, tend his horses, and fight at his side. Fourteen years after leaving his home and family the boy was ready to become a man. Knighthood loomed, but he still needed to win his spurs. Blaxton the Bold—the hero of my book One Knight Stand—came from a wealthy family who broke with custom and kept him at home until he was twelve. By then he was bigger, stronger, and brighter than any of the other boys. Well trained in etiquette and poetry, he quickly became his master’s favorite page. At first, the other boys hated him for it, but once they saw him fight, they all wanted to be his friend. At just sixteen, he singlehandedly faced down an anti-semetic mob intent on burning Jews. Unarmored, battle-ax in hand, Blaxton’s courage and fighting prowess won the day. It was only a couple of weeks after King Henry ordered him to court and dubbed him a knight. Many years later, scholars have suggested Sir Walter Scott based his book Ivanhoe on the legend of Blaxton the Bold. Blaxton won every tournament he entered and dominated every battle he fought. Ladies swooned in despair when he joined the Knights Defender—an order of fighting monks who took vows of chastity and poverty. He fought alongside King Richard the Lionheart on his third crusade and fought at his side. Then his cousin stuck a knife in his back and killed him. That night Blaxton de Ferrers rose as a vampire. For over eight hundred years, Blaxton has wandered alone and tried to live a good life. Robbed of his soul by people he trusted, he’s forgotten how to laugh or feel. His world has faded until he only sees shades of gray. Currently, he’s a billionaire property developer with a philanthropic steak, but he’ll need to move on soon. Everything changes once he meets Harriet. Very interesting about becoming a Knight. Let's find out about the book! ![]() Blurb Crusader knight, Blaxton de Ferrers rises as a vampire after the Knights Defender steal his soul. Murdered by his cousin, he preys on the people he once swore to protect. His emotions leach out of him. Gradually, he forgets how to feel. Eight hundred years later, he meets Harriet. Harriet Mortlake’s a strong, sassy woman who battles her weight and her temper. She’s the modern-day archivist in the castle which was Blaxton’s childhood home. She’s supposed to ferret out the castle’s secrets. Instead, she finds the love of her life. When danger threatens Harriet, Blaxton steps in. Harriet and Blaxton are a match made in heaven. Except… he’s a vampire and he’s destined for hell. Previously sold as Knight’s vampire Excerpt “How dare you embarrass me like that?” Harriet Mortlake planted her hands on her hips and glowered at the man she’d cornered outside the cafe. Her normal iceberg cool deserted her, and she wanted to slap the condescending smile off his face. Around this stranger, she felt as though lightning bolts flashed from her eyes. “It’s a temple, not a chapel,” he insisted. Stubborn. Damn. Male. She’d been showing the big guns from the Castles’ Management Trust around the building. They’d already made it clear they thought her too young for the archivist’s role. This know-it-all had infuriated her when he sounded off in the chapel. Now he antagonized her all over again. “As if!” Harriet snorted. “No way would medieval Christians build a pagan temple on their grounds. Superstitious locals would have accused them of devil worship. They burned heretics at the stake, remember?” Despite Mr. Condescending’s interference, she’d impressed the big bosses—she thought. Now the sexiest male, ever, clung to his ridiculous belief the chapel had been a pagan temple. He flashed her a smile which would have lit up the underground chapel where he’d embarrassed her earlier. He should keep his mouth shut and let her admire his looks. Everything about him radiated sex appeal. Looking at him almost made her anger evaporate, but he gave her the know-it-all look that made her bristle. “You need to get your facts right,” he told her, determined to have the last word. Stupid, arrogant male. She couldn’t decide whether to show him her diplomas and degrees or kick his shins. She’d reined in her temper while the higher-ups carried out their inspection. Now they’d left, she felt free to vent her rage. Hands still on her hips, she tapped her foot at him. “Lost for words without an audience? Or don’t you have any facts to back up your cock-and-bull story? Put up or shut up, Mister. Tell me why you think it’s a temple.” Mr. Condescending sat outside the castle’s tearoom as if he hadn’t a care in the world. His interference when she’d shown the bigwigs into the chapel could have cost her the job she loved. Whitborough Castle’s extensive records needed cataloging, and Harriet couldn’t wait to get her hands on them. Buy Links PLEASE NOTE – FORMERLY SOLD AS KNIGHTS VAMPIRE) Amazon USA http://amzn.to/2pgAf24 Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2pnLBAe Amazon Canada http://amzn.to/2FYZKhT Amazon Australia http://amzn.to/2FSUUiV I enjoyed the Excerpt, Kryssie. Thank you for sharing. How about we find out a little about Kryssie herself? ![]() Kryssie Fortune writes the sort of hot sexy books she loves to read. If she can sneak a dragon into her paranormal books she will. Her paranormal heroes are muscular werewolves, arrogant Fae or BDSM loving dragons. Kryssie likes her contemporary heroes ex-military and dominant. Her heroines are kick ass females who can hold their own against whatever life - or Kryssie - throws at them. Kryssie's pet hates are unhappy endings, and a series that end on a cliff hanger. Her books are all stand alone even when part of series. Plot always comes before sex, but when her heroines and heroes get together, the sex is explosive and explicit. One review called it downright sensual. Kryssie Fortune Social Media Website http://kryssiefortune.wixsite.com/kryssie Blog http://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk/ Twitter https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KryssiesFortune Pinterest http://bit.ly/1OGFnjc Goodreads http://bit.ly/2kxqabJ Amazon Author Page http://amzn.to/2hA0ZVO This really looks like a great read. I hope you have great success with the book and thank you for stopping by. If you are a visitor on my blog, please leave us a comment and let us know you stopped by. We love to hear from our readers. Thanks Connie
5 Comments
4/6/2018 08:48:59 am
Fascinating stuff, Kryssie. I'm big on knights & armor, having written several medievals. The display in the Tower of London is fabulous. How bout Henry 8's codpiece????
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4/6/2018 09:49:44 am
Such interesting information about different types of armor. Thanks for sharing!
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4/6/2018 12:36:40 pm
Very interesting post, and what a surprise twist at the end!
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