Showing posts with label Robin Hood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robin Hood. Show all posts

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Review & Giveaway: KNIGHT OF SHERWOOD by N.B. Dixon (Outlaw's Legacy #2)

KnightOfSherwood_TourBanner
Knight of Sherwood

Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 2

Author: N.B. Dixon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Release Date: September 14, 2017
Romance Genre(s): Historical, LGBT
Words: 145,000

About the Book

Blurb


Robin returns to England after four years fighting in the holy land. On arriving at Locksley, he discovers that Guy of Gisborne, his most hated enemy, has been made Sheriff of Nottingham. Forced to flee into Sherwood, Robin sets himself up as champion of the poor.

 But Robin has a secret. His feelings for his friend Will Scathelock have deepened, but to acknowledge the truth would mean facing up to his past. Meanwhile Lady Marian Fitzwalter, heiress to the vast Huntingdon estate is determined to claim Robin for her own.

Buy Links

Carra's Review

When I first learned of the first book in this series, Heir of Locksley, I was truly intrigued, thoroughly enjoyed that story, and couldn't wait for Knight of Sherwood to come out.  What I found here was more fascinating Robin Hood legend deftly brought to life with the ever subtle hinting at Robin and Will being more to each other.  

With this story taking place several years after the first book ends, much has happened while Robin and Will have been away fighting in the Crusades.  Things are falling apart back home with the return of Guy of Gisborne and the terror he's been wreaking on the villages of Nottingham--not to mention atrocities closer to Robin's heart.  With Robin and Will's return home, the fight begins to take back what has been lost...or more rightly labeled as stolen.  

As with the first book, there's action and tension aplenty here in book two along with conniving characters conspiring to seize power and wealth while doing away with those who oppose them.  Robin tops the list for most wanted, and the further into the story I read, the deeper into it I was drawn as the suspense continued to mount.

The flickers of want between Robin and Will do show themselves, but they are not the main focus of the story (no matter how much I wanted it to take center stage).  Don't go into this series expecting a sweeping M/M romance set within a Robin Hood tale...the author's interpretation of the Robin Hood legend is the foremost concentration of the story, with his and Will's connection an interesting side twist (though one I hope will receive more attention as the series continues).

With plenty of drama, action and more to keep me totally focused on the story, Knight of Sherwood was a 4.5-star read for me, and the author continues to have my interest piqued for more.  Fans of Robin Hood lore who like a bit of an M/M touch will really enjoy this series.  And while I suppose you could read this book on its own, I would strongly recommend reading this series in order to get the backstory as it will be much more enjoyable that way...and you'll be getting some excellent reading in too ;-)


About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio


 N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.

 She began work on the Outlaw's Legacy series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. Outlaw's Legacy is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.

Giveaway!


 To celebrate the release of Knight of Sherwood, the second novel in the Outlaw’s Legacy series, N.B. Dixon is giving away an e-copy to 3 lucky winners. For your chance to win, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on September 29, 2017, and is open to entrants worldwide.

 Good luck!

Tour Stops


September 18:

Author Interview with Boys on the Brink
Exclusive Excerpt at Outrageous Heroes of Romance

September 19:

Author Interview with A.M. Leibowitz
Exclusive Excerpt at Fictional Rendezvous

September 20:

Spotlight on The Broke Book Bank
Exclusive Excerpt at Romance Novel Giveaways

September 21:

Book Review by Making It Happen
Exclusive Excerpt at Happily Ever Chapter

September 22:

Book Review by Drops of Ink
Exclusive Excerpt at Always Love Me Some Books

September 23:

Author Interview with Liz's Reading Life
Exclusive Excerpt at Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

September 24:

Book Review by Bayou Book Junkie
Book Review by Boy Meets Boy Reviews

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Thursday, September 14, 2017

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: KNIGHT OF SHERWOOD by N.B. Dixon (Outlaw's Legacy #2)

KnightOfSherwood_BlitzBanner
Knight of Sherwood

Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 2
Author: N.B. Dixon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Release Date: September 14, 2017
Romance Genre(s): Historical, LGBT
Words: 145,000


About the Book

Blurb

Robin returns to England after four years fighting in the holy land. On arriving at Locksley, he discovers that Guy of Gisborne, his most hated enemy, has been made Sheriff of Nottingham. Forced to flee into Sherwood, Robin sets himself up as champion of the poor.

 But Robin has a secret. His feelings for his friend Will Scathelock have deepened, but to acknowledge the truth would mean facing up to his past. Meanwhile Lady Marian Fitzwalter, heiress to the vast Huntingdon estate is determined to claim Robin for her own.

Buy Links



Excerpt

The assassin made his way through the British army camp as if he belonged there. The once-pristine white cloth of his Crusaders surcoat was a dirty greyish brown, courtesy of the desert. The red cross emblazoned on the chest identified him as one of them—a Christian doing God’s sacred work in ridding the Holy Land of the infidel. It was all so easy. They were complacent, these English.

 He had over fifty successful kills to his credit. He relished the hunt, the closing in on his unsuspecting prey. The harder the challenge, the more he liked it. Man or woman, young or old, Christian or Saracen, it made no difference to him.

 His employer had promised him a considerable sum for the despatching of his enemy, a nobleman by the name of Robin of Locksley. With such a fee, he might be able to retire. He had begun wondering if it was time to settle down. Of course, the thrill of the chase would call to him again. However, he could be more selective about the commissions he undertook.

 Though night had fallen, the camp was still bustling. A few sentries challenged him, but he produced his token: a piece of parchment bearing the royal seal. He was a humble messenger on an errand. They were fools. It wouldn’t occur to them that he could be other than what he seemed.

 At length, he came to a large tent, the flaps of which had been pulled back in an effort to let in the sultry night air, revealing several soldiers engaged in an energetic game of dice. The assassin paused in the tent entrance, his head bent, the picture of a humble servant; it took several minutes before anyone noticed him.

 “Who are you after?” a bearded soldier demanded during a brief lull in the game.

 The assassin bowed. “I have an urgent message for Robin of Locksley. I was told to deliver it into his own hands.” Reaching inside his tunic, he withdrew several rolls of parchment. Sorting through them, he produced one bearing the Locksley seal and held it up for examination, but the soldier barely glanced at it. Few in King Richard’s army could read, and this soldier’s mind was more on the game than the conversation.

 “His tent’s over that way.” The soldier gestured. “Wolf’s head insignia. Can’t miss it.”

 The assassin nodded his thanks and hurried away in the direction the soldier had indicated.

 In the distance, a jackal cried, the melancholy sound a testimony to the sorrow that had seeped into the ravaged land. This region was torn apart by war. There had been tremendous losses on both sides. At least Locksley’s death would be merciful; the assassin did not believe in prolonging the suffering of his victims. Why give them time to get off a cry and perhaps summon help? He struck as swift and silent as a snake. Often his victims never even knew what happened.

 The assassin spotted the tent he was looking for. It was set apart from the others, with no elaborate decoration, no guards seated outside. He’d been told Robin of Locksley was a nobleman. If so, he either wished to hide the fact or he had fallen on hard times. The assassin found himself wondering again why he had been sent to kill him. He pushed the thought away. It was not his concern. Another few hours, and he would be on a ship, bound for France, and away from this scorpion-infested land. The first thing he would do on his arrival would be to take a bath and wash every ounce of sand from his body. It got into his clothes and hair and coated his skin so that it itched constantly. If there was one thing the assassin hated, it was not being clean.

 Drawing a dagger from his belt, he slit the tent flap. Once the opening was wide enough, he slipped inside.

About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

 N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.

 She began work on the Outlaw's Legacy Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. Outlaw's Legacy is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.


Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Knight of Sherwood, the second novel in the Outlaw’s Legacy series, N.B. Dixon is giving away an e-copy to 3 lucky winners. For your chance to win, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on September 29, 2017, and is open to entrants worldwide.

 Good luck!

Tour Stops
Tour Hosted by LoveBound Promotions
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Saturday, April 29, 2017

Guest Post & Giveaway: HEIR OF LOCKSLEY by N.B. Dixon

Heir of Locksley by N.B. Dixon (Tour Banner)
Heir of Locksley

Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 1

Author: N.B. Dixon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Release Date: December 1st, 2016
Genre(s): Historical, M/M
Words: 108,000


About the Book

HeirOfLocksley

Blurb

Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor.

 An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience.

 Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen - even murder.

Buy Links






Guest Post: Researching Robin Hood

Any decent author of historical fiction has to do a lot of research before undertaking their novel. That is, if they care anything about accuracy. The debate of accuracy versus a good story is an ongoing subject and one I will happily discuss at another time, but now I’d like to focus on the research itself. It wasn’t all trawling through any reference books I could find and websites on the Internet, though that was certainly fun. For me, the best part of researching my series was when I got to visit Robin Hood country, or, Nottingham Castle and Sherwood Forest.
The term Nottingham Castle is perhaps a bit misleading. The once grand fortress that was begun by William the Conqueror in 1068 is no longer standing. It once stood on a promontory known as Castle rock, from which it was possible to gain a spectacular view of the town and surrounding countryside. However, what now stands on the site is a large house. It seems mainly to be used to exhibit various art and some weaponry, although there is a small Robin Hood exhibition there. Nottingham is still very much Robin Hood’s home though, and there are tours carried out in the town as well as an official Robin Hood. Although the original versions of the legend certainly aren’t set in Nottingham, it’s the place most people associate with Robin—that and of course Sherwood Forest. Again, Sherwood was not Robin’s original home, but the two have become so inexplicably linked, it’s hard to think of one without the other.
If my visit to Nottingham Castle was somewhat disappointing, my visit to Sherwood, which I made later the same day, more than made up for it. Firstly the visitor centre, where I had the dubious experience of being put in the stocks. As a pastime, it’s not something I would recommend, but it was certainly enlightening when it came to writing. For those of you who haven’t sat in the stocks, your arms are trapped within two circular holes of wood, while another rests on the back of your neck, keeping you in the same position so that you are unable to move. All you’re aware of is weight pressing down on you. You can’t move your head at all, meaning it would be impossible to avoid any missiles some mischievous urchin might choose to throw at you. I was in the stocks for maybe half a minute and that was enough for one lifetime. How people managed when they were trapped in the stocks for a day or more is beyond me.
Then there was Sherwood itself. The Robin Hood legend describes it as being virtually on Nottingham town’s doorstep. Robin Hood has only to ride through the town gates and melt away into the trees, leaving the sheriff and his soldiers casting about in vain for him. I myself have also fallen guilty to this exaggeration. Sherwood is in fact a short drive away, I think about forty minutes if memory serves. Since I was a passenger rather than the driver, I don’t accurately remember.
Once in the Forest, it’s like stepping into another world. Silence presses in around you. There are several paths and trails you can walk, and with every step you expect the famous outlaw himself to swing down from a tree and demand the contents of your purse, or perhaps to hear the distant winding of a hunting horn. It certainly worked on my imagination and I went home full of inspiration.
The highlight, however, was visiting the Major Oak. The tree has had many titles in the Robin Hood story: the Major Oak and the trysting tree to name but two. It’s a massive tree surrounded by fencing in order to protect it from the general public. It’s gnarled an ancient-looking, and it doesn’t take much imagination to picture Robin and his men grouped round it for some clandestine meeting. I’m only sorry now that I have no pictures of the oak to remember it by.
Another highlight of my research was visiting Warwick Castle. Though the Castle has nothing whatsoever to do with the story of Robin Hood, it has plenty of stories from its own past to fascinate any visitor. For me though, the highlight of the day was when I was able to hold a longbow. It’s surprising how heavy they actually are for someone not used to them. It takes years of practice to become proficient with a longbow, which was why boys were encouraged to start as young as possible, usually from the age of seven. From the longbow’s extremely kind owner, I learned a good deal about accuracy and range, though fortunately for everyone in my vicinity, I made no attempt to shoot the bow myself.
Since I am endlessly doing research in order to improve my stories, I hope to have many more experiences such as this. The memory of Sherwood Forest in particular will stay with me forever. I only travelled one of its mysterious pathways. I hope one day I shall return and follow the rest. Sherwood is no longer the mighty forest it used to be. Where once Robin Hood might have travelled thirty miles without breaking cover, now he would be lucky to manage three. However, the magic of the place still lives on, as does the legend of Robin Hood.

About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.

 She began work on the *Outlaw's Legacy* Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. *Outlaw's Legacy* is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.

Connect with N.B.

Giveaway!

Three lucky winners will receive an e-copy of Heir of Locksley, the first in the Outlaw's Legacy series by N.B. Dixon, a highly original retelling of the Robin Hood legend. To be in with a chance, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on May 6 and is open to entrants worldwide.

Good luck!

Tour Stops


April 24

Exclusive Excerpt at Bloggers from Down Under

April 25

Exclusive Excerpt at Books, Dreams, Life
Guest Post at Love Bytes Reviews
Exclusive Excerpt at Shh, I Am Reading

April 26

Book Review by BFD Book Blog
Exclusive Excerpt at Bayou Book Junkie

April 27

Author Interview with Stories that Make You Smile
Character Interview at Drops of Ink

April 28

Exclusive Excerpt at MM Good Book Reviews
Author Interview with MM Book Escape

April 29

Guest Post at Making It Happen
Character Interview at Boy Meets Boy Reviews

April 30

Guest Post at Howling for Books



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Sunday, February 12, 2017

Book Review: HEIR OF LOCKSLEY by N.B. Dixon


Synopsis

Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor.

An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience.

Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen—even murder.



Carra's Review

I’ve never really had a ton of exposure to the Robin Hood mythology in general-the majority of my familiarity comes from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves movie with Kevin Costner (yes, I know all the downfalls of his acting and accent in this, but I enjoyed the story it presented and the action/suspense of the film).  But the romanticism of the Robin Hood character is something that draws me in, and I thought the author’s take on the Robin Hood lore was original and quite well done.

As a die-hard fan of gay romance (regardless if it’s contemporary, historical or any other genre), I was initially attracted to this book by the synopsis hinting at something between Robin and Will Scathelock, as I zeroed in on that as the unique element to make this a totally new take on the legend.  Given that, I did find frustration while reading as this aspect was not given much page time, and came across as more of an aside at this stage of the story.  I also found a bit more frustration as I neared the end of the book to realize that this is not where the story ends—we’re left with a cliffhanger, which right now is driving me a bit nuts even with the promise of more down the road…which I will definitely be seeking out the moment it’s available.

The author’s writing is exceptionally-detailed and descriptive without being overly wordy, and though at times I had to put this down when my frustrations grew a bit too much, I was still hooked by the story and fully invested in every character.  We do get to hear the story from multiple characters’ points of view, something I really enjoyed since it gave the story so much more depth.  Robin is everything you’d expect him to be, and fans of the true romantic hero in a story will surely be falling in love with his character.  As for Will, my heart went out to him over and over,  He is patient and protective when it comes to Robin, and the close friendship between them is quite obvious—even if deeper feelings are a bit elusive to Robin’s mind at this point (though we do see a flickering of them a few times late in the story).

If you are coming to this book expecting a grand romance, that is not really what you’re going to find.  What you will get though is action, excitement, suspense, intrigue and a hint of what’s to come down the road.  For me, the discontent comes from the wait to get to what’s coming.  Heir of Locksley sets the stage for readers by giving the backstory of Robin and Guy of Gisborne’s relationship as sort-of friends whose connection becomes irreparably damaged at a young age, leading to Guy’s path of hatred and destruction.  It also fully crafts their world and the characters from it, resulting in a firm foundation not just for this story, but for whatever’s coming for readers going forward.


Even with my bit of frustration, Heir of Locksley was still an engrossing 4.5-star read for me.  I’m now eagerly awaiting the rest of the saga, and would definitely recommend this to any fan of Robin Hood lore.  This story can be enjoyed by readers from young adult on up, though would probably be best directed for readers at least 16+, particularly given the direction the saga will be taking.  Do not expect any steamy intimate scenes—you’re not going to find them here, and really that is not what this story is intended to be about.  It doesn’t need them anyway-the angst and tension is present throughout the pages regardless of which of Robin’s relationships it is centering on at any point in time.  


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