From the misty shores of Britain to the ancient heart of Turkey—discover a series that spans centuries and bridges two worlds.
True history behind Of Water and Dragons
Of Water and Dragons takes place on the mystical island of Britannia from the dark enchanted lochs of Scotland to the grand bathhouses of Roman Britain. The battle of Mons Graupius in AD 84 is one of the most profound battles in history when the Romans, though greatly outnumbered, defeated the Celtic tribes of ancient Scotland and furthered the expansion of the Roman Empire.
I used Roman Legions that were supposed to have been in Britain at that time. The Ninth Legion was written out of Roman history and it is thought that Celtic tribes massacred the Legion and captured their battle standard. This would have been a great embarrassment to Rome so it would make sense that they didn’t want to include it in their historical records. There is another account that the Legion disappeared and then reappeared later in Judea. This fit perfectly into my story.
The Celts
The only written history we have of the Celts is from the Romans. There isn’t a lot of evidence on these tribes because Rome never conquered Scotland so I was given some freedom in my portrayal of these fascinating people. I based the actions of my characters on what archaeological evidence there is on these ancient tribes. I refer to the ancient Scottish tribes as “Celts” even though the Romans referred to them as “Picts” meaning “Painted People” because they dyed their skin blue. They are believed to be of Celtic descent so I thought it would be less confusing if I used “Celt” as a general term for the northern tribes. I do, however, use the term, Caledonians, which is derived from the Pictish tribe called Caledonii that the Romans also used to refer to all the tribes of Caledonia.
The Dragon
There is a written account from St. Columba in AD 565 that a monster killed one of his men in the River Ness. There are also 1500-year-old carvings in the Scottish Highlands that resemble a sea monster. When I found this information, it gave me all kinds of ideas for my mysterious dragon.
Nemu
Ashrays are water faeries found in Scotland. They are only seen at night because sunlight will melt them into a rainbow pool of water. Their white bodies are almost translucent and they are often mistaken for sea ghosts. Ashrays are both male and female and though they appear to be young, they are in fact quite ancient. These faeries cannot live on land and it is believed that they may have been cursed to live underwater. These faeries should be approached with caution as it is not known if they will harm humans.
I found this information fascinating and decided to base my main female character on these faeries.
Of Ravens and Wolves
Meet the Morrigan
The Morrigan — the battle goddess of Celtic legend — steps fully into the story in Of Ravens and Wolves. Ravens and wolves move at her command, and her presence casts a shadow over every choice the characters must make. Ancient, fierce, and unyielding, she is a force that cannot be bargained with or outrun. As this series continuation unfolds, her role grows ever more central to the fate of everyone caught in her path.
The History Behind Of Gods and Vengeance
The People of Hatti in my story are more widely known today as Hittites.
They were an Anatolian Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. They built an empire at Hattusa in 1600 BC.
These fascinating people built grand cities in what is now known as Turkey, and they were the first to smelt exceptional iron, which changed the course of history due to its strength over bronze weapons. Superior iron weapons made the empire invincible in battle. The Hittites rivaled Egypt in wealth and power and worshipped a storm god Teshub similar to the Greek god Zeus. The Hittite Empire reached its peak under the reign of King Suppiluliuma I (c. 1344-1322 BCE) and his son Mursilli II (c. 1321-1295 BCE) after which it declined. Its collapse in 1200 BC was possibly due to a combination of factors, including war, a severe drought, and internal strife.
Night's Daughter
In Greek mythology, the fearsome Night’s Daughters punish wrongdoers. They are also known as Erinyes and Furies.
“Night bore hateful Doom and dark Fate and Death, she bore Sleep, she bore the Tribe of Dreams...and the Fates she bore, and the mercilessly punishing Furies who prosecute the transgressions of men and gods—never do the goddesses cease from their terrible wrath until they have paid the sinner his due.” Hesiod
Great Goddess
The Great Goddess has many incarnations. Below, is a quote from Of Gods and Vengeance.
“Because that is how Zeus knows me. He will only call me Rhea, but I am known and invoked by different names in different lands.” A faraway stare glinted in her mistress’s eyes as if she recalled distant memories. “At the height of my power, I was Ninsurhag in Sumer. In the south, I am Au Set, Isis to the Achaeans. In the east, I am Cybele. My name and status change every time northern raiders conquer my lands. The Pelasgians worshipped me as Danu, and then the Achaeans called me Eurynome. I was Gaea then Rhea. Here, I am also Mother Dia. On the mainland, I have other names...” She blinked hard, resuming her focus to the present. “And when you first laid eyes on me, you called me Brizo.”
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