The Blue Lady Tavern Archives

Visit with Leofwen of Eoforwic, the proprietress of the Blue Lady Tavern, and hear all the news, gossip and word about the town in this 8th century English watering hole -- by historical novelist Nan Hawthorne.

What You Will Find Here

See a Table of Contents

Soon to be Alehouse Tales by nan Hawthorne. Check on Shield-wall Books for ordering information. Release date this fall.

Monday, May 4

Do You Love Sword Adventure???



If you enjoy Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles or Christopher Paolini's magical Eragorn and Brisingr, you will love:



AN INVOLUNTARY KING: A TALE OF ANGLO SAXON ENGLAND
by Nan Hawthorne

Shield-wall Books
http://www.shield-wall.com

Posted by Nan Hawthorne, Shield-wall Books at 10:38 AM 0 comments Links to this post
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Monday, December 15

Looking for the Bllue Lady Tavern, Are You?!

The Blue Lady Tavern is located in Lawrencium, Críslicland, the capital of




Do you crave adventure?! Do you want to read about bloody shield wall action? Do you want to read how a young man who suddenly finds himself king of an Anglo Saxon kingdom rises to the challenge of opposition in a savage land?

An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England will drop you right down into the maelstrom of late 8th century Saxon England in a time where the threats from Viking raiders are just years away, where rival tribes of warlike people still strive to claim more for themselves no matter what it takes. It is a time when kings got off their thrones and wielded a stout sword in heated battle.

In this novel the young king fights to hold power against usurpers, aggressive mercenaries and his own self doubt. His one sure thing, the love of his strong but beautiful queen, is likewise at risk while she, separated from him by war, is courted by a darkly sensual Breton. With the support of their allies and friends, the king and queen fight to get back to each other against odds that would quench the resolve of less devoted lovers.

You can get this book from Shield-wall Books at http://www.shield-wall.com. Or ask for it at your library! You can get all the information you need to make the request at this web address as well. Read reviews and excerpts, then learn more at Welcome to Críslicland!

And be prepared -- for characters and stirring aaction scenes you will never forget!

Find great medieval theme apparel, mugs, mousepad, posters, and more at Shield-wall Productions! http://www.cafepress.com/shieldwall

Posted by Nan Hawthorne, Shield-wall Books at 7:46 PM 0 comments Links to this post
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Wednesday, August 13

Archives of Blue Lady Tavern

A guide to the nearly 80 stories you can read on the Bllue Lady Tavern blog!



Shannon’s – and Rory’s - Journey




These tales continue at Tales from Shield-wall Books.
Posted by Nan Hawthorne, Shield-wall Books at 8:00 PM 0 comments Links to this post
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Tuesday, August 5

New "Catch-all" Blog for Nan Hawthorne Fans



This blog is being moved to:
See you there!
Nan Hawthorne, Historical Novelist

Posted by Nan Hawthorne, Shield-wall Books at 8:50 PM 0 comments Links to this post
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Monday, June 23

Wherein I Describe How Linen Is Made, Part the First




ood and gentle reader,

Mayhap I have spoken of the mother of my kitchen maid, Milthryth. This good woman is hight Edreda, and she is a passing fine maker of linen yarn and cloth. I shall venture to describe her methods here as I have seen her at her marvelous work.

The quality of linen yarn and thereby the clothwhich is made of it may depend on many things. As much as does the farmer, the linen maker watches the weather for the best flax that may be harvested. Good flax will be strong and tall. Then the harvest itself will determine the quality and also the use of the flax stalks. To make for certës the fibers are long the plant may be pulled up by its roots or cut as close to the ground as ppossible.

The stalks must thereafter be winnowed so as to remove the seeds, this the opposite of winnowing corn as one wishes to gather the stalks and not the seeds with flax. This has been done ere Edreda applies her own skills to the flax. Her task then is to pull the fibers away from the stalks by retting or soaking the stalks in groundwater. I have helped Milthryth and her mother tend the retting ponds by gently pushing the floating stalks under so that all may receive the most salubrious benefit of the soaking.

While retting is not a hard task, the next step, or scutching, most certainly is. The stalks, removed from the ponds after August must be rolled between rods of some hard material, mayhap stone, to break the woody parts of the stalks so as to free the fibers of linen. There are other products that may be produced at this time, including the precious linseed oil. Great care is taken to preserve the length of the fibers as this makes for the greatest quality cloth. The shorter fibers are pulled from the longer with a heckling comb. I have most often helped good Edreda with the combing, my hands being hopelessly ruined by the many tasks of a tavernkeeper, therefore none the worse for the unpleasant scratching and pulling of fibers.

Next time I shall describe to you how the goodwife spins and then weaves the linen fibers into cloth and what she does with it ere she sells it in the market.

Leofwen Taverner
Posted by Nan Hawthorne, Shield-wall Books at 1:37 PM 0 comments Links to this post
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