INTERNATIONAL AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR
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COMING THIS FALL, BLANTON’S 5TH NOVEL IN A LINE OF REMARKABLE ADVENTURES:
THE NOBLEST SHARE OF EARTH
In the far north of Ireland lies the peninsula — Inishowen — renowned for its beauty, revered for its rich, fertile, and vital lands, and coveted by many for its strategic location. The marriage of the young clan chieftain to an English Viscount’s daughter creates an alliance meant to secure and strengthen Inishowen’s future. But greater powers on all sides—greedy chieftains of other clans, foreign adventurers seeking land, and English planters meant to displace the Irish, cast violent and ever-growing threats upon the hopes and dreams of the young couple. Nothing is certain. Survival cannot depend on muskets or swords, nor a single bold hero, but on something new, untried…and utterly relentless.
Based on the true story of Sir Cahir O’Doherty of County Donegal, his wife Maire Preston of County Meath, and his rebellion against the English in 1608.
A story of war, struggle, spirit, and survival:
a story of two sides. Based on a true account of Ireland’s longest siege, and the people
who survived it.
INTERVIEWS AND COMMENTARY
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Secretive and often bold, Merel de Vries seeks only escape from the English nobility she serves. When Rathbarry Castle is besieged by rising Irish clans, she faces an impossible choice: allegiance to owner Sir Arthur Freke, loyalty to new-found love Tynan O’Daly, and inner yearnings belonging to her alone.
On the wind-swept coast near the village of Ross, the English settlers hoping to build a new life now seek shelter within the castle. Rathbarry’s former owners, the MacCarthy clan and its followers, have brought their armies to take it all back.
To Merel, a Dutch orphan, both sides are heroic and both sides seem unspeakably cruel. Worse still, the people she loves are on different ends of the struggle. With no access to food or supplies, the castle residents face starvation, disease, and the constant fear of death. Sir Arthur is desperate to find a solution for rescue. Merel insists she can help—but no one will listen. When opportunity comes, can she truly do what her spirit urges? Or, will a sudden betrayal change everything?
THE EARL IN BLACK ARMOR
— THREE TIME AWARD-WINNER —
A story of loyalty, betrayal, honor, and tyranny
in the reign of King Charles I
“Although author Nancy Blanton may not be a household name yet, after reading her intriguing novel
The Earl in Black Armor we think that may very well change in the near future.”
~ Jathan Fink, journalist, reviewer, JathanandHeather.com
IRELAND, 1635: In the years preceding the Great Irish Rebellion of 1641, an Irish clansman goes to Dublin Castle to spy on the English Lord Deputy Thomas Wentworth, who plans to seize clan properties and establish an English-only plantation. A woman at the castle also spies on Wentworth, but for very personal reasons. Together they discover Wentworth’s true plan, more terrible than anyone imagines, involving political and religious intrigue in the service of the king. Read more…
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