Historical Fiction
Date Published: 1/18/2024
Narrator: Deborah Balm
Run Time: 15h 30 min
It is 741. Only one thing stands between Charles the Hammer and the throne—he's dying. Despite his best efforts, the only thing to reign after Charles's death is chaos. Son battles son, Christianity battles paganism, and Charles's daughter flees his court for an enemy's love.
Based on a true story, Anvil of God is a whirlwind of love, honor, sacrifice, and betrayal that follows a bereaved family's relentless quest for power and destiny.
INTERVIEW
Tell us about your book?
Anvil of God is the story of what
happens to the family of Charles Martel (Charlemagne’s grandfather) in the wake
of his death. Son battles son, Christianity battles paganism, and his daughter
flees his court for an enemy’s love. Based on a true story, Anvil of God
is a whirlwind of love, honor, sacrifice, and betrayal that follows a bereaved
family’s quest for power and destiny.
What is the PRIMARY benefit, above all others, that your potential reader will gain from reading this book?
First, I want my readers to gain some
insight into a little-known but critical period. Like the story of Camelot, it
was a “brief and shining moment” in history. The book is based on a true story
about how Charlemagne’s family came to power. But after reading it, I also
wanted readers to walk away thinking, “Wow! That was a great read. I want
more.”
If you had to compare this book to any other book out there, which book would it be?
Kirkus Reviews likened it to Game
of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, which makes sense since the book is
about the Carolingians' challenge to the French throne. But I should caution
you that there aren’t any dragons or nightwalkers. And while winter does come,
no one really obsesses about it. J
In a huge compliment, BlueInk Reviews
compared it to some of my favorite authors, Ken Follett, Bernard Cornwell,
Philippa Gregory, and Stephen R. Lawhead. I was very flattered by their
review.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year. Why should someone buy THIS book?
Historians and many storytellers often
overlook the role women play in state affairs. Anvil is an exception. Anvil
of God gives equal time to the women of this time period and their
influence.
As much as Anvil is a book about
politics and battles for the right to succession, it is also a personal
story. One of the main storylines
follows the daughter of Charles Martel, who flees his court in the dead of
night for the love of an enemy.
Historians have called this act “the scandal of the eighth
century.” Telling her story was one of
the main reasons I wrote the novel.
Anvil also digs deep into the
consequences of this power struggle on their family. Rather than writing about
two warring factions that hate each other, I’ve written about a family torn
apart by the politics that surround them.
How do they treat each other? Why do some betray others? And who, in the
end, will sacrifice themselves for the sake of their family?
Who is your target audience?
Anvil of God is adult fiction meant
for a mature audience. That said, anyone who loves history, especially medieval
history with all the plots and counterplots that kings play, will love this
story. It is also a story about love and a woman’s resilience and determination
to define her own destiny.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage?
As a history major in college, I learned
a lot about what happened in history. I like to write historical fiction
because it helps me understand why it happened. Most people look at history as
a series of dates and events. I look at history as a series of choices people
make.
Being from a large and close family (six
kids) also helped me consider the impact a struggle for power could have on a
family.
Finally, I was also heavily influenced
by writers like James Clavell and Bernard Cornwell who entertain first and
inform second.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since publishing your work?
While I’ve received several favorable
reviews and won some national awards, my most rewarding experience came from
one of my best friends, who is a very buttoned-up, disciplined guy. He emailed
me at 5:00 a.m. one day to complain that he had a meeting at 7:00 and had been
up all night reading Anvil of God. He called it “riveting.” That he
would step out of character like that was astounding to me. That was when I
knew I was on to something.
How would you describe your writing style?
I’m a big fan of good, clean, short
sentences that say what I mean. I like crisp dialogue, complex characters, and
a plot that moves. Every word in a novel should have a purpose and drive the
reader towards the conclusion. I like imagery, foreshadowing, and descriptive
paragraphs that help put the reader into the scene, but I don’t like getting
lost in the prose.
I often cringe when reading historical
fiction because many writers fill their stories with so much historical detail
that it bogs down the flow of the story. Writers should entertain to inform,
not the other way around.
Are the characters in your story completely made up, or did you base them on people you know?"
Since I write historical fiction, most
of the characters in my story are based on real people. The trick is to make
sure they are imagined so that their choices in history are credible.
When I was writing Anvil of God,
I knew in the beginning that one of the characters would do something
horrendous in Book III (Crown of a King). I had to develop his character
and the arc of his development so that when he did the horrendous deed, it
would be plausible.
Are you more of a character artist or a plot-driven writer?
I like to think I’m both. If you don’t
have good characters, you don’t have a novel. If you don’t have a good plot,
you don’t have readers.
What do you hope to accomplish with your book other than selling it?
I’d love to see them translated into
television or film, but mostly, I hope that people will look forward to reading
my next books.
How can our readers get in touch with you?
https://www.instagram.com/jboycegleason/
https://www.facebook.com/jboycegleason/
https://www.tiktok.com/@jboycegleason
https://twitter.com/JBoyceGleason
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6325925.J_Boyce_Gleason
Where can our readers purchase your book?
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anvil-of-god-j-boyce-gleason/1116274068?ean=9780578891323
About the Author
After a 25-year career working as a press secretary on Capitol Hill, writing a weekly column for a daily newspaper, and managing crisis and public affairs for many of the largest American corporations and institutions, J. Boyce Gleason began writing historical fiction to satisfy his passion for storytelling.
His first novel ANVIL OF GOD, Book One of the Carolingian Chronicles received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, was named Historical Fiction Book of the Year by the Independent Publishers Awards and Mainstream/Literary e-Book of the Year by Writers Digest Magazine. The sequels (Wheel of the Fates & Crown of a King) both received 4.5 ratings or better on Amazon.
With an AB in history from Dartmouth College, Gleason brings a strong understanding of the events that shaped history. He says he writes historical fiction to discover “why.” He and his wife live in Virginia.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Posts
0 Comments