Spirit of the Knight: awesome guest post + giveaway

Such a romantic premise this book has, I've always loved a good curse mixed with doomed romance and time paradoxes. The author of Spirit of the Knight has generously agreed to a guest post here on Literaria, and I'm so thrilled about the topic. She wrote a beautiful piece. Thank you so much, Debbie Peterson :o)

GUEST POST

What if my favourite painting came to life?

This fun question is a very difficult one for me to answer because I have so many paintings in my favorite category and all with different themes. Nonetheless, because this book tour is all about Spirit of the Knight, I decided to focus on The Accolade, by Edmund Blair Leighton. This lovely painting hangs above the roll top desk in my library. I look at--and enjoy it--quite often. So, if this painting came to life, I would surely be a lady of the court. As such, I would have the opportunity of standing in attendance while this handsome man, after many years of preparation, received his knighthood.

He launched his quest around the age of seven as he became a page. At this stage of his training he learned a variety of skills including manners, obedience, riding, hunting, and hawking. By the age of twelve or so, he would have become a squire or an apprentice to the knights and by assisting and observing, he learned how to use a variety of weapons and how to become a fearsome, military warrior. He learned the rules of Heraldry and all about Chivalry, or the knightly system consisting of its religious, moral, and social code.

Finally, around the age of twenty-one, considered skilled and worthy, his leaders informed him that he had completed his training most admirably and would officially become a knight. He began this ritual with a bath, which symbolizes purification. After he bathed, he went to the castle chapel. There, before the altar on which had been placed a sword and shield blessed by the priest, he spent the remainder of the night engaged in silent prayer. In the morning, he attended mass.

Excitement consumed me as our soon-to-be knight entered the grand hall and knelt before the beautiful queen, who had already taken possession of the sword and shield. She then spoke of the solemn oaths and obligations he had vowed to keep, which, among other things, included loyalty, honor, justice, and protection of the weak. After her moving speech (or just plain boring), she concluded the ceremony with a tap on each of our knight’s shoulders. Cheers and applause followed the dubbing, as did the music and fanfare.

At once, the grand feast, hours in the making, filled the tables. The food smells so good and for quite some time has enticed and beckoned us to the table. Our valiant warrior, surrounded by his fellow knights, didn’t waste any time at all in partaking of the delicious fare. But who could really blame them? Boisterous chatter, good-natured insults, and barbs, accompanied the meal. Of course, the ladies of the court made every effort to appear demure, but we enjoyed the feast just as well. However, despite all the delectable food, we couldn’t wait for the meal to end… and why? Well, our personal, elaborate toilettes and exquisite new gowns were all designed for the evening, where we are looking quite forward to dancing the night away with brawny knights and handsome lords…

Oh, and did I mention? We have a jousting tournament to attend in the morning! 

Spirit of the Knight

by Debbie Peterson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She fell deeply in love with him in the early days of her childhood. And in return, she captured his heart the moment he first cast his gaze upon her...

Renowned artist, Mariah Jennings hired to paint a thirteenth-century Scottish castle, gets the shock of her life when she encounters the handsome knight who has dominated a lifetime of portraits and sketchbooks.

But Sir Cailen Braithnoch is no ordinary ghost, nor did he suffer an ordinary death. Magic of the blackest kind cast a pall over the knights centuries ago. As the ghost and his lady seek to unravel the paradox surrounding his death, black arts, otherworldly forces, and a jealous rival conspire against them.

Will those forces tear them apart, or is their love destined to last throughout the ages?

About the author...

Debbie has always had a soft spot for fairy tales, the joy of falling in love, and happily ever after endings. Stories of love and make believe filled her head for as long as she can remember. However, it was her beloved husband who encouraged, cajoled and inspired her to take up a pen and write some of them down. Her journey to published author could fill quite a few pages. However, in June of 2010, she submitted her debut novel “Spirit of the Rebellion” to her wonderful, patient, editor at The Wild Rose Press and the rest is history. She now has five published novels to her credit.

When she is not busy conjuring her latest novel, Debbie spends time with the members of her very large family, within the lovely, arid deserts of southern Nevada. She also pursues her interests in family history, mythology, and all things ancient and historic.

Connect with Debbie:

Website - Blog - Twitter - Facebook - Pinterest  

Buy Links:

Amazon - Barnes and Noble

GIVEAWAY TIME

Debbie will be awarding one Art print, inspired by the novel, and signed by the artist and an ebook copy of Van Locken's Witch and Shadow of the Witte Wieven (books one and two in the Wieven series) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm also madly in love with The Accolade. It has haunted my fantasies since I was a teenager dreaming of a knight in shining armour and seemingly perfect medieval times. As I said, fantasies ;o)

What about you, book buddies? Do you have a favorite painting you would like to see come to life?