Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Elizabeth Chadwick | The Role of Marshal
Author Guest / September 7, 2012

A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE is the story of a Medieval knight, soldier and baron called John FitzGilbert, who, if you look him up online, had something of a reputation as a hard man of his times, willing to sacrifice his small son in order to hold onto one of his castles.  I was interested in finding out more about  his life, and to discover what really happened.  Did John really say that even if the boy was killed by the men who held him captive, it didn’t matter because he could beget better sons to replace him? John FitzGilbert was also known as John the Marshal. His second name was his job description.  So what exactly did a marshal do in the Middle Ages – and specifically the royal marshal, answerable to the king?  What were his responsibilities and duties? The name Marshal derives from Marescallus, which meant ‘Stable hand.’ So essentially the original job had to do with horses.  It was the marshal’s job to ensure there was stabling and fodder for the horses in the royal household.  From there, the duty spread out into provision and responsibility for the hounds in the kennels and the hawks in the…

Julie Ann Walker | Meet Frank "Boss" Knight
Author Guest / September 7, 2012

This is Frank “Boss” Knight.  And his nickname says it all.  He’s the man, the head hancho, the big Kahuna.  And at Black Knights Inc., the custom motorcycle shop that provides the cover for his clandestine government defense firm, the buck stops with him – much to our heroine Becky’s intense chagrin.  A former Navy SEAL, Frank may spend his days as a simple motorcycle mechanic, but his nights are filled with the kind of missions too hot for Uncle Sam to handle.  With the help of his wickedly sharp KA-Bar knife and his custom-made Harley – appropriately named Boss Hog – he’s not the type of guy you want to cross.  Gruff, tough, and built like an Abram’s tank, Frank is all man.  But in the arms of our heroine, his hardened exterior softens to reveal a sweet and tender heart. If you asked Frank why he takes the jobs no one else would touch with a ten foot pole, he’d mutter, in that booming base of his, “Because somebody’s gotta do ’em.”  And if it’s not obvious from the hard line of his jaw, the scars on his face, and the grit in his eye, he’s done more…