Mary Ann Bernal: A Turbulent Trip into the Timeline

Friday, January 10, 2014

A Turbulent Trip into the Timeline - with Mary Ann Bernal

A Turbulent Trip into the Timeline - with Mary Ann Bernal

Ngaire Elder Spotlight:

Coming January 2014

The Briton and the Dane: Timeline

written by

Mary Ann Bernal

Mary Ann Bernal, author of The Briton and the Dane novels, is an avid history buff whose area of interest focuses on Ninth Century Anglo-Saxon Britain during the Viking Age. While pursuing a degree in business administration, she managed to fit creative writing classes and workshops into her busy schedule to learn the craft, but it would take decades before her “Erik the Viking” novel was ultimately published.

Mary Ann is also a passionate supporter of the United States military, having been involved with letter writing campaigns and other support programs since Operation Desert Storm. She has appeared on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the CBS television affiliate in Omaha, and was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald for her volunteer work. She has also been a featured author on Triangle Variety Radio, The Phil Naessens Show, and The Writers Showcase, and has been interviewed extensively by American and European bloggers.

Mary Ann is a New York “expat,” and currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska.

Author, Mary Ann Bernal

Synopsis of The Briton and the Dane: Timeline

A beautiful archeologist besotted with an Anglo-Saxon nobleman is transported back to eleventh century England where treachery abounds as the childless king has yet to name his heir. She is determined to learn the identities of the treacherous blackguards hiding in the shadows, but will she walk away or intervene, thereby changing the course of history to save the man she loves?

Excerpt from The Briton and the Dane: Timeline written by Mary Ann Bernal

The drapes billowed in a sudden gust of wind, flapping wildly in the darkened room. Gwyneth tossed in her sleep as visions of past events mingled with the present. It was Erik or was it Malcolm? His words were but a whisper, calling her to join him atop the Keep. She sat upright, shivering slightly as she looked through the open balcony doors. A dense fog had shrouded the earth, blanketing the ruins on the hill.

Gwyneth, wearing a white night dress embroidered with Celtic knots, grabbed the matching robe and stood on the terrace, mesmerized by the distant shadows moving along the citadel, as if warriors were patrolling the wall-walk in the dead of night. She stepped onto the grass, thanking God that she had the foresight to take a room on the ground floor as she walked towards the fortress.

The melodious sound of waves crashing against the cliff echoed in the distance, becoming louder as she reached the clearing. The wind whipped around her, lifting the fog along the forgotten path as Gwyneth quickened her pace.

“I am waiting for you. You must hurry,” whispered the wind.

Moonbeams filtered through the sea mist, shedding light on the pathway she knew so well. Gwyneth looked at the tower and stopped abruptly when she recognized the lone figure watching her every move.

“Run, Gwyneth, there is little time,” whispered the wind.

The moon was fully covered, hidden in the darkened sky, and Gwyneth was enveloped by the dense fog. She stayed focused, counting her steps as she had done so many times before during the summer months. The sound of the breaking waves roared loudly, shaking the ground as the angry sea pounded the rocky cliff. Gale force winds pushed her forward, causing her to run faster, lest she fall. Ribbon lightning flashed in the heavens, the electric discharge crackling throughout the eerie night, brightening the pathway as she ran towards the ruins of the main gate. The wind gusts intensified, howling in her ear as it thrust her forward. The sea mist caressed her face, leaving its brine upon her lips, the salty pellets stinging her eyes.