Very excited to announce the publication today of the new edition of The Viking Hostage.
The novel is based on the true story of a French viscountess who was kidnapped by Vikings from a monastery on the French coast in the late 10th century. She was held for ransom for three years.
Vikings are endlessly fascinating, of course, but I aimed to reach beyond the stereotypes and imagine what really might have happened to this kidnapped noblewoman and what it might have been like to be sold in a slave market.
The book has been out of print for a couple of years and I am delighted to welcome it back!
Once I had the story of the kidnap and ransom, many other elements contributed to my imagining of the plot and characters. A Viking Red Maiden was sighted among the raiding crews along the coast of south-west Wales. A Viking long-sword was found in the sea between Wales and Dublin. The Welsh islands of Caldey and Skomer were occupied by Vikings … and by puffins and Manx shearwaters. I researched the story of Olaf Tryggvason and his friend Thorgils Thorolfsson. And I was inspired by museum artefacts. This print (made by me, I’m proud to say) is from a serpent brooch in the British Museum.
And there is a fair lashing of medieval French history in the novel too, with those parts of the story centring around Limoges and Charroux. The book is available in hardback, paperback and ebook.
Tracey Warr Writing 
Absolutely fantastic news.