Loosely based on an ancient medieval Irish romance, Between Two Fires is the story of a young girl named Deirdre who grows up in obscurity, raised by a strange druid in the wilderness, only to find out that she is pledged to wed the warrior king of Northern Ireland. Her marriage to King Konchovar, however, is troubled before it begins. Young, beautiful, and in the first years of maidenhood, Deirdre gradually grows more distant from her future husband, who is older, stern, and brutal. She instead falls in love with one of the king’s own nephews, a knight called Noyshu.
Set against the backdrop of warring tribes and kingdoms, political intrigues and betrayals, Deirdre risks everything to be with her lover Noyshu. The two elope together the night before Deirdre is officially to be wed to Konchovar. The king and his knights pursue them mercilessly, but time and again they evade capture in the wilderness.
I wrote this actually more than a year ago, but have been contemplating revamping the original manuscript. I believe it certainly has potential, but have found it difficult to find representation for it due to its unusual nature. In truth, this novel straddles multiple genres, combining everything from historical, fantasy, romance, and literary fictions into a blend that I prefer to term as “mythological” fiction. Anyone familiar with the ancient/medieval sources that I draw inspiration from will also notice that I have anglicized many of the Gaelic names in order to make them more pronounceable to readers unfamiliar with the intriguing, but often baffling ancient Irish nomenclature characteristic of these legends.
In creating this story I have also drawn from a wide variety of experiences and research. I have visited many of the ancient ruins in Ireland where these stories are fabled to have taken place. In addition, I have read as many translations of the ancient Irish manuscripts concerning the subject as possible, ranging from the Táin to other tales of the Ulster Cycle to myths of the Tuath de Danann just to name a few. I have also enjoyed earlier versions of this much cherished Irish legend as imagined by Stephens, Yeats, Synge, and Woods in both drama and novelizations. For more information on my novel or to actually give it a read, please contact me and I can provide you with the entire manuscript.
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