This Knight Only Archives

Jun 18th For This Knight Only by Barb Bettis Plus Researching

Give a warm welcome to Barbara Bettis, author of For This Knight Only.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Barb and For This Knight Only. Barb give us a little insight into your research technique.

Researching—It’s All to the Point

Thanks for hosting me today, Tena. I love visiting you.

Always a pleasure to have you. Researching is the first step is starting any novel but especially a historical novel. Right?

I’m taking a bit of a break from finding information for my current historical. Researching is one of my favorite things. If I’m not careful, I can spend way too much time gathering facts and data—fascinating pieces of information and specific incidents that can lead into long digressions and many ideas for new stories. Discovering something unusual is just wonderful.

I know there is always discussion on where one can or should do research—online or in hard copy books. Both are very important, of course.

I must admit, my preferred sources are books. Undoubtedly because in my college days, that’s how we did research. I still like my desk (or the floor) stacked with volumes which resemble porcupines sprouting colorful sticky notes marking important passages. I’ve driven many miles to consult library collections, particularly when researching medieval topics.

In spite of that, I’m coming around to online searching, especially now that so many very old documents, papers, collections, and the like have made their way to the Internet. And more and more, ancient documents are appearing online courtesy of various institutions—universities and public libraries. It’s exciting to see copies of original tax rolls or religious writings. Or the Magna Carta—even if I can make out only every third letter J

Another important place to check—bibliographies. They are present in the backs of books certainly, but many secondary online sources have lists of sources consulted. All of these titles can give a researcher lots of tips.

Being accurate in very old historical material, as in Middle Ages, often is difficult but to me, important. I find myself using rules learned from my journalism experience—verify sources. That is, find the same information in two different, reliable sources before I use it. (Journalism says three, but I’ve settled for two.)

Still, no matter how hard I try, dates of things that happened 800 or so years ago can be hard to pin down unless they’re very well known historical events. We all know 1066 for William the Conqueror’s invasion of England.

Well we all know now. LOL

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Now tell a little about For This Knight Only. I love the title!

He’ll do anything for land, even marry her; she’ll do anything for her people, except marry him. If only either had a choice. It’s a marriage only love can save.

Sir Roark will do anything to gain land, even beguile an unwilling lady into marriage. He knows she’s much better off with a man to take control of her besieged castle, to say nothing of her desirable person. But it isn’t long before he discovers that, although her eyes sparkle like sunlight on sea waves, her stubbornness alone could have defeated Saladin.

Lady Alyss is determined to hold her family’s castle, protect her people, and preserve her freedom— until her brother’s dying wish binds her to a stranger. Still, she’ll allow no rugged, over-confident, appealing knight to usurp her authority, even if she must wed him. Especially since he thinks a lady’s duties begin and end with directing servants. Alyss has a few surprises for her new all-too-tempting lord.

But when a common enemy threatens everything, Roark and Alyss face a startling revelation. Without love, neither land nor freedom matters.

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A sneak peek between the pages of For This Knight Only.

What would it take to persuade her to marry him? A sudden pain burst between his legs, and he gasped, eyes blurry. The little hell-cat kneed him. Even though chain mail deflected some of the impact, he used every bit of his willpower to remain standing.

Apparently persuasion took more than a kiss.

He drew a steadying breath. “You don’t understand, my lady. You will be my wife before the sun sets. It was your brother’s dying wish. It was my pledge to a comrade.”

By God, he’d begun to believe it himself. Alyss met him toe to toe. “This morning I had never seen you, and by tonight, you think I will marry you?”

Her head tilted back and she glared into his eyes. “Were you, perhaps, wounded in the head during a fight? Have you lost your senses as well as your hearing? How do you propose to force me to the altar?

With your army?”

With an exaggerated look around, she nodded at Alain. “Ah, yes. There it is. Impressive to be sure.”

Turning from Roark, she said, “Sir Baldwin, see that these two knights are outside

the gates by sundown. Call every man in the garrison to help, if need be. I want them gone.”

Head high as if confident her word would be enforced immediately, she strode to the

stairway.

Frowning, Sir Baldwin started forward. Roark lifted a hand to halt him. He glanced at

Alain, then back to Alyss. “One moment, my lady. Hear me out.”

She continued to walk, but everyone in the hall had no trouble hearing her. “Unless you

intend to apologize, you can say nothing that will interest me.”

Roark had known this would not be easy, but he had expected the female to at least listen to reason.

An obedient, well-behaved lady is how Sir Godfrey described her. An excellent housekeeper, but

helpless to defend herself if her menfolk were all dead. Obedient, well-behaved. Helpless.

That Lady Alyss wasn’t this Lady Alyss.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Barbara Bettis has always loved history and English. As a college freshman, she considered becoming an archeologist until she realized there likely would be bugs and snakes involved. And math. Through careers as a newspaper reporter and editor, then a college journalism and English professor, she’s retained her fascination with history. Give her a research book and a pot of tea, and she’s happy for hours. But what really makes her smile is working on a new story. Now retired, she lives in Missouri where she edits for others and spins tales of heroines to die for—and heroes to live for.

Find Barb Here:

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It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with For This Knight Only!