Gina Dale – författare

UbbaRagnarsson is enjoying his retirement in the Yorkshire countryside. He'dhappily settle down on the farm and wait to see what the gods have in store forhis children. But it would seem that others have plans that might threaten hishard earned peace and tranquillity.Hisdaughter Freya is eager to know just what the gods hold in store for her. Ifshe doesn't find out soon, she might be tempted to create her own destiny. Butgoing against the path the gods have set for you is fraught with danger...Sigtryggris keen to become King of Jorvik, and Halfdan intends to invade Durham. Theproblem is, Ubba has sworn to protect Queen Aethelflaed in the event of aninvasion, and he is dutybound to honour that promise…AndUbba's wife Torri has worries of her own...Itlooks like the time for resting is over! The Ragnarssons are loading thelongboats, and this time it's for a social visit.

When he met the beautiful, eloquent and aristocractic Marie, it was love at first sight. Even then, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. Their shared interest in art and their love of nature bonded them closely...ultimately creating an existence for Charles that he would never have dreamed possible. Follow the couple's relationship, from their first meeting and Marie's somewhat unwelcome rise to stardom as a result of their attendance as guests of honour at Napoleon III's Arts' Ball along with Manet, Courbet, Renoir and Degas.

Darkness Falls is the second book in the `Brushstrokes' trilogy, which sees Charles and Marie go from the joy of their daughter's birth, to despair during the Franco-Prussian war. A desperate story of survival, honour and allegiance. Will love prevail?Charles takes his wife and their young daughter to Lille, to be near to his family, unwittingly placing her in greater danger as the Prussian army enters France via Belgium - a decision that will haunt him forever. Alongside fearing for his loved ones' safety, Charles must devise a plan to protect Paris' great works of art, alongside Manet, Courbet and Monet.When Marie and her daughter are captured by a German officer, she is forced to play a dangerous game to keep him at bay, unsure as to whether Charles is dead or alive. Her brother Henri, meanwhile, is chosen by Napoleon III to accompany him as a prisoner to Versailles.

As Marie-Ann embarks on one of the greatest adventures of her life to-date, she must navigate the social norms and rules of late- 18th century Europe, dodging etiquette and risking her safety - and her family - to live the life of adventure that all Croizettesare drawn to.Embedded in the history of the time and loosely based on the lives of Marie-Ann and her actor husband Georges Feydeau, thisis a tale of love, loss, espionage... and women thriving in adversity.

Under Viking rule the rolling hills of Yorkshire are a dangerous place, particularly for women. Kidnapping, pillaging and infighting are rife. When Ralf, a Viking, discovers his Saxon wife and daughter have been kidnapped, he is quick to suspect Ivar the Boneless, King of Jorvik.Ubba, Ivar's brother, has already befriended Ralf, admiring him for making a life in a new country as a lone Dane. When it emerges, that Ivar is not responsible, Ubba assists Ralf on a mission to reclaim his family from slave traders.Torri, wife of Ubba and fierce shieldmaiden, will bloody her hands to protect her sons, the Ragnarsson heirs, at any cost. The might of their bloodline is recognised the world over, with tales of blood eagles and berserking striking fear into hardened warriors... but the whispers of war are getting louder. Can Ubba the reluctant king put a stop to his volatile brother's lust for power and destruction? Or will Ivar's fits of rage and jealousy threaten everything they have fought for?