My Guest Today: Jennifer Ivy Walker

Please welcome my fellow Wild Rose Press author, Jennifer Ivy Walker, author of THE WILD ROSE AND THE SEA RAVEN, a beautifully lyrical retelling of Tristan and Isolde, the other great love story of the Arthurian canon. 💖💖💖💖💖

The Irish princess and the Cornish knight, she determined to protect her people from the ravages of an evil queen, he sworn to serve and protect his uncle, King Marke, and the High King Arthur. The courtly—and sometimes vividly violent--world of Camelot, the enchanted Hazelwood Forest of Ireland, the mystical healing islands of Avalon are brought to life in lavish, loving detail. Issylte suffers loss after loss, but she bravely goes on, learning skills and developing her healing gift. Tristan, brutally orphaned by war, proves his worth in contest after contest, being both loyal and brave. Both are haunted by loss and hunted by evil, but also gifted with dear friends and special powers. This is part one of a trilogy, and delves into the often overlooked youth of these bound-by-fate lovers. If you long for the magical realms of elves, dwarves, and knights of the Round Table portrayed with the lushness of Middle Earth, this book will delight you.

Tell us how you came to bring this particular legend to life.

As a high school French teacher, I used puppets to illustrate the medieval legend of "Tristan et Yseult" to my French IV students as part of our study of the Middle Ages.  We always read the novel in French, listened to the soundtrack from the musical, and watched the French version of the film with James Franco and Sophia Myles. 

Sounds amazing!

I always took my students to the state competition where they performed a French I play I had written, "Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête"--a combination of the medieval French legend of "Tristan et Yseult" (Tristan and Isolde in English) with the fairy tale, "Beauty and the Beast".

 

 Last summer, I had an epiphany--to incorporate that play into a trilogy.  A retelling of the classic French tragedy of "Tristan et Yseult", blended with my love of medieval knights, Arthurian legends, and dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande in la Bretagne (Brittany in English), birthplace of Merlin the Magician, Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, and Lancelot du Lac.

My debut novel, "The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven", is a compilation of my years of studying French literature, my numerous trips to France-- exploring troglodyte caves, medieval pilgrimage sites, châteaux of the Loire Valley, Normandy, Bretagne, and Provence--and my love for myths and legends.

And your love for the beautiful wild rose of Brittany, pictured here, that represents your heroine. Read on for a sample of this beautiful story:

Excerpt from “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”

“I don’t know if she even exists, Lancelot, but I want a woman who makes me feel alive! I want her kisses to arouse my passion, her heart to sing to mine. I want a muse to inspire my song, a lady to whom I would pledge my sword—and my life.” Tristan shook his head and sighed. “Is such a love even possible?”

The First Knight of Camelot responded with a sad smile. “It is indeed possible, Tristan.” Lancelot turned his pensive gaze to the vast expanse of sea. “In French, we call such a love l’amour fou—a passion so intense… it can drive you mad.”

Lancelot glanced back at Tristan, a forlorn smile reaching his intense blue eyes. “When you find such a woman, Tristan, the love she gives you fills every empty hollow in your soul. She completes you; she invigorates you; she thrills you. And, when you consummate such a love, the exquisite blend of the spiritual and physical realm will satisfy you more than the finest wine or the greatest victory in battle. The love she gives you with her body will transport you to the stars, and you will never experience a greater joy.”

For more about Jennifer Ivy Walker, here's a brief bio:

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French. 

As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, "Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête"--an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of "Tristan et Yseult" and the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast", enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.

Her debut novel, "The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven"--the first of a trilogy-- is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of "Tristan et Yseult", interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldly elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.

Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.

Goodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22671046.Jennifer_Ivy_Walker

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-wild-rose-and-the-sea-raven-by-jennifer-ivy-walker

Website:  https://jenniferivywalker.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/

Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B0B91R2MJZ

Barnes and Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wild-rose-and-the-sea-raven-jennifer-ivy-walker/1141977954?ean=2940186736387&fbclid=IwAR3DwraRnElU-XxxDXI-iVIItQ4X3HPeHlx7sS3l8fugfrthoIsfftXRUpk

Thanks for stopping by and welcoming my guest. Please let her know how much you've enjoyed learning about her and her book.