JOURNEYS: THE ARCHERS OF SAINT SEBASTIAN
The first in Jeanne Roland's new romantic coming of age adventure set in a medieval Belgian archers' guild is here! To visit Jeanne Roland at her home on the web, check out her website at www.jeanneroland.com
JOURNEYS: THE ARCHERS OF SAINT SEBASTIAN I
JOURNEYS is the first in a new series by Jeanne Roland
We're excited to announce that the first in this tetralogy is now HERE!
What's it about? Here's the blurb:
A barracks full of beautiful boys. A girl in disguise, living among them.
It’s the 14th century, and the longbow is king. But in the northern European principality of Ardennes, archery isn’t just the nation’s defense. It’s the national obsession.
MEET THE JOURNEYS
12 young Journeyman archers, the best in the country
2 years of public competitions, in which looks count almost as much as ability
6 will win a coveted membership in the Archers’ Guild of St. Sebastian
1 will become the prince’s new Guardsman
MEET MARIEKE
15-year-old Marieke is as obsessed with St. Sebastian’s as everyone else in Ardennes. Only it’s the middle ages, and girls just don’t become elite archers. Except Marieke's prospects as a girl aren't promising either, after a well-timed kick from a mule has left her with a face that’s badly scarred and ruined for marriage. But when circumstances force her to leave her old life behind and flee to the guild for refuge, there are only two things Marieke really knows about the place. One is that a mysterious accident ended her own father’s time as a Journey. The other?
There are no women allowed inside St. Sebastian’s.
Marieke knows disguising herself as a boy and infiltrating the guild means embarking on a dangerous deception. But it may be her only chance to find out the truth about her father’s past, and to stop a murderous plot from coming to fruition. When one of the dashing young Journeymen Tristan takes her under his wing as his squire, she’s got to stay – at least long enough to help him beat out his brutal arch-rival to win the competitions.
Keeping her identity a secret will be hard. Living in close quarters with a pack of gorgeous boys? That will be harder still. But the hardest thing of all will be keeping the vow she makes for herself: to see Tristan become the next Guardsman, without ever letting him find out she’s a girl - a girl, who loves him.
Two parts Robin Hood and one part Princess Bride, with a pinch of Mulan and a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac mixed in, The Archers of St. Sebastian I: Journeys is an atmospheric action-adventure inspired by late medieval Belgium and packed with romance, wit, and longbow archery.
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Dying Saint Sebastian, 1789, François-Xavier Fabre, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
A beautiful painting of saint sebastian like the one pictured above features prominently in the story. here are some of our other favorites
Saint Sebastian Tended by Irene, ca 1630, Artemisia Gentileschi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Why we love it: the lighting is exquisite, and we love the focus on Saint Irene, on her skills, and on the consultation of the women. And it was painted by a woman. What's not to love here?
Die Marter des heiligen Sebastian. 1493-1494, Master of the Holy Kinship (II), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Why we love it: the vibrant colors, the detail, but most of all - the longbow archers. Although the estimated date of this painting is more than a century later than the setting of Roland's Archers series, this painting captures something of the flamboyant costumes of some of her cha
Saint Sebastian, 1623, by Gerrit van Honthorst, Public domain, via Wikimedia Common.
Why we love it: a little bird told us that this painting more than any other inspired the one that features prominently in Journeys. The placement of the arrows, the pose - everything but the angle of the head and the age of the subject.
Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene, 1650, Felice Ficherelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Why we love it: for us, this one's all about the saint's pose and the expressions.
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Saint Sebastian, Ángel Zárraga (1886 - 1946) Nacional de Arte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. PD-US.
Why we love it: the clean lines, sparse background, the big blocks of color - and those ties around the feet and legs that look like they could be sandals.
Bronze sculpture of Saint Sebastian by Italian artist Alessandro Vittoria di Vigilio della Volpa, ca. 1566 in the Metropolitan museum of art (AN 40.24), public domain.
Why we love it: this one is so interesting because there's nary an arrow in sight. That makes for a very interesting take on the subject, particularly since the saint appears to be more resting up against the tree than tied to it -