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Crouchback
Crouchback: The Welsh Guard Series, Book 1 | Sarah Woodbury
39 posts | 2 read | 9 to read
April 1284. As a newly widowed lady-in-waiting to the very pregnant Queen Eleanor of England, Catrin never expected to return to Wales again. She was definitely unprepared to be confronted with murder when she got there—or to find herself face-to-face with Rhys, the childhood friend she lost twenty years before. Rhys had never intended to return home either, but a lifetime of war has deposited him right back where he started—impoverished and owing service to Catrin’s older brother.
With Wales fallen irrevocably to England and fearful of trusting anyone within the English court of King Edward, Catrin and Rhys join forces against the treachery and intrigue rife within the half-built Caernarfon Castle. And when the murderer strikes again, the task before them becomes clear: catch the killer, certainly, but also protect their people from a future that grows more dangerous and uncertain with every day that passes.
Crouchback is the first book in The Welsh Guard Mysteries.
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Texreader
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Pickpick

This murder mystery is set in a pivotal time in history: shortly after England defeated Wales‘ last prince in 1282, & Wales has been part of England ever since. What was it like living as a defeated people? Rhys is Welsh, a former crusader (hence a crouchback), who walks a delicate line between Normans & the Welsh, investigating murders for the King. I appreciated the keen perception the author made of his predicament in a well-crafted story. ⬇️

Texreader This is the 1st book in a series from Woodbury. I‘ve read many books in another series by her set in Wales about 100 years earlier (Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mysteries) (many of them along with @GingerAntics I‘ve also read her Lion of Wales series. She‘s a great mystery author & readers learn a lot of Welsh history. @readingeurope2020 #Wales Also, for my readathons for #scarathlon. Go #teamslaughter. 16 points + readathons I‘ll calculate tomorrow. 4y
GingerAntics She does a really good job with the rock and a hard place Rhys functions between with this. I‘m hoping, and quite frankly expecting, the next one to be just as good. 4y
Clwojick Awesome! Way to go! 4y
See All 19 Comments
Librarybelle I think I stacked this from a previous post, and I am glad I did! This sounds so good - glad you liked it! 4y
Texreader @GingerAntics She really is such a good, and prolific, writer! I think 2021 will be my series catchup year so I can finish her various series. 4y
Texreader @Librarybelle Her books are really interesting and amazingly cheap. Well worth it. Would love to hear what you think 4y
GingerAntics I know we talked about reading her After Cilmeri series, but I think you need to get caught up on Gareth and Gwen first. Is there anything else you need to catch up on of hers? 4y
Texreader @GingerAntics Not sure if there were anymore Lion of Wales in that series and I think I‘ve only read one of the Pendragon series. 4y
GingerAntics Oh that‘s right, we started those other two series. Luckily those two were much shorter than Gareth and Gwen and the one we haven‘t even started yet. The one with time travel. 4y
Texreader @GingerAntics She must spend all her time writing, my gosh, but given the very cheap cost of her books I wonder how she makes a living! I admire these authors who are really good and don‘t give up even though they‘ve not hit the big time. 4y
GingerAntics I‘ve had that thought, too. From what I‘ve been able to surmise from her social media feed. She homeschools her kids, which leads me to believe she‘s home with them all day. She may work part time, but I haven‘t seen anything like that (although I haven‘t been looking, either). Her kids seem to be a little older (10, 12, 14 region) so she could easily give them a project or something and the sit to write her “project.” 4y
GingerAntics Another thing I‘ve noticed is that her kids are really into Welsh history abs culture as well. They all set out to learn Welsh together, so her and all the kids speak some Welsh. Her husband may as well, I don‘t know. Her husband must do something that pays the bills which lets her write and homeschool and sell her books for cheap. She hasn‘t hit the big time, but she does have an almost cult like following, so I‘m sure she‘s not hurting. 4y
GingerAntics She posters on FB a few days after Crouchback first came out to see how everyone was liking it. I told her I‘d finished and loved it, as I loved all of her books I‘d read. Not only did she respond that she was so glad I liked it, she went back to that post to let me know as soon as the Chevalier (the second in this series) was available to pre-order. She loves her fans. She‘s got a while YouTube channel of Welsh history, lore, language. 4y
Texreader @GingerAntics Very interesting and what a family. True, if she‘s staying home anyway that‘d be perfect. Welsh looks so fiendishly hard to learn. Wouldn‘t be my pick! 4y
Texreader @GingerAntics Wow!! ❤️📚❤️📚❤️ 4y
GingerAntics She‘s of Welsh dissent, and it seems like she may have distant family over there that they know. So that could certainly be helpful in the process. I‘ve heard it‘s similar to all the Celtic languages. As soon as you adjust to the new spelling rules (the letters make different sounds then you‘d expect, unlike other European languages) it‘s not much different. It just looks really funky. Irish is that way, too, though. 4y
GingerAntics The last Gareth and Gwen book had this really solid ending and then it had a sneak peak at this book, so I was really worried maybe Gareth and Gwen were done. I tweeted her and she tweeted right back that she was already working on the best G&G book, so not to worry. I almost wonder if she doesn‘t work on multiple books simultaneously. 4y
Texreader @GingerAntics I wish that were me. Having the time, the energy, and mental brainpower to write multiple books at one time. I suspect that may be the case since she‘s so prolific 4y
GingerAntics I just can‘t fathom how else she manages to release multiple books, some times from multiple series, each year. 4y
61 likes3 stack adds19 comments
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Texreader
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Reading report for the tagged book:

1-1/2 hours last night
Almost an hour while waiting in line to vote this morning

#scarathlon #teamslaughter #screamathon #sbooktober #gothtober #ripreadathon #outstandingoctober #readingeurope2020 #trickortreadathon (siren) #cocoturns50 @CocoReads @Clwojick @Andrew65 @4thhouseontheleft

Leftcoastzen Yay! Sorry you had to wait but so glad to see people get out there and vote! 4y
CocoReads Fantastic. I‘m going to early voting next week and am thinking it‘ll be about an hour wait as well. I‘ll for sure be taking a book! 4y
GingerAntics Yay for voting!!! Much less enthusiastic about the long line, but hey, reading time is always great!!! 4y
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LibrarianRyan thank you for voting 4y
Clwojick Way to go! 4y
Andrew65 @GingerAntics @CocoReads @Leftcoastzen Never had to queue or wait to vote in UK. 4y
GingerAntics @Andrew65 I‘m hearing a lot of UK, AUS, and NZ friends completely shocked at the madness that is the American voting system. It‘s certainly on full display in all its freakish glory right now. The most recent being Puerto Rico doesn‘t get to vote for president because no they‘re not states yet. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Of course, some lawmakers don‘t even know they‘re part of the US, either so that‘s also a problem. 4y
Leftcoastzen @Andrew65 The US crows about being a democracy, yet ways to disenfranchise voters are numerous.Sometimes it‘s hard to tell what is deliberate & what is just stupidity.Example , the primary the year that Trump ended up winning, the one in charge of polling places in the most populous county in Arizona, reduced the number of polling places by about two thirds.She had been in that position for years, she was voted out because of it. 4y
Andrew65 @GingerAntics @Leftcoastzen Both of these are crazy! These days I vote by post which is so easy but we have plenty of polling stations scattered around so never found a crowd in any. Usually those supervising the polling station look bored! 4y
GingerAntics @Andrew65 oh, our poll workers still manage to look bored! Somehow. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Yeah, we‘re really letting our freak flag fly on this one. Social media is helping, too, of course. I actually got to vote by mail this year because of the pandemic. @Leftcoastzen that‘s a common tactic in voter suppression. That was intentional. Some of the stories of how crazy the intentional stuff gets is NUTS!!! 4y
marleed @GingerAntics I hope Puerto Rico becomes a state so that it can be fully represented and have her voice heard. 4y
KVanRead Congrats and thanks for voting! Lines are a problem but glad you got to spend the time reading! 4y
KVanRead @andrew65 @GingerAntics @Leftcoastzen Never had to wait in Canada either. Have been voting in California for 3 years and have never had to wait here either. There is a huge difference between red and blue states when it comes to this. CA automatically sent every registered voter a mail in ballot this year because of the pandemic. 4y
GingerAntics @marleed I would love to see PR abs Guam and all of our other territories be made into states so they can be properly represented and recognised readily as American citizens, but it doesn‘t seem that there is any move what-so-ever to make that happen. I don‘t understand why. Then again, like I said. A surprising number of law makers don‘t even know our territories are part of the US, so I doubt it will happen anytime soon. 4y
GingerAntics @KVanRead we recently moved from Texas back to Minnesota and I was shocked at how easy it was to register to vote and request a mail in ballot here. We could do it all online. I came of voting age in TX and it was a battle to vote every time. 4y
Bookzombie Yay for voting! Glad you had your book. 🙂 4y
KVanRead @GingerAntics totally nuts 🤦🏻‍♀️ 4y
58 likes17 comments
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Texreader
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GingerAntics How are you enjoying it? 4y
Andrew65 This looks interesting, well done 👏👏👏 4y
GingerAntics @Andrew65 it‘s the first book in the series and it‘s actually pretty good. If you like medieval knights, crusaders, hostile take overs, and whodoneit‘s, you might like this. Can‘t wait for the second book next month. 4y
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Bookgoil Great job!! 👏👏 4y
Andrew65 @GingerAntics Thanks for this information. 👏👏👏 4y
Texreader @GingerAntics It‘s good but I probably like the Gwen and Gareth series better. I don‘t like Catrin. Maybe I‘ll like her as I read more. For some reason it‘s a slow read. I‘m not even halfway 4y
GingerAntics Catrin is a much different character than Gwen. I will definitely give you that. I like Rhys as a character though. I probably do lean a little more toward Gareth and Gwen though, if for no other reason than I‘m more familiar with them. 4y
55 likes8 comments
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Texreader
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Started this one this morning for #readingeurope2020 #Wales and since it‘s a murder mystery it‘s also for #scarathlon #teamslaughter. Also for #screamathon and #october8in2

Thanks @GingerAntics for the recommendation!

Btw, **Crouchback is a medieval word derived from cross-back and indicates participation in a crusade**

GingerAntics Isn‘t that a fun little fact? I love this book and can‘t wait for the new one next month. 4y
Clwojick 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 4y
Librarybelle Oh! I had not heard of this one...stacking! 4y
52 likes1 stack add3 comments
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GingerAntics
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Whoops! Almost forgot this one last quote! (I promise this is the end of my #Crouchback spam.)
You know a guy is really good when his friends talk about him like this behind his back, and then he goes off and does something like this to boot.
I seriously love Rhys as a human being and as a character.
#SarahWoodbury #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #Simon #FatherMedwyn

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GingerAntics
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Pickpick

I found Rhys‘s integrity entirely refreshing. I loved the exploration of that time period and how the Welsh banded together in the dark time after England took over. I really liked the relationship between Rhys and Simon, and between Rhys and Catrin. I even liked the way Simon accepted Catrin simply because Rhys trusted her. Even the priest was funny. I really fell in love with so many of that characters. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

GingerAntics This book was thoroughly entertaining. It seemed to whiz right by. I wanted to put my entire life on hold so I could just sit down and read it, uninterrupted. I can‘t wait for the next book in the series. #SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #INeedTheNextOne 5y
19 likes1 stack add1 comment
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GingerAntics
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Megabooks ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
Texreader How sad! 5y
GingerAntics @Texreader @Megabooks this part really made me tear up. 5y
12 likes3 comments
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GingerAntics
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#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #HistoricalNote
I like that she point blank says “here‘s the history and here‘s how I messed with it/what I did with it.”

julesG 👍 5y
Texreader That‘s why I love James Rollins. He does the same about the history and science in his books. 5y
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julesG Yes, this is definitely how it should be done. A lot of authors do it, but some just fly under their 'artistic licence' flags and don't bother. 5y
GingerAntics @julesG I‘d like to take that flag and burn it to the ephing ground! 5y
GingerAntics @Texreader I haven‘t heard of him. I‘ll have to go look him up. 5y
9 likes6 comments
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GingerAntics
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I just love the banter between these two characters.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #Simon

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GingerAntics
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Queue Michael Bublé singing ?That‘s Life!?
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #life

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GingerAntics
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It‘s just surprise after surprise after surprise tonight.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries

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GingerAntics
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I think I like this priest!!! 🤣😂🤣
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Priest #Rhys #FatherMedwyn

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GingerAntics
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GingerAntics
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He wasn‘t living under a rock, he just wasn‘t announcing himself...until about 1/4 of the way through the book, that is.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #Simon

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GingerAntics
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🤣😂🤣
I may have to use this. My current job is causing all kinds of problems. The thought of a greying crusader is oddly funny.
🤣😂🤣
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys

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GingerAntics
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This is clearly his reputation. “You kept secrets, but you never lied.”
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #Integrity

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GingerAntics
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There is clearly something important about Rhys‘s integrity. I just wish I knew what? Perhaps this is a theme throughout the series. I really hope she‘s almost done with the second book.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #Integrity

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GingerAntics
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Rhys has managed to help all the Welsh, silently and purposefully.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #Wales

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GingerAntics
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Rhys has managed to help all the Welsh, silently and purposefully.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #Wales

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GingerAntics
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Love this. This is so true. It‘s just as true of the Welsh (and anyone else conquered by the English) today as it was back then. Luckily the Welsh never stopped telling their children.

#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Wales #resist

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GingerAntics
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I love Rhys more with every chapter. I think Catrin finally realised she can stop thinking of him as a traitor to Wales, too. Thankfully.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #rhys #catrin

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GingerAntics
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Sorry, @Bookwomble they have one for you, too. Stick with Viking and I think you‘re good. lol
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeriesn #pig #sheep

Bookwomble Ha, ha! @TrishB would call someone from my neck of the woods a woolyback, or wool for short, so that's fitting 😄 5y
GingerAntics @Bookwomble a wool? Why @TrishB ? lol So it‘s a long tradition of being wool related nicknames. Hm. 🤣😂🤣 (edited) 5y
TrishB 😁 anyone from the surrounding areas outside the Liverpool city boundaries (I.e. the countryside!) is called a woolyback (sheep) or wool for short! @Bookwomble (edited) 5y
GingerAntics @TrishB @Bookwomble that‘s really interesting. I wonder if they two names are really connected? 5y
13 likes4 comments
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GingerAntics
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I‘m really going to need these two to talk to each other. Clearly they both still want to be friends, but she‘s about ready to charge him with treason against Wales.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries

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GingerAntics
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“Some of the obstreperousness left her.”
Word of the Day, compliments of Sarah Woodbury. That sure seemed to come out of nowhere.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #WordOfTheDay #obstreperousness
Normally I‘d be annoyed at such a big word thrown in out of the blue, but in a way it fits the character so I actually found it amusing. It could be because I‘m willing to give Woodbury the benefit of the doubt. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Either way.

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GingerAntics
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“Swore I‘d never wear it again.”
“Swore how, exactly? You could still wave it around threateningly, perhaps? That‘d be great.”
🤣😂🤣
I can‘t stop laughing at this bit. I absolutely adore it.

DGRachel That's hysterical! 5y
GingerAntics @DGRachel 🤣😂🤣 still laugh every time I read it! I‘m so glad I‘m not the only one who finds it amusing. The book really needed some comic relief, and then here it was...or it wasn‘t intended that way, but it works out anyway. 😂 5y
15 likes1 stack add2 comments
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GingerAntics
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Yes, but what exactly have you been hiding FROM, Rhys?! Oh my god I want to know!!!
#SarahWoosbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys #hidinginplainsight

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GingerAntics
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GingerAntics
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WHAT ARE YOU HIDING RHYS?!?!?!
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #Rhys

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GingerAntics
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This book is stunningly philosophical in parts. Rhys is truly an introspective character. I really like him... but I‘m still trying to figure out what he‘s hiding from everyone (including the reader).
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries

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GingerAntics
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RHYS IS THE CROUCHBACK!!! Then again, knowing Woodbury, that‘s one layer of it. “The Lost Son” in another of her series could apply to multiple characters, depending on how you look at it.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries

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GingerAntics
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This is a fair distinction. I find myself in a similar position. I‘m not lying, but I‘m not telling everything to some folks, either. If asked directly, I would tell the truth, but I‘m not volunteering certain information.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #honesty #integrity #Rhys

Texreader I get that! 5y
GingerAntics @Texreader this really feels like fair game to me. 5y
9 likes2 comments
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GingerAntics
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It‘s too bad I can‘t do multiple slides like on IG. This entire exchange is great. With zero prompting, the entire bloody town comes up with an alibi for a guy who did NOT find the body, to protect the two kids who did find the body but were clearly just going to fool around...all to protect them from the English. 💙💙💙
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries

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GingerAntics
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THERE IT IS!!! The Welsh version of Sassenach! My day is complete.
Moe-kh-an
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardMysteries #Mochyn #pig

Texreader 🤣 5y
GingerAntics @Texreader it‘s as close as we‘re going to get for the moment. This refers to Normans and apparently there is a distinction between English and Normans at this point. I‘ll take what I can get, though. 5y
Bookwomble @GingerAntics Sassenach derives from Saxon, so despite being technically English myself, having Viking ancestry I'm telling myself that I'm dodging both the 'sassenach' and 'mochyn' arrows 😁 5y
GingerAntics @Bookwomble I‘m part Celtic (Irish and Scottish) and part Viking, so I‘ll give you the pass. We could be distant cousins. lol I found out yesterday that particular spelling as not actually the Gaelic spelling, it‘s the anglicised spelling. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I swear that woman didn‘t even try. 5y
18 likes4 comments
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GingerAntics
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Oh, it just got real!
I feel like I need to find the Welsh version of Sassenach. lol
I‘m kind of sad because this is set just after the English take over Wales...and we all know how that‘s going still. The last two sentences of the first chapter have given me hope, though.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardMysteries #Wales #England

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GingerAntics
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@Texreader seems this one is going to be similar to Gareth and Gwen. I‘m still excited to read this. Perhaps I should be a bit concerned she can think up so many ways to kill people. lol
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardMysteries

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GingerAntics
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Interesting word and a fun little historical tidbit!
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardMysteries

DGRachel Ooh, that‘s fascinating! 5y
Texreader That tidbit alone makes me want to read it 5y
GingerAntics @Texreader @DGRachel it‘s in reference to an English character, so I‘m still not sure how it‘s going to apply to the story, but it is an interesting little tidbit and so far it‘s a good story. 5y
17 likes3 comments
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GingerAntics
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Let the games begin, kids!!! The cover of this book is actually really pretty.
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #WelshGuardSeries #newseries

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GingerAntics
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IT‘S HERE!!! IT‘S HERE!!! IT‘S HERE!!!
#SarahWoodbury #Crouchback #NewSeries #Wales #WelshGuardMysteries

Texreader Oooh! New series?? 5y
GingerAntics @Texreader yup! I‘m very excited. There was an excerpt at the end of the last Gareth and Gwen book in July. It‘s set at a different time in Welsh history than Gareth and Gwen, apparently. Closer to another of her series, the only one I‘ve never read. I‘m very excited about this book. I know what I‘ll be doing this weekend. lol (edited) 5y
DGRachel Ooh, I can't wait to hear what you think. This has promise! 5y
GingerAntics @DGRachel you know me, I will keep any person who follows me posted on the progress and my thoughts on this book. lol 5y
20 likes1 stack add4 comments
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GingerAntics
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GingerAntics @Texreader not doing too bad so far, and I managed to get this book in before it drops in November. 5y
Texreader Nicely done! 5y
16 likes3 comments