The Sword’s Ayre is a collection of stories revolving around the lands of Teras and Semeia.  My hope is that it will read like a faery tale after the tradition of European literature.  The Stirring is the first book in this series.  It is an allegory of a Christian being called into the service of Jesus.

When I started researching for The Stirring I read fairytales, folk stories, and legends from many of the mainland European countries.  I found that many of the stories were shared across boundary lines that divided countries, but not people.  There may have been slight variations, but the core of the stories remained the same. The three islands (England, Ireland, and Iceland) have added their own stories and twist into the mix.  And each country held and added their own stories to the collection of verbal and written tales that make up the body of European tales.

In studying my family’s genealogy and learning more about the early history of Europe, it was easy to see why all of this sharing occurred.  Boundary lines and borders were present but people went across them in living their lives.  This led to the sharing of inventions, goods, art, and beliefs. That is history and to some extent, it is documented and can be called fact.  

The world of Teras and the Sacred Forest, however, belongs to Marek, Eliisabet, and Melchi the Messenger, and the other characters.  My story is a work of fiction.  I have added historical details to the tale for a touch of realism.  I have used places, names, and terms from many countries and time periods.  This was done for several reasons but mainly to produce a fun story for the average reader, not the historical purist.

My, pray is that my book(s) will be enjoyed as a tale.  Parents, if you read this to your children, I also hope that it will provide topics for you to discuss with them.