Photo Content from Aoife Lennon-Ritchie
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by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie
Publication Date: Sept. 27, 2016
Publisher: Tantrum Books
Thanks for having me over! The little bit of my book, The Extremely Epic Viking Tale of Yondersaay, that I’ve brought along for you hopefully shows you what you’re in for when you pick up the book. To give you some context, Kind Dudo The Mightily Impressive has landed on the Viking island Yondersaay is trying to plunder the island so he can claim the treasure buried there by the Viking God Odin. He’s talking to Rarelief the Splendiferous, a sturdy oak (yes, there is a talking tree in the book, but only because there really were talking trees on the island in Viking Times. It’s not made up) who is outlining his options:
“‘There is another way to win the island. I take it you are unwed?’ Rarelief asked the king.
“‘I have not found my Heart’s True Love yet,’ Dudo mumbled. ‘No. I’m not married.’ King Dudo could not disguise his sadness.
“‘You’re getting on a bit, aren’t you?’
“‘Hey!’
“‘Tad late to be worrying about your Heart’s True Love, if you ask me. Probably about time you face facts, settle, take what you can get. A king should marry and bear heirs.’
“‘I’m really not that old! Besides, what does it matter to you?’
“‘Because,’ Rarelief continued, ‘the only other way to become master of the island is to marry the jarl’s daughter. She is a stunner, isn’t she?’ Rarelief asked.
“‘Hmm.’
“‘She is not to your satisfaction?’
“‘She’s very nice.’
“‘I see.’
“‘No, I mean, she’s lovely. She is beautiful and kind. I am certain she would make a loving and supportive wife. It’s just …’ King Dudo let out a big sigh. ‘She’s not my Heart’s True Love.’
“‘Well, you only just met,’ Rarelief said. ‘Give her a chance. Take her on a date; get to know each other. But don’t wait too long. I gather she is leaving the island soon.’
“‘How soon?’
“‘At the end of the week.’
“‘At the end of the week?’
“‘Yes, she accompanies her father to their country pile in the southern lands every year when the harshest of the winter months set in. It gets very cold here in winter. Of course, you could wait until she gets back next summer,’ Rarelief continued, ‘but do you really want to spend months here on your own waiting for her to get back? Aren’t your men out there looking for you? Besides, if you wait, you might miss your chance. The jarl’s daughter is no spring chicken herself. She’ll be wanting to settle down soon too, I’m sure, and she gets a lot of attention when she goes south—her coloring being unusual in southern lands, her uncommon beauty goes down a bomb there. She’s always hotly pursued, and this year she might just say yes. She always says no, you see.’
“‘Why? As you say, she’s no spring chicken.’
“‘Some rubbish about waiting to find her Heart’s True Love.’
“‘Ah.’
“‘So, you’ll have to really make her fall for you if you want her to marry you. And you’d better get moving. You have three days and counting.’
“‘By the winged moustaches of Thor, that is not a lot of time!’
“‘It should be ample.’
“‘Ample? Are you kidding me?’
“‘Should be no trouble for a charming, impressive hero like yourself.’
“‘I suppose there is some truth in that, Rarelief. I am incredibly charming and incredibly impressive. I really cannot deny that. I have often been told as much. Often. There’s just one problem.’
“‘And what would that be now?’
“‘I was going to ask you, since you know so much about the island. There’s this woman—’
“‘Let me stop you there.’
“‘Huh?’
“‘Forget her.’
“‘Why?’
“‘If you have any interest in possessing this island and all its treasures and mysteries, and they are plentiful—’
“‘Yes, I know, you’ve told me all about them. In great detail.’
“‘If you truly desire this island, you must forget about this other woman and concentrate on the jarl’s daughter. She’s the only one for you.’
“‘Well, she did totally blank me.’
“‘Who? This other woman? There you go.’
“‘I mean, she didn’t even acknowledge me. It was embarrassing! I was all, Well, hello there, and she was all, Nothing, and I was all, Hi, and she was all, Hmph,’ King Dudo said as he folded his arms and turned his back on Rarelief.
“‘Like I said, forget her. What’s the point? She clearly doesn’t get you. You need someone who gets you. Take Olaf’s daughter on a date. See if she gets you.’
“‘Yeah, but three days …’
“‘You’re the King of all the Danes, and look at you! How could anyone resist?’
“King Dudo looked at his muscles and his flowing hair and stood tall with his chin in the air and his hands on his hips. “‘You are right,’ he said proudly. ‘I am fantastic. How hard can it be?’”
This winter, siblings Ruairi and Dani Miller visit their ancestral homeland: the legendary Viking island of Yondersaay. Even with Granny Miller's storytelling to pass the time, the pair manage to find trouble. In less than twenty-four hours of their arrival, Ruairi is mistaken for the lost Boy King of Denmark, kidnapped by Vikings, and scheduled to be sacrificed at sundown. Granny isn’t very pleased.
But when everyone except them goes Viking, the three turn to Granny’s epic tales of the legends of Yondersaay, The Gifts of Odin, and King Dudo the Mightily Impressive for clues. But not all stories end happily, and Ruari, Dani, and Granny will have to write their own happy ending.
The Princess Bride meets Vikings in this enchanted tale of high adventure, buried treasure, villainous treachery, violent ends, and – of course – true love. Aoife Lennon-Ritchie's debut middle grade novel, THE EXTREMELY EPIC VIKING TALE OF YONDERSAAY, is a humorous and heartwarming story for readers ages 9+.
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“‘There is another way to win the island. I take it you are unwed?’ Rarelief asked the king.
“‘I have not found my Heart’s True Love yet,’ Dudo mumbled. ‘No. I’m not married.’ King Dudo could not disguise his sadness.
“‘You’re getting on a bit, aren’t you?’
“‘Hey!’
“‘Tad late to be worrying about your Heart’s True Love, if you ask me. Probably about time you face facts, settle, take what you can get. A king should marry and bear heirs.’
“‘I’m really not that old! Besides, what does it matter to you?’
“‘Because,’ Rarelief continued, ‘the only other way to become master of the island is to marry the jarl’s daughter. She is a stunner, isn’t she?’ Rarelief asked.
“‘Hmm.’
“‘She is not to your satisfaction?’
“‘She’s very nice.’
“‘I see.’
“‘No, I mean, she’s lovely. She is beautiful and kind. I am certain she would make a loving and supportive wife. It’s just …’ King Dudo let out a big sigh. ‘She’s not my Heart’s True Love.’
“‘Well, you only just met,’ Rarelief said. ‘Give her a chance. Take her on a date; get to know each other. But don’t wait too long. I gather she is leaving the island soon.’
“‘How soon?’
“‘At the end of the week.’
“‘At the end of the week?’
“‘Yes, she accompanies her father to their country pile in the southern lands every year when the harshest of the winter months set in. It gets very cold here in winter. Of course, you could wait until she gets back next summer,’ Rarelief continued, ‘but do you really want to spend months here on your own waiting for her to get back? Aren’t your men out there looking for you? Besides, if you wait, you might miss your chance. The jarl’s daughter is no spring chicken herself. She’ll be wanting to settle down soon too, I’m sure, and she gets a lot of attention when she goes south—her coloring being unusual in southern lands, her uncommon beauty goes down a bomb there. She’s always hotly pursued, and this year she might just say yes. She always says no, you see.’
“‘Why? As you say, she’s no spring chicken.’
“‘Some rubbish about waiting to find her Heart’s True Love.’
“‘Ah.’
“‘So, you’ll have to really make her fall for you if you want her to marry you. And you’d better get moving. You have three days and counting.’
“‘By the winged moustaches of Thor, that is not a lot of time!’
“‘It should be ample.’
“‘Ample? Are you kidding me?’
“‘Should be no trouble for a charming, impressive hero like yourself.’
“‘I suppose there is some truth in that, Rarelief. I am incredibly charming and incredibly impressive. I really cannot deny that. I have often been told as much. Often. There’s just one problem.’
“‘And what would that be now?’
“‘I was going to ask you, since you know so much about the island. There’s this woman—’
“‘Let me stop you there.’
“‘Huh?’
“‘Forget her.’
“‘Why?’
“‘If you have any interest in possessing this island and all its treasures and mysteries, and they are plentiful—’
“‘Yes, I know, you’ve told me all about them. In great detail.’
“‘If you truly desire this island, you must forget about this other woman and concentrate on the jarl’s daughter. She’s the only one for you.’
“‘Well, she did totally blank me.’
“‘Who? This other woman? There you go.’
“‘I mean, she didn’t even acknowledge me. It was embarrassing! I was all, Well, hello there, and she was all, Nothing, and I was all, Hi, and she was all, Hmph,’ King Dudo said as he folded his arms and turned his back on Rarelief.
“‘Like I said, forget her. What’s the point? She clearly doesn’t get you. You need someone who gets you. Take Olaf’s daughter on a date. See if she gets you.’
“‘Yeah, but three days …’
“‘You’re the King of all the Danes, and look at you! How could anyone resist?’
“King Dudo looked at his muscles and his flowing hair and stood tall with his chin in the air and his hands on his hips. “‘You are right,’ he said proudly. ‘I am fantastic. How hard can it be?’”
But when everyone except them goes Viking, the three turn to Granny’s epic tales of the legends of Yondersaay, The Gifts of Odin, and King Dudo the Mightily Impressive for clues. But not all stories end happily, and Ruari, Dani, and Granny will have to write their own happy ending.
The Princess Bride meets Vikings in this enchanted tale of high adventure, buried treasure, villainous treachery, violent ends, and – of course – true love. Aoife Lennon-Ritchie's debut middle grade novel, THE EXTREMELY EPIC VIKING TALE OF YONDERSAAY, is a humorous and heartwarming story for readers ages 9+.
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