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Category Archives: News

IGRAINE Omnibus Version Now Available

15 Sunday Apr 2018

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99p, arthurian, bargain, fantasy, history, kindedeal, kindle, kindle new release, magic, medieval, romance, witches

51DGyy2yGGLThe time is here! IGRAINE is now available in its omnibus version! ** Just 99p for a short time **
 
These books tell the never-before-told story of King Arthur’s mother, the conflict over the future king’s destiny between the queen and Merlin, and the struggle of a post-Roman Britain to mix past with present, Christian with pagan, and magic with politics. Igraine is no passive by-stander at court but a powerful political player, a wise and influential queen who reflects the strength and tenacity of the women of ancient Britain.
 
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NEW RELEASE! MERLIN’S CURSE

01 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by laviniacollins in amreading, amwriting, News, women, women writers

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99c, 99p, arthurian, fantasy, kindle, kindle deal, new release, romance

Grab it now on Amazon, just 99p!

A queen or a prisoner?

Freshly widowed, with a child she can’t possibly have in safety and two grieving daughter, Igraine must negotiate the dangerous politics of a court in turmoil, unsure of if she is its new queen or a prisoner. With Uther’s promises not yet kept, and him slipping further under Merlin’s control, to protect her unborn child, her daughters and the home she has left behind, Igraine is forced to make deals with people she knows are not to be trusted.

MERLIN’S CURSE is the second book by Lavinia Collins in the Igraine Trilogy. Check out the first in the series, THE CORNISH PRINCESS, out now on Kindle.

 

Do you read your books in public?

25 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by laviniacollins in News, Uncategorized, women writers

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book reading, event, libraries, reading, writer life, writers

image1.JPGI’m gearing up for my first ever public reading of my book at a public library, and I’m feeling pretty nervous.

I really hate reading my own work out loud. There’s something about it, like listening to a recording of your own voice, which is the most uncomfortable, self-conscious feeling that I can think of.

I have read my books out loud before. To friends, at launch parties, after being lubricated with a not insignificant amount of Aldi’s finest prosecco. 

image2.jpgHas anyone else done a reading? What are your top tips?

There’s also an opportunity to sell books at the reading which is great because, y’know, income, but also I’ve left all of the cringe “buy my book” stuff to Amazon and twitter. I could, of course, just leave the books on the side and say nothing, but that’s a missed opportunity to share my stories with readers.

How does one negotiate thing?

So wish me luck! Here I go, out into the real world…

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – Everything You Need to Know

20 Saturday May 2017

Posted by laviniacollins in amreading, feminism, medieval, News, reading, women

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Film, film review, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, reading is fundamental, ursula the sea witch

king-arthurThis film was not quite what I expected. Instead of being a story about King Arthur growing up and coming into his birthright it was the charming tale of Vortigern (who has a cool name and is a tiny bit-part in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain but is inexplicably Uther’s ambitious brother here) making a deal with Ursula the Sea-Witch but instead of wanting legs so he can be a real boy he wants magic powers so he can destroy the world muhahahaha to no obvious benefit to himself.

I’m going to start off with everything I liked about this film:

  • ursula.jpgIt featured Ursula the Sea-Witch and a sexy version of Flotsam and Jetsam, updated for the modern viewer
  • Eric Bana reprises the exact same role he played in Troy but has now gloriously graduated from “dutiful hunk who fights on to protect his people despite knowing he is doomed” to “dutiful silver fox who fights on to protect his people despite knowing he is doomed”
  •  It was a world in which becoming the most magical magician that ever did magic was a simple matter of building the tallest house – a true meritocratic society which young Arthur rudely disrupts by insisting on his inborn nobility
  • Vortigern uses this magic to become a sort of Sauron-styled Nazi and has – it seems – the power to convince Guy Ritchie that making 100,000 CGI extras do a Nazi salute was a good way of “subtly” showing he was evil
  • Excalibur was a sort of giant sonic screwdriver, complete with glowing blue light and the ability to pretty much do anything the plot required
  • The final fight scene was exactly the same sequence as the ‘Vah Rudania’ boss I just defeated on Legend of Zelda, complete with melting into black mist at the end (that’s not a spoiler because I didn’t tell you who was fighting who, ha ha)

But I come not to praise this film, but to bury it, and – boys and girls – the library is well and truly open in the Collins household.

I approached this film with much excitement and some dread. I’m not a big Ritchie fan, but like all living breathing humans I adored the Sherlock Holmes reboot. I was concerned by the trailer, and I’m afraid it cashed those cheques it wrote about the film being a massive sausage-fest in which the women were pretty, quiet and died whenever the plot demanded with minimum mess, bar one mysterious “mage” that does not get a name. Igraine, who in Malory is a wise counsellor and complex figure even in the first book in which she appears, says the word ‘peace’ and then dies (watch this space for a more interesting, empowering and f-ing up to date Igraine).

That’s the thing – this wasn’t the King Arthur movie that 2017 needed. It’s even less woke than the medieval versions. Malory’s no Simone de Beauvoir, but we still see complex women with things to do and say, influence – and sometimes even power – to wield. I expect GR clapped himself on the back when he wrote that ‘arthur-king-of-the-britons-i-am-arthur-king-of-the-britonsMaggie’ character but she does so little it’s laughable and despite an altercation with Vortigern in a barge, she simply melts back into the background to look obligingly up at men whenever they speak at her.

Likewise, despite claiming a medieval legacy and making some nods towards it, it was so far off the mark it was laughable. It’s like the creators had a drunken meeting where they were like “what’s medieval? Mercia? Vikings? Drinking? Sure, that’ll do”. Thing is, Viking’s weren’t raiding Britain until centuries after King Arthur, let alone coming and making deals with kings. Those could just as easily have been Saxons, who would have fulfilled the same plot role and been right, only Ritchie cornered himself by perplexingly have Arthur and everyone else refer over and over again to England. Eng-land. Angle-land. Land of the Anglo-saxons. I mean, come on. “I am Arthur, King of the Britons.” Then again, Terry Jones knows what he’s talking about. But come on, mate. It would only have taken a cursory google. BTW, Mercia – an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. No Mercia back in dem days. Don’t get me started on the names. William. Lucy. Mike. Those, I could have forgiven, it’s England that really gets me, like the script was written by an EDL member with no access to google.

So there it is. The Legend of the Sword. A man’s man film for a man’s man lads on tour world that, despite the expensive CGI, somehow feels horribly dated.

*NEWS* MORGAWSE Completely free for your kindle! *NEWS*

30 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by laviniacollins in amreading, amwriting, medieval, News, reading, women, women writers

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amreading, ebook deals, fantasy, free ebook, free kindle, freebie, freebies, historical fiction, kindle, kindle deal, kindle freebie, kindle offer, King Arthur, romance, romance novels

Morgawse: A Medieval Fantasy romance is free for a short time only for your kindle! Grab this fantastic deal while you can.

A young noblewoman is caught in between warring factions in dying King Uther’s realm.

The life of the Queen of Lothian explored for the first time in fiction in depth since Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.

MORGAWSE features all three books in the trilogy, previously published in single volumes on Kindle, as part of Lavinia Collins’ fantasy chronicles exploring the lives of Arthurian women. Look out for GUINEVERE and MORGAN.

The three books collated here have been described as “stunning”, “gripping”, “simply beautiful” and “enthralling”. Try this volume today and see what all the fuss is about!

Reviewers say: 

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*NEWS* MORGAWSE Now out in beautiful paperback!

18 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by laviniacollins in News, Uncategorized

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It’s a very exciting day once more in the Collins household as the Morgawse: Queen of the North trilogy is available as an omnibus in a gorgeous paperback, courtesy of the lovely people at The Book Folks (and, of course, me).

For the first time, read the untold story of Queen Morgawse in this passionate fantasy romance. Intrigue, steamy love-scenes and lots of sumptuous medieval scenery – what more could you want?

‘a sexy psychology lesson’
‘highly charged romantic extravaganza’ 

Find it on Amazon here! 

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Morgawse: Queen of the North Trilogy now out in full!

28 Saturday May 2016

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Now you can read the full story of the much-too-often-forgotten Queen Morgawse. All three parts available on kindle: 

The Empty Throne

Old King Uther is dying. Morgawse’s greedy and ambitious husband Lot plans to take over and seize the crown. But a strange young boy is found claiming to be the rightful heir to the throne. Overwhelmed with anger, Lot sends Morgawse to the court at Camelot to spy on young Arthur.

As Morgawse gets more and more involved with Arthur she doesn’t realise the dangerous path she is treading.

A Fragile Crown
Ruthlessly dismissed from Camelot by King Arthur, Morgawse returns to Lothian Castle with her sister, Morgan. Her pregnancy remains a delicate secret from her vile and domineering husband, Lot. But he is endlessly suspicious, and discovers her swelling belly. Fuming with anger, he pledges war on King Arthur to regain what he considers the only thing worth living for – honour.

 

The Defiant Queen
The Queen of the North’s sons are called to Camelot, and the cry on their lips is War. Returning to Lothian, Queen Morgawse struggles to regain control of her old kingdom. With her husband absent and her adult sons called to Camelot to fight among King Arthur’s knights, she is vulnerable. Having been away and gained something of a reputation in Tintagel, fighting to assert her authority with the Highland lords and to protect herself proves difficult.

 

News! A FRAGILE CROWN out now!

21 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by laviniacollins in News, Uncategorized

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fantasy, medieval, romance

A Fragile Crown
Part II of the Morgawse: Queen of the North Trilogy

Ruthlessly dismissed from Camelot by King Arthur, Morgawse returns to Lothian Castle with her sister, Morgan. Her pregnancy remains a delicate secret from her vile and domineering husband, Lot. But he is endlessly suspicious, and discovers her swelling belly. Fuming with anger, he pledges war on King Arthur to regain what he considers the only thing worth living for – honour.

Morgawse is indifferent about the fate of her husband but she fears terribly for her sons as they join their father in battle. She plans to visit Arthur again to try and persuade him to a peace agreement. Despite his hostility, she reminds him that he is, after all, the father of her child. But Arthur has other plans.

You can also find Part I, THE EMPTY THRONE: a gripping medieval romance on Amazon.

*News* MORGAN TRILOGY COMPLETELY FREE *News*

04 Thursday Feb 2016

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arthurian, fantasy, free ebook, freebie, historical fiction, kindle, kindle deal, kindle freebie, medieval, romance

Don’t miss your chance to get the collected version of the bestselling Morgan trilogy completely free for your kindle!

Click here to grab your freebie!

“Once again, Collins has created complex, intriguing characters, and a vivid world that makes you forget the Arthurian legends are just that, legends… Here, Morgan comes forward to tell her own story. And it’s a very compelling one.” History and Other Thoughts Blog

“An exciting and entertaining tale of a woman who is a witch, an enchantress, a seducer, a lover, a leader, a sibling, a friend, a foe, a victim and a perpetrator. Morgan is the embodiment of feminine power and feminine struggle.” Crystal’s Many Reviewers Blog 

The Witches of Avalon, the first instalment of the trilogy, also featured in Crystal’s Many Reviwers’ Top 50 Books of the Year. 

*News*A Fragile Crown Available for Pre-Order *News*

03 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by laviniacollins in News, Uncategorized

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arthurian, historical fiction, medieval, morgawse, new release, romance, writing

 A Fragile Crown, the second instalment of the Morgawse: Queen of the North Arthurian Fantasy Romance Trilogy is available now to pre-order for your kindle!

Ruthlessly dismissed from Camelot by King Arthur, Morgawse returns to Lothian Castle with her sister, Morgan. Her pregnancy remains a delicate secret from her vile and domineering husband, Lot. But he is endlessly suspicious, and discovers her swelling belly. Fuming with anger, he pledges war on King Arthur to regain what he considers the only thing worth living for – honour.

Morgawse is indifferent about the fate of her husband but she fears terribly for her sons as they join their father in battle. She plans to visit Arthur again to try and persuade him to a peace agreement. Despite his hostility, she reminds him that he is, after all, the father of her child. But Arthur has other plans.

Grab it here! You can also find part I of the trilling trilogy THE EMPTY THRONE on Amazon.
Want to find out more about who Morgawse, the forgotten queen of Arthurian literature, was? Click this link!

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