Title: Heir of Locksley
Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 1
Author: N.B. Dixon
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Release Date: December 1st, 2016
Genre(s): Historical, M/M
Words: 108,000
About the Book
Blurb
Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor.
An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience.
Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen - even murder.
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About N.B. Dixon
Author Bio
N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.
She began work on the *Outlaw's Legacy* Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. *Outlaw's Legacy* is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.
Connect with N.B.
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To find out whether or not Robin Hood was a real person, it’s best to start with his origins. The first known written ballad of Robin Hood was entitled 'Robin Hood and the Monk'. This was followed some years later by other ballads such as 'The Gest of Robin Hood', perhaps the most well known and certainly one of the longest. In this ballad, the story of Robin Hood is set in Barnsdale Forest, not in Sherwood. He is also a peasant, not a nobleman, and his story is set during the reign of Edward II, not Richard the Lionheart. During the reign of Edward II, Robert Hood of Wakefield rebelled against the King when he joined his cousin, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, in his attempt to overthrow Edward. The rebellion was unsuccessful and Robert of Wakefield, like so many, was forced to go on the run. Not much is known about him, but it is interesting that a Robin Hood is recorded as working for the King, which also occurs in 'The Gest of Robin Hood'. So were these men one and the same?
If only it were that black and white. The name Robin Hood is in fact a fairly common one. Though there are a variety of spellings, it was a universal term given to thieves. Robin was also a common enough name or just a shortened version of Robert. There are several men with the name Robert or Robin Hood who pop up throughout history, but were there any Robin Hood’s during the reign of King Richard? A knight named Robert Fitz Odo lived during the reign of Richard’s father, Henry II. Next to nothing is known about him, but it seems he lost his lands and title, much as the Robin Hood of legend did.
In the stories, Robin is famous for being a “different kind of Outlaw”. He steals only from those who can afford it and gives the money to those who are poor. Outlaws were predominantly made up of merchant’s and labourers, but some nobles did end up outlawed. While they were away on crusade, their lands were often stolen by enterprising neighbours. The crusading knights would return to find their home and lands gone. As the justice system moved slowly, they often had little option but to turn to outlawry, where they would be forced to steal in order to survive. It would be a very special man indeed who would give away what he stole to those less fortunate than himself. One theory has it that this was just a very clever piece of propaganda to convince the working classes that the nobles were not as cruel and heartless as they were believed to be. What better way to do this than to have a noble look after the poor?
Then there is the question of Robin Hood’s grave. According to the ballads, he dyed and was buried at Kirklees Priory in Yorkshire. A stone supposedly marked the spot, bearing the following inscription:
Here beneath this little stone,
Lays Robert Earl of Huntingdon.
Never was an archer so good as he,
And people called him Robin Hood.
Such outlaws as he and his men,
Will England never see again.
This gravestone has long since disappeared, although a drawing of a very similar stone was discovered in Locksley in Warwickshire. The original grave where Robin Hood was thought to be buried was found to be empty, but that begs the question, who wrote the inscription? Why was the stone removed?
The story of Robin is shrouded in mystery. Whether he was a real man or just a clever piece of propaganda, we may never be destined to know, but Robin Hood continues to fire the imaginations of all who read his story, and he remains alive in the hearts and minds of people long after any of the men he could have been were laid to rest in their graves.
Quest Post
Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction?
I’ve loved the legend of Robin Hood since I was a small child. But is it merely a legend? I believe it was J.K. Rowling who said in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' that all legends have a basis in fact. The question of whether or not Robin Hood was a real person is still a hotly debated subject. Even today, he continues to influence popular culture. From his first written appearances as the star of early ballads, he has graduated to novels and from there to film and TV, and even more recently, the radio.To find out whether or not Robin Hood was a real person, it’s best to start with his origins. The first known written ballad of Robin Hood was entitled 'Robin Hood and the Monk'. This was followed some years later by other ballads such as 'The Gest of Robin Hood', perhaps the most well known and certainly one of the longest. In this ballad, the story of Robin Hood is set in Barnsdale Forest, not in Sherwood. He is also a peasant, not a nobleman, and his story is set during the reign of Edward II, not Richard the Lionheart. During the reign of Edward II, Robert Hood of Wakefield rebelled against the King when he joined his cousin, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, in his attempt to overthrow Edward. The rebellion was unsuccessful and Robert of Wakefield, like so many, was forced to go on the run. Not much is known about him, but it is interesting that a Robin Hood is recorded as working for the King, which also occurs in 'The Gest of Robin Hood'. So were these men one and the same?
If only it were that black and white. The name Robin Hood is in fact a fairly common one. Though there are a variety of spellings, it was a universal term given to thieves. Robin was also a common enough name or just a shortened version of Robert. There are several men with the name Robert or Robin Hood who pop up throughout history, but were there any Robin Hood’s during the reign of King Richard? A knight named Robert Fitz Odo lived during the reign of Richard’s father, Henry II. Next to nothing is known about him, but it seems he lost his lands and title, much as the Robin Hood of legend did.
In the stories, Robin is famous for being a “different kind of Outlaw”. He steals only from those who can afford it and gives the money to those who are poor. Outlaws were predominantly made up of merchant’s and labourers, but some nobles did end up outlawed. While they were away on crusade, their lands were often stolen by enterprising neighbours. The crusading knights would return to find their home and lands gone. As the justice system moved slowly, they often had little option but to turn to outlawry, where they would be forced to steal in order to survive. It would be a very special man indeed who would give away what he stole to those less fortunate than himself. One theory has it that this was just a very clever piece of propaganda to convince the working classes that the nobles were not as cruel and heartless as they were believed to be. What better way to do this than to have a noble look after the poor?
Then there is the question of Robin Hood’s grave. According to the ballads, he dyed and was buried at Kirklees Priory in Yorkshire. A stone supposedly marked the spot, bearing the following inscription:
Here beneath this little stone,
Lays Robert Earl of Huntingdon.
Never was an archer so good as he,
And people called him Robin Hood.
Such outlaws as he and his men,
Will England never see again.
This gravestone has long since disappeared, although a drawing of a very similar stone was discovered in Locksley in Warwickshire. The original grave where Robin Hood was thought to be buried was found to be empty, but that begs the question, who wrote the inscription? Why was the stone removed?
The story of Robin is shrouded in mystery. Whether he was a real man or just a clever piece of propaganda, we may never be destined to know, but Robin Hood continues to fire the imaginations of all who read his story, and he remains alive in the hearts and minds of people long after any of the men he could have been were laid to rest in their graves.
Giveaway
Three lucky winners will receive an e-copy of Heir of Locksley, the first in the Outlaw's Legacy series by N.B. Dixon, a highly original retelling of the Robin Hood legend. To be in with a chance, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on May 6 and is open to entrants worldwide.
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