Guest Post (and a Giveaway!): A.L. Sowards & Of Sword and Shadow

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Of Sword and Shadow by A.L. Sowards, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m excited to have the author here today to share about a song that reminds her of her characters.

Title: Of Sword and Shadow
Author: A. L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: February 2021
Genre: Action Adventure Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

Greece, 1379

She is known by many names, none of them her own. In truth, she is an unnamed slave, nothing more than a weapon in the hands of her owner in his attempts to provoke political mayhem. When she encounters a handsome young man while on an assignment, she thinks little of him—until he attempts to take what she has stolen. But in her line of work, failure is not an option.

Gillen is intrigued by the mysterious woman who thwarts his mission. But when his path crosses hers again, his intrigue turns to gratitude as the thief he comes to call Eudocia saves his life. The two form a bond of friendship and join forces to wrest control from a group of ruthless rulers. But as their camaraderie blossoms into something more, Gillen and Eudocia must fight for love even as they wage war for a better future.

 

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I drafted and did most of the revisions for Of Sword and Shadow in the fall of 2019. During that time, my twins (girls, in 4^th grade back then) participated in their school choir, and one of the songs they learned was “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars. As they often do when learning a new song, they asked me to add it to a playlist. When I listened to it, I thought, “this could totally be Gil singing to Eudocia, if they’d had that type of music back in the fourteenth century.”

I’ll list some of the lyrics and explain my comments for why this song and Of Sword and Shadow are a good match in brackets.

If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea
I’ll sail the world to find you

[If you happened to be lost in the middle of the sea, a former Basque fisherman like Gil would be a good choice for a rescuer back in the fourteenth century. He’s familiar with the ocean, and Basque fisherman sailed fairly far to the west. How far and when they arrived at the various locations is a bit of a mystery, because like most fishermen, they kept their prime fishing spots secret, but Basque fishermen may very well have beat Columbus to the New World.]

If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can’t see
I’ll be the light to guide you

[Gil isn’t Eudocia’s primary mentor when it comes to showing her the light of Christ, but he’s definitely involved. Gil has a deep faith that influences all his choices, and that rubs off on his friends and associates.]

Find out what we’re made of
When we are called to help our friends in need

You can count on me like one two three
I’ll be there
And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two
You’ll be there
‘Cause that’s what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah
Whoa, whoa
Oh, oh
Yeah, yeah

[The relationship between Gil and Eudocia begins as friendship—something new to Eudocia, because she has had very few friends in her life. And both Gil and Eudocia end up needing the other’s help multiple times before the story is over.]

If you tossin’ and you’re turnin’ and you just can’t fall asleep
I’ll sing a song
Beside you

And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me
Everyday I will
Remind you

[Gil sings to Eudocia a few times throughout the book. She’s not sure if the songs are Basque lullabies or Basque love ballads, because she understands several languages, but not Euskara, the language Gil uses for his songs.]

Whenever “Count on Me” plays, I think of Gil and Eudocia, and I usually smile, which has led my son to believe that “Count on You” is my favorite song. I don’t know if it’s my favorite, but I enjoy the sweet message of friendship and trust, and I love the characters the song now reminds me of.