New book: St. Agnes and the Selkie by Mark Baker {writing as GM Baker}

Hi, Brian.

St. Agnes and the Selkie is the second book of my historical series set in 8th century Northumbria in the time of the first Viking raids. It is the sequel to The Wistful and the Good and tells what happened to Elswyth after she left home. Here is the blurb:

Mother Wynflaed of Whitby Abbey rules a joint house of monks and nuns, and many layfolk besides. Her office forbids her to have favorites, but when a young woman appears on the doorstep, soaked from the sea and too terrified to speak her name, Wynflaed comes to see her not only as a potential postulant, but as a daughter. She names her Agnes, but before Agnes can become part of the community, Wynflaed must discover her secret.

Mark

Though Wynflaed finds it impossible to think ill of Agnes, Agnes herself keeps pulling down one penance after another on her head, as if trying to expiate some grave crime. As some in the abbey begin to fear her, Agnes becomes Wynflaed's obsession, upsetting the harmony of the abbey, and leading Wynflaed to question her own fitness to rule.

When Eardwulf, the young king of Northumbria, comes to Wynflaed seeking counsel, he too becomes infatuated with Agnes. As Wynflaed begins to unwind Agnes' secret, she realizes that Agnes is a danger to both the abbey and the king, and plans to send her away. But Eardwulf has other ideas, and Agnes has other admirers.

 I also be releasing the third book in the series, The Needle of Avocation, at the end of January.

Thanks,

Mark

 St. Agnes and the Selkie and The Wistful and the Good are both available now and The Needle of Avocation is available for pre-order here.

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