Clans and Castles by P M Terrell
A window into the ancestors of anyone of Scot-Irish descent Clans and Castles is the first book in the Checkmate Series In 1608, William Neely left Wigtownshire, Scotland for Ulster. He was looking for his place in the world but what he found was the adventure of a lifetime. Surrounded by powerful clans that had ruled Ulster for more than a thousand years, he came to know some of the most mighty chieftains of the time, including the formidable Cahir O'Doherty, who launched O'Doherty's Rebellion with the burning of Derry and the killing of Sir George Paulet of His Majesty King James' service. It would put in motion a chain of events that would transform Ireland and it would mark Cahir O'Doherty as the Last Gaelic Irish King in Ireland. Cahir O'Doherty became the Lord of Inishowen as a teen after the death of his father. Known as The Queen's O'Doherty due to his loyalty to Sir Henry Docwra and the English Crown, he saved his clan lands on the Inishowen Peninsula and his people from the fate that had befallen other Irish clans. Peace would be short-lived, however, when Henry Docwra, Governor of Derry, was replaced by the ruthless Sir George Paulet, who ushered in a new wave of hatred for the Gaelic Irish. It would all come to a head on one fateful night when O'Doherty took the commander at Culmore Fort hostage along with his wife and son. Gaining access to the weapons at Culmore Fort, he led an invasion of Derry, burning the village to the ground. It would touch off a wave of events that would unite the major clans of Ulster, leading to a bombardment of Burt Castle, a counterattack in the Inishowen Peninsula and the burning of Ulster; a major battle at Kilmacrenan and finally a siege at Tory Island. And when O'Doherty's Rebellion was complete, it would usher in the age of The Plantation and mass immigration of Lowland Scots, encouraged by King James I to transform all of Ulster. Clans and Castles is based on the life of the author's ancestor, William Neely. Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite Checkmate: Clans and Castles by P.M. Terrell is a spellbinding novel that captures a historic moment in Irish history in the early 17th century, exploring the adventures of William Neely, who came to Ireland from Scotland in 1608 in the hope of fighting in King James's army... Here is a tantalizing historical novel that plunges the reader into what life was like in Ireland at a period when powerful chieftains rose against each other, a captivating story with relevant historical and cultural references; it is the first book in the Checkmate series, and a great opening at that. What immediately arrested my attention was the power of the prose. From the very beginning of the story, the reader is treated to gorgeous descriptions of the setting and the characters: The winds were fervent across the Irish Sea, pushing the waves into the shoreline with uncharacteristic intensity, stopped only by the jagged rock below before misting William Neely. The narrative is lyrical and the voice is irresistible. Yes, the prose sings in the reader's ears like beautiful music and it is peppered with wonderful dialogues, which are well-composed to read naturally and to deepen the plot and conflict. P.M. Terrell's characters are wonderfully developed and readers will love them. There is a lot of drama taking place throughout the narrative and the action is intense and unrelenting. Checkmate: Clans and Castles is a gripping treat for fans of historical novels, a well-crafted, not-easy-to-put-down story that will transport the reader into a turbulent period in Irish history.
p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than twenty books in four genres: contemporary suspense, historical suspense, computer how-to and non-fiction. Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area: McClelland Enterprises, Inc. and Continental Software Development Corporation. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence. A full-time author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries was her first series, inspired by the success of Exit 22, released in 2008. Vicki's Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. Her second series, Ryan O'Clery Suspense, is also award-winning. The Tempest Murders (Book 1) was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category. The White Devil of Dublin (Book 2) was released one year later. Her historical suspense, River Passage, was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. Songbirds are Free is her bestselling book to date; it is inspired by the true story of Mary Neely, who was captured in 1780 by Shawnee warriors near Fort Nashborough (now Nashville, TN). She is also the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She is the organizer and chairperson of Book 'Em North Carolina, an annual event held in the real town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime. For more information on this event and the literacy campaigns funded by it, visit www.bookemnc.org. She sits on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library and the Robeson County Arts Council. She has also served on the boards of Crime Stoppers and Crime Solvers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia. For more information visit the author's website at www.pmterrell.com.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781935970408 |
| ISBN 10 | 1935970402 |
| Title | Clans and Castles |
| Author | P M Terrell |
| Series | Checkmate |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Drake Valley Press |
| Year published | 2017-04-28 |
| Number of pages | 440 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |