Out of the Shadow of Count Dracula . . . When Vlad III was Sold into Slavery

Welcome back to this week's edition of Out of the Shadow of Count Dracula. Last week, we looked at what the Order of the Dragon - a special, noble, chivilric society that was designed to protect Christendom (in those pre-Church-split days #CoughCoughThanksHenryVIII #MartinLutherYouGetPropsToo, Christendom was solely Catholic and Orthodox) from Ottoman (Muslim) takeover.

We learned also how Vlad III got his infamous name - Dracula. His father, Vlad II, took the name to honor the Order of the Dragon when he himself entered. In those medieval Romanian days, Dracul meant Dragon. Today, language has shifted (as language does . . . I mean, can you imagine someone in Vlad's time talking like my teenage daughter? Bro, that new edict you issued is delicious, frfr). Today, Dracul in modern Romanian means devil. What a way to get your reputation on the wrong path just through the shifting sands of history and language translation fads.

This week, let's look at Vlad III's childhood and examine when and why his father, Vlad II, sold him into slavery. 

Vlad II

Vlad III was born to his father, Vlad II of Wallachia, House of Draculesti, and his mother Eupraxia of Moldova. She was said to be his second wife, though Vlad II took many mistresses, and still not much is known about his legitimate wife other than she was a Moldavian noblewoman. 

Vlad II had a slew of children, the oldest legitimate child being Mircea - who was set to rule when Vlad II could no longer do so - and then came our beloved and historically notorious Vlad III. His little brother, Radu, came next, then a daughter, Alexandra - who also is difficult to track down historiographically. A couple of illegitimate children are in the Draculesti mix as well, one being the eldest of all, Vlad the Monk (whose cruelty, in my research, surpasses even Vlad III's . . .) and another child named Mircea. Strange . . . lots of the same names, lots of different mothers. Oh well, it is what it is. 

Radu the Fair, or Radu the Handsome

Vlad II, pictured above, wanted to rule and live a life of luxury, and he didn't think twice about selling out to do so. Actually not selling out . . . but selling his sons. But which ones should he sell? Not Mircea the heir, no no no. How about the littlest legitimate ones, Vlad III (our Vlad) and his little brother Radu (pictured to the left). Vlad III was 11 or 12 when he was sold by his father into Ottoman hands, and Radu was only 7.

As we know from the English language, to sell means to give something to someone in order to get something in return. So what did Vlad's Dad get in return for selling his sons to an empire of known pedophiles?

Peace. He got peace.

The Ottomans promised to help Vlad II regain his rightful throne and furthermore, they promised not to attack Wallachia if Vlad II supplied them with two of his sons plus a yearly supply of gold, a deal to which he readily agreed.

Without a second thought, Vlad III and Radu were dealt away like pawns by their father, ruler of the Wallachia - and into the hands of an enemy who had a well-known lust for young boys. What makes this even more disturbing is that the practice of selling young boys to the Ottoman Empire in exchange for the Ottoman's promise not to attack was commonplace at the time, with many, many countries doing the very same thing. These young boys, sold into Ottoman slavery, were numerous enough to make an army. This army even had a name - the Janissary Army - made up of young, European boys who turned from their European ways and were now loyal to the Turkish cause.

What happened once the boys arrived to Tokat Castle in modern day Turkey? Find out more next Thursday, same time, same place. 

WeWriWa 2/2/2020 - Defender of the Faith (Draculesti Dynasty #1)

Welcome back for the next excerpt from Defender of the Faith (Draculesti Dynasty #1). We are still in my throes of the first section of my reader letter, which outlines why Dracula? Why this book? Why in the world would I write something positive about someone that, through history, has been little more than a devil?

In the reader letter, I answer these questions and more and prove that, just as the narrator stated in the opening lines of Braveheart, history is written by those who've hanged heroes. Perhaps that is the case for Vlad Draculea III of Wallachia.

Click here to get back to the other amazing Weekend Writing Warriors

Add caption

Most boys, Wallachian and European, turned while under Turkish (Ottoman) rule and became Janissaries, or members of an army of foreign boys loyal to the Turkish cause.

Vlad’s younger brother, Radu the Handsome, was imprisoned along with Vlad. Not long after their arrival, Radu became a favorite of the Sultan, Mehmed II, and shifted his loyalty to the side of the Turks, leaving Vlad to endure the hellish captivity and experiences on his own, with only his Catholic faith to lean on. Vlad’s experiences while in Ottoman captivity that are detailed in this book, while fictionalized, are based on real events detailed by Vlad and historians alike. When Vlad’s captivity was over, he held fast to his Catholic faith and left his little brother, now a lover of the Sultan and a practicing Muslim, in Turkey.

That's it, folks! I hope you enjoyed this week's excerpt from my reader letter!

Come on over to my website to check out more of my work, including paranormal thrillers and Amish romances!

Out of the Shadow of Count Dracula

I have been researching a new book- well, let me rephrase that. If you know me I don't research just one book at a time, so in all fairness I can say that I have been researching a new series of books- about the medieval Romanian who inspired Count Dracula. Vlad Draculea III, also known as Vlad the Impaler.

In my research, I have uncovered (many, many, many) interesting facts that have changed the mental portrait I have of Vlad III, from one of a bloodthirsty, mindless heathen to . . . well, journey with me on this blog back to medieval Romania and see for yourself. (Clicking this link will take you to my Dracula page on this blog.) 

Next up . . . Vlad Draculea, Defender of the Faith. 

Book Signing and New Release!

Hello all!

I hope this finds you well as we go into the Thanksgiving season. What is it you are thankful for? Friends? Family? Health? Significant other? Thankful for no school for a week? Around here, we are thankful for all of the above.

Lots of fun news on the writing front! We have two more publishing contracts -- one with Prairie Rose Publications for my four-book Native American Y.A. series, The Saga of Indian Em'ly, coming Dec 20, and one with WordCrafts Press for The House of Madness, my debut horror novel.

In real life, come see me December 6 at Cocohodo in Katy, Texas where I'll be signing books! Check out my author Facebook for details and to join the event!

Happy Thanksgiving!

WeWriWa - 10/20/18 - The Witch and the Reverend

Hello fellow Weekend Writing Warriors!

Today's excerpt is from a BRAND-NEW book that is releasing EXCLUSIVELY on Radish Fiction titled The Witch and the Reverend (just in time for Halloween!)

The King's Forest. London 1554. 

“Please Reverend Wainwright, please. Let us go, please.” Their voices hung heavy beneath the canopy of frost-bright trees. I heard their teeth chatter and imagined their toes curling in against the cold, just as mine were. The other two accused girls weren't gagged. Only I received that honor. “We've done nothing wrong.”

None of the townsfolk who were gathered before us to witness our burnings acknowledged their pleas. 

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to subscribe to The Witch and the Reverend, which begins releasing Friday October 26! Exciting!

Click here to get back to the other WWWarriors and have a magical weekend!

A Heart on Hold on Radish Fiction

Come over to Radish Fiction and get your daily dose of Civil War romance! 

War. Devotion. Deceit. Death. 

How long can a heart hold on before it breaks? Most women would carry on with their lives after being thrust into widowhood, but not Charlotte Adamsland. Upon learning that her husband, Captain Sanderson Redding, was killed in a botched escape from a Confederate prison in Illinois, she clings to his promise to return to her no matter what, and quickly heads north through a war-ravaged country with only her faith in God and her beloved horse to bring her beloved Sanderson home - one way or another.

Leave me a comment and let's talk books!

Sara Harris - Author and Adventurer

Welcome! I'm historical romance and children's author Sara Harris (formerly Sara Barnard). Some of my works include the four-book dramatic Civil War romance Everlasting Heart series from Prairie Rose Publications, and the forthcoming four-book Amish romance Rebekah's Keepsakes series from Vinspire Publishing.

In a nod to #ThrowbackThursday, I'm throwing it back to 2011. It was there, on Lee Street in Lawton, Oklahoma, when I did a happy dance in traffic after receiving a call from my very first editor, the late Connie Kline of Five Prince Publishing, telling me of her accepting my novel A Heart on Hold for publication -- on the condition I write three more books in the series.

These four award-winning and Amazon bestselling books were my first published novels and spanned a time where A Heart on Hold was truly the mantra of my life. I was in a failing military marriage, had my fourth child while revising A Heart on Hold, underwent an emergency thyroidectomy, and earned my first cancer diagnosis. These adventures and misadventures are what made the characters and their trials come to life within the pages of the Everlasting Heart series.

Here's a little more about the Everlasting Heart series. 

A Heart on Hold 

Charlotte Adamsland is separated from her husband, Sanderson Redding, the day after their marriage. A captain in the Confederate Army, Sanderson must return to his unit, leaving Charlotte alone on their Arkansas homestead to fend for herself. Yankees camp around the town of Altrose, bringing their own kind of lawless danger. And then, one dark day, a Southern soldier arrives with terrible news…Sanderson has been killed trying to escape a Yankee prison.

Sanderson has found salvation and hell in a single turn of events he could never have imagined—his much-younger brother, Jackson, is his Yankee guard. When Jackson’s cruel commanding officer learns of the brothers’ family ties, he devises a wicked plan to see them both dead. Jackson is determined to get his brother to safety—but a last-minute betrayal by another prisoner could be the death of both brothers.

Charlotte can’t accept the news of Sanderson’s death—he promised to come back to her. She heads north armed with only her faith in God and her beloved horse to bring her love home—one way or the other. Will she be able to rescue him? Or will her love remained locked forever in A HEART ON HOLD…

A Heart Broken

At last, the War Between the States is over! Sanderson Redding is finally home, and for Charlotte, life is good. Until the Army comes knocking. 

Sanderson's old captors have charged him with the murder of Lieutenant Lantz, who died mysteriously on the streets of St. Louis when the South surrendered. With help from the most unlikely sort, can Sanderson convince the Yankee jury of his innocence?

Left alone when Sanderson is carted off for murder, newly pregnant Charlotte is despondent. However, when the stress of their predicament threatens the life of their unborn child, Charlotte is more grateful than ever to have Minerva as her sister-in-law, and roommate.

When the judge sentences Sanderson to a suicide mission in lieu of hanging by the neck until dead, Charlotte knows she can't go along on this adventure. Between a hard pregnancy and a rash of hydrophobia that threatens the entire Arkansas countryside, Charlotte wonders if Sanderson will have a home waiting for him, if he survives the mission, and if he wants to come home at all. 

However, a freakish dog bite in the midst of the outbreak may well be the end of them all.

A Heart at Home 

Sanderson Redding is set to go west to a waiting job as an Indian Agent—if Charlotte agrees. Leaving their home in Arkansas isn’t easy, but there’s not much left of Altrose—and no jobs for men with families. War veteran Jerry Thomas has secured positions for himself and Sanderson in California, but they must leave immediately. With a heavy heart, Charlotte bids goodbye to her father, Minerva, and Cotton. There’s no time to spare, and they set out early the following day for California.

Travel is hard on Charlotte, who is pregnant, but she finds a new measure of determination to face what comes their way—including a prairie fire, hostile Indians, and a hard childbirth she is afraid she might not survive. 

But the demons of Sanderson’s military life refuse to be left behind, as he finds himself embroiled with the Earp brothers and a lady of the night who carries a grudge against Charlotte. 

Will Charlotte and Sanderson’s marriage withstand the turmoil they must overcome? And should they survive the journey through a hostile, wild country, will they find happiness in an unfamiliar place that drove them west and took them from their beloved Arkansas home?

A Heart Forever Wild 

Sanderson and Charlotte set out on the dangerous journey to California Territory along with Minerva, Jerry, and the children. Though Charlotte doesn’t want to leave Arkansas, Sanderson is looking forward to building a life for Charlotte, Cotton, and little Charlie in the vibrant new territory. But when they arrive at Fort Bidwell, Sanderson and Jerry are immediately faced with a hard decision -- free the captive Indians they have been hired to hunt down, or do what they've been hired to do.

In a world where women are expected to be silent, Charlotte refuses to ignore injustice. When she defies the powerful bank president, it causes repercussions that can devastate the Redding family. In standing up to the town bullies to protect Cotton, Charlotte finds an unlikely ally in the handsome young half-Chinese outlaw, Johnny Tan. But will Johnny prove to be Sanderson’s nemesis or his saving grace?

Charlotte knows she can’t stay in Fort Bidwell, where circumstances seem to be ripping her once-happy family apart. Determined to leave, can she convince her beloved Sanderson to give up the security of his railroad job, pull up stakes, and head for Idaho, with A HEART FOREVER WILD…

Happy reading and cheers to your own happy #ThrowbackThursday!