Today I have the honor of hosting the first stop on the blog tour for Hazel West’s new YA historical novel, By Blood or By Bond!

I’m so excited to be part of this tour, since I enjoyed the book a great deal and can recommend it to any ancient-history buff or historical-fiction reader. Fans of Rosemary Sutcliff will be particularly interested in Hazel’s writing (and there are even some echoes of G. A. Henty, in my opinion). Read on for a character interview, an exclusive excerpt from the book, and details about some exciting giveaways. Be sure to keep up with the rest of the tour, too; check out the schedule on Hazel’s blog, here.

To start things off, a little about the book itself. Here’s the official blurb:

Which ties are stronger—those of blood or those of bond?

Caolán, the son of a Celtic chieftain, awaits his first pitched battle against the Roman invaders, knowing that this is the moment in which he will truly become a warrior of the tribe.

Viggo Callias is a seasoned centurion in the Roman army on his first deployment to Britain with his newly enlisted son, Aulus. Serving under an incompetent commander, he wonders whether victory will be theirs.

But fate takes a hand in both Caolán and Viggo’s lives when Viggo’s son is killed by a spear meant for him. Enraged at the loss of his son, Viggo seeks vengeance on the man responsible: Caolán’s father. As the chieftain breathes his last, Viggo vows to take Caolán as a slave to avenge Aulus’ untimely death.

Torn from his country and people, Caolán’s only comfort is the hope that one day he will be able to avenge his father. But can the greatest wrongs be righted? Brotherly bonds, gladiators, old enemies, corrupt politicians and a young woman who captures Caolán’s heart take a role in the physical and emotional journey that binds Caolán’s and Viggo’s fates together. Can the two wounded parties work past their hatred of each other and find what they have lost: a father and a son?

This new novel by Hazel West explores the familial ties that bind us all, whether by blood or by bond.

Hazel kindly offered me the chance to interview one of her characters, which I thought was a great idea. I chose to interview Centurion Viggo Callias, a fascinating, multi-faceted character (and my personal favorite). Without further ado, let’s see what he has to say about himself and his life in the Roman army.

Interview with Centurion Viggo Callias

Q. Salve, Viggo! To start off, tell us a little bit about your career choice. What made you want to join the Eagles? When did you first know you wanted to join up?

A. At the time, it was either run away and do something stupid or join the army. It was my older brother Flavius who urged me to do the latter as the lesser of the evils. I had been ready to leave home for years because of my abusive father, so once I turned eighteen, the age they take recruits, I was out.

Q. Have you ever regretted your decision?

A. There are times, I will admit, that I have wished I wasn’t in the army. Only really when it comes to politics and the upper-class politicians playing at soldiers who lead us. I will be glad when I have served my 25 years and can retire, but I’ll have to admit that I will miss the camaraderie. I never fought for Rome as much as I did to make sure my men got off the field safely.

Q. I understand you had something of a rough home life growing up. Do you have any favorite childhood memories despite that?

A. Well, it wasn’t all terrible. I had my brother Flavius who practically raised me because my father couldn’t be bothered. We own a villa out in the countryside and a vineyard so I grew up with the land, farming. Harvest was the best time of year when Flavius and I would play in the fields as children. I also tried my best to annoy him because that was always fun.

Q. Who has been the most inspiring figure in your life?

A. It falls somewhere between Flavius and Legate Marcellus Kaius, the first commander I had when I joined the Eagles. As I said, Flavius raised me, but Kaius made me a man, and was always very kind to me and, I liked to believe, thought of me as a son. I was very fortunate to be put under his command on my first posting, otherwise, I might very well have deserted the Eagles.

Q. You’ve spent time in both Germania and Britannia. What’s life like out on the frontiers of the Empire? Did these places meet your expectations, or defy them?

A. I try not to have too many expectations when I’m sent to conquer a place. I’m not overly happy having to fight ‘barbarian hordes’ but I do what I must. Camp life usually consists of marching to different locations, building forts, and fighting the natives. All I can say for frontier postings is that they are wet, and cold, and there is a horrid lack of good wine and food. It rains all the time in Britannia and Germania is little better. You’ll definitely be wanting those extra pairs of underclothes. Oh, and be careful eating the mushrooms!

Q. Do you have any favorite hobbies when you’re not on campaign? I know you live in the countryside near Rome; ever spend much time in the city itself?

A. When I’m not with the Eagles, I am tending my vineyards or spending time with my family. Sometimes I might even like to read a little bit. I’m not much a lover of the town, but I do occasionally like to catch a chariot race there. Go Blues!

Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned over the course of your career?

A. That comrades and brothers matter the most. If you end up having to choose between obeying your country or saving a friend, always save the friend. You’re going to die eventually, so you may as well live doing what feels right for you. There are a lot of things I regret doing in my life, but funnily enough, they were none of the things I got in trouble for.

Thanks for the great interview, Viggo!

Excerpt

For your further reading enjoyment, here’s an exclusive excerpt from the novel itself:

“Hold, and don’t break position!” he shouted out and heard the other centurions relaying the message to their centuries. He raised his own shield, melting into the wall with the others, Hector at his side.

“Steady the line!” he shouted out again as some of the men shifted in anticipation.

“Hold! Spears at the ready!”

If the position held, there was no way the Celts were going to break their line, even with chariots. Viggo had trained his men for this and he knew that when he gave the ‘spears up’ order at the right moment, it would be a devastating move against the entire cavalry. If they did not expect it, that is, and Viggo didn’t feel like entirely pitting his life on that hope. The centurion felt this battle would be over quicker than he had expected and he was a bit ashamed of that. He almost wished the Celts could have proven themselves more, especially after the insult Tribune Lucan had caused the chieftain when he refused to let Cyrillus accept terms of trade. Viggo wished that the old fool didn’t listen to his tribunes so much as he was wont. They were nothing but power hungry warmongers who all seemed to think they would be emperor one day.

The horsemen were almost upon them, their chieftain in the front with his chariot and the young man that drove it, who Viggo had taken earlier to most likely be his son. The centurion regretfully tightened his grip on his spear, waiting for the onslaught.

“Here we go, brother,” he muttered to Hector.

“Aye,” the younger man replied, licking his dry lips.

And then a frantic shout came across the field, jerking Viggo out of his intense concentration on the fight at hand.

“Retreat! Fall back! Fall Back!”

Viggo spun around to see Legate Cyrillus racing off behind the ranks with his staff officers hard on his heels, shouting out in near hysteria for the men to fall back. Lost his nerve, as had been Viggo’s deep inner fears.

“By Jupiter,” Hector breathed so only Viggo could hear. “He’s killed us all.”

Get a copy

Want to read more? By Blood or By Bond is available in softcover from Createspace and Amazon, and in ebook formats from Smashwords and Amazon Kindle. Also available are three prequel novellas—To Save a Life, Home Before the Harvest, and Wolf Hunt—which can either be purchased separately as ebooks, or packaged together as a softcover (from Createspace or Amazon).

Over the course of the tour, Hazel will be giving away one signed copy of By Blood or By Bond through Goodreads, and one signed copy of the novella collection to a lucky commenter. If you want to win the novella collection, leave a blog comment with your name and email address. After the tour, Hazel will draw the winner’s name from her highwayman hat.

Another fun thing! During the tour, if you . . .

• Purchase a paperback copy of By Blood or By Bond through Amazon or Createspace, you can email Hazel at sirwilliamssquire at gmail.com with the subject “Blood or Bond” and notify her of your purchase. She will then give you a coupon code for 30% off a paperback copy of the novella collection from Createspace.
• Purchase an ebook copy of By Blood or By Bond from Smashwords or Kindle, send Hazel the same email, and she will give you a discount code for a FREE Smashwords ebook copy of To Save a Life. So, if you buy the book, don’t forget to email Hazel before the 31st of January, or you won’t get your coupon!

About the author

Hazel West lives in Florida where she spends a good bit of time writing historical fiction about brave men and women who have graced the pages of history, trying to bring more light to their legacies so readers of all ages will enjoy them.

Hazel’s favorite things/hobbies: Writing obviously, listening to and playing Irish and Scottish folk music, practicing with all eras and types of historical weaponry, GOOD COFFEE, reading of course, dark (dark) chocolate, sketching/painting, hats, scarves and boots, collecting little old-fashioned things of all kinds, buying books, and don’t forget dressing in period clothing!

Follow Hazel on Twitter, Goodreads, or her blog.