Author’s notes
The Viking’s Apprentice began life entitled ‘Campbell’s Cove’. As the story developed it became obvious this working title would need to change to give readers a better idea of what was in store in the book.
The town of Campbell’s Cove is not real, but is based on a real town in Argyll in Scotland. That town is Furnace which is where my wife is from. The street layout is the same and I have used the location of the quarry in Furnace to place the row of mansions and beneath them the caves. Anyone who has been to that area of Scotland and driven through the hills and amazing scenery will understand why it has been such an inspiration to me.
The story of witches using eggshells to cross water was first told to me by my wife. It was the reason she was told to bash in your eggs shells once you had finished your boiled egg and soldiers. Witches couldn’t use the shells to cross water if they were smashed. This little tale provided the inspiration for the use of the eggs in my story although I did expand and change it. I am sure my wife will forgive me for that!
I have taken certain liberties with the use of the Karvi Longship and its’ size in my story. Due to this it should not be taken as an accurate representation of a real Karvi. To date no one has ever found an intact Longship sail so Granddad’s may be the only one in existence.
Jake, the Jack Russell, in my story is basically my own Jack Russell, Megan. Anyone who owns a Jack Russell will probably see a lot of their own dog in Jake. I made Jake male so that my other dog, Ted a chocolate lab, would not feel left out!
The cover picture will no doubt attract some interest among keen historians as real Vikings did not have horns in their helmets. However ask any child to draw a Viking and the horned helmet will take pride of place. For this reason it was decided between myself and my brother to use the horns. There is no mention of horned helmets at all in the book apart from the cover art.
The artist for this book is my very talented brother, Paul McLeod. Watching him work on the cover and getting to see his ideas, and watch him pull it all together really makes you appreciate the talent and hard work that goes into it. His eye for detail is outstanding, and the finished work speaks for itself.
My wife has helped me throughout this book and her support and encouragement played a large part in getting it into print.
To the people who edited this book, Audra and Karen, I appreciate your work and your honesty and not least of all your patience.
About the author
Kevin McLeod lives in Hamilton, Scotland with his wife Kathleen and their two daughters, Rachael and Elena. The Viking’s Apprentice marks the end of a two year journey to write a book that would fuel the imaginations of children and young adults. Kevin currently fits his writing in around his day job in Motherwell and his busy family life. As well as writing Kevin enjoys spending time with his family, walking their dogs and catching up with friends whenever the chance arises.
The Viking’s Apprentice is the first book in a series, and book two entitled The Master’s Revenge is available now. Read the prologue on the next page.
The Master’s Revenge
Prologue
‘Spirit of the Sea, this is the coast guard. Do you copy? Over.’
‘I repeat. Spirit of the Sea, this is the coast guard. Do you copy? Over.’
‘Coast guard this is the Captain of the Spirit of the Sea. I copy. Over.’
‘Be advised we have a localized storm in your area. The storm is moving towards your vessel at a vast rate of knots. Over.’
‘What kind of storm? Over’
‘It looks like a twister, and its moving fast. Be advised to take all required precautions, and keep this channel open. Over.’
‘Thanks for the warning. I’ll leave the channel open. Over and out.’
‘What was that Bob?’
‘It was the coast guard. They said there’s a storm heading our way.’ He paused, his hand on the ladder before continuing. ‘I am going up to have a look.’
Bob Casey, the captain of the Spirit of the Sea, went above deck leaving his game of cards behind. He cursed the coast guard under his breath. He was winning the game for the first time in months. The sea seemed quiet and calm, the sound of the waves breaking off one another was all he could hear. Bob looked all around and finally he saw it, moving silently with great speed, what looked like a water twister closed in on the boat fast.
‘Bob, what are you doing up h... .’ Craig Miller stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the expression on Bob’s face. He turned to look where Bob was staring and froze. A huge twister sped towards them. Panic erupted on board as the other two players in the card game came on deck.
The twister hit fast, lifting the Spirit of the Sea out of the water then throwing it back without breaking course. Bob held on to the mast for dear life. He raised his head against the wind and water and screamed as a hideous monstrous face appeared in the twister for just a second.
The Spirit of the Sea began to sink as those on board scrambled on to the inflatable dinghy that served as a life boat.
‘What did you see Bob? Bob what was it?’ Craig asked, grabbing hold of Bob’s arm.
‘I, I, I don’t know, something, I saw something,’ Bob said slipping down into the dinghy as Craig fired off a flare.
Continue the adventure with book #2 to find out what new evil the boys must face in:
The Vikings Apprentice II
The Vikings Apprentice II: The Master’s Revenge
www.KevinMcLeodAuthor.com
Contact details
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