Years of Blood Books

Bold and Blooded… Born into poverty in a small Northamptonshire village dominated by an overbearing pastor and a tyrannical father, young Micah Slater fought back against his father and was forced to leave. He joined the military who were to confront the marauding Scots. It was a time of bloody unrest in the country where people had to decide whether they were loyal to King Charles the first, or to the growing influence of the Parliamentarians, or possibly to themselves. The War hadn’t started, but it was only a matter of time before the country became anything but civil... Published by The Electronic Book Company

It’s 1643 and flaming-haired Micah Slater – the Red Man – has made his home county too hot to stay in. He’s sent off to London to join the Parliamentary forces, and to give them the benefit of his talent for finding trouble. Promoted to captain, he trains a new regiment and marches out to pacify the borders of the Sussex Weald – a disputed part of southern England. Amidst political manoeuvring with the nobility and conflict with the Royalists, he meets two young ladies from very different stations in life. Red Man discovers danger and success in both the military world and in his personal life.

Micah Slater, the Red Man, is recovering from his wound in the care of the Earl of Odstock’s pretty daughter. They become close, and the Earl gives grudging consent to the inevitable marriage. The convalescent Micah takes his lady into Salisbury on market day, where she is shot and killed by the forsworn Cornet Holmes, firing wildly at Micah. Embittered, Micah returns to war, the Red Man more bloody-handed than ever. Raising a regiment of heavy horse for the Earl, he trains them up in the Dorset heathlands before marching them to battle at Cheriton, where the Parliamentary horse sweep the Cavaliers aside. Micah then travels with Carew’s Brigade to clear up isolated garrisons throughout Wiltshire and into the West Midlands. On the way, he meets Henrietta, daughter to the Earl of Leominster, giving her escort to her father’s house…

Micah Slater has become confident in command of his Regiment of Horse, too much so for the liking of his general, Sir William Waller, who needs no competition for the favour of Parliament. He is sent out of the way to the Marcher Counties of England and Wales to secure them for Parliament. In the last months of the war, he engages in a series of small actions with the scattered Royalist forces, trying to bring peace to the weary country. As all comes to an exhausted end, he discovers his influential father by marriage has been working behind the scenes to his benefit…