Who wrote Beowulf? One author's Romantic theory.

   Beowulf—the very name steps up my pulse rate and floods my mind with images of a larger than life Storm Geat warrior. A pagan hero of great integrity who faced a changing political environment, an otherworldly enemy, and a lonely existence. 

No other epic poem has elicited such heated debates.

  

How old is the manuscript? Who conceived of this intricately woven tale, a saga written in a language the main character’s ears never heard, with a poetic text flavored with religious inferences from a faith he never practiced?
  

     Pondering these questions, I wrote Iron Heart, 

              where history, myth and romance

                          meet and catch fire.  

Cover Art by Debbie Taylor, 
original Beowulf manuscript 
can be seen in background!

  

                   Follow Beowulf's ancestor, 

                      Tyne Farren Kilbraun,                             

                  and explore one possibility. 

              

England: circa. 879 A.D.
    With the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet, Faran Kilbraun travels far from home in search of the sword and shield of his ancestors. Protecting the ancient relics was his responsibility. Now, to regain his honor, he must recover the stolen artifacts and battle a life-long enemy.  

   Following the accidental death of her cruel husband, Leanora Wrenn is wrongly accused of his murder. Forced into exile, a small north shore island becomes her lonely refuge—exoneration her only hope. 

    When Faran discovers Leanora's remote sanctuary, both their lives are changed forever. Comrades-in-arms, they fight side by side for their chance at redemption and love.             

AMAZON   Barnes & Noble  WILD ROSE PRESS

                 PRAISE for IRON HEART

 Vicki at Sizzling Hot Books gave it 5 out of 5 hearts and states “Iron Heart gives the classic epic adventures a run for their money. 

     Rifkin weaves a tale of romance and adventure that could easily be shared around a blazing campfire. Fans of mythology and epic adventures will enjoy Ms Rifkin's book...Veronica Marie Beaumont at The Romance Reviews 

 The Medieval Chronicle. “A wonderfully captivating blend of medieval history and fantasy.”

Excerpt:
                     Faran, the Iron Heart.
   It was a name that set one’s mind to wondering.
Did he pride himself on disallowing any woman to
touch his cold hard heart? Did he woo ladies into
love trysts with promises of treasure and pleasure
only to tragically desert them?
    For certes he was unlike anyone Leanora had
ever known. He approached life fearlessly, as if he
dared anyone to cross his path, his mood, or the
territory he called his own. And his generous mouth
was an unbidden fascination. It could accommodate
a childlike smile, tempering all the fierceness he
worked so hard to portray. Or it could accommodate
a reassuring smile, making her believe everything in
her troubled world would be all right.
     He was handsome to be sure—with a rock hard
body, images of which occupied her thoughts much
too often. And his mind was also intriguing, and as strikingly developed as his form. It was a quality
Leanora truly admired. Knowledge could be a
powerful weapon, and Faran appeared well armed.
   To her benefit, he seemed preoccupied with the
present and not with prying into her past. Nor did
he threaten to rule her future. He treated her
differently, he treated her like...a friend. 
   The idea stunned her. Life had never afforded her the opportunity to know or cherish another person in
such a manner. Another new experience.
   Then a spark of yearning for more than mere
friendship flickered inside of her. You can never trust
a man, she chastised, you can only believe in
yourself. Unyielding logic cooled the fiery ember of
need, but not before it claimed the barren part of her never before touched by warmth or light