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The Forest Lord #4.5
The Pedlar's Promise: A medieval Christmas novelette
Medieval England, December
A pedlar has been sent to Wakefield with an unexpected and apparently quite valuable Christmas gift for John Little and his friend Will Scaflock. Unfortunately, the pedlar likes his ale a little too much and somehow gets lost and ends up in the wrong town. With no other work to do, or any strange mysteries to solve for a change, the pair of bored former outlaws decide to ride out and track down their gift. Of course, things don't quite go as smoothly as hoped and they experience a series of hair-raising adventures on the snowy roads and villages of Yorkshire before their quest finally ends with a surprise...
Will our heroes ever find their quarry? What is the mysterious gift their friend Robert Stafford has sent to them from Brandesburton? And who the hell thought it was a good idea to go riding around northern England in the depths of winter searching for a drunk old pedlar?
Pour yourself a warm glass of wassail and settle in to find out!
The Pedlar's Promise continues the series of winter tales including Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil, Faces of Darkness, and Sworn To God and brings some much-needed brightness to the gloomy winter months.
PRAISE FOR STEVEN A. McKAY'S WINTER STORIES
"Steven A. McKay is becoming a master of the mystery thriller. Yet another intriguing adventure involving the former outlaws Little John and Will Scarlet takes the reader on an entertaining, muddy journey through Yorkshire." - Sharon Bennett Connolly, historian, and author of Heroines of the Medieval World
"Another winter tale of the adventures of Little John, Will Scarlett and Tuck. Would it even be Christmas without them?" 5-star Amazon review
"At Christmas my kids look forward to Santa while I look forward to the arrival of Tuck, John and Will Scarlet to solve another mystery." 5-star Amazon review
"This is the type of story whose reading demands a crackling fire and a glass of ale as you travel through time into a different world. I finished the story with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face." 5-star Amazon review
A pedlar has been sent to Wakefield with an unexpected and apparently quite valuable Christmas gift for John Little and his friend Will Scaflock. Unfortunately, the pedlar likes his ale a little too much and somehow gets lost and ends up in the wrong town. With no other work to do, or any strange mysteries to solve for a change, the pair of bored former outlaws decide to ride out and track down their gift. Of course, things don't quite go as smoothly as hoped and they experience a series of hair-raising adventures on the snowy roads and villages of Yorkshire before their quest finally ends with a surprise...
Will our heroes ever find their quarry? What is the mysterious gift their friend Robert Stafford has sent to them from Brandesburton? And who the hell thought it was a good idea to go riding around northern England in the depths of winter searching for a drunk old pedlar?
Pour yourself a warm glass of wassail and settle in to find out!
The Pedlar's Promise continues the series of winter tales including Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil, Faces of Darkness, and Sworn To God and brings some much-needed brightness to the gloomy winter months.
PRAISE FOR STEVEN A. McKAY'S WINTER STORIES
"Steven A. McKay is becoming a master of the mystery thriller. Yet another intriguing adventure involving the former outlaws Little John and Will Scarlet takes the reader on an entertaining, muddy journey through Yorkshire." - Sharon Bennett Connolly, historian, and author of Heroines of the Medieval World
"Another winter tale of the adventures of Little John, Will Scarlett and Tuck. Would it even be Christmas without them?" 5-star Amazon review
"At Christmas my kids look forward to Santa while I look forward to the arrival of Tuck, John and Will Scarlet to solve another mystery." 5-star Amazon review
"This is the type of story whose reading demands a crackling fire and a glass of ale as you travel through time into a different world. I finished the story with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face." 5-star Amazon review
- GenresHistorical Fiction
61 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2022
23 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Steven A. McKay
52 books447 followersI was born in 1977, near Glasgow in Scotland and live in Old Kilpatrick with my wife and two young children. After obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree I decided to follow my life-long ambition and write a novel. The Forest Lord series now has four novels, and various short spin-off tales.
My new book "The Heathen Horde" is the first in a brand series following Alfred the Great. It comes out on October 26 2023 so please check it out and pre-order if you can!
I play guitar and write all my books while listening to extreme metal.
In 2022 I started a podcast with fellow historical author Matthew Harffy. You can subscribe to Rock, Paper, Swords! on all the usual podcast outlets and also find the audio on Youtube every fortnight.
My new book "The Heathen Horde" is the first in a brand series following Alfred the Great. It comes out on October 26 2023 so please check it out and pre-order if you can!
I play guitar and write all my books while listening to extreme metal.
In 2022 I started a podcast with fellow historical author Matthew Harffy. You can subscribe to Rock, Paper, Swords! on all the usual podcast outlets and also find the audio on Youtube every fortnight.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 10, 2022
Every year, Steven A. McKay - one of my favorite writers - gives his fans a short novella featuring characters from his earlier Robin Hood series. We get Friar Tuck, Little John and Will Scarlett - all of whom are now reformed and living the straight and narrow life as good, hard-working citizens. This year (2022), McKay doesn't let us down with this novelette (shorter than a novella in case you were wondering) which is a very fun read.
Short - checking in at a mere 57 pages - it doesn't take long to read - even a slow reader can finish it in 90 minutes - this year's adventure once again features the intrepid trio in another Christmastime adventure. To go further would spoil the fun, so we'll just stop there.
McKay enjoys interacting with his fans and oftentimes gets story ideas from them, so if you have an idea, check him out on Facebook! Or if you're into podcasts, he has one - like just about everyone else. How are you going to find time to read if you're listening to the podcast? Break time!!
McKay has also indicated in an "Author's Note" at the end he will be starting a new series featuring new characters in 2023 before resuming his series featuring fan favorite Bellicus the Druid. Let's hope he's not going into contemporary fiction - he's perfect when it comes to historical fiction - why ruin a good thing?
Whatever, while waiting for the new book, you might want to pick up this one and the previous ones for some fun holiday reading. And if you're new to his work, his earlier Robin Hood series will be a perfect starting point for some fun and adventuresome reading.
Short - checking in at a mere 57 pages - it doesn't take long to read - even a slow reader can finish it in 90 minutes - this year's adventure once again features the intrepid trio in another Christmastime adventure. To go further would spoil the fun, so we'll just stop there.
McKay enjoys interacting with his fans and oftentimes gets story ideas from them, so if you have an idea, check him out on Facebook! Or if you're into podcasts, he has one - like just about everyone else. How are you going to find time to read if you're listening to the podcast? Break time!!
McKay has also indicated in an "Author's Note" at the end he will be starting a new series featuring new characters in 2023 before resuming his series featuring fan favorite Bellicus the Druid. Let's hope he's not going into contemporary fiction - he's perfect when it comes to historical fiction - why ruin a good thing?
Whatever, while waiting for the new book, you might want to pick up this one and the previous ones for some fun holiday reading. And if you're new to his work, his earlier Robin Hood series will be a perfect starting point for some fun and adventuresome reading.
December 8, 2022
Peddlers Promise delivers humour and camaraderie!
Having read and immensely enjoyed the Forest Lord series I have come to live these short stories as they remind me of the humour and camaraderie I had as a soldier. The author portrays his characters very well in Pedlars promise showing bravado and a vulnerable side too. A cracking feel good story. Keep them coming Steven!
Having read and immensely enjoyed the Forest Lord series I have come to live these short stories as they remind me of the humour and camaraderie I had as a soldier. The author portrays his characters very well in Pedlars promise showing bravado and a vulnerable side too. A cracking feel good story. Keep them coming Steven!
December 1, 2022
Lovely fun read
I've enjoyed McKay's Christmas mysteries for years, so I was excited when a new one came out, and it did not disappoint! Pedlar's Promise is a fun and light hearted read that fans both old and new will enjoy
I've enjoyed McKay's Christmas mysteries for years, so I was excited when a new one came out, and it did not disappoint! Pedlar's Promise is a fun and light hearted read that fans both old and new will enjoy
December 12, 2022
I’m a big fan of the author and it’s sort of become a Christmas tradition to sit down with a new novella from the author at this time of year. McKay hasn’t disappointed and has written a lovely little tale featuring Little John, Will Scarlett and Tuck.
You don’t have to have read any of the other books in this series to read this one, you could easily jump in here as a taster before buying the authors longer works but having read the previous books I think it would just give the characters a little more depth and you’ll chuckle even more, trust me.
So what happens in the story you may ask. Well Tuck has asked a pedlar to bring a gift back to Will and Little John.. but he’s gone missing… To give him his dues the pedlar and Tuck were both drunk at the time. Shock..ha
Now Tuck doesn’t have time to let Will and Little John know what the gift was and knowing Will that won’t sit easy with him.. he doesn’t like the unknown.. and it’s an itch he needs to scratch so he and John set out to find the pedlar!
Chaos ensues..there’s fights.. mud.. and laughs along the way but will they find the pedlar and the gift Tuck sent? And what kind of gift would have been sooo important to send anyway?
What I rally loved about this short read was that true to form it’s a cracking fun read, but you can really tell the author had fun with this one. McKay has reached the stage in the series where he can basically take any path he wants, and it shows just how talented the author is in bringing the reader fresh and fun tales.
The Pedlar’s Promise isnt as dark or mysterious and some of the authors novellas but this one fits perfect for the season, it’s light-hearted and had me smiling the whole way through. I can quite easily see myself sitting with the kids with this one chuckling away.
Another masterful piece of literature. 5*
You don’t have to have read any of the other books in this series to read this one, you could easily jump in here as a taster before buying the authors longer works but having read the previous books I think it would just give the characters a little more depth and you’ll chuckle even more, trust me.
So what happens in the story you may ask. Well Tuck has asked a pedlar to bring a gift back to Will and Little John.. but he’s gone missing… To give him his dues the pedlar and Tuck were both drunk at the time. Shock..ha
Now Tuck doesn’t have time to let Will and Little John know what the gift was and knowing Will that won’t sit easy with him.. he doesn’t like the unknown.. and it’s an itch he needs to scratch so he and John set out to find the pedlar!
Chaos ensues..there’s fights.. mud.. and laughs along the way but will they find the pedlar and the gift Tuck sent? And what kind of gift would have been sooo important to send anyway?
What I rally loved about this short read was that true to form it’s a cracking fun read, but you can really tell the author had fun with this one. McKay has reached the stage in the series where he can basically take any path he wants, and it shows just how talented the author is in bringing the reader fresh and fun tales.
The Pedlar’s Promise isnt as dark or mysterious and some of the authors novellas but this one fits perfect for the season, it’s light-hearted and had me smiling the whole way through. I can quite easily see myself sitting with the kids with this one chuckling away.
Another masterful piece of literature. 5*
February 2, 2023
the Pedlars Promise is another great short novella by Steven a mkay, featuring the reformed characters of Friar Tuck, Little John and Will Scarlet from the forest lord series of books , i have enjoyed Stevens traditional Christmas mysteries ,since he started writing them, this was the latest addition , another cracking light hearted story full of humor,as they go off in pursuit of a surprise gift/ package that has gone missing and the merry dance it leads them on .if you're new to Stevens books , his Robin Hood forest lord series is a good point to start, I can recommend them all
December 25, 2022
The Pedlar's Promise is a fun tale that had me smilingthe whole way through. The past few years for Little John, Will and Tuck have seen them in danger and mystery, so it was nice for them this year to get a break from that (they still manage to crack a few skulls).
Steven's novelettes have become a tradition and I always enjoy sitting down on Christmas Eve to enjoy them. A definite highlight of the reading year.
Steven's novelettes have become a tradition and I always enjoy sitting down on Christmas Eve to enjoy them. A definite highlight of the reading year.
September 2, 2023
Another fantastic story revolving around the characters in the Robin Hood series, this time with Friar Tuck, Little John, and Will. A very enjoyable fast paced story that fans of the series will love but also serves as a good novel for those unsure of the series who want a little taste, with only really one ‘spoiler’ in it but it is only a ‘spoiler’ as such if you have read the other main stories anyway, and also doesn’t impact your reading experience either.
December 4, 2022
While the booklet was good I feel like it wasn't worth the $3 I paid for less than an hour of reading. It is less than half the length of the other Forest Lord holiday novelettes. I think Steven could have made this free to his followers on his web page.
Read
January 17, 2023A short read
Enjoyed it, a mixture of adventures and mirth set in bygone times. A short insight into simple lives in history.
Enjoyed it, a mixture of adventures and mirth set in bygone times. A short insight into simple lives in history.
February 16, 2025
Brilliant
For two very savvy ex outlaw survivalists Little John and Will Scarlett are not terribly bright at times, Friar Tuck on the other hand 😀
Another great Yule story.
For two very savvy ex outlaw survivalists Little John and Will Scarlett are not terribly bright at times, Friar Tuck on the other hand 😀
Another great Yule story.
December 11, 2025
A funny heartfelt Christmases story! Definitely one of my favorite RH novellas
December 30, 2022
Brilliant short tale to enjoy on Christmas Day
December 26, 2025
The Search for a Gift
An adventurous diversion for John and Wil as they search for the pedlar who was to bring them a gift from Friar Tuck. Be ready to enjoy as their adventures turn into
misadventures!
An adventurous diversion for John and Wil as they search for the pedlar who was to bring them a gift from Friar Tuck. Be ready to enjoy as their adventures turn into
misadventures!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews