Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Welcome to The Spear of Odin!

Hello! This is my first post to celebrate the publication in 2015 of my new book, Son of Thunder, which is the first volume in a trilogy entitled The Spear of Odin.

Now, if you were to guess that the subject is Norse mythology, you'd be right. But only partially, because it also included Ancient Greek mythology, Chinese, African and Native American, although at its core the story is driven by the Norse myths.

And to make it clear, the book is fiction, geared at readers ages fourteen and up.

I think if you are a reader who likes fantasy fiction and tales inspired by mythology, you may enjoy the book. But since the Norse worldview is darker than the Ancient Greek, and by that I mean more violent, more fatalistic, the themes are more mature than a typical novel for a young audience. So, yes, if you enjoy the writings of Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling, you may enjoy the book - although I've no hope of ever attaining their popularity, I suspect.

But this book really is targeted towards an older reader for reasons of fantasy violence, and yes, sensuality. In fact, the second book is titled The Cloak of Freya and anyone with knowledge of that goddess can make an educated guess about her character as depicted in my novels.

From the CreateSpace page, where the book is available:

Son of Thunder - CreateSpace page


Bullied at private school, Peter Perkins - asthmatic, near-sighted, manic, nervous - a nerd with a quirky and often unfunny sense of humor, unexpectedly finds himself transformed beyond recognition with astonishing powers and in a life or death confrontation with frost giants who appear out of the blue to wreak havoc at his private school.

Allied with a breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly powerful Valkyrie, Peter develops a crush on her although she herself is blind to the truth of who and what he is.

Yet the Valkyrie herself has fallen head over heals in love with the super-powered being he can become, but sees Peter himself as a "small, annoying boy."

At first unsure whether his experience was real or imagined, he ends up journeying to a faraway land not only with his beautiful Valkyrie ally but also with the son of Thor, Magni, and the god's African best friend, Shango. There they face not only adventures and wonders but monstrous adversaries never before encountered in any of the nine worlds, including evil giants like living volcanoes.

Gods from Norse, Greek, Chinese, African and Native American tales will meet to confront together an evil that unites for the first time these disparate pantheons to fight not only for the fate of the nine worlds but for humanity itself.

SON OF THUNDER, the first book in a trilogy entitled THE SPEAR OF ODIN, features action, suspense, adventure, humor, love, and wisdom, sometimes from unexpected sources.

Recommended for readers ages 14 years and up.

I hope that this blog will be a forum where I can discuss the Norse myths, what influenced me to write the book, and answer any questions - within reason, for I hope the story speaks for itself.

I'd love to hear about your interest in Norse and other mythologies, and the stories that matter to you. I sincerely hope my saga will earn a place in your hearts.

In the upcoming year, you'll be meeting more characters and learning more about the world I've created. My hopes are modest, just that the work provokes thought and provides enjoyment.

And may I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!