Viking Warrior Rebel
Viking Warriors, #2
Author: Asa Maria Bradley
ISBN: 9781492618874
Pubdate: October 4, 2016
Genre: Paranormal Romance
She can’t let him discover…
Immortal
Vikings are among us
Astrid
Irisdotter is a Valkyrie—a fierce warrior fighting to protect humanity from the
evil god Loki and his brutal minions. She’s on an urgent mission for her queen
when everything goes hideously sideways. Undercover agent Luke Holden arrives
on the scene just in time to save her life—and put his own on the line.
Luke
may have saved her, but that doesn’t mean Astrid can trust him. Tempers flare
as they hide secret upon secret from each other, but Astrid’s inner warrior
knows what it wants…and it will not take “no” for an answer.
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I am delighted to join you today to chat about one of
my favorite things: Vikings! Being born and raised in Sweden, I was introduced
to Norse mythology through childhood picture books. I loved the stories of Odin
and Freya and the other gods who lived in Asgard. And later on, my seventh
grade history teacher noticed my interest and shared his favorite books with
me. In my Viking Warriors series, I combine my love of Norse mythology with my
love of paranormal romance to write about brave immortal warriors who have been
sent back to Midgard—where mortal humans live—to protect contemporary humanity
from Loki and his evil minions. And they of course happen to fall in love in
the process.
Vikings and Valkyries have inspired a slew of story tellers, from Tolkien’s
The Lord of the Ring trilogy to the History Channel’s TV show Vikings, Norse
mythology and history is showing up in a lot of our pop culture. So why don’t
we dish about our favorites?
Thor as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel Comics films.
There is so much to love about this
character: the social awkwardness, the fantastic strength, the awesome
physique, the amazing muscles, …but I digress. I read an interview where Chris
Hemsworth said he had never lifted weights before the first Thor movie. Thank
you Marvel Studios and director Kenneth Branagh for casting Mr. Hemsworth and
thereby giving humanity the gift of his beautifully buff body.
Who are your favorite Vikings and
Valkyries?
If you are a fan of Viking stories, I
hope you check out my Viking Warriors series and also Tales of the Valkyries, an anthology of Viking short stories I
collaborated on with Gina Conkle, Harper St. George, Anna Marklund, Emma
Prince, and Lisa Hendrix. The anthology is free right now across all ebook
retailers.
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VIKING WARRIOR
REBEL Excerpt:
Astrid’s boots echoed against a shiny marble floor as she
crossed the Denver hotel lobby. The male clerk on the other side of the
check-in desk watched as she approached, appreciation glinting in his eyes. The
man’s gaze dipped low and swept up her body before meeting her eyes again.
Astrid sighed at the predictability of the mortal male, but still increased the
wattage of her smile.
The man’s eyes widened. “Welcome. Are you checking in,
Miss…?”
“Idrisdotter, but call me Astrid. It’s probably easier.” She
gently lowered her large duffel bag to the floor. Her smallsword was in its
scabbard, wound up in layers of clothing. It wasn’t likely to make a sound as
the bag hit the floor, but the weapon was her favorite and had been with her
for a long time.
The clerk’s glance moved to her cleavage as if pulled by a
magnetic force. “Ah, let’s see what type of rooms we have available.” He
swallowed loudly.
One free upgrade and a short elevator ride later, Astrid
unlocked the door of a luxury suite. The expansive windows covered one whole
wall and offered a splendid view of the Denver downtown skyline and the Rocky
Mountains beyond. Snowcapped peaks rose dramatically against a clear, blue
spring sky. It reminded her of the mountains at home, although their tops were
more rounded, more worn down. The Scandes, the mountain chain between Sweden
and Norway, had been old even when she was a little girl thousands of years
ago. And still, they had appeared gigantic to that little orphan thrall girl
who had almost no one looking out for her.
She shook her head to get rid of the memories of how
powerless she had been when she was a slave. Instead, she strolled into the
bathroom, humming appreciatively to herself when she saw the large sunken tub with
jets. She turned on the hot faucet and dumped a whole mini bottle of bubbles
into the bath. It had been a very long time since she was that dirty, little
thrall girl who didn’t even own the rags that covered her body.
She didn’t go to excess now, but she made sure to appreciate
the simple pleasures in life. At least, that’s what she told herself. There was
probably some deep-seated psychological reason why she felt cleaner and
prettier if the soap she’d used was expensive, but why waste time figuring that
out? It was more efficient just to spend the money. She shed her clothes and
sank into the hot, fragrant water.
A contented sigh escaped her lips as the warmth soothed her
travel-worn body, easing the ache in her tense shoulders and stiff back. She
sank in deeper, fully submerging. As she blew out her breath under water, more
tension left her body, but a small knot of anxiety remained in her stomach. She
couldn’t afford to relax fully. Couldn’t afford to screw up. She’d been making
too many mistakes lately and gone too far over the edge into battle fury.
Twice, one of the Vikings had to knock some sense into her before she had her
rage under control again.
Then there’d been that night where she almost killed a
human. It went against everything she stood for. She had been chosen by Freya
to protect the people of Midgard. If she didn’t do this mission right and bring
back her queen’s brother, she might as well not return to the Norse fortress.
* * *
A while later, Astrid checked her reflection in the hotel elevator.
She planned to visit a well-reviewed French restaurant a few blocks from the
hotel. She smoothed down the simple black dress she’d brought especially for
the restaurant and turned sideways to see if the dagger strapped to her thigh
would show in profile. Twisting a few degrees more, she adjusted the silver
belt she wore around her waist. Two throwing blades slid sideways into the back
of the custom-made belt, their decorated hilts blending perfectly with the
inlays of turquoise and lapis lazuli.
It took only a few minutes to reach the restaurant. The
maître d’ assured her the table she’d reserved would be available shortly and
suggested she wait in the bar. Astrid walked the few steps up to the bar, which
was raised half a level above the restaurant’s main floor. She ordered a glass
of her favorite first-growth Bordeaux and inhaled its aroma before savoring her
first sip. Sighing contently, Astrid perched on a high stool as she let her
gaze roam over the patrons enjoying their dinners.
She went for another sip of wine, but froze with the glass
halfway to her lips. One of the men across the room looked familiar. He was in
half profile as he spoke with his male dinner companion. It couldn’t be Holden.
No way would he be here in Denver. She’d avoided him and his club ever since
that night she’d been high on battle fever and, as a result, had gone down a
wide road of poor choices due to lack of impulse control.
The memories of Luke Holden’s calloused hands heating her
skin had her suddenly blushing.
As if he knew she was looking at him, the man turned and
their gazes caught across the room. She’d recognize that blond hair and those
steel-gray eyes anywhere. She knew how the one-day stubble of that square jaw
felt against her own skin. How those arrogant lips could deliver the most
scorching of kisses. Heat spread through her body as other body parts perked up
at the memory of their last encounter.
Holden quirked an eyebrow and raised his glass to her in a
silent greeting, a cocky smile stretched across his lips.
Astrid turned her head away, tipped back her own wineglass,
and drained it.
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2016
double RITA finalist Asa Maria Bradley grew
up in Sweden surrounded by archaeology and history steeped in Norse mythology,
which inspired the immortal Vikings and Valkyries in her paranormal romances.
She arrived in the U.S. as a high school exchange student and quickly became
addicted to ranch dressing and cop shows. Asa currently resides on a lake deep
in the pine forests of the Pacific Northwest with a British husband and a
rescue dog of indeterminate breed. She graduated from the Inland Northwest
Center for Writers program at Eastern Washington University with an MFA in
creative writing and also holds an MS in Medical Physics from University of
Colorado. Visit her at www.AsaMariaBradley.com, or follow her on Twitter
@AsaMariaBradley.
Social Networking Links:
Website:
http://www.asamariabradley.com/
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:
10
copies of Asa Maria Bradley’s first book, Viking Warrior Rising
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