Midhgardhur

Midhgardhur
Midhgardhur: The Fantasy World of Colin Anders Brodd

Monday, November 12, 2018

Amazon Giveaway - Enter to Win a FREE Kindle copy of Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I

Hello everyone,


Between now and 11/16/18, you can enter to win a FREE Kindle copy of Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I at Amazon! Click HERE to enter for your chance to win instantly!

Happy Reading! Skál! And Good Luck!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Thursday, November 8, 2018

FREE! - Read the Winning Story "Remember!" at SIA

Hello everyone,


     Recently, I was proud to announce that the short story "Remember!" from Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo and found in Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II was one of five winners of the Support Indie Authors 2018 "Scary Short Story Contest" - and now the text of the story is posted on their site HERE so you can read it for free! While you're there, you should check out my co-winners: "Reflections" by Phil Farina, "Premonition" by Kayla Krantz, "Spider, Spider" by Bea Cannon, and "The Black Queen" by Olga Werby.

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Scary Short Story Contest WINNER - "Remember!"

Hello everyone,

WINNER!


     I am pleased to announce that the short story "Remember!" (which has appeared in Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo and in Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II) is one of the five winners of the 2018 Scary Short Story Contest from SIA (Support for Indie Authors)! I am very proud of this particular story, which was actually written as an experimental challenge (it is a rare 2nd person perspective story!), and glad to be able to say that the Tales From Midhgardhur are not just award-winning fiction, but contest-winning as well! "We LOVED this piece and are very excited to feature it on our website," wrote Ann Livi Andrews for SIA. 

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd 

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Word Count Wednesday - Spring Sacrifice, Far From the Tree, and the Wikia Entry of the Day - Calibrax

Hello everyone,


     Welcome back to Word Count Wednesday! The story of the day is "Spring Sacrifice", which appears on Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo! "Spring Sacrifice" became available TODAY, and weighed in at 6,976 words! This spooky story, while set around the spring equinox, is perfect for your Halloween horror reading! Check it out!

     Work now begins on the next story slated for Tales From Midhgardhur, entitled "Far From The Tree" - can't say much about this one yet except that it involves two characters fans have seen before (Hrafn, from The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper and several of the tales, and Heruli, who so far has appeared only in "Luck of the Lytlingar"). It doesn't have a word count yet since it just started!


     And lest we forget, the Midhgardhur Wikia Entry of the Day is "Calibrax" - Midhgardhur's version of the enchanted sword Excalibur. Calibrax has so far only appeared in one story, "Old Blood, Bright Fire" (found in Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I), but it is an important artifact in the history of Midhgardhur and the "Matter of Prytania" (our "Matter of Britain").

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Wikia Entry of the Day - Ingjaldur's Crown

Hello everyone,


     Today's new entry on the Midhgardhur Wikia is "Ingjaldur's Crown", a ring of standing stones carved with magical runes that appears at least twice in the Tales From Midhgardhur - once in the eponymous story "Ingjaldur's Crown" (found in Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I)  and mentioned in "The Tale of Ingjaldur the Mad" (found in Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II). The runes carved on the stones hold secret spells for tapping the energy of the lands of Midhgardhur and the lines of power that connect special places (ley lines). For more, check out the entry in the Midhgardhur Wikia! 

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Monday, October 29, 2018

Wikia Entry of the Day - Sverdhkottur (Plural Sverdhkettir)

Hello everyone,

     Today's new entry in the Midhgardhur Wikia is the Sverdhkottur (plural Sverdhkettir), "Sword-Cat" or "Sabre-toothed Tiger" - a creature long extinct in our world but still extant (though rare) in the world of Midhgardhur! On very rare occasions, these terrible predators may even adopt a human or landvaettur as a companion. Sverdhkettir appear in "The Gaeludyr" in Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I.

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Wiki Entry of the Day - Landvaettir (Landwights)

Hello everyone,

Landvaettir

     Today's new entry in the Midhgardhur Wikia is Landvaettir, also known as "landwights". These are the "demihuman" sentient races of Midhgardhur, created (like humans) by the Aesir and Vanir. The landvaettir are said to be closer to nature and the land than humans are, hence the name. The types of landvaettir in Midhgardhur include, but are not limited to, alfar (elves), dvergar (dwarves), huldrufolk ("hidden folk" or gnomes), and lytlingar ("littlings" or halflings). For more, check out the Midhgardhur Wikia!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Friday, October 26, 2018

Wiki Entry of the Day - Dofri, the Giant of Dofrafjall

Hello everyone,

Haraldur freeing Dofri

     Today's new entry in the Midhgardhur Wikia is Dofri, the Giant of Dofrafjall. Dofri appears in Norse lore, such as the Heimskringla, and in Midhgardhur appeared in the "Tale of Halfdanur the Black" (available as a stand-alone Kindle story or Audible story, or as part of Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I. Dofri is a giant who menaces the kingdom of King Halfdanur the Black, father of young Haraldur. When the giant is captured, Haraldur defies his father and frees the giant from bondage. Halfdanur exiles his son as an outlaw for several months, during which time Haraldur takes refuge in Dofri's lair in the mountain called Dofrafjall. When Haraldur is recalled from exile, he has made a powerful friend and ally in the Jotunn Dofri. Later, when Haraldur rises to power as king himself, he makes great use of such supernatural allies . . .

     Keep checking in for more great new entries in the Midhgardhur Wikia!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Wikia Entry of the Day - Daudha-Gydhja (Death Priestess)

Hello everyone,


     In keeping with my intention to write an entry for the Midhgardhur Wikia every day through the end of 2019 if possible, I decided to post a note about today's wikia entry - the Daudhga-gydhja, or "Death-Priestess," based loosely on the priestess called the "Angel of Death" in Ibn Fadlan's account of his travels among the Rus. These specialized priestesses have appeared twice so far in the Tales From Midhgardhur (in "Angels of Death," found in Volume II, and in "Wolfsbane," which is slated to appear in the forthcoming Volume III). For more information, see the new wikia article!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Word Count Wednesday - Spring Sacrifice and Resurrecting the Midhgardhur Wikia

Hello everyone,

JOTNAR kidnapping Freyja!

     I apologize for the long but (unfortunately) unavoidable delay in updating you all about the World of Midhgardhur.

     I'm in the process of editing "Spring Sacrifice" (which was originally slated for release before the summer), which stands at about 4000 words right now but will probably be significantly longer when released, since the ending isn't quite finished yet. It'll be going up on Tales from Midhgardhur  on Channillo when it's done!

     I'm also resurrecting the Midhgardhur Wikia project, and attempt to get a wiki of Midhgardhur fandom compiled for fans of the books and stories. It's a massive undertaking, so I'm committing now to do a new entry every day in 2019. I'm actually trying to get in the habit now. Today's entry was "Jotnar," the wicked gods of the giants who represent the destructive elemental forces hostile to human and landwight lives. The wiki is very much a work in progress, but please feel free to check it out, and contribute if you're able!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd


Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Word Count Wednesday - Under the Arena and Among the Giants

Hello everyone,


     So, I am madly writing and editing and revising this month for Camp NaNoWriMo! I've made my camp project revision and completion of Asa Oathkeeper Among the Giants, the long-awaited sequel to The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper. But I'm still catching up on my other projects, like my regular Tales From Midhgardhur stories (you don't need to remind me that I'm behind, I know, I know!)

     I finished a new story for the Tales called "Under the Arena," set in the Constantinople of Midhgardhur, a city the Northerners call Mikligardhur. Unlike our world, gladiatorial competition was never banned in Mikligardhur, and a Northerner named Lambi must find a way to escape his life as a gladiator in the Grand Arena, or find himself buried in an unmarked grave under it. Check it out on Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo!

     Ormsbani has been put on the back burner (again!) while I'm working on Asa Oathkeeper Among the Giants for Camp NaNoWriMo. My goal was to edit and revise the existing manuscript of 50,516 words and continue the story, with the goal of hitting 70,000 words by the end of April. As of today, I am finished with the editing and revision of the existing manuscript; now I have some hard writing to do! I have made a huge dent in my goal, but much of that seems to be adding a Word-Hoard (Glossary) to the manuscript!

     I already have my next few projects for Tales scheduled - one called "Spring Sacrifice" I have barely started, and another called "Far From the Tree" I want to have done before 4/27/18 (Arbor Day!). I also have slowly started working again on the Midhgardhur Wikia. I had started the Wikia project at the same time I started the Tales From Midhgardhur series, with the intent to update it a little every day. That was almost three years ago, and the project has lain mostly abandoned in favor of more exciting projects. But the necessity of a glossary for my current book has sent me back to the notion that fans of Midhgardhur books and stories would be well served if they could look up unfamiliar words on our own Wikipedia! I am also still in love with the idea of being able to "show my work" as my math teachers always demanded - to be able to talk a little bit about the inspirations and sources for people and things in my stories. Eventually, I want to have the Wikia filled with all that sort of information. Check it out! It is very much a work in progress, but I think you'll be able to see the possibilities!

Current Works in Progress:
Ormsbani (novel) - 71,008 words (holding steady)
Asa Oathkeeper Among The Giants (novel) - 60,092 words (up from 50,516 words)

“Under the Arena" - (story) - 7268
"Spring Sacrifice" - (story) - 0 (well, like 5 words)

That's all for now! Happy Reading, and Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Word Count Wednesday and International Women's Day 2018

Hail Einherjar!



     International Women's Day is right around the corner (March 8th, 2018), and as usual, Midhgardhur Books will be celebrating with style! We are pleased to be offering two great deals to celebrate strong women and strong female characters in fantasy literature: The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper will be FREE on Kindle from March 8th to March 12th of 2018, and the Tales collections (Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I and Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II) will be on Kindle Countdown Sale between March 8th and March 15th. Celebrate International Women's Day 2018 and treat yourself to some great deals on some Norse fantasy literature with powerful women and mighty shieldmaidens!

 I also want to keep you posted on other WIPs (works in progress) that are ongoing, but those have not really budged since my last update - I spent 4 days in the hospital with my son for an EEG (trying to rule out seizures), and I haven't been at my terminal to write!:

Current Works in Progress:
Ormsbani (novel) - 71,008 words
Asa Oathkeeper Among The Giants (novel) - 50,516 words

Finally, if you enjoy my work, please join the official fan club on Facebook, the Einherjar of Midhgardhur!


Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Word Count Wednesday - Audiobook Release for Tales Volume II!

Greetings Einherjar!


     So, the big news on this Word Count Wednesday is not about a word count at all - it's about today's release of Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II on audiobook by Audible! As of today you can listen to the continuing adventures in the world of Midhgardhur, narrated by the amazing baritone voice talent of Gary Miller-Youst! You can find the audiobook at Audible or on iTunes if you prefer!

     I also want to keep you posted on other WIPs (works in progress) that are ongoing, but those have not really budged in the last week due to the four wonderful sons I am raising and all their appointments!:

Current Works in Progress:
Ormsbani (novel) - 71,008 words
Asa Oathkeeper Among The Giants (novel) - 50,516 words

Finally, if you enjoy my work, please join the official fan club on Facebook, the Einherjar of Midhgardhur!



Happy Reading - and Happy Listening! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Word Count Wednesday - Dragonslayers, Giants, Werewolves, and More!

Hello everyone,


     It has been a while since I have kept up with Word Count Wednesday, but my intention is to keep you all up to date with the latest progress on my work, so here I am, back again!

     First of all, Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo has a January story posted, entitled "Wolfsbane," which clocks in at about 3676 words. It marks the return of Ljufvina, the apprentice daudha-gydhja (priestess of death) who appeared briefly in "Angels of Death". The story mixes some traditional Norse folklore, werewolf legends, Little Red Riding Hood, and some very unique elements to make a story of which I am quite proud. I hope you enjoy it! It's a little too early to talk about the February offering yet - more information coming soon!

    Secondly, the audiobook edition of Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II is nearly complete. Gary Miller-Youst, the producer, has submitted the final audio files, and I reviewed and approved them. Now the files are being checked by ACX quality control for the sound engineering and such, and soon after that, the audiobook should be available for sale on Audible and then iTunes! The paperback and Kindle editions are available from Amazon. Currently, Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I is available from Audible and iTunes!

     Thirdly, I also want to keep you posted on other WIPs (works in progress) that are ongoing:

Current Works in Progress:
Ormsbani (novel) - 71,008 words
Asa Oathkeeper Among The Giants (novel) - 50,516 words

Finally, if you enjoy my work, please join the official fan club on Facebook, the Einherjar of Midhgardhur!

Happy Reading - and Happy Listening! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd


Monday, January 29, 2018

Audiobook of Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II is almost complete!

Hello everyone,


     I am happy to announce that the audiobook edition of Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II - which will be available from Audible and iTunes - is almost complete! The producer and narrator, Gary Miller-Youst, has been hard at work, and I have now listened to nine of the ten chapters and approved them. I love Miller-Youst's deep baritone voice and his narrative style, and I think you will too! All that remains is for him to finish recording "The Tale of Ingjaldur the Mad," and the book will be ready for ACX to begin the rigorous process of quality control for the sound engineering. So I estimate that the audiobook should be available by sometime in March at the latest!

Happy Reading! Happy Listening! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Check Out "Wolfsbane" on "Tales From Midhgardhur" on Channillo!

Hello everyone,


     I just wanted to announce that "Wolfsbane" is now live at Tales From Midhgardhur - check it out! This story marks the return of Ljufvina, the daudha-gydhja ("death-priestess")/Angel of Death who was apprenticed to Valgerdhur in the story "Angels of Death" - I promised that I would return to this character's story, and you get a lot more of that in "Wolfsbane"!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Saturday, January 27, 2018

"Wolfsbane" Posting to Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo on Monday 1/29/18

Hello everyone,



     "Wolfsbane," the next installment in my Channillo series Tales From Midhgardhur, will be posting on Monday, 1/29/18. I had intended for it to be posted by 1/15 at the latest, but this one was a bit tricky, and I wanted to get it right, so it took a little longer. It features a minor character returning: the daudh-gydhja ("death priestess," "Angel of Death") Ljufvina, the young apprentice of Valgerdhur who appeared in "Angels of Death" (posted on Channillo in April of 2017, also appearing in the collection Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume II). Ljufvina has existed as a character in my head for a while, since long before I came up with Valgerdhur for "Angels of Death," but I also knew I wasn't ready to tell her story until now. I described the story when I began working on it as "a Norse death priestess meets with Little Red Riding Hood and some traditional werewolf folktales, combined with some odd herb lore (did you know the Norse called wolfsbane Thorshjalmr, or 'Thor's helm'?) and some unique twists of my own." Check it out. I think you'll enjoy it!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Monday, January 22, 2018

Einherjar of Midhgardhur - the official fan club for Colin Anders Brodd and Midhgardhur Books!

Hello everyone,



I just wanted to announce the creation of an official fan club for Midhgardhur Books! For the moment it is set up on Facebook, as a community group linked to my Facebook Author Page! The fan club is known as the Einherjar of Midhgardhur, named after the Einherjar of Norse Mythology. The name means something like "lone warriors," and in mythology they are the honored dead chosen by the Valkyjur to live forever in Valholl! It is my intention to eventually build this fan club with opportunities to work as a Street Team, to get exclusive short stories and previews of new releases, and to win special prizes, but at the moment it is purely a social group! Please join up if you're a fan of Colin Anders Brodd and Midhgardhur Books!


Einherjar of Midhgardhur: https://www.facebook.com/groups/397155457403258/

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd