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

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

Word Count Wednesday - Tyrfingur, Ormsbani, and the Gaeludyr!

Hello everyone,

     Once again, it is Word Count Wednesday! Here are the updates! I have started work (sort of) on Tyrfingur - this one is going to be a lot of work, but I think it is going to be awesome! Right now I only have about 1730 words written, but it has begun! I am also working on a story for Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo that is a bit tricky to write the way I want it. The title is "The Gaeludyr," and it should be posted in a couple of weeks, as soon as I finish working out all the bugs and have it where I want it. The current word count stands at 750.

     I continue my work incorporating the edits suggested by the Armadillo Authors' Workshop into my manuscript of Ormsbani. I'm getting some really great ideas, and I think the final edit is coming along really well. If you're an author in the Phoenix area, we meet Thurdays at the Armadillo Grill down on Camelback - you're welcome to join us! The word count on this one stands around 71,700.

     Check back for more updates soon! And don't forget my Appendix N Revisited project posts on or around the Ides of each month - the next installment, At the Earth's Core Revisited, should be up on the 15th of May!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Word Count Wednesday, Angels of Death, Ormsbani, and more!

Hello everyone,

     Welcome back to Word Count Wednesday with Colin Anders Brodd of Midhgardhur Books! I've been away a while (I got sick, my little toddlers got sick. all kinds of craziness), but I'm trying to get back on track. I've been tinkering with "Angels of Death," which is still not quite where I want it (nor completely finished, honestly), and it is sitting at 4860 words. I think it'll crack 5000 before I'm done. It should be posting to Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo as soon as I am satisfied, so within the next few days, probably.

     I've also been working through my final polishing of Ormsbani lately, with lots of help from the Armadillo Authors' Workshop. I just finished incorporating edits based on the suggestions I got at my last time at the workshop, and I think it's really just getting better and better. It's currently sitting at 71,721 words. I'm cutting a lot as I go, but I'm also adding a lot, so I seem to be breaking even on word count. We'll see how it goes. Incidentally, if you're an author in the Phoenix area, the Armadillo Authors' Workshop meets at the Armadillo Grill down on Camelback on Thursday nights, 7-9 PM. Join us! There's a lot of talent at that table!

     Before I go for tonight, let me mention again my recent labor of love, the project I am calling Appendix N Revisited. For this project I am reading works and authors listed in Gary Gygax's "Appendix N" from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide (1st edition) as inspirational to the creation of D&D and RPGs. I immersed myself in Appendix N from the moment I first read it (back around 1985?) and whenever I could find the books and authors listed thereon (which was often a challenge in the 80s; the Internet revolution has made research easier, though with time, more of the books have gone out of print). Anyway, I read and review the books, assess their influence on gaming (both old school and recent), and discuss their influence on my own game mastering and writing. Most recently, my analysis of the works of Fredric Brown posted for April, my upcoming article for May will be on Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core (I decided to read the Pellucidar books because I never had before - I love his Mars stories, and have some familiarity with Tarzan, but I had never explored these!). If you're interested in D&D, RPGs, old school gaming, and classic fanstasy,sci-fi, swords-and-sorcery, and weird fiction, please check out my blog posts on Appendix N Revisted, posting on or around the Ides of each month.

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd
Villa Picena, Phoenix, Arizona

Word Count Wednesday - International Women's Day, Speaking Protagonists, and More!

Hello everyone, and Happy International Women's Day!

     Once again it is Word Count Wednesday. My current project for Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo is called "Angels of Death" and it is coming along slowly (2 year old has been very sick and 4 year old had a bout of illness, plus life in general, have conspired to keep me away from my work). It currently weighs in at about 2090 words, which I figure is about halfway done, but it remains to be seen whether or not I shall actually make my goal of publishing it online by the Ides of March (the 15th). I'm really kind of excited, though, because the evil Queen Gydha will be in this one, and I have not had a chance to visit her in the Tales for a long time!

     In other news, today is International Women's Day. I decided to celebrate by making The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper free on Amazon Kindle (the reason why this is related will be obvious if you've read The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper, I think!). From March 9th to March 13th, 2017, you can get it FREE on Kindle!

     On March 10th, 2017, Asa Ragnvaldardottir herself is scheduled to be interviewed for The Protagonist Speaks. Check out the interview! I'll try to post a direct link when it becomes available!

     My next "Appendix N Revisited" article goes live on this blog on the Ides of March (March 15th, 2017). In this one I shall be talking about Leigh Brackett's Black Amazon of Mars. The next one after that (due on the Ides of April - April 13th, 2017) is a look at the short stories of Fredric Brown. Check it out!

     Finally, I am continuing what I hope will be my final revision of Ormsbani with the Armadillo Authors' Workshop. I'm hoping I can post a little about the process on this blog in the near future. The Armadillo Authors' Workshop meets at the Armadillo Grill on Camelback Rd. in Phoenix, Arizona every Thursday night from 7-9 PM. Come join us if you're a writer in the area! It's a really great and talented group of authors!


Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd


   

Word Count Wednesday and Holiday Sales!

Hello everyone,

     Since my return from the hospital late last month, I have not been posting much, so it is probably time for an update! Here's where things stand:

• I am not participating in NaNoWriMo this year, which makes me sad. But what I have decided to do instead is edit Ormsbani AGAIN. Sounds tedious, I know, and it can be, but I think this is the best editing session yet. I've made some pretty big changes to the original manuscript, and I think they're all pretty awesome ones. I got rid of a lot of clunky scenes and text that always bothered me, and have it reading much more the way I want! Huzzah! Word Count: 71,614
• I am trying to catch up on my backlog of stories for Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo. Right now I'm trying to finish up "The Knocker In The Dark," which was supposed to be my October story. Haven't even started November, and it's almost December! {sigh} Working on it. Current Word Count: 1710 (yeah, I know, that's not even a really good DAY by NaNoWriMo standards!)
• HOLIDAY SALES: Want to give someone the gift of Midhgardhur this Yule-tide? I've got you covered! The Kindle editions of my books will be going on Kindle Countdown Sales between December 1st and 14th! First up is The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper: A Midhgardhur Fantasy which will be on Countdown Sale starting December 1st and ending December 7th. Then Tales From Midhgardhur, Volume I will be on Countdown Sale starting December 8th and ending December 14th. So if there is a special someone in your life with whom you want to share the Yule-tide glory of Midhgardhur on their Kindle, that's the time to do it! 

Happy Reading! Skál!

~ Colin Anders Brodd

Ormsbani - Work In Progress!

Word Count Wednesday and SO MANY PROJECTS!

Hello everyone,

     Right now, I have so many projects going on, I almost don't know where to begin! It is pretty exciting!

     First of all, I am tinkering with a (so far unnamed) prequel to The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper. It won't be a novel, maybe more of a short story than a novella, even, but it will set up some of the background to the events of that novel. It is currently only 881 words, but it's growing!

     Second, I am still editing Ormsbani. I finished a second draft, which is printed out for review, and I think it is looking great!

     Third, I am in research for my next NaNoWriMo novel, "Tyrfingur" . . . I don't start writing until November, but I'm really happy with the research!

    Fourth, I am trying to work in two different short stories for Tales From Midhgardhur, one for May ("Old Blood, Bright Fire") which is currently at 1534 words, and one for June ("Ingjaldur's Crown") when I shall be away on a camping trip. I have scheduled releases for these - "Old Blood, Bright Fire" should be available on 5/21/16, and "Ingjaldur's Crown" should be out on 6/1/16.

     That's it for updates right now!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

A Personal Note to My Readers

A Personal Note to My Readers

I cannot thank you enough for taking a chance and checking out my work! My self-published work depends on word-of-mouth to succeed, and I can reallu use your help! If you enjoyed my work, please let people know, especially on social media – blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and any other way you can! I would really appreciate it!

You can follow me on the following social media:

Facebook (The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper and Ormsbani have their own Facebook fan pages)

Twitter

Tumblr

Thank you again for making my work possible! Happy Reading! Skál!

~ Colin Anders Brodd

Word Count Wednesday and a Countdown

Hello everyone,

     Here is your Word Count Wednesday report: My latest project for Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo, "Fenrissynir", is sitting at about 3930 words. It's almost done; I hope to have it up by the end of the week! Meanwhile, my big ongoing editing project, Ormsbani, is sitting at about 69,195 total (about where it was at last check in - I've made some edits, but they seem to balance out!).

     Meanwhile, my Kindle Countdown Sale on The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper: A Midhgardhur Fantasy continues until Sunday! As of today the price is $1.99! Get it on your Kindle before the price goes up again!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Word Count Wednesday and the Sons of Fenrir!

Hello everyone!

Word Count Wednesday: My current work-in-progress for Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo, "Fenrissynir" (”Sons of Fenrir”), is at 1793 words, and I think it is about halfway done. My endless editing project, the next novel (Ormsbani), sits at 16,198 words. It is slow going because other things demand my time and attention (e.g. my wife and I are in the final stages of the licensure process for fostering/adoption!), but I'm working on them! 

In the meantime, don't forget that The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper: A Midhgardhur Fantasy will be on Kindle Countdown Sale from April 17th-24th of 2016! 

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Word Count Wednesday for Two Projects!

Hello everyone,

     Today I have word counts for two projects to share!
     The first is for "The Harp of the Sisters" which is available TODAY at Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo, which weighs in at around 4789 words!

      The other is the latest word count from the current round of editing on Ormsbani, which is currently up to 69,189 words!

     I'm happy to be making so much progress after such a long hiatus! In the meantime, you should check out the first book of Midhgardhur fantasy if you have not already - enjoy The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper: A Midhgardhur Fantasy! It's good stuff, and I promise that when Ormsbani is finished, it will be even better!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Word Count Wednesday and the Neverending Revision

Hello everyone,

     Well, I've been editing Ormsbani - truly, it feels like the revision that never ends - so I have the latest Word Count Wednesday weigh-in for that novel: 69,145 as of this writing! I have a lot more to do, but I feel like I am making good progress!

     Meanwhile, I'm pretty far behind on "The Harp of the Sisters," my latest project for Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo. I had wanted to get it out by the Ides of March, but due to a number of family crises, it's still not done! Please be patient - it will be up as soon as I can finish it!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Word Count Wednesday and a Harp

Hello everyone,

     Well, I am working on my next project for Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo, a story called "The Harp of the Sisters". Word Count Wednesday: 1879. I can't say much more about it right now, except that it is a new take on an old story, and I think it will be a wonderful horror story!  In the meantime, I am also working on editing Ormsbani, and toying with some material related to The Sage of Asa Oathkeeper. I have far too many projects and ideas for projects and too little time, but there are worse problems to have! I would rather have too much inspiration and too many ideas than too little and too few!

     I was also lucky enough to make my first real public appearance as an author, recently. I visited a charter school for autistic students here in Phoenix and I answered questions the children had about being an author and my work. They were so enthusiastic and full of great questions! I discovered that although I am rather shy by nature, I love talking to people who are interested in stories and fantasy about my ideas and work!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd 

Great Article on Viking Nicknames!

Hello everyone!

Check this out:

The Truth Behind Viking Nicknames

The article makes several references to the History Channel's Vikings show and its characters. Most of my Midhgardhur tales take place just a little after the time frame of the show, in the world of Midhgardhur which is like a fantasy alternate world, so a lot of the characters are the same. Ragnarr is a character in my writings (he appears peripherally in Ormsbani), and Haraldur (who is mentioned as being introduced in the upcoming season) is one of the great antagonists of The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper (and appears in "Dark Valkyrie" and "Courtship" in Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo).

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Word Count Wednesday on Revision!

Hello everyone,

It's my first Word Count Wednesday on my revision of Ormsbani - so far I'm at 4916! Onwards and upwards!

Happy Reading! Skál!
~ Colin Anders Brodd

Reaction to a first reading of Ormsbani

     So, my wife Tanya just finished her first read-through of the manuscript of Ormsbani. She's the first person to see it since I finished writing the initial draft! Given the emotional roller-coaster she experienced during the initial reading, I am proud of the work I did on the first draft! I know if needs work, but I think there is some real gold in there amidst the dross! This is what she wrote:

"Wow, just finished reading Colin Brodd's newest manuscript Ormsbani and it was so good and so unexpected. Oh I loved it. It will be a while before other people get to read it (this was a first read through kind of edit) but it was so good!"

Update on Ormsbani (my 2nd novel)

Hello everyone,

     So, as you may know, my 2nd novel is called Ormsbani (A Midhgardhur Fantasy) and I officially finished writing the initial version of it as of December 1st, 2015. It is a re-imagining of the Germanic legends of Sigurðr/Sigfried the Dragonslayer. So where is it now? Well, it is in the first round of reading and editing. It will need a lot of work before it is published! The initial round of editing has taken longer than you might expect (the various December holidays are partly to blame!), but we're working on it! I'll keep you posted! I think it is going to be a better novel than The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper (my first novel), so if you liked that one, I think you'll love the next one! It will probably be at least six months before it is ready, but I think it is worth the wait!

     In the meantime, please check these out (if you haven't seen them already):

The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper: A Midhgardhur Fantasy (my first novel!)

Tales From Midhgardhur on Channillo (short stories sent in my fantasy world), including "Dark Valkyrie," "Hrafn's Ninth Night," and coming tomorrow: "Thralls of Ginnungagap"!

You can follow my author page on Facebook! Also on Facebook you can find fan pages for The Saga of Asa Oathkeeper and the forthcoming Ormsbani. 

You can also follow my Author Page on Goodreads!

On Thursday, January 7th, 2016, I'm going to be featured on The Thursday Interview!

Happy Reading and Happy New Year! I'm toasting with Akvavit at midnight tonight (a Brodd family tradition for many years now!) . . . so SKÁL!

~ Colin Brodd