Twin Cedars Newsletter

News Roundup

Good wishes for every reader's health & happiness as the Pandemic continues to rule the news. Let's continue fighting the Corona War together! Take care of yourselves & keep your wits about you!

Special Viking Issue!

I enjoyed the Shakespeare and Middle Ages specials so much, that I decided to it again, this time with Vikings! Take a look at the special article below on books & resources for learning more about Viking myths & culture.

Contact Information Changes

Just a few notes on changes to my contact information: In July I deleted my Twitter account. The environment there was just too toxic for me. I have since created an Instagram account under my legal moniker, ssbasham, so feel free to follow me there!

You can also find me on these sites:

deviantArt as kthunter (for watercolors & photography)
LinkedIn as Susan Basham
Pinterest as Ssbasham (used for fun and for reference)
GoodReads as K.T. Hunter (for book news)

And the newsletter will continue into the foreseeable future as well!

Autumn Conventions Update

Next Chapter Con: A Books & Authors Convention

As of this release date (August 8th), the Next Chapter convention in Ringgold, GA, is still on! Come join us to celebrate reading and literature with local authors. Let's discuss our love of books in panels and on a vendor floor full of great reads!

NextChapter Con is at The Colonnade in Ringgold, Georgia (same location as last year) on Saturday, September 19, 2020, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Tickets for ages 13+ are only $5.00 in advance (via website at NextChapterCon.com) and $7.00 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free. Two dollars of the admission fee will be donated to a local library or school of your choice! So while you grab something good to read, you're helping someone else read, too!

Precautions are being taken to protect us during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the following safety measures:

Author tables will be no less than 6 feet apart
Maximum of 248 people allowed in the vendor room at one time
Kids' Corner is cancelled (for spacing)
Sanitizer stations will be set up by the Colonnade staff
Colonnade staff will keep restrooms and high touch areas cleaned and sanitized throughout the day
Panelists and attendees will be distanced in panel rooms
Masks will be available for attendees
NCCX volunteers will wear masks when distancing cannot be practiced.

Please observe any local ordinances on masks when attending. As of this edition's release date, Georgia is not requiring masks, but please bring one with you if you can. As stated above, there will be some available for attendees. If an author requests that you wear a mask upon approaching their table, please do so (unless you have medical contraindications, of course!).

As always with the Great Quarantine, things are subject to change, so if you plan to go to Next Chapter, please check out their web site at NextChapterCon.com for updates between now and then. We're ready to get out and about and see y'all!

HallowCon

As far as I know, HallowCon is still on for October. Watch this space and their website at HallowCon.com for updates.

Book Recommendations: Vikings!

The mission of Twin Cedars is to promote and encourage deep sustained reading and thinking across a wide variety of genres and topics. Part of this mission is to introduce readers (and writers) to new (or new to them) books for their entertainment and enlightenment. This month, we look at a selection of books about Vikings and Norse Myths.

Why Vikings, you ask?

In our last issue we covered books about the Middle Ages. Here is another one of my favorite historical topics, The Viking Age! I'm a big fan of Marvel's Loki and Thor, but I also love reading about the entire (actual) history of the Vikings. One of my side projects is a Loki fanfiction on my blog (available to read on my Hunterverse blog or on the fanfiction.net web site under the pen name of KTHunter) called The House of Loki. At the moment it is serialized, but when it is finished I hope to have it in a better package (but still free - fanfiction should be free!). It's a mixture of the Marvel Cinematic and Comic Universes. When I found some wiggle room in their canon, I looked to Viking lore to fill in the gaps.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a huge fan of Marvel's version of Loki, especially as portrayed by Tom Hiddleston. But even before he was cast in the role, I was a big fan of Norse mythology. Writing The House of Loki gave me a great excuse to delve into it more.

My research for the lore side included some podcasts and web sites (see the Web Recommendation article below), along with fiction and nonfiction books. Here is a sampling of the books I have read on the subject. There are many more out there, but these are the ones that I have read and can recommend.

Books About Viking History

The Vikings by Frank R. Donovan. A short but intense history of this fascinating people. Within a history of raids and invasions, the Viking peoples were also busy founding cities in Ireland and a kingdom in Russia, exploring the western North Atlantic ocean, and founding colonies.
Saxons vs. Vikings: Alfred the Great and England in the Dark Ages by Ed West. Before the Norman Invasion of 1066, Anglo-Saxons ruled much of Britain. Their kings defended their shores from many invaders, including the Vikings. Follow Alfred the Great as he builds forts and walled towns to repel the famous raiders as they terrorize early medieval Europe. A historical look at the world of the hit historical fiction television series The Last Kingdom. I really enjoyed this book and think it is worth a re-read.
Queen Emma and the Vikings by Harriet O'Brien. Before the Tudors, before the Yorks, before the Lancasters or the main Plantagenet dynasties, there was another England, one beset by Viking raiders. Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans vied for possession of England. Born in Normandy, Emma lived at the crossroads of conflict. Outliving two husbands that were kings of England, she saw some of her children murdered and some crowned. A fascinating tale of a great queen and England's wars with the Vikings.

Books About Viking Myths

Photo of book "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

Edda: Name for either of two Icelandic works that collect the Norse Myths. This term is the base of the name of Loki's newly established kingdom in The House of Loki. Why conquer someone else's kingdom when you can forge your own? Welcome to the Peaceful Realm of Eddaheim, home of the poets. (Please, don't get Magnus started on Unnarr the Unlucky. As Kolla would say, a little Unnarr goes a long way.) In this Marvel fanfic, Loki finds his own way of, ahem, honoring Snorri's works.

The Prose Edda - Many Norse myths that we know and love today find their roots in the Prose Edda (or The Younger Edda), a work of prose and verse by Icelandic scholar and Chieftain Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. Snorri lived after the Viking raids (and by most historians' reckoning, after the Viking Age) had ended. Snorri was also a Christian, not a follower of the gods in his works, so this version of the ancient oral stories is written through that lens. The creation of the Norse pantheon, including Odin, Thor, Frigg, and Loki, is described here. Their many adventures and their prophesied end in Ragnarok are told here as well. To be honest, I've only read parts of one translation so far, and for me it is a slow but worthy read, including some surprising connections to Troy that I'm not sure a lot of later versions mention! Available in many formats, including free ebook format on gutenberg.org.
The Poetic Edda (or Elder Edda), author or authors unknown. A collection of poems compiled in the 12th or 13th century by an unknown Icelander (though some claim it was Saemund Sigfusson) and rediscovered in the 17th century by Danish scholars. More exciting tales about Norse gods and heroes (more Odin, more Thor, Sigurd, and Fafnir), this time in poetic form. The perfect companion to the Prose Edda, also available in many formats and translations, including free ebook format on gutenberg.org.
Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch. A classic collection of various mythologies, from Greek to Norse to Arthurian, by American banker Thomas Bulfinch. Published in 1867 just after his death, this book is a great reference for fans of mythology who can't pick just one! It's available for free on Gutenberg.org and at various prices (depending on the edition) at your favorite bookstore. (And fans of DC Comics' Greek mythological leanings will find plenty to enjoy in this tome as well!)
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman - a very fun version of Snorri's myths, told in Mr. Gaiman's witty style. I've read it over and over, and I enjoy it more each time.
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, by JRR Tolkien. Norse myths greatly influenced Tolkien's work, especially in his beloved series The Lord of the Rings. The roots run deep enough that it would take more than this space allows to describe! This particular book is part of the mythology that captivated him. More than just a translation, this book contains Tolkien's own version of some of the best-known mythical poems, including The New Lay of the Völsungs, and The New Lay of Gudrún. It includes notes and commentary by Tolkien's son Christopher Tolkien, who published it in 2009.

Popular Modern Fiction

Including a mix of traditionally published and independently published works:

Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in AD 922 by Michael Crichton. A fascinating look at the Vikings through the eyes of a Muslim ambassador. Once upon a time, author Michael Crichton decided that he could write a better version of the ancient legend of Beowulf. He included Ibn Fadlan as an outside character through which to see the action, and he used a portion of the story of historical Ibn Fadlan in its opening chapters. The cult hit film The Thirteenth Warrior (one of my favorite films with Antonio Banderas playing a delightful Ibn Fadlan) is adapted from this novel. Personally, I found the film more entertaining (I've lost count of how many times I've seen it), but the novel is definitely worth a look.
I Bring the Fire by C. Gockel - This is a great series of novels and short stories with a completely new take on the mythical Loki in the modern world. I really enjoyed this independently published series.
The Gospel of Loki and its sequel The Testament of Loki by Joanne Harris (also known for the hit novel Chocolat). The first is an imagined history of the gods from Loki's point of view, and the second takes place in a more modern age. I really love Loki's POV written in Harris' style.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman; A engaging tale of ancient gods from many pantheons (including the Norse) in modern America.
The Gods of the Ragnarok Era series by Matt Larkin, starting with The Apples of Idunn. A high fantasy tale of how men in the distant past became the Viking gods of legend.
The United States of Vinland series by Colin Taber, starting with The Landing. For you alternate history lovers. What if the Vikings had stayed in their New World holdings? This is in my TBR stack; I haven't read it yet, but it looks interesting.
Thor by Marvel Comics. The Norse god of thunder has been a Marvel superhero since 1962's Journey Into Mystery Issue #83. This member of the Avengers has starred in various Thor-named titles over the decades, along with other memorable members of his pantheon scattered across the Nine Realms, including his adopted brother Loki ( a fan favorite - villain or antihero or just Misunderstood? You decide.) and father Odin. Don't count on a strict retelling of the myths, though. Marvel used the myths as a jumping-off point and created their own version of Asgard. There are over 600 issues of stories told over fifty years of our time, plus movies (where he is played by Chris Hemsworth) and cartoons, so there is plenty here to keep a fan busy. Loki has even had his own titles, from time to time. Most back issues are available in digital format at a fraction of the cost of actual back issues. For more information, check out Marvel.com.

WEB SITE RECOMMENDATIONS

I use a variety of resources for my research for The House of Loki, including web sites and podcasts. Here are some of my favorites.

The Viking Answer Lady Web Site
vikinganswerlady.com

She's not kidding; if you have questions about the Vikings, she's got some answers! I love this site! This site grew from a series of articles that the author wrote for a Society for Creative Anachronism newsletter. I use this site a lot, especially for naming my original characters in "The House of Loki", like Ellisif and The Pebbles Three: Fargrim, Faraldr, and Farbjorn.

Need a book on Viking history or culture? Take a look at her collection of bibliographies, organized by topic. Curious about Odin or Thor? Take a look at the Myths & Religion section. From Daily Life to Warfare, you can find something to interest you here. There's even a shop of Viking-related merchandise.

The National Museum of Denmark
en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-viking-age

I'm finding new resources all the time. I discovered this site in the process of writing this month's newsletter! Here is a ton of great information straight from the heart of Viking territory in Denmark. It's a long URL, to be sure, but this is a treasure-trove of archaeological and cultural information about the Vikings.

The Viking History Podcast
thehistoryofvikings.com

Enjoy the Vikings series on the History channel? Discover the rich and vibrant history and legends of the Viking people with this podcast. About twice a month, enjoy an interview with a noted historian or literary scholar on a wide variety of topics:

Available on your favorite podcast aggregator or on the web site listed above.

Jennifer Reynolds was our Guest Author in the February 2019 issue. Here she is with a new release for fans of her Shore Haven series! Check it out!

Welcome to Edge Burrow: A Shore Haven Short Story
by Jennifer Reynolds

NOW LIVE
$0.99

In her search to find her son, Tera stumbles upon a thriving community amongst the ashes of their fallen society. Could her son have made it halfway across the continent and found safety in Edge Burrow? Tera doesn’t think so, but she needs to be sure. In doing so, she’ll discover that there are worse things in her new world than the undead.

Amazon
Books2Read
GoodReads

Sample Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Shore Haven Brochure

Author Web Site: www.jenniferlynnreynolds.com

Twitter: @JenniferLRAutho

Past Guest Author Release: Stephanie Osborn

The Interstellar Woman of Mystery has done it again! Stephanie Osborn was our Guest Author for April 2019. Take a look at her latest release! If you go to Next Chapter in September, drop by her table!

EMPIRE: Imperial Police
by Stephanie Osborn
Book 7 of the EMPIRE series, created by Richard F. Weyand

All Nick Ashton ever wanted to be was a good cop!
Dominick Ashton is a rookie cop in the headquarters of Her Majesty's Imperial Police. Unfortunately, in an Empire full of corruption, treason, and upheaval, that's one of the most corrupt organizations of them all. But Ashton is a straight shooter. Can he do the job he's trained to do without perverting his honor, or will crooked cops take him out instead?
And what will happen when he's called upon to solve a case for the Empress herself?

Available on Amazon in trade paperback, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited.

Previous books in series, by Richard F. Weyand:
1) EMPIRE: Reformer
2) EMPIRE: Usurper
3) EMPIRE: Tyrant
4) EMPIRE: Commander
5) EMPIRE: Warlord
6) EMPIRE: Conqueror
Coming soon:
8) EMPIRE: Imperial Detective, by Stephanie Osborn
9) EMPIRE: Imperial Inspector, by Stephanie Osborn
10) EMPIRE: Intervention, by Richard F. Weyand
11) EMPIRE: Investigation, by Richard F. Weyand
12) EMPIRE: Succession, by Richard F. Weyand

September 2020

NextChapter Con - confirmed as of 7/29/2020
September 19
Ringgold, GA

October 2020

HallowCon
October 30 - November 1
Dalton, GA

BOOKS BY K. T. HUNTER
Covers by The Cover Collection

BOOKS BY T. D. RAUFSON
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