by Robynn Gabel
Ymir: The first being and progenitor of the giants. Killed by Odin and his brothers. His body was used to form the earth and the heavens.
*** All quotes listed at the beginning of each chapter are from the Hávamál – Sæmund’s Edda – Odin’s words of wisdom.
Acknowledgments
It takes a village to get a book created. With that said, I must give thanks to a very dedicated and patient editor, Chryse Wymer. In her own right, she is a wonderful author, but she shines when it comes to knowing the Chicago Manual of Style inside and out. She is the perfect balance of teacher, leader, friend, and expert. Without her help, this story would be really hard to read. Trust me!
Next there was Dan Schurg, my expert on fight scenes and encourager extraordinaire. Maria Kline kindly pointed out my mistakes in the religion of the era. My sister, Nikki Shepherd, used her experience and eagle eyes to proofread several times over.
Tri-Swan Press’s founder and director, Gwen Steel, spent time helping me to figure out my choices on publishing. Her insight on the industry and how to publish independently were crucial in many of my decisions.
Rachel Olson, of No Sweat Graphics, created the beautiful, eye-catching cover for my story. I owe eternal thanks to her artistry.
I can’t forget my beta readers, Emily King, Sue Thomas, Debbie Hamilton, Kelly Taubert, Peg Bartlett, Lucinda Johnson, and Mark Okes. Thank you so much!
Catherine Spader, author of the Wulfhedinn Series, and a member of My Word! Publishing, gave me an insightful, professional overview and critique. This was crucial in the end, to tighten and create a better story. I learned a lot from her expertise. Polly Letofsky, founder of My Word! Publishing has built an amazing network to help independent authors get published and was vital in getting this book into print.
More grateful thanks go to Richter Indy Publishing. He is simply a formatting genius. He painstakingly worked on formatting Old Norse words that are no longer in use and ridding the file of mountains of unnecessary data
My most precious memory is when I asked Darrell, my husband, to help me act out the fight scene between Einar and Seraphina. We giggled and laughed as we used broomsticks to simulate battle moves so I could see and feel them, in order to write it. He was my most avid supporter, and though he was not a reader, he spent every morning for two weeks reading just so he could finally see the whole story instead of hearing just bits and pieces of it.
Unfortunately he passed away before this book was published. I was torn apart with grief, and the project languished a few years before I could finish it. But everything I know about romance and the love between two people, I learned from him. I know he would be proud that I finally pulled up my bootstraps and moved on to getting it published.
I hired Cheri Tillman as my life coach to help finish and produce this book after the crisis of losing Darrell brought my writing to a standstill. She helped me re-organize and get motivated. I can’t thank Total Wellness Resource Center, or her, enough.
My biggest Thank You goes to my very patient family and friends who have waited a long time to see this project done. Without their love and support, it never would have happened.
About the Author
Robynn Gabel had two dreams growing up, writing books and riding horses. In her first two books, she fulfilled them both by publishing her award-winning story about her time with Elvis, a champion Missouri Fox Trotter. However, her continual pursuit of adventure pushed her off into the deeper waters of writing a historical romance novel taking place in the backdrop of the Viking Age. An adventurer at heart herself she has always been an avid traveler and has held career positions in a variety of fields but Robynn’s calling to write has never wavered earning her prestigious literary awards. In her latest book, Norse Hearts, she draws from a rich treasure trove of experiences and painstaking research to provide not only a historically authentic tale but one with true emotional power only she can bring.
When she is not writing she lives life with her husband Mark in the wind swept land of Wyoming riding Missouri Fox Trotters, and loving a large herd of children and grandchildren.
Look for her other book titles and upcoming projects at any of the links below.
Author Website - www.robynngabel.com
Author Blog - www.dupler.org
Facebook - www.facebook.com/AuthorRobynnGabel/
Amazon - www.amazon.com/author/robynngabel
Bookrix - www.bookrix.com/_title-en-robynn-gabel-windswept-hearts