The Viking Influence Around the World - Russia

I want to acknowledge and thank all of my readers and followers. I have been so excited to see so many from Russia, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. I found a cool article that deals with Vikings in Russia that I thought you all might enjoy, especially my readers from that region. Let me know what you think!

You can read it here: THE VIKING INFLUENCE IN RUSSIA

-Brad

"The Viking Age in Denmark"

I found a great video titled, "The Viking Age in Denmark" that I wanted to share with my readers. Check it out and let me know what you think!

-Brad

ANCIENT VIKINGS IN THE NEW WORLD Article

An article published on December 16th on Sci-News.com titled, "Scientists Find Evidence of Viking Presence in Artic Canada" caught my eye! This article is very interesting and in keeping with the theme of Odin's Light of THE ZEKE PROPER CHRONICLES. Check it out and let me know what you think!

(c) wallpaper-kid.com

http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/science-viking-presence-arctic-canada-02349.html

Happy Holidays -
Brad

Update: THE GATES OF ASGARD Launch Party

In case you missed my book launch party for Book Three of THE ZEKE PROPER CHRONICLES, The Gates of Asgard, you can get your copy here! I would love to hear what you think. Make sure to leave a review on Amazon! Check out the video below to see my reading from the launch party. Enjoy!

 

-Brad

 

 

 

 

Book Launch Party!

Tomorrow is the day!! I will be having a book release party for Book Three of THE ZEKE PROPER CHRONICLES, The Gates of Asgard, at 6 pm at Primrose and Tumbleweeds in Hillsboro, OR. Stop by to get your new, signed copy and stay for Bards and Brews where I will be doing a reading from my new book.

Write a Review, Get a Prize!

Book One of THE ZEKE PROPER CHRONICLES, Odin's Light, is on sale for only 2 more days on Amazon Kindle!! Did you get your copy yet? If not, you can get it HERE. In anticipation for the release of Book Three, The Gates of Asgard, I am offering a SIGNED copy of the new book for one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter, is write a review of Odin's Light on Amazon by May 31st
and leave your email address in a comment below. One winner will be chosen. Feedback from my readers is very important to me. I can't wait to hear what you think!

-Brad

Amazon Kindle Countdown!

In anticipation of the release of Book Three of THE ZEKE PROPER CHRONICLES, The Gates of Asgard, the revised edition of Book One, Odin's Light, will be on sale thru Amazon Kindle Countdown for only $0.99 starting Thursday, April 17th at 8am!! This price will only be in effect for a limited time. After you get your revised edition, make sure to leave a review. Feedback from my readers is very important to me. I can't wait to hear what you think!

My Journey to the Gates of Asgard

While in college, I remember being subject to several lectures, embroiled in mounds of reading assignments, and challenged to the limit with writing projects. In general, I remember many of those tasks, but specifics completely elude me. However, I do remember some profound words of one of my favorite professors. They are words I’ve often repeated to my own writing students: Writing is hard work.

Many of my students struggle with the task of writing, often expressing their displeasure in the form of moans and whines. I think most students expect the skill to just happen; when it doesn’t, they give up. It’s sad when they do. But I have to admit; when they express the desire to quit, I can honestly say that I understand – I get it.

While writing the third book in the Zeke Proper Chronicles – The Gates of Asgard - I’ve often found myself on the brink of quitting, simply giving up and instead spending my evenings tinkering with some woodworking tools in my garage rather than wasting my time in my tiny office trying to work out another complicated scene. But I’ve persevered. I think the reason I have is because I want to find out how the story ends just as much as my loyal readers. In my experience, I’ve discovered that Zeke’s story wants itself to be told. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve sat down at my computer, having in mind a particular direction I think I want the story to take when I’m suddenly blindsided. The tale begins to tell itself, taking me in directions I would have never imagined. Sure, the process has been hard. It’s been a challenge that has frustrated me with elated highs and bitter lows, moments of pure inspiration and instances of harsh disappointment. But I think that’s what’s made it all worth it. If I didn’t have to work for it, then where would the satisfaction be?

As it stands, The Gates of Asgard is complete. It’s going through some final edits, but for the most part the rest of the story’s been told – and it’s really good. I’m not just saying that because I wrote it. I’m saying that because, really, I didn’t write it. It wrote itself, and it will take you on a journey that will blow your mind. 

Book Three of The Zeke Proper Chronicles -The Gates of Asgard

Brad Cameron

Release date May 2014

The Gates of Asgard...BOOK COVER REVEAL!

Have you read Book One, Odin's Light and Book Two, The Serpent's Ship yet? Go to the link and get your copies today. Be on the look out for Book Three, The Gates of Asgard, coming March 2014!

photo credit: (c) Corey Cameron

Also, check out author, Ripley Patton. She is last week's featured author at Jacobsen's Books and More! I will be the featured author this week. You can check out and read my author interview here.

A Season of Celebration: How the Vikings Have Perfected It

Several months back (June of 2013) I wrote an article called, “The Warrior Within: Lessons from the Valkyrie”. In it, I discussed the importance of the Valkyrie to the legends and myths of the Norse. The Valkyrie are simply described as twelve beautiful maidens. They are choosers of the slain and they follow the direction of their God and their leader: the Father of Battle - Odin. Their task is vital to the Viking way of life, stressing the need of every warrior to fight with vigor and energy; giving every ounce of strength they possess to prove themselves worthy of an afterlife in the halls of Vahalla. If the Valkyrie deem them worthy and the warrior dies on the field of battle, his soul will be lifted up and carried to a location that is easily recognized, especially if you are a Viking warrior. Its roof is made of shields and its rafters are spears. Breast-plates litter the benches. A wolf lurks at the western door and an eagle hovers over it. Moreover, Vahalla has five hundred and forty doors, and when the time comes to fight against Fenrir the wolf, son of the bound Loki, eight hundred warriors will march out of each door, shoulder to shoulder. But that time has yet to come. In the meantime, the fallen warriors celebrate. And what a celebration it is.

(c): theskyrimblog.ning.com

Every morning the fallen Viking warriors rise from a gentle slumber and arm themselves with spear and sword. They travel to the great courtyard to fight, killing one another anew, only to rise again in the evening, travel back to the hall, and feast. Andhrimnir the cook, who is always smutty with soot, roasts a giant boar, which is said to be the finest of all foods. The warriors devour the meat which is accompanied by copious amount of mead and wine. They drink and they eat until they’ve had their fill. Then, with their stomachs full and their minds swirling with the potent drink, the warriors fall asleep resting their heads upon the tables with the happy thought that tomorrow’s adventures will be just as satisfying.

As we enter a new celebratory season and as I embark upon the enhanced sales of my books Odin’s Light and The Serpent’s Ship, Book One and Book Two of The Zeke Proper Chronicles, I urge you, dear reader, to consider the celebration of reading. Lose yourself in a good book and raise a glass to Odin, the Father of Battle.

Guest Blog - Jason Andrew Bond

For this week's guest blog, I am pleased to introduce author, Jason Andrew Bond. Make sure to check out the links to his social media pages, website, and literary works following this article.

 

What Getting Punched in the Face Taught Me about Writing

 

I’ve been training in martial arts since I was eighteen years old. That’s twenty years of cracked shins, pulled tendons, and bruised forearms. I’ve trained under the former U.S. Taekwondo Olympic Head Coach, a Muay Thai heavyweight champion, and a U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Famer. Believe me when I tell you, it all hurt.

During those years of training I had a critical problem; I’m wasn't very good. I’ve got poor timing, weak balance, and slow reaction time. Rather, I had those things. After twenty years, I can block or dodge most punches and kicks, my balance is much improved, and I can land a few good shots.

It’s important for me to qualify that I still feel like an idiot compared to some of my more talented training partners. However, if you watched me spar or grapple, you’d probably think I knew what I was doing.  You might just see me win against some pretty talented fighters… might. There’s a lot you won’t see, though. Buried in what I can do are years of losses and injuries. In my younger days, I went home many times with my ego so bruised I could barely look in the mirror. Seeing only the skill a person has and not what he or she went through to get it is a dangerous misperception. To successfully walk a path one must be aware of the entire journey, not simply the destination. 

It is critical to understand that anything done well, must first be done badly. This truth is often where people struggle. I’ve seen it for twenty years in martial arts. New students arrive with images of themselves stronger, fitter, and able to defend themselves. That’s all great. However, the truth is that training hurts the body and ego. People feel awkward when they try to throw their first punches and weak because they can’t keep up with the class. These physical and mental challenges cause most people to quit within the first few months because they did not expect nor appreciate those feelings. Yet, it is exactly these feelings of apparent failure we must pass through to find success.

The same reality of skill development applies to writing, but there is an even deeper failure rate due to a key problem. Most people will look at a martial artist throwing kicks and blocking punches and think, “Wow, that’s a different level of skill.” It’s not always that way for writing. 

Many people—and I’ve heard this sentiment several times—think that they can write a good story on the first or second go, and that simply isn’t possible. If you gave me two challenges, holding off a friend of mine named Jacob—who’s 265 lbs and recently fought and won in a local MMA cage fight—and writing a story I can guarantee people will like, I’ll take the fight.  It’s so much easier to control. Let me reiterate that.  A 265 lb. cage fighter is easier to control than a reader’s perception of a fiction story. In a fight, I know when I’m winning. I know when I’m losing. Writing is in no way that clear. It’s a shadowy art in which you paint in the darkness of another person’s mind. You will never know the exact impact your words have. 

Most aspiring authors don’t realize how difficult fiction writing is until they get their first reader reactions. The author is excited and sure the reader will love the work, and the reader winces and says, “Well, it was okay, but…” This realization that the new author has not been able to create a masterwork can shock the ego so badly that he or she may give up. Don’t let that be you! I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it many more: The only time we truly fail, no matter how many rejections we receive or how many matches we lose, is the moment we stop trying. 

So what should you do? Write. Write badly. You will at first. Unless you’re that one lightning bolt—odds are you aren’t—you’ll need practice. How much? Malcolm Gladwell has written a book on what makes people successful called Outliers. I highly recommend it. I’ll leave the specific details to your reading, but the core comes down to hard work. How much? 10,000 hours. That may sound like less than it is. Trust me, it’s a LOT. I’ve been tracking my writing time over the last several years, and I’m still nowhere near that mark. However, if you want to compete with King, Rowling, and Sparks, you better be willing to put in that level of time. 

Now I’m going to offer my most important advice: Don’t listen to me. You don’t want advice from a guy who doesn’t have his 10,000 hours in yet. Go to the experts. During my martial arts lifetime I’ve learned from first degree black belts and ninth degree black belts. I’ve attended seminars with a local stick fighter and seminars with world class fighters like Danny Inosanto. The first degree black belts can get you off the ground, but they can only raise you up so high. If you want to be competitive with the big names of writing, if you want to perfect your voice and art, then you need to be mentored by those with 10,000 hours. 

The good news: That mentorship is there for you. I begin each writing day by reading from a how-to book by a bestselling author or professional editor. If you focus on the advice of these people, you will find valuable wisdom and—much more importantly—an intensely positive energy. As a starting point, I recommend the book Stein on Writing by Sol Stein. You want to be a skilled writer? Become a skilled editor.

So the secret to great writing presents itself as 10,000 hours of work, and many, many failures. But when you fail, if you see it correctly, you will move toward success. How can you develop a skill through failure? Believe me, when that boxing glove comes through your guard and connects with your face, your motivation to block the next punch is fairly intense.

Now stop reading this and get back to writing! 

All the best,

Jason

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