ONCE MORE THE SECRET IS REVEALED ... OR IS IT? ...

Hi, All,

Happy Monday! 

Today it is my great pleasure to be the first host of my cyber sister, Siv Marie Ottem’s, Secrets of the Ash Tree book blog tour! Tour dates and hosts are listed on my side bar.For all of you who are not familiar with Siv’s book, let me enlighten you ...

We are all acquainted with Greek mythology in one form or another and their wonderful stories. 

Well this year Siv has created a truly unique and exiting novel featuring NORSE mythology. How cool is that? 

So I have written something very special to introduce you all the world of the Norse gods. Aren’t you wondering how did it all began? I know I was ...  

Blistering heat erupts in the bowels of Muspellsheimer, as red, hot, flaming tips of blinding light reach north toward the misty arctic blue-white waters of Niflheir. 

Within the barren vortex of Ginnungagap, sparks flash and a thunderous crack echoes throughout the atmosphere. A shimmery, silver vapor veils the layers of splintered ice. 

A river of boiling water washes away the ice and awakens the broad figure of the giant, Jötunn. Massive arms stretch and a guttural roar ruptures from his core as a human man rips through his left armpit. Smoldering blood flushes out another figure ... a human woman.

A second roar, more excruciating than the first, fractures the frigid surface and from his Herculean legs, the frost jötnars emerge followed by a brown and white speckled cow. 

The first, Ymir, suckles, Auðumbla, as she licks the salty ice and releases the first Norse god, BỨri.

Time has yet to exist, but in the meantime BỨri fathers three sons, Odin, Villi, and Ve’. With the frost giants determination to dominate, Odin, Villi, and Ve’ slay Ymir and all but two of the frost giants. They drown in a river of blood.

The three young gods decide to create a world for humans to inhabit. Their natural affection for mankind added to their passion for a visually pleasing environment. Each begin to slice the flesh of Vmir and fashion the earth.

Within a breath, the glistening ruby blood of Ymir turns into sapphire, emerald, aqua, and cobalt crystalline waters, creating the oceans, lakes and rivers.

As the collection of bones mount, Odin sculpts the mountains and Villi and Ve’ use the pearly white teeth for boulders, river rocks, and pebbles.

Next, they lift the skull upward and create the sky, placing a dwarf at each corner to secure it in place.

For protection from jötnar, they transform Vmir’s brows into walls. 

As a final touch, Odin creates time by placing two brilliant orbs in chariots. “The sun and the moon will forever circle the sky,” he says with a broad smile. He turns toward his brothers. “But who will drive the chariots?”

Odin begins his quest through the world of the jötnar and discovers two charming and attractive young giants, Söl and Măni, named after the sun and moon. “How appropriate!” He beams at the brother and sister. “You shall drive my chariots in the sky.”

The playful siblings amuse Odin, but the responsibility is to great to leave to chance, so he creates two magnificent, silver wolves from stardust. He places Hati and Sköll in the sky to pursue the youths and devour them if they ever shirk their duty.

With the human world finally finished, Odin joins his family, and the rest is Norse mythological history ...

I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of the birth of the human and godly worlds in Norse mythology.

To Celebrate the release of her book, ‘Secrets of the Ash Tree,’ Siv Maria Ottem is taking the Norse Gods with her on a blog tour from October 7^th- 14^th. Make sure to stop by her blog and see what kind of Birthday Giveaways she is raffling off!

Secrets of the Ash Tree

By Siv Maria Ottem

~~~In the realm of the gods and fairy tales the mystery of life is an endless path with many secrets to be discovered. Some secrets are like dreams, just waiting in darkness hoping to get into the light.

‘Secrets of the Ash Tree’ is the story about Liv, a young woman who discovers her true nature through the unraveling of hidden secrets. Her adventures begin when she digs up a chest that was buried by her father under the old ash tree in her garden. What she finds inside the chest changes her life forever.  Liv discovers one secret after another and is thrown into a world full of dangerous and strange creatures, mighty Norse warriors and perils beyond her belief. What started out as a fairy tale in her father’s journal was to become her legacy, a guide line to survival, and a map to the world she was about to enter. Each day, each mystery, each encounter will ultimately reveal her true destiny and behind the edge of a sword awaits a young god who is willing to share that destiny with her.

Available in Hardcover, softcover, kindle:

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ash-Tree-Maria-Ottem/dp/1490708790/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379498108&sr=1-2

Amazon kindle- http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ash-Tree-ebook/dp/B00E5Y79PQ

Barnes and Noble- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-the-ash-tree-siv-maria-ottem/1116186245?ean=9781490708799

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18259193-secrets-of-the-ash-tree?ac=1

Thank you all for stopping by. I hope you get a chance to support Siv on her blog tour. It truly is a magical book! I was honored to illustrate the cover for her ...