Spotlight & Giveaway: The Valkyrie’s Legacy by Tiana Warner

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Tiana Warner to HJ!

Hi Tiana and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Valkyrie’s Legacy (Sigrid and the Valkyries, Book 3)!

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

A valkyrie princess must journey across the nine Norse realms to save her world, fighting mythical beasts, a god intent on mischief, and fate itself.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

A fleeting kiss was no way to say goodbye to the valkyrie who’d stolen her heart, but that was all Sigrid could afford before leaving camp that morning.
As Mariam’s soft lips brushed hers, Sigrid’s heart just about burst, beating a rapid drumbeat of “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
But she swallowed the words with an ache in her chest, because Mariam had made it excruciatingly clear that declarations like that were unwelcome.
“I should be coming with you,” Mariam said into her lips, her hands firm on the back of Sigrid’s neck. Her brown eyes reflected the glow of the fires around them, and even as they spoke, the crowded camp was coming alive with the rising dawn.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Sigrid and Mariam find a lot of unexpected allies—and unintended enemies—as they cross the nine worlds in their fight for cosmic balance.
• I wrote the chapters set in Muspelheim (the realm of the Fire Giants) during an intense heat dome, so you could say I REALLY got into the setting.
• Sigrid and Mariam aren’t the only ones who fall in love over the course of the series. Fisk, especially, finds true love.

What first attracts your main characters to each other?

Sigrid and Mariam start out hating each other because they’re on opposite sides of a battle—but they can’t help the little spark of curiosity about each other. Sigrid is intrigued by Mariam’s skill and confidence as a valkyrie, while Mariam recognizes a kindred spirit in Sigrid, who never fit in with the other girls her age.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe your main characters”love affair?

Resilient, passionate, adorable, enduring, misfits.
 

The First Kiss…

Is a charged, stolen moment fueled by weeks of pent-up longing in the first book of the trilogy.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

My favorite scene is a conversation with the god of mischief that happens very close to the end of the book…

“Why are you doing this to us?” Sigrid yelled. “Why do you have to be so wholly evil?”
Loki pressed a hand over his heart as if touched by her words. “Love, you know this is my purpose.”

I won’t share more to avoid spoilers, but I love the way Loki makes his case—it was so fun and interesting to explore.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

Any of the valkyrie battle scenes! So epic!

Maybe Sigrid had taken the valkyries’ ferocity for granted after growing up with them. But to someone who hadn’t grown up around winged mares, the sight of one swooping down with her wings outstretched would be enough to instill the fear of the gods. Aesa’s shadow eclipsed everything, her ears back, her nostrils red and flared. Mariam made a fierce figure perched in the saddle with an arm raised, her golden spear glinting in her fist.

Readers should read this book …

If they want an epic adventure full of sapphic love, Norse mythology, found family, and animal sidekicks.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I just released a Sapphic Romantasy called How to Flirt with a Witch! It’s about a university student who learns she has the ability to sense curses and forms a forbidden romance with a witch determined to protect her from the consequences. I’m working on the sequel.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Ebook of the previous book in the trilogy, The Valkyrie’s Shadow, provided by Entangled Teen.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Who is your favorite god or mythical creature from Norse mythology? (e.g. Thor, Loki, valkyries, Fenrir the wolf…)

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from The Valkyrie’s Legacy (Sigrid and the Valkyries, Book 3):

Sigrid looked around, her pulse racing. The dark splatter across the floor wasn’t a good sign. When she dismounted, her boots stuck to it, and she held back a shiver. Yeah, partly dried, sticky blood was never a good sign.
“Sigrid, we don’t have time for this!” Mariam shouted, her voice mingling with the din outside.
“I found more runes!”
Mariam cursed and nudged Aesa to move. She hurled her spear at someone out of sight.
Sigrid’s heart was in her throat as she followed the blood across the table, down the legs, and onto the stone floor.
Tóra’s words floated to the front of her mind. A blood connection.
What kind of sacrifice or attempts to talk to Loki had happened here?
Urgency constricted her lungs, but Sigrid couldn’t ignore more proof of Loki’s meddling. She snatched the loose parchment off the table.
Mariam returned. “What, exactly, do you plan to do with those?”
“We have to figure out what Loki’s plan is.” She shook the papers and stuffed them all into Sleipnir’s saddle bag. “Maybe Tóra can interpret these.”
“Fine. Now let’s find the prince—” A clatter outside drew Mariam’s attention, and she cursed and moved out of sight again. There was a grunt and a sickening thump, the sound of a well-aimed spear finding its mark.
Drawing a fortifying breath, Sigrid used the table to climb onto Sleipnir. It was time to fight. She swung her leg over the saddle and let the stallion’s power trickle through her like hot tea.
“Why do you resist your destiny, Sigrid?” a voice asked, the words a hiss.
Sigrid jolted in the saddle and cried out at the mental intrusion. Sleipnir’s ears turned back to her.
“You’re denying your purpose,” the voice said. “You have the power to carry on my legacy, and yet…you waste it.”
A chill rippled through her. Stop.
She clutched the reins tighter and looked around, even though the words were coming from within. Her breaths quickened. The knowledge that Loki was inside her mind and there was nothing she could do about it made her heart slam into her ribs.
Get out of my head.
“You’re meant to jump on the scales and tip them to and fro. Like me. Our role is more important than any other god’s. You’d do better to give up on resisting.”
Sigrid clapped her hands over her ears, her reins falling from her grasp. “Stop it!”
In the doorway, Mariam leaned down from the saddle and scanned the room as if searching for an attacker, her eyes wide in alarm. “What’s wrong?”
Sigrid dropped her hands, panting. She’d forgotten where she was. The clash of the fight carried toward them from the courtyard. “Nothing. I’m…”
The memory of finding her family tree rushed back—the panic over seeing Loki’s name and wondering if she was destined for evil. Was this what he meant?
“We need to hurry,” Sigrid said, avoiding Mariam’s concerned gaze. This wasn’t the time to talk about hearing voices.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

The blood of a princess
…and the heart of valkyrie

Sigrid may be the last surviving royal of Vanaheim, but she’s more warrior than princess. Her world is collapsing under the onslaught of their enemies, who are ripping apart Sigrid’s home and everyone in it. Even astride Sleipnir, her legendary eight-legged horse, Sigrid can’t fight the darkness unleashed by the Night Elves. And at any moment, the god Loki could unleash chaos upon them all…

With the fate of nine worlds perilously close to breaking, there’s only one way to restore the balance: by restoring Vanaheim’s gods-given magic. But doing so means undertaking a journey that’s not only treacherous but nearly impossible.

With her beloved Mariam by her side, Sigrid must find a way to unite all the worlds…including Helheim.

It will take courage.

It will take strength.

Most of all, it will tempt Sigrid to draw upon the thing she fears most: the darkness inside her own heart. Because the only way to take on a god—and win—will be to raise an army from the most fearsome corners of the nine worlds.

The Sigrid and The Valkyries series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 The Valkyrie’s Daughter
Book #2 The Valkyrie’s Shadow
Book #3 The Valkyrie’s Legacy
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Tiana Warner is a multi-award-winning Sapphic Romance and Romantasy author from British Columbia, Canada. She is passionate about animal welfare and is an active volunteer with local dog rescue organizations. You can often find her cuddling a foster dog, riding her horse Flynn, or exploring nature.
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