I won’t say the book stayed on outline, because no outline survives the first draft, but the broad strokes remained…until the end. The end was totally different from what I imagined.
It was originally a much smaller book, but it kept ballooning up on me. Anna was just going to close the portal, and be done with it, with no heightened drama, and definitely no murder crows.
And what would this book be without murder crows?
Or the dust mite guardians of the pocket dimension.
The thing I love about books is that even though I’m the one writing them, they still surprise even me. It’s a long and tedious process to write a book, so it’s a nice feeling when they manage to sneak up on you, which they always do at least once in a book. It makes me feel almost like I am a reader of my own work.
I hope you liked Anna and the Dark Place. If you did, check out The Void Calls Us Home. It’s a Lovecraftian YA novel about a girl dealing with the darkness inside of her, while getting over the loss of her sister.
Now, here is a preview of The Void Calls Us Home.
Cursed by the Gods
Tina Glasneck
CURSED BY THE GODS © 2017 Tina Glasneck
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Note: This book was previously released under the title A DRAGON’S AWAKENING.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Edition: RTFMMed02-08Aug2019-01
Created with Vellum
Cursed by the Gods
Not all prayers create blessings. Some lead to destruction.
Nanna of Carthage prayed to the gods for help from the Roman invasion. She never imagined that the wrong god would answer.
Baldr, the son of Odin, and Freyja, and brother of Thor, was not the god she’d expected, and when he whisks her away to Asgard, she fears for her safety—and the future of her people.
Baldr couldn’t let Nanna perish. His knee-jerk reaction to save her comes with diabolical consequences: threats arise from all sides, including from Odin.
When Nanna hears a voice that beckons her to a secret chamber, she discovers what the gods have hidden…and how catastrophic its release will be to all of creation.
Now, she’s stuck in Asgard as they decide her fate, and Nanna realizes she may have escaped one battle to become a pawn in another, bigger war.
Characters & Places
Asgard: One of the nine realms in Norse mythology; the location where the Aesir (the gods) live.
Baldr: The god of light, previously killed by a mistletoe arrow. He now resides in Helheim with his wife, Nanna.
Carthage: A City-state in the Phoenician empire.
Freyja: Norse goddess, married to Odin, stepmother to Thor. She lives in Asgard.
Helheim: Also called Hel, is one of the places the dead are received. Lady Hel rules it. Helheim means covered, and cannot be compared with the Christian Hell of torture, fire or brimstone. Instead, some sources reference Helheim as a cold place, but still where feasts are held.
Heimdall: He is a Norse god, who is considered the gods’ watchman. He resides at the entry to Asgard.
Jörmungandr: Also called the Midgard Serpent, he is the son of Loki. It is prophesied that at Ragnarok, he will kill Thor.
Lady Hel: The ruler of Helheim, a final resting place for the sick, elderly, and those who have not died with honor.
Loki: Loki is the god of mischief, the mother of Sleipnir, and the father of Lady Hel, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr, as well as Vali and Nari/Narfi.
Melqart: The Phoenician god of the Underworld; and the patron god of the Barca family, including Hannibal the Great (Hannibal Barca)
Midgard: Earth, is referenced as the term Midgard in Norse mythology.
Minerva: The Roman goddess of war, also known as the Greek goddess Athena.
Norns: The three goddesses of fate. They are named Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld.
Odin: He is called the All-Father, and is the king, and ruler of Asgard. He is married to Freyja, and the father to Thor and Baldr.
Ragnarok: The final battle of the gods, prophesied to be the end of everything.
Skuld: She is one of the three Norns (sisters). She is said to be responsible for the future.
Sleipnir: Odin’s eight-legged horse, and the stallion son of Loki (who Loki bore as a mare).
Thor: Norse god of thunder, and is considered to be the god who protects humankind. He fights with his hammer, Mjolnir.
Urd: She is one of the three Norns (sisters). She is said to be responsible for the past.
Verdandi: She is one of the three Norns (sisters). She is said to be responsible for the present.
The death of Ymir brought life, and a curse.
Once destroyed by Odin, the All-Father,
and his two brothers, Vile and Ve,
the body of Ymir, the evil frost giant,
was disassembled, and the world and all in it was created therefrom.
Yet, it was Ymir’s heart that the gods had to hide in secret,
for from it, a great beast could arise if given a foothold.
Deep under the hollows of Asgard, the heart rests,
untouched, unmoved,
unknown by all except those involved in its procurement,
shrouded in magic,
it remains still.
—Kiss of Ymir, stanza 1
Baldr
Asgard
“Why does Baal wish for us to respond to his challenges in Midgard?” Odin asked. “Is Carthage not his area
