Join me, as we take a look back through Memory at the origin story of my podcasting journey with Valhalla Conversations and all the guests we've welcomed into the great mead hall, and then look forward by sharing my Thoughts and plans for future episodes in 2025, including exciting expansion plans!

1. Valhalla Conversations is now available on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ll6E3w... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fda...

2. Valhalla Conversations Facebook Page is now OPEN / 1er67cnbbt

3. Please do also follow me on Instagram, Threads and Bluesky @soulchaserbecky

4. New Book focused reviews content coming soon.

5. Plan to release 12 episodes in 2025.

6. At least 2 New Guests for January and February episodes, with others to be confirmed.

*First recorded and premiered on YouTube early December 2024.

Join me for our first double digit episode of Valhalla Conversations as I talk with the newest author to join my Favourites shelf, Thilde Kold Holdt. We discuss her Norse Fantasy series beginning with Northern Wrath, learn about what fascinated her about Norse Mythology and the era of viking history featuring Harald Bluetooth, and about her experiences rowing and sailing a Viking Warship, The Sea Stallion.

Website: https://www.thildekoldholdt.com/

Insta: @KoldHoldt or / koldholdt

Twitter: @KoldHoldt or https://x.com/KoldHoldt

Thanks to James RPG Art for the Viking Hall virtual background. Find and Support his digital artwork on Patreon.

Thanks to Podcast Theme Music, 'In the Warmth of the Fire' created by Will Savino from Shattered Storm DnD music bundle.

*First recorded and premiered on YouTube in November 2024.

Join me for Episode 9 of Valhalla Conversations, which is a special collaborative podcast episode as I am joined by the two hosts of ‘Shield Maiden: ‪@WomenoftheNorseWorldPodcast‬ Kim Barton and Johanna Wittenberg.

In this episode we each share our particular favourite female figure from Norse sagas and history, and equally Norse legends and mythology.

I chose Audr/Unnr the Deep Minded, a woman who single handidly led her family from danger to peaceful settlement in Iceland. Followed up by Freya, Goddess of War, Love and Seidr Magic.

Kim chose Lagertha, and we learn more about what the sagas say, not the Netflix drama. Followed up with Skarthi, the Jotun/Giant, who demanded a husband in recompense for the Gods killing her father.

Johanna chose Queen Asa of an ununified Norway, who features as her female protagonist in her now 6 going on 7 book series, followed up with the half-corpse goddess, Hel, who ruled Helheim.

Kim and Johanna are both authors of historical fiction (and some fantasy) set in the Viking Age, and each has a strong female protagonist to explore and navigate the culture and society of the time. Kim and Johanna, combined forces over their shared fascination and interest women’s lives, experiences, challenges and successes and roles during the Viking Age and so began their own podcast. To date they have recorded 24 episodes covering an amazing range and depth of women in Viking history and mythology. From goddesses to spirits to legends and sagas, historical artefacts, archaeology, religious roles, domestic roles, Queens to Abbesses, Warriors to Valkyries. These two have covered a LOT and I have always learned something from every single episode I’ve listened to so far.

Johanna Wittenberg’s website - https://johannawittenberg.com/

K.S.Barton’s website - https://www.ksbarton.com/

*First recorded and premiered on YouTube in November 2024.

I reunite with returning guest panelists, ‪@JustinHilltheAuthor‬, Patricia Bracewell and Sharon Bennett Connolly, to discuss and explore and in many ways untangle a interpretation of history and comparing it to genuine events, of ‪@Netflix‬ Vikings: Valhalla, Season 3, what turned out to be the FINAL season.

There are SPOILERS from the start - you have been warned!

Patricia Bracewell - historical fiction author of a trilogy about Emma of Normandy and her years married to Aethelread the Unready whilst Swein Forkbeard and Canute invaded England. Her trilogy begins with "Shadow on the Crown". - http://www.patriciabracewell.com/

Justin Hill - historical novelist having written Sunday Times Bestseller "Viking Fire" novel about Harald Hardrada's lifelong adventures. As well as "Shieldwall" a historical novel following Godwin's life as he survived the political and military turmoil of England during the invasion of Swein Forkbeard and Canute's eventual rise to claim the Throne. - https://www.justinhillauthor.com/

Sharon Bennett Connolly - popular historian who has spent years researching and writing books about many forgotten women of history including Queen Emma among others. Her book "The Silk and the Sword - Forgotten Women of 1066" is a recommended read. - https://historytheinterestingbits.com.

*First recorded and premiered on YouTube in June 2024.

On the release of his fourth comic anthology on Kickstarter, I'm delighted to get some time with comic writer, Asa Wheatley, who has creatively blended the tale of a lone shield maiden, a female warrior, with his love of the Western genre.

We discuss how Shield Maiden began, how he used both Viking Age history and Norse Mythology, his unique connection with an ancient Queen of Norway, the juggling act of a single character but multiple timelines, share our equal fascination with the myths and the history and discuss stories and characters from Books 1, 2 and 3 and reveal exciting details about Book 4 and future plans for this comic anthology series which is sure to be a hit with fans of the Vikings TV series and also fans of Neil Gaiman.

Shield Maiden Blurb:

Sagas of the Shield Maiden is a Viking western comics anthology series that recounts the legends, or sagas, of the titular Shield Maiden as she traverses Scandinavia and beyond the North Sea.

Each tale takes place at a different point in the Shield Maiden's life. From her first raid in England to her life as a mercenary for hire and her eventual death. As well as obviously being heavily influenced by Viking history and Norse mythology the stories all draw upon traits and themes commonly found in the western genre.

Website - https://asawheatley.bigcartel.com/

*First recorded and premiered on YouTube in May 2024.

In Episode Six of Valhalla Conversations I am joined by my special guest (and another favourite author), ‪@tessagratton‬ to discuss her trilogy The United States of Asgard (The Lost Sun, The Strange Maid and The Apple Throne).

The blurb of one book says the following "Norse-influenced alternate world of the United States of Asgard, where cell phones, rock bands, and evangelical preachers coexist with dragon slaying, rune casting, and sword training in schools. Where the president runs the country alongside a council of Valkyries, gods walk the red carpet with Hollywood starlets, and the U.S. military has a special battalion dedicated to eradicating Rocky Mountain trolls."

This just gives a flavour of the rich and deep alternative world that Tessa has created from rewriting history and bringing the Gods down to earth, literally. I ask her questions about how her ideas came about, how she researched norse mythology, share my theories and understanding (and appreciation) for her interpretation of the role of Valkyries and even ask her which path of life she would follow if she could exist in her own fictional world. She also reveals some exciting news regarding future development of this series and openly shares the tough time she had publishing them originally.

Please visit her website www.tessagratton.com to follow future developments and news of her other amazing books.

You can find my reviews of all three books and the anthology of short stories set in the same universe, following other characters, on my book blog: www.beckybookwyrm.blogspot.com

*First recorded and premiered on YouTube in March 2024.

In Episode 5 of Valhalla Conversations I'm delighted to talk to one of my latest favourite authors, Kate Heartfield, author of The Valkyrie, an epic retelling of the Volsung Saga/Nibelunglied from the point of view of Brynhild, the fallen Valkyrie and Gudrun, sister to the ill-fated Gunnar. Her exploration of Valkyrie's role, duty, abilities, why Bryn and Odin had a disagreement, and refreshingly modern adaption of the original sources makes this a truly exceptional narrative and one I encourage anyone with an interest in norse mythology or valkyries to read. ‪

Kate Heartfield’s latest novel is The Valkyrie, a retelling of old Norse and Germanic legends. Her 2022 novel The Embroidered Book won Canada’s Aurora award, as did her debut novel, which was republished in a revised edition as The Chatelaine in 2023. She also writes interactive fiction through Choice of Games, and Assassin’s Creed tie-in novels. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the World Fantasy, Nebula, Locus, Aurora, Sunburst and Crawford awards, as well as the Ottawa Book Award, and her journalism for a National Newspaper Award. Kate grew up in Manitoba and now lives in Ottawa.

Website: https://kateheartfield.com/books/

My Book Review on my "Becky the Bookwrym" blog: https://beckybookwyrm.blogspot.com/20...

Kate's recommended read "Thunder Road" by Chadwick Ginther: https://chadwickginther.com/bibliogra...

*First recorded and premiered in February 2024.

In our fourth episode of norse themed conversation I'm joined by five extraordinary women, each with their own passion and interest in Norse Mythology, as we discuss and review the Netflix series 'Ragnarok'.

All three seasons are discussed in this one episode so THERE ARE SPOILERS you have been warned. *

Special guest panelists are: Professor Carolyne Larrington, a retired tutorial fellow in medieval English Literature at St John’s College, Oxford. She is author of ‘The Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes’ and 'How the Norse Myths changed the way we think.'

https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/peo...

Joanne Harris, author of four Norse fantasy titles - Runemarks, Runelight, The Testament of Loki and The Gospel of Loki - all set within the same fictional universe. She has been personally studying the Norse Myths and Translations since a young age.

https://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/

Kaitlin Felix, she writes Norse historical fiction and fantasy, her debut novel 'Ran's Daughers' is set to be published by Outland Entertainment. She hoards tea like Smaug the dragon hoards dwarf-gold. When Kaitlin's not gaming, she's working on her next crochet project. She resides near Zurich, Switzerland with her frost-giant husband and very tall son.

www.katifelix.com

Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from The Ohio State University, where her study of the Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration. Her debut novel, The Witch's Heart, was released in 2021 and has been translated into over a dozen languages. Her sophomore novel, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, was released in 2023. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Instagram: @gengornichec

Louie Stowell worked in children’s publishing for 15 years before becoming a full-time writer. Her debut novel for children, THE DRAGON IN THE LIBRARY, came out in 2019, followed by two more in the series, THE MONSTER IN THE LAKE and THE WIZARD IN THE WOOD. In 2021 she published OTHERLAND, a middle grade novel (very) loosely based on Spenser’s Faerie Queene, with a touch of Queenie from Blackadder. Translated into 30 languages and counting, Louie’s bestselling and multi-award-winning LOKI: A BAD GOD’S GUIDE series began in 2022 and, if she has anything to do with it, will go on for many years. She also writes short stories and writes and draws comics. Louie lives in Hackney with her wife, Karen, her dog, Buffy, and a nameless creepy puppet that is probably cursed.

www.louiestowell.com