Let us Talk of Many Things; of Books and Queens and Pirates, of Mystery and Kings...: 2026

Tuesday, 17 February 2026

Yarde Reviews and Book Promotions: Jennifer Ivy Walker - Wolf of the Nordic Seas

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find good books
to enjoy along the way!

About the Book

Wolf of the Nordic Seas

(Valiant Vikings Book 2)
By Jennifer Ivy Walker

Valiant Vikings Book 2

Publisher: Green Mermaid Publications
Print Length: 357 Pages
Genre: Historical Romance / Norse Mythology / Fantasy

Named after the Norse God of the Sea, Njörd grew up sailing, swimming, and fishing the fjords of Norway. Endowed with extraordinary senses, speed, and strength, he became known as Wolf of the Nordic Seas, leading lucrative Viking raids from the Baltic shores to the Black and Caspian Seas. When a Viking völva foretells his future through a seidr vision, Njörd learns that his fate and his mate—the siren with the sea goddess eyes—lie on the alabaster coast of Normandy in the distant Land of the White Chalk Cliffs.

Elfi Thorfinnsdóttir is a skilled shieldmaiden who seeks vengeance against the ruthless Frankish count who killed her brother and abducted her father in an attempt to seize her clifftop castle. But rather that submit to the count’s relentless demand for her hand in marriage, Elfi allies with Richard the Fearless—the Viking Duke of Normandy— and the Danish Jarl of Ribe known as the Wolf of the Nordic Seas.

As Elfi and Njörd discover startling secrets about their respective pasts, they find that the three Norns have entwined the threads of their fates not just as political allies, but as mates destined to fulfill a divine prophecy.

Wolf of the Nordic Seas— book 2 of the Valiant Vikings series set in tenth century Normandy— is a sizzling, scintillating blend of historical fiction, Norse mythology, paranormal fantasy, and steamy Viking romance!

Praise:

“This thrilling tale promises to sweep readers off their feet and take them on an unforgettable journey into the heart of Viking lore.” Five Stars Yarde Book Promotions

“…Walker's textured history and atmosphere, whether it is a sacred grove or ethereal caves, create a world that feels both mystical and real, pulling readers into another unforgettable journey. Very highly recommended.”

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/u/38NlY6

Read with #KindleUnlimited

Author Bio:

Jennifer Ivy Walker

Jennifer Ivy Walker is an award-winning author of medieval Celtic, Nordic, and paranormal romance, as well as contemporary romance, historical fantasy, and WWII romantic suspense.

A former high school teacher and college professor of French with an MA in French literature, her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, including Celtic myths and legends, Norse mythology, Viking sagas, and Nordic lore.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://jenniferivywalker.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-ivy-walker

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jenniferivywalker

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jenniferivywalker.bsky.social

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/bohemienneivy/

List of Books by Jennifer Ivy Walker
The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven
The Lady of the Mirrored Lake
The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight
Winter Solstice in the Crystal Castle
A Celtic Yuletide Carol

The Witch of the Breton Woods

Flames of Flamenco
Amour in Avignon
Dragon of Denmark

Wolf of the Nordic Seas

Falcon of the Faroe Islands

read an excerpt

Excerpt: The Danish Jarl of Ribe

From the oceanfront cliff upon which le Château Blanc had been built, the grassy hill sloped at a steep, steady incline down to the flat, sandy beach two hundred feet below. Elfi descended the path, escorted by two of her father’s castle guards.

When she arrived upon the shore, a beaming Richard—accompanied by a buoyant Bjarke and the bearded brute in white wolfskin that she had seen from her bedroom window—strode briskly across the sand to greet her. “Lady Elfi of Étretat, may I present your betrothed, Njörd Ívarrsson. The Danish jarl of Ribe.”

Elfi shivered as the mammoth Viking took her hand and lowered his massive head, brushing bristled lips across her sensitive skin while the lupine eyes of the wolfskin observed her with a lurid, otherworldly glow.

Gilded by the golden sun, Njörd’s thick chestnut hair gleamed, radiating the salty scent of the sea. “I am honored to meet you, Elfi of Étretat.” A current flowed up Elfi’s arm at his unsettling touch.

“Ribe is a vital Viking trade center on the western shores of the North Sea,” Richard continued, oblivious to Elfi’s distress. “Njörd is known throughout Denmark as Wolf of the Nordic Seas.” The deep timbre of Jarl Rikard’s voice magnified the menace of the name. And the thick white fur and haunting eyes of the monstrous wolfskin further intensified her unease.

Njörd rose to his full, towering height—still clutching Elfi’s trembling hand.

She looked up into his deep blue eyes, caught in the maelstrom of his mesmerizing gaze. An inexplicable, immutable bond linked her soul to the Wolf of the Nordic Seas. Mouth parched, heart racing, Elfi’s unsteady legs shook under her grey woolen gown.

“On behalf of Harald Bluetooth, King of Norway and Denmark,” Njörd boomed, his thunderous voice crashing over her like tumultuous waves against the craggy cliff, “I offer a formidable Viking army of a thousand valiant warriors.” He swept a majestic, wolfskin-clad arm across the horde of men hauling the flat-bottom dragon ships up onto the shore. “And a fearsome fleet of drakkar and skeid warships to defend le Château Blanc.” Gallantly folding his white lupine cloak across his expansive, armored chest, he bent at the waist, honoring Elfi with a reverent bow. “A regal bride price for your prized hand in marriage. A royal gift from my magnanimous king to bless our Yuletide wedding.”

While Elfi stood speechless, overwhelmed by the size, sight, and scent of her betrothed, Njörd bellowed to the boisterous, busy army who worked efficiently and tirelessly to secure the Danish fleet. “Vikings of Denmark!”

A collective hush settled over the shore where gentle waves of the Narrow Sea lapped at the soft white sand.

“Pay homage to my betrothed. Châtelaine of le Château Blanc. Lady Elfi Thorfinnsdóttir. Heiress of Étretat.”

Hundreds of humble heads bowed before her, fixing her with fascinated, curious stares.

Elfi inhaled deeply to regain her composure. Shoulders back, standing tall, she greeted the men who would fortify the castle, salvage the autumn harvest, and protect the Pays de Caux. “I bid you all welcome and thank you for coming to our aid. Le Château Blanc will be well defended against future attacks by the Frankish Count of Soissons!”

Twitter / X Handle: @maryanneyarde
Instagram Handle: @jenniferivywalkerauthor @yardereviews

Bluesky Handle: @jenniferivywalker.bsky.social @maryanneyarde.bsky.social

Hashtags: #WolfOfTheNordicSeas #JenniferIvyWalker #HistoricalRomance #Romantasy #BlogTour #YardeBookPromotions

Tour Schedule Page:

https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2025/12/blog-tour-wolf-of-nordic-seas-valiant.html

Yarde Reviews and Book Promotion

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@maryanneyarde

via https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

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Helen Hollick

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

2025 annual award winner

view all Helen's books:

Website: https://blog.helenhollick.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

cosy mysteries : historical fiction
nautical adventure : anthologies
ghosts : non-fiction
1066 : King Arthur

THANK YOU!

Monday, 16 February 2026

Rachel's Random Resources Book Tour: Under a Southern Sky by Clare Flynn

Rachel's Random Resources
Book Tours

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find good books
to enjoy along the way!

About the Book

Under a Southern Sky

After a German fighter sinks her husband's ship in the icy Atlantic, grief-stricken Hannah Kidd flees the rubble and ration queues of wartime Liverpool for a new life on the other side of the world. In sun-soaked Sydney, she discovers more than just refuge from nightly bombing raids—she finds unexpected family connections, meaningful work, and the handsome Eddie Greenbank.

As Hannah explores the golden beaches of Sydney's eastern shores, the misty valleys of the Blue Mountains, and the rolling scenery of the Hunter Valley, she begins to believe that happiness isn't lost forever. But even in Australia, the war's long shadow threatens everything she's begun to rebuild. Hannah must decide: will she let grief define her, or will she fight for the future she never thought she'd have?

A sweeping story of resilience and renewal set against the dramatic backdrop of wartime Australia, Under a Southern Sky explores how far we must sometimes travel—both in miles and in spirit—to find our way home.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/47oMPq

Author Bio –

Clare Flynn is the award-winning author of nineteen historical novels. She is the 2020 Selfies Adult Fiction prize winner for The Pearl of Penang and the 2022 Indie Champion for the Romantic Novelists Association. Clare is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Historical Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists Association. She lives in Eastbourne on the south coast of England.

Social Media Links –

FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/authorclareflynn

Twitter - https://x.com/clarefly

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/clarefly/

https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/
@rararesources
#RachelsRandomResources

via https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

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You might also like books written by

Helen Hollick

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

The SEA WITCH VOYAGES

nautical adventures with a touch of supernatural

set during the Golden Age of Piracy

If you enjoyed the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean movie,

you'll love these (much better!) seafaring voyages!

THE SAXON SERIES

The story of the events that led to
The Battle of Hastings in 1066
Harold the King (UK edition)
I Am The Chosen King (US edition)
AND
1066 Turned Upside Down
an anthology of 'What If'' 1066 tales

KING ARTHUR

The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend...

*

anthologies - short stories by award-winning authors

e-book only Free on Amazon

Website: https://blog.helenhollick.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

my monthly thoughts on an interesting topic)

https://thoughtsfromadevonshirefarmhouse.blogspot.com/
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Saturday, 14 February 2026

Spotlight on Jane Harlond and The Doomsong Sword Saga Series

How a Viking battlefield led to a historical fantasy series

Long, long ago, before my second son went to live in Sweden, I had a contract to re-write various Norse myths and legends as short stories for an educational publisher. I was well into the project when the whole thing was cancelled. Disappointing, but these things happen, and if you are a writer you know background reading, research and early drafts are rarely wasted.

Midnight sun on the Baltic coast of northern Sweden.

A few years later, I returned to the Sigurd, the Dragonslayer story in the ancient Volsung saga and began to re-draft it as a novel using a fictional reluctant hero. The story came together well and was published as The Doomsong Sword. As fantasy the book didn’t fit very well with my two historical crime fiction series, though, so I largely ignored it until a couple of years ago, when a combination of factors inspired a second and then a third book in what is becoming a saga-like series.

The second book, The Doomsong Voyage, developed out of visit to a Spanish hill-top town in what used to be as Al-Andalus. This patio features in the story.

Apart from their infamous reputation for raiding for treasure and slaughtering innocents the Danes as they were called – even if they weren’t from Denmark – sailed huge distances ‘a-viking’ for trade, and then in search of warmer fertile lands, where they could farm and prosper far better than in the ice and snow of the Cold North. I was aware of Viking settlements in Cantabria and Galicia, (northern Spain) and how they traded in the Levant, but the visit to this small Moorish town on the southern Atlantic coast of Spain resulted in a nagging writer’s ‘what if’. The notion that Vikings had docked in a nearby port lodged in my mind and the outline of a historical-fantasy saga began to grow. This story, informed by Scandinavian history relating to a volcano and a verified climate disaster, plus my own travels, takes the reader from a tiny island on the Baltic Sea to Ibiza in the old Middle Sea in a trading knarr named Guillemot – after the small, indomitable birds who thrive in the worst of weathers.

Book 3, recently released, takes a few of the passengers and crew back to the Cold North, then on a return voyage south. They are pushed off course during a terrible storm and Guillemot takes shelter in the River Torridge (North Devon). This is where Scandinavian, British, and my own personal history come together – on a battlefield.

The stimulus for what happens here is probably connected to my age-related nostalgia for the bracing winds of a North Devon Atlantic beach. My Spanish husband and I now live on the Mediterranean, where beaches are narrow, gritty and rarely exciting. Perhaps for this reason I kept remembering where I grew up. Our house was built on a Viking battlefield and I used to walk our dog down Hubba Lane to the river. Most days I passed and took no notice of a monument on Bloody Corner (!) that says:

Stop Stranger Stop,

Near this spot lies buried

King Hubba the Dane,

who was slayed in a bloody retreat,

by King Alfred the Great

Historians doubt and disagree on what actually happened in the Battle of Northam, possibly because there was a second battle in much the same location in early Norman times, but this monument records the supposed defeat of invading Danes ‘by the men of Defenschire’ in 878. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:

(That) winter the brother of Hingwar and of Halfdene came with twenty-three ships to Defenschire in Wessex; and he (Hubba/Ubbe/Hudd) was there slain…

Records of Northam, which was larger and more important than Bideford in those days, exist from around the 10th/11th Century, and tradition also says a fleet of 33, not 23, dragonships landed on the beaches around Appledore and sailed up the Torridge. This is the background to the third Doomsong story, which also includes aspects of Celtic traditions and legend because Devon and Cornwall maintained their Celtic heritage well into Norman times.

Fact, fiction, and mythical fantasy – because magic and the fantastical were a very important element of Viking, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon beliefs before science and electricity – have combined to become The Doomsong Saga.

Each of the books can be read as a stand-alone, but if you would like to start at the beginning with how the legendary sword named Doomsong and Truthteller came into the hands of a lazy boy named Davor begin with Book 1 The Doomsong Sword