Author Highlight: Bjorn Leesson
Meet Bjorn Leesson, an author who has blown my socks off this year with his riveting historical fiction-fantasy series that is anything but typical. Not just one, but all of his heroines are female, and these gals are both brilliant and brutal. Leesson’s storylines are layered and his characters complicated, and yet they all boil down to the universal struggle of Light versus Darkness. Jump in on the conversation I had with Bjorn recently about his Viking series: Outside the Thalsparr.
Andria: Hello, Bjorn! Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Your series totally took me by surprise, and I am so eager to share it with my readers. The Outside the Thalsparr series is a historical fiction-fantasy storyline that takes the reader all over the map with a female Viking warrior named Myrgjol (sounds like Muriel) and her descendants, friends, and foes. Tell us in your own words a little bit about Book One and why this series hits the marks of both historical fiction and fantasy.
Bjorn: Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir is not your ordinary Norse woman of the Viking age. One of the great warriors of her time, she soon learns that the hardest battles are not always those fought with a sword and shield. Through countless trials and tests, she is led by visions and omens on numerous adventures with the help of steadfast friends and family to discover her mysterious supernatural destiny, each one more extraordinary than anyone could ever have imagined. The story of Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir begins with her birth in 800s Scandinavia where it becomes immediately obvious that she is very different in so many ways. After adventures abroad and continuously making friends and loyal allies, and after suffering many losses and setbacks, she bravely travels the many winding paths of her destiny—facing and defeating a dark foe she never expected to face.
A: That’s quite a storyline! As your editor, I am truly impressed with how quickly you turn out one installment in the series after another, particularly with the stunning quality of work you produce. You are currently working on Books Seven and Eight, and it’s because these characters are just so compelling, they have more to tell. You have a real strength for character development. Tell me about a character that readers love and one that readers love to hate.
B: Myrgjol is popular because she is so layered, complicated—and simply badass. And I think readers love to hate Jarl Halvar because he is basically the negative image of Myrgjol.
A: Myrgjol is one of my favorite characters of all time. She is powerful, but tender when she wants to be. She is strategic and wise, but she is also kind with an amusing child-like playfulness about her. She both inspires me and cracks me up! I think Myrgjol is so relatable because she is awesome but not perfect. With that in mind, can you share an overarching theme from the series?
B: Sure. One recurring theme is that nearly nothing in life is simply black and white. Sometimes the "good" have to do bad things, and sometimes the "bad" do good things.
A: So, Bjorn, what inspired you to write this series?
B: A mix of several interests, I suppose. History, genealogy, the supernatural, and psychology, among others.
A: I have featured your first three book covers in the content here. I know you would agree that there are so many important steps to publishing beyond the actual writing. I wonder if you would share what your experience has been like through the editing and proofreading leg of the journey. (Ahem. No pressure.)
B: Hiring an editor was the best thing I did through this whole process. If you the right editor, they are so much more of a valuable resource than just pointing to your mistakes. It is more of a collaboration, and I have not looked back at all from hiring mine.
I didn’t hire a proofreader. For the most part, once you were done with the manuscript, it only needed a really good looking-over by me. Is hiring a proofreader the safest thing to do? Yes, absolutely. But many writers can't invest that much out-of-pocket expense.
A: That’s fair. I’m an author too, so I know respecting a budget is key. Considering the investments of time and money, what would you say inspires you to keep writing and publishing? What is your favorite part of the author-journey thus far?
B: Being able to take what is in my head, put it into written words, and have someone else "see" the same thing I saw. And the biggest high is when they like it as much as I do.
A: Well said. And on that note, I’ll wrap it up with this. Bjorn, your writing style is so vivid, I feel like I’m “seeing” the action unfold. For me, it’s like watching a movie. Your characters are so realistic, I feel like I know these people. I truly hope to see your series on screen. It would be phenomenal!
Thank you to my readers for joining in on this little conversation between Bjorn and myself. Click the links below to find him online and on Amazon.
Where to Find Bjorn Leesson & the Thalsparr Series
Follow all things “Outside the Thalsparr” on Bjorn’s website. And get your hands on his heart-pounding series on Amazon. You can find Book One here.
Author Resources & Free Publishing Guide from Andria Flores
Hi! I’m Andria Flores—an editor who loves her clients! One perk I provide to my authors is exclusive access to my Author Resources page, filled with helpful downloads and links from me, as well as direct access to trusted colleagues and resources to assist you through the entire publishing process. To gain access, subscribe to my newsletter. You'll immediately receive my free Publishing Guide. And once we connect, I'm happy to send you the link to my Author Resources, exclusively for my authors and clients.
