Short Short: This Day

A new novel is in the works - the first in a series of four. It's set in Colorado and has lots of cowboys, a little mystery, team roping and the challenges of finding love. I think you'll love Jace and Hailey and their story Crossfire.

 

To help me transition from children's stories and Icelandic tales, I've been writing some flash fiction - very short stories -  to encapsulate emotion. Here's a recent one entitled This Day

 

 

Her hands trembled as she took the first step, heart thumped wildly in her chest. Taking a deep breath, she willed her legs to move forward, towards her goal. The aisle of the church stretched out in front of her. She felt lightheaded, the buzzing in her ears nearly drowning out the melody of the slow organ tune. The church was filled with hushed whispers. As she moved forward, she felt the weight of many sets of eyes watching her.

She saw him at the altar. His beautiful profile so familiar to her, the face of the man she loved. He was still and silent in front of the priest. Later, this moment might be remembered as a brief flash, but right now, time seemed to stand still. The scene wavered, blurring, and she blinked quickly to squelch the tears before the overflowed. Her mind was filled with the memories of them, him and her, the love they shared and the undeniable connection. She was vaguely aware that she put one foot in front of the other, moving toward him. The scent of so many flowers overpowered her senses.

Suddenly, he was there in front of her. She reached out and touched his hand. So cold. He lie there, his beautiful blue eyes hidden beneath lids that would never again raise. His lips were arranged in a restful line, no hint of the teasing grin he so often wore. He had aged since she last saw him. Behind him, his widow and several grown children stood, as a testament to a life filled with family and love. His choice. Her choice. Their love was one without limits, but against destiny, saved for a time that never came. He had been a part of her, in her heart and thoughts as she pursued her career in medicine. She knew with every fiber of her being she had been with him, in the back of his mind even as he was surrounded by the family he built without her, the life he lived with them. Their connection transcended all that.

She leaned down to kiss his cheek and whispered “Not a day has passed that I haven’t loved you. We might have been just a memory of past love, but maybe our time is yet to come. Find me in the next life.”

 

-Heidi Herman 2018

 

The Guardians folklore collection

Well, it's been a busy few months and very exciting things are happening.

 

The novel was released and shortly after, I was notified that the folklore collection was honored as a finalist in the International book awards. It is wonderful to see Icelandic stories and heritage being honored in such a way because it raises visibility so that more people will read the folklore and learn about Icelandic heritage. Some stories are similar to other Scandinavian folklore, which makes sense because we all share the same heritage. In the story, Now I Should Laugh, you see a similarity to The Emperor's New Clothes, by Hans Christian Andersen, who was a Danish writer. Independent thinking and resisting crowd mentality is a common cultural position in Scandinavia. Much of the folklore, not only in this book but in the majority of cultures, exists to teach the young about interacting with other and provides lesson about consequences, alternatives, and morals. One of my favorite examples of this is from Drangey Consecrated, which exemplifies the Icelandic attitude of acceptance and efforts for peaceful coexistence among all creatures.

 

I will always be interested in the Icelandic culture, as my own personal heritage, and will continue to write from that perspective. I recently returned from another trip to Iceland, and I'll be sharing details of that trip in another post. I am committing to posting more frequently to this blog this year and sharing more of my projects, both Icelandic-inspired as well as other works. I am currently working on a series of novels involving cowboys, city girls and how they meet through online dating. I am having so much fun with these new characters and, of course, the required rodeo research. Also to share new work, I will try to post some flash fiction - micro-stories of 500 words or less.

 

Until next time, have a wonderful day!

 

Her Viking Heart

What are people saying about "Her Viking Heart?" Fifteen five star reviews between Amazon, Apple iTunes, and Goodreads.

Have you read it yet? If not, use the link at the bottom to grab your copy and please leave your own review. I'd love for you to share your honest feedback1

Here are a few of the reviews:

A MUST read. Captivating from beginning to end! Wanted more!
Five Stars Good Read! It was researched very well April 25, 2018: The first few pages started slow then bam without realizing it you are hooked. I would read another book by this author.
...

Loved this book! The storyline was anything but straight. There was great detail given in each scene of the book, which gave added depth and a feeling of being a real part of the story. Thanks for the awesome read.
...
 I enjoyed this book. There were enough unexpected twists to keep my attention without getting bored. I tend to like a little racier content but it was still engaging and yet suitable enough for a younger reader should your 13-year-old daughter pick it up. Overall, it was an enjoyable, easy read.
...
Relationships, dilemma, love and loss. It really kept me waiting to see what came next!
...
A page turner. This book is emotionally real <sic>l. Anna is on a quest so if you are interested in how we are grounded in our histories, I’m experiencing rural America with her or a very real romance, this book will keep you interested. I found myself thinking about her even when I wasn’t reading!
...
I got an e-ARC of this book free for review from netgalley.com.  I was a bit confused at first as I had this book mixed up with another. Once I realized it was a romance and not a historical fiction I really got into it. Being a research nerd myself I loved the research aspect of it, and I also loved the Icelandic/Viking roots. This was a wonderful book and I'd definitely recommend it!
...



Grab your copy now. EBook is only .99 for a limited time! https://www.books2read.com/u/4jw00Z

If you enjoyed this one, you'll really love my next one. The first in a four-part series, Crossfire has cowboys, romance, intrigue, and great action. Hailey and Jace are just the beginning. Get on my email list for exclusive previews, free content, and inside info on the characters. http://gem.godaddy.com/signups/aaa34361ae754f1aa301ced898ade24b/join

Spring always brings new stuff!

It's officially Spring! Maybe not according to the thermometer, but things are still heating up and new stuff is popping up!

It's been a pretty busy couple of months! Her Viking Heart went through evaluation by a group of Beta readers and then a couple rounds with editors... it's now in the final stages of preparation before it's published. Keep watch over the next few weeks for the release. I'm so excited to share the story with everyone! I'll be launching a special .99 promotion on kindle to celebrate the release.

In the meantime, I've been working on a novella entitled Queen of the Night and nope, it's not even remotely about vampires. It's an emotional journey of discovery for a woman caught in the desert of Arizona walking a fine line between life and death. But no, not vampires. You'll have to wait and see!

I have also been preparing for another work called Expression of Generations that incorporates my grandfathers previously unpublished poetry with my photography from Iceland and short life essays from my mom. It's a labor of love and a tribute to family and our Icelandic heritage. I have enjoyed working with the translations and selecting the most powerful images to showcase Afi's poetry. Along the way, I realized I have so many gorgeous photos of Iceland that I wanted to share. It led to the creation of an adult coloring book based on these amazing images from Iceland. I've put together a gallery of the photos for everyone to enjoy and to use as coloring inspiration for the pages. The gallery is on my website or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1759547327685648.1073741832.1412214802418904&type=1&l=db0d4d7ca3

The coloring book is available on Amazon.

This promises to be an exciting Spring and Summer! I can't wait to see all the wonderful things in store for this year!

Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

I am excited to announce another achievement award for "Homestyle Icelandic Cooking for American Kitchens".

 

It is such an honor and I are so pleased to have Icelandic cuisine and heritage highlighted in such a prestigious way.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards has selected Homestyle Icelandic Cooking for American Kitchens as the winner to represent the US in the Scandinavia category.

 

We will now compete in this category against other countries for The Best in the World. The results will be announced on May 26, 2018 at the annual Gourmand Awards Ceremony in Yantai, China.

You can see the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2017 results on their website at http://www.cookbookfair.com/.

 

Homestyle Icelandic Cooking for American Kitchens is published by Helka Publishing (www.heklapublishing.com) in paperback, hardcover, and kindle ebook formats. Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and most online retailers. Bookstore and wholesale discount orders available from Ingram.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Homestyle-Icelandic-Cooking-American-Kitchens-ebook/dp/B074412T18/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1514411143&sr=8-2&keywords=homestyle+icelandic+cooking+for+american+kitchens

The Eyes are Windows Both Ways

The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul

Most of us are familiar with this famous quote from William Shakespeare. Many of us have looked deep into the eyes of another and have seen love, hurt, excitement or suspicion and the expression we see effects how we react.

What about our own eyes? If looking into the eyes reveals what someone feels, what if looking out at the world can change how you feel inside?

The world is filled with images, some beautiful and some terrible. When you look out at that world, what you focus on will impact your soul, and your attitude will reflect that impact. Do you see the beautiful flowers or the weeds growing in between?

Book Excellence Award

What a fantastic honor and a wonderful recognition of Icelandic heritage and folklore. Thank you!