Showing posts with label Ull. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ull. Show all posts

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Endre by S.T. Bende!


We're celebrating the release of Endre (Elsker Saga #2) by S.T. Bende!

That's right....it's finally here!!!!
 

Endre (Elsker Saga #2) by S.T. Bende
Upper YA/NA Paranormal Romance

Blurb:
Sometimes, finding your destiny means doing the exact opposite of what The Fates have planned.

Winning the heart of an immortal assassin was a dream come true for Kristia Tostenson. Now she’s knee deep in wedding plans, goddess lessons, and stolen kisses. But her decision to become immortal could end in heartbreak -- not only for Kristia, but for the god who loves her. Because while Ull would do anything to protect his bride, even the God of Winter is powerless against the Norse apocalypse. Ragnarok is coming.

And the gods aren’t even close to ready.


Excerpt

When I came to, my chest heaved with sobs. Cold sweat cloaked my body from my forehead to the backs of my knees. My hair was damp, my pulse was racing, and my fingers gripped the sheets so tightly my knuckles ached. I was in my room at Ýdalir, the one place I had always felt safe. Only now I was absolutely terrified.

I ripped the covers off and wrapped my arms around my legs. My nose twitched at an unfamiliar smell. I pulled the cord on the bedside lamp, and looked around to see what might be burning. There was no smoke in the room; all of the furniture seemed to be intact. But when I glanced down, I saw the hems of my pajamas. They were black, singed from the fire I’d desperately hoped had been part of a dream.

This time things had gone too far. If my smoldering pant legs were any indication, being injured in a vision could have far-reaching worldly consequences. And if Elfie had come that close to killing me . . .

Ull had his rules, but I no longer cared. I jumped out of bed and raced down the hallway. When I reached his door I pounded on the distressed wood. Tears streamed down my face but I didn’t bother to wipe them away. The downpour was too intense; it wouldn’t have done any good anyway.

The door flew open and Ull stood on the other side. He wore a loose pair of grey sweatpants and nothing else. Oh hot bejeebus. There was no way this guy was for real. It just wasn’t humanly possible to look that good.

Oh, right. Ull wasn’t human.

Despite the agony coursing through my awakening consciousness, this was a moment of glory I’d remember forever—the first time I saw Ull’s naked torso. His sweats hung low on his hips, affording me a view of the cut just above the bone.

Holy Lord.

“Kristia?” Ull rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He took in my matted hair, tear-streaked face, and shaking hands. “Great Odin. What happened?”

He pulled me to him, crushing my face against the muscles of his chest. The knot in my stomach loosened infinitesimally. Just being near Ull gave me peace, but being this near Ull was like taking a sedative. Breathing in his woodsy smell made my panic subside. And when he pressed his hands against me—one to my hair, the other against the small of my back—my gut knew I was safe. Nothing bad could happen to me so long as I was in Ull’s arms. I inhaled again, letting his familiar scent fill me from the inside until my shaking stilled. Then I pressed my lips against his skin. Hard.

“Sweetheart?” he asked again.

“I had another vision and it freaked me out. Can I stay with you?” I didn’t take my lips off his chest as I spoke. I couldn’t. He tasted divine—like spruce and soap and home. There was a very real possibility my mouth might be permanently adhered to his flesh, like a kid who’d tried to lick a frozen railing.

Only this was far less unpleasant.







The Amazon bestselling Upper YA Paranormal Romance series inspired by Norse mythology and featured in USA Today.

What reviewers are saying about The Elsker Saga:

"The characters will leave an imprint on your heart and mind for a long time to come." -Lisa (Bound by Books)

"Bende takes classic bits of Norse mythology and throws in original elements to create her own tasty Nordic blend... I'll definitely be checking out the sequel!" -Bookalicious Reviews

"One of my favorite books of the year." -White Zin Bookends

"Action packed with a heart pounding romance!" -Curse of the Bibliophile

"This book was nearly impossible to put down and I'm dying for the sequel!" -Brittany and Bianca Blab Books (now BiblioBelles)

Tur: An Elsker Saga Novella (Prequel)

AMAZON - BARNES&NOBLE - KOBO

Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all -- great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory.

Some things are worth fighting for.

Elsker: The Elsker Saga Book One
AMAZON

You don't win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way. Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn't exactly what she was expecting. He's an honest to goodness Norse God - an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. Kristia's crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.

Her orderly life just got very messy.

Author Social Media Links:
Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day, pastries will be considered a health food.

Find ST on Twitter @stbende or her blog (http://stbende.blogspot.com). While you’re at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr -- when he’s not saving the cosmos from dark elves, he loves meeting new friends. Especially the human kind.




Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Team Ull.

Today I bring you a call to action. Right now--TODAY-- is your chance to vote for Ull in the NA Crush Tourney.

Ull is the super hot, Norse God of Winter/ Grad Student in S. T. Bende's Elsker. He is a great guy (inspired the impossibly good-looking Alexander Skarsgard) and he is up against some stiff competition from a much bigger publisher. So take a minute--seriously it takes less than a minute and help out this hottie. And, if you haven't yet, read Elsker. You'll love it.




Sunday, May 12, 2013

ST Bende and Elsker.


Today I have a special guest interview and book introduction! You all are going to want to know ST Bende and her awesome new YA series. Her guy is a super hunky Norse god. Yup.

Welcome to the blog ST!


Thanks so much for letting me visit today Ana.  It’s been so much fun getting to know you over Twitter and through our shared love of #DarksideResearch !  (If you’re not following @Ana_Blaze on Twitter, you need to.  She’s always good for a hunky guy picture… or twenty!)
·         Concerts can be very expensive, who do you think is worth the splurge?
I’d love to see Imagine Dragons or Muse in concert.  I think they’re all kinds of awesome.  
What is your favorite board game? Card Game? 


Rummikub!  It’s this domino-like game my Norwegian teacher taught me to play.  You match/sequence the numbered tiles, and it’s so, so much fun.  I have a hard time finding people who will play it with me, so I have to relearn the rules every time I take it out of the box.  But I always have a blast.
·         When writing, do you share chapters with friends or beta readers as you go or do you keep your projects secret until they are complete?
I share as I go.  I’m lucky to have an amazing critique partner in Jacqueline Gardner.  We bounce a lot off each other, and I trust her to tell me if something’s tanking or if it’s okay.  I adjust according to her feedback, and carry on.
·         Do you have any special talents? (Singing, dancing, juggling, gardening, etc.)
Yes.  I bake the absolute, hands down, best Norwegian waffles in the entire world.  But that’s not an actual talent, I just have a great recipe.  And yes, I include said recipe at the end of ELSKER.  Get ready to buy some bigger pants…
Also, I can play the William Tell Overture by tapping my hands on my cheeks.  If that’s not ‘special’, I don’t know what is.  
·         What was your favorite subject at school?
I’m a bit of a nerd, and I loved pretty much every subject.  Math was probably my favorite overall subject, but I also loved any class that had a really, really good teacher.  My college Shakespeare professor was exceptional -- she put Shakespeare in a context I could understand, and now I’m a huge fan.   I’m forever grateful to her.  
·         Please share a favorite line from your newest book.
Ooh, this is tough!  Can I please pick three?  Pretty please?  



(1)          He stormed to take a seat in the back of the hall, never breaking his glare. I glared back. Take that, Viking.

(2)          Hey, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

(3)          Now when I looked into his eyes I saw something entirely different. He was strong. Confident. And very much in control.


THE ELSKER SAGA is available now from Entranced Publishing. 
TUR, the prequel, can be downloaded for free at http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/imprints-2/blush/elsker/ 
ELSKER, Book 1, is available beginning April 22nd from Entranced, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Find ST Bende on Twitter (https://twitter.com/stbende), or (http://stbende.blogspot.com/).

And be sure to stop by http://stbende.blogspot.com/ between April 11th and May 20th to enter to win fabulous prizes in the ELSKER Release Month of Giveaways!  Or as it shall evermore be known, Waffle Fest, 2013!






Book Title: Elsker



Author Name: ST Bende



Series Title (if applicable): The Elsker Saga



Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance



Length of Book in pages or word count: 61,000 words 



Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Blush



Blurb: Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting. He’s an honest-to-goodness Norse God — an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. Kristia’s crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.

 Her orderly life just got very messy.



Book trailer link (if you have it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MaJIgkk-CI



Author Bio:

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats.  Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired The Elsker Saga.  She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.



You can follow ST Bende on Twitter @stbende, or send an e-mail to stbende(at)gmail(dot)com. 



Author social media links



Twitter: https://twitter.com/stbende or @stbende






Excerpt: 



ELSKER - Book 1, THE ELSKER SAGA

At eight o’clock, a firm knock interrupted my reading.  I picked my way through the flower shop that our living room had become and opened the door.

“Oh good, you kept my peace offerings.”  Ull treated me to a rakish grin.

“Just a few of them,” I muttered.  “Come on in.”

“Oh, no.  You must come with me.”

“Why?”  I challenged.  Ull sighed.

“Are you going to fight me at every turn?”

“Probably.”

“Please come.”  He looked so adorable standing on my stoop, his scarf casually thrown across the grey sweater under his coat.  I gave in quicker than I meant to.

“Fine.”  I grabbed my coat from the closet by the door and shoved my keys and wallet into the pocket.  “Where are we off to?”  I closed the door behind me and followed Ull into the brisk night, waiting for his promised explanation.

But he didn’t say anything.  Instead, he put his hand on the small of my back and guided me away from campus.  I shivered and noticed that Ull wore his jacket open, at ease in the chill.  As we rounded the corner, Ull dropped his hand to clasp mine.  It was so warm, so strong, and for a moment I forgot to be mad at him.  We walked in silence as he led me down the main road.  After two right turns, I found myself standing in a quiet garden.  

Ull had brought me to a church. 



Check out the trailer!