1. What was your objective in writing this series?

That is a great question, and the answer is maybe a little humorous. It was not intended to be a series, and certainly not one seven full length novels long. I originally just had the spark of “Myrgjol” in my mind’s eye as a result of combining my love for history and genealogy. In order to satisfy the thought of this unique female Viking warrior out of my head and onto paper, I set out to write a short story. But the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write. Myrgjol was so compelling to me that her story just expanded more and more until it became the first three installments in the series. And, of course, it didn’t end there. In the story-telling of Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir, I created several more unique and compelling characters with their own interwoven connections to Myrgjol’s destiny, which inevitably led to more installments to grow more tendrils throughout the story and bring these wonderful supporting characters’ own stories to life. In essence, what I was originally planning for this story-telling adventure didn’t really matter because the story took on a life of its own, and I was just the lucky one to tap on the keys.

The legendary saga of Ingrid Stone-Splitter, the most loyal and greatest friend of the Dokkrsdottir, after returning home amid strife and loss. A powerful woman of many destinies, Ingrid embarks on journey after journey to fulfill the peaceful promises of her father Harald, to help set the stage for the Dokkrsdottir to fulfill her destiny, and to be a hammer which smashes the Dark. Link

2. When you write, do you keep to a strict plot plan, or not?

When I first started out putting thought to paper, I had a very strict plan in mind. As I went, if I began to deviate, I went back and “corrected” where I was going astray. Once I started venturing into the second installment, I subconsciously began to let the story and characters do some of the steering and allowed that lane to be a little wider. I think I knew the strict storyline was stifling the creativity of this wonderful saga (as it was now becoming). Then the third installment was when I decided to leave a lot more room for creativity to take over by having only a rough outline, a few key scenes, and the rest was to create itself as I went. It was quite a change in style for me, but I am very glad I chose to do so. I found my balance – strict adherence when the rules of a consistent story call for it, and wild abandon of the “rules” whenever it can be responsibly allowed.

3. How have your character's changed within the series?

I didn’t necessarily intend to do so at the beginning, but nearly all of the main and supporting characters go through some manner of transformation:

Myrgjol’s biggest challenge throughout the series is having more patience, and also having some faith in things unfolding as it should without her tight control on the situation. She struggles with this constantly, but it is a condition of her nature. She is very quirky and impulsive, but also extremely clever and provocative, and that combination of traits often does not equal the best outcome.

Probably the largest character change example would be Maeve “the Black Irish” Lynch in “Rune of Destiny.” Maeve is a product of her terrible childhood and enters the story as bitter and suspicious of the whole world, particularly towards Myrgjol and her team of supporters. There are reasons for this, and it is quite hard to blame her for being the way she is considering this. However, by the end of her story, she does (nearly) a complete 180 through her own trials and tribulations which come very close to being her undoing – and the undoing of the living world.

Ingrid Stone-Splitter is one of my favorite supporting characters in this series. She is such an imposing and powerful woman, but internally, she is insecure about several things: her striking and imposing physical appearance makes it hard for her to get close to anyone early on, but even when she mostly gets past that hurdle, she then fights her self-doubt that she can live up to the promises and legend of her father, Jarl Harald Stone-Splitter.

Ingrid appears in several installments of the series, but the reader really gets to know her in “Rune of Revenge,” the fourth installment, and this is where her internal struggles and her many external struggles weave an entrancing saga built around her transformation from fringe Norse warrior to a prominent leader in Scandinavia – and most importantly, her own necessary roles in the destiny of her great friend and ally, Myrgjol.

There are so many more in future installments as well; most notably the Saxon Lord Wuldrid and the indomitable Josephine Peele.

4. Who is your favorite character and why?

I love so many of these characters, and they all are unique and such a pleasure to write. But if I had to choose a single favorite, it would have to be Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir. She began it all, and she is just so quirky, fun, tragic, brilliant, and stoic – all at the same time. I don’t think I have ever read a character more complicated than Myrgjol in a book or seen one of the screen. She just came out so interesting and relatable it is very hard to resist loving her character. In all the feedback I have gotten from the series so far, that certainly seems to be the general consensus.

5. Do you know how and when the series will end?

The “core” of the series main story is captured in installments one, two, and three, with all the lovely details and supporting characters that feed this backstory in installments four, five, six, and seven. This might serve to conclude the actual series, but there is so much more room for spin-off novels, and perhaps even spin-off series coming in the future.

It has become much more than just a series about Myrgjol and how she saves the living world from being swallowed by darkness, it has become a whole universe of its own filled with characters, stories, and adventures beyond the foreseeable future.

Coming In May 2025:

Myrgjol the Dokkesdottir’s path may be fraught with physical dangers and battle, but some wars are fought with whispered words and deceitful lies. While in Saxon lands, she must learn to maneuver the battlefield as well as her position on the board in the game of Saxon politics. Will she be successful? And though she is blind to all the pieces in The Game, a Saxon game master plays on her behalf as well as his own against many others, and the enormity of the risk spirals out of control for everyone. Link

6. What have you learned about your writing style?

I have definitely learned that I can flit from genre to genre, pull off complete surprises and hard curveballs, and make readers love or hate the characters I create, and even cry when one meets his or her end. I am still finding myself as a fiction fantasy author, but my successes so far have given me that much needed confidence to keep trying new things to keep the reader on their toes.

7. Do you have another book, or series planned?

I have been kicking around a few ideas for complete departure from the Thalsparr, but nothing definite. I still have plenty of ideas whirring around in my brain for spin-offs. Until I burn the Thalsparr out of my thoughts. . .

8. Why did you choose to morph history, and the supernatural together in your stories?

It was an easy conclusion for me. I have many interests with the top one being history of all periods of places. History has been an obsession for me since I was a kid. The paranormal is also up there. The opportunity to mix the two is perfect; history has plenty of gaps in our knowledge to leave room to “speculate,” and what better way to fill a void than to utilize another human fascination – the paranormal? I think most people are drawn to the unknown, and it is likely often fear of ridicule for someone to point to the paranormal (ghosts, cryptids, other dimensions, etc.) to find “answers” to the unanswered in lieu of provable facts, and works of fiction is the perfect “safe place” for readers to indulge.

9. Do you have a message for your readers?

No, not so much an intentional message. I am just a storyteller with a great, complex, and rich story to tell. BUT, that isn’t to say there are no messages for readers to find for themselves in this series. The main story arc combined with the dozens of lesser arcs woven throughout the series touch on many topics and dips its toes in several genres, so depending on each reader’s perspective, there are numerous conclusions that one can come to through the storytelling. And as the storyteller, I love to hear fan theories about the meaning of parts of the story of the whole. Readers are very creative themselves just through their own interpretation, and to me, that is just as fascinating and rewarding as getting the message that someone loves these books as much as I love writing them.

10. Where can readers find you and your books?

The best place to go is the series website at thalsparr.com. This site serves as the hub to information and links to many Thalsparr locations and resources. Link

Bjorn was born in the Lowcountry of South Carolina a long, long time ago.  He has worked in manufacturing all his working life to feed himself but has nourished his mind with the study of many topics; history of all eras, the paranormal, astronomy, writing of different types, photography, archeology, genealogy, vexillology, some other -ologies, even stock car racing for a couple of years, and on and on.  Bjorn finds just about everything fascinating in some way and has been accused of being too easily entertained.  A blend of a few of his interests led to the creation of the Thalsparr Universe.  The first installment of the series will be “Runes of the Dokkrsdottir,” with a release date to be determined.  He currently lives in the Midlands of South Carolina with his wife of 25 years on their hobby farm.

To request additional review copies or an interview with Bjorn Leesson, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.