I Drool for Ull! #NACrushTourney2014

Last  year I blogged about my book boyfriend crush, Ull. You know, the Norse God of Winter from ST Bende's Elsker series. I thought I would reshare the post (with a few changes), since Ull is a candidate for #NACrushTourney2014!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's no surprise to my regular readers that I'm a sassy, sensual romance writer who LOVES men. Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit it. I often fall in love with those sexy heroes I read about and no better fantasy crush deserves an award more than ULL from my amazing writer friend, S.T. Bende's NA novel, Elsker. 

Here’s the blurb for Elsker:
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. 

In fact, Elsker is a whole series and you can download the prequel novella for FREE! What are you waiting for? Go get it... I'll wait! (PS It has another book boyfriend crush, Ull's best friend, Gunnar).

Ull is not just any boyfriend/hero -- he is a the Norse God of Winter and Thor's step-son. I could just stop right there. What's not to love about that? BUT, I will continue, because there's so much MORE to love! 

Here's my list of why I love Ull and why YOU should vote for Ull in the NA Tourney. (TOMORROW)

1. He knows what he wants and gets what he wants -- except for that small-town girl, Kristia, who somehow steps in over his head.
2. He's completely in love with Kristia -- even brings her flowers, prepares a picnic and dotes on her in any way he can. **sigh**
3. Not only that, but Ull is willing to change his life as he knows it for Kristia. Now that's love!
4. He's an Asgardian Assasin. Imagine all that training he must endure -- hot abs anyone?
5. He makes the most amazing waffles with Olaug's secret recipe.
6. He's more than intelligent, if you ask me, he's a genius. Having attended several universities and receiving degrees in several areas, he knows his stuff!
7. He's always a gentleman, opening the car door, giving Kristia his jacket and -- ahem -- waiting until they've tied the knot to consummate their love.
8. He protects his people. Remember that Asgardian Assasin thing? Well, being a killer for his people is pretty dang hot!
9. He's a faithful friend -- Gunnar and Inga could vouch for it.
10. He's absolutely gorgeous! Tall (6'5"), blond, blue eyed, well-dressed and muscular. Imagine a younger Alexander Skarsgard. Yep. (wiping off that drool as I think about him).

Now for a little fun. I gotta "HEY GIRL" Ull. He's totally worth it and totally up there with my Ry-Ry obsession. Ready? Here ya go!

And, not only that... Ull has fans. Many of them. So much so that we like to #DroolforUll all the time. Here's proof:

So, what can YOU do? First and foremost, you can vote for ULL on Thursday at the NA Crush Tourney at NA Alley! Remember it's THURSDAY, JUNE 26!

Also, for more Ull, you can follow Ull on Twitter at www.twitter.com/UllMyhr 

[Release Day] Tur and Elsker by ST Bende #Giveaway #Ull

Title: Tur

Series: The Elsker Saga #0.5

Author: S.T. Bende

Genre/Age Range: Paranormal, Romance, New Adult

Release Date: May 29, 2014

Goodreads Link: http://tinyurl.com/kmnttof

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.


Title: Elsker
Series: The Elsker Saga #1
Author: S.T. Bende
Genre/Age Range: Paranormal, Romance, New Adult
Release Date: May 29, 2014
Goodreads Link: http://tinyurl.com/lo4y6oz

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. 

Links: Website + Facebook + Twitter + Goodreads

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 series. 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@gmail.com.

WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING: 

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

"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)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Authors Share Their Lucky Nights @KristinaKnight @Henningland @JoAnnAinsworth @STBende

To celebrate the release of my anthology ONE LUCKY NIGHT, I've invited several author friends to share about when they've experienced luck in their life. I hope you enjoy! 

KRISTINA KNIGHT

I am a firm believer that we make our own luck. And by 'making luck' I mean we create goals and work toward those goals to the best of our abilities. But there is still luck involved in that: I can sweat blood over a manuscript but if it hits an editor's desk right after she contracts a similar book…no joy. And I can make sure my self-published titles are edited and formatted as well as possible but if a reader doesn't connect with the characters…sadness.

So while I'm working to the best of my abilities, I'm also looking for those windows of opportunity – or luck.

Sometimes luck comes in dreams. This is going to sound a little bit woo-woo. But this is why I believe in working hard, making your own 'luck' and getting lucky:

Several years ago my husband and I were living in Nebraska – he worked at a local radio station, I worked at a local TV station. He called me one morning and told me he'd had a dream. In his dream, we played a KENO ticket and hit 8 out of 8 numbers (KENO is a lottery game). He said it was crazy but he really thought we should go buy a ticket and play the game that day. I said he was going to think I was crazy but I'd had a dream the night before – about our very conversation.

See? Woo-woo. I played the ticket for $20.

That night we went back to the restaurant where we bought the ticket. And we didn't hit 8 out of 8 numbers.

We hit 7 out of 8.

8 out of 8 would have won us $1000.

By hitting 7 out of 8 we turned our $20 into $475!

$475 isn't the same as winning a Mega Millions or anything…but for us, it was totally cool! 

Find more by visiting http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com

ST BENDE

My Lucky "Mistake"

My publishing journey hasn't exactly been the most straightforward, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. This sometimes farcically bumpy road was one the luckiest ones I've ever stumbled upon. Because along the way, I met this amazing community of readers and writers, who I rely on for pretty-much everything. They are my sounding board, my advice-givers, my beta-readers, and my cheerleaders on the inevitable dark days. I adore y'all, and I'm so grateful I lucked into this little corner of the writing world. Skal!!

http://stbende.blogspot.com

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21874581-elsker

JOANNE AINSWORTH

God was on my side when I left the beauty shop to find my passenger front tire low on air. I took it to Big O to have air added and the technician found a big nail in the tire that needed care right away. I signed in and arranged for the repair and an alignment/balancing before taking myself to lunch at a new Lithuanian restaurant. After a delicious and drawn-out meal of goulash and cabbage salad with Lazy chocolate cake for dessert, I walked back to Big O to be shown a tire with not only a nail but a torn section on the tire (which had been hidden by the metal rim). 

I'd planned a trip to Napa which included a half hour of tight curves. If the tear hadn't been discovered, the tire could have blown on one of those curves.

This got me thinking of other times when Life brought the right person or the right information into my life to prevent disaster. I said a prayerful "thank you" right then and there for those "taps on the shoulder" which keep me out of trouble.

For more, visit:  http://www.joannsmithainsworth.com.

GINA HENNING

My Lucky Night

One of my most memorable lucky nights was the first evening of my honeymoon in Costa Rica. Now hold on, I’m not sharing that kind of story. No, this is about getting lucky with my husband in a different way. We were staying at a resort with a casino on site but our luck wasn't about money. It was about something much different. As soon as we arrived and made our way over the marble floors of this gorgeous hotel, we noticed something a little strange. We were the only ones at the reservation desk. We were the only guests in the lobby and finally the only people in the pool! The resort was empty, other than the hotel staff. Of course, I thought it was a bit odd, but then I ordered a margarita from the swim up bar and realized that it was pretty freaking awesome to have the whole place to ourselves. Part of the reason the hotel was vacant was due to timing, as we were married over Labor Day weekend, which just happens to be during off-season. However, nothing could have been more on, and I consider it to be one of the luckiest nights of my life.

Find more about Gina at  http://www.ginahenning.com/blog

You can find ONE LUCKY NIGHT at all retailers. Here's a sample of what people are saying: 

http://goo.gl/XwrMlf

[Cover Reveal] Tur and Elsker by ST Bende #giveaway

It is my pleasure and PURE DELIGHT to host my friend, ST BENDE with her revamped covers of the Elsker Saga. You DO NOT want to miss reading about these Norse gods!

TUR
The Elsker Saga #0.5 
by ST Bende

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 #1
by ST Bende

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 Info:

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 series. 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 tostbende@gmail.com .

Links:

http://stbende.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ST-Bende/102116099988944
https://twitter.com/stbende
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6868809.S_T_Bende


a Rafflecopter giveaway

[Cover Reveal] Endre by S.T. Bende

It's a pleasure to have my bestie, ST Bende's newest cover reveal of Endre at my blog today. Take a look at this! September can't come soon enough!

Endre

by ST Bende

Book II of The Elsker Saga

Title: Endre (Book II in the Elsker Saga)

Author: ST Bende

Release Date: September 23, 2013

Publisher: Entranced Publishing

Genre: New Adult 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.

 

About the Author:

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 series. 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@gmail.com.

Author social media links

Blog: http://stbende.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/stbende

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

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/stbende/

And here's her amazing first book, Elsker, information. You do not want to miss this read starring hunky Norse god, Ull and girl-next-door, Kristia.

  

ELSKER

by ST Bende

Book I of The Elsker Saga

Release Date: April 22, 2013

Length: 61,000 words

Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Blush

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

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: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MaJIgkk-CI

Buy Links:

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Elsker/book-h7Bk69_5n06_14jqUhk-Cg/page1.html?s=MDjO03uxek-K4vwciTWJxA&r=1

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Elsker-The-Saga-ebook/dp/B00CGL33S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366782935&sr=8-1&keywords=elsker

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elsker-st-bende/1115161284?ean=2940016665375

Entranced: http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/imprints/blush/elsker/

Book Spotlight: Elsker by ST Bende

It's a pleasure to feature ST Bende and her debut novel, Elsker. ST is one of the nicest author friends I know, and her Elsker saga sounds fascinating. It's at the top of my TBR list in May! I advise you to add it to yours. 

TITLE: Elsker, Book One

AUTHOR: ST Bende

PUBLISHER: Entranced Publishing

GENRE: Contemporary Young Adult Paranormal Romance

RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2013

The Elsker Saga:

The Elsker Saga follows twenty-year-old Kristia Tostenson as she meets and falls in love with Norse God of Winter, Ull Myhr.  TUR, the ELSKER prequel, will be available as a FREE download in April of 2013, from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  ELSKER, Book One, will be released in May of 2013.  ENDRE, Book Two, will follow in September of 2013.  The third book, TRO, is in progress.

ELSKER Book Blurb:

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.

With the fate of the cosmos in Kristia’s inexperienced hands, she’s submerged in a world she never knew existed.  Kristia has to learn to control an onslaught of prophetic premonitions, convince Ull’s thunderous stepdad Thor to make her a god, and stop Ull from giving up his immortality in a misguided attempt to save her.  In choosing Ull Kristia risks losing everything, including her love… and her life.

Check out this fabulous book trailer! 

Author Info:

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 series.  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@gmail.com. 

ST Bende's author introduction video.

Author Links:

Blog: http://stbende.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stbende 

ELSKER on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182417-elsker