Author Interview with Rune of Destiny Author – Bjorn Leesson

Welcome to the author interview with Bjorn Leesson as he shares with us about his book Rune of Destiny (Outside the Thalsparr Book 3)!

Blurb

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, one more extraordinary than anyone could ever have imagined.

Rune of Destiny Summary:


The final chapter of the main story of the Dokkrsdottir’s destiny that finds the continuation of the living world in the hands of Myrgjol, her descendants, and the choices they all must make.


With battles of the “greatest warrrior” transpiring on both sides of the veil, it is a series of desperate and grueling battles to the very end before she can enjoy her reward with the knowledge that the living world will continue in the loving embrace of the Light and not in ruin by the Dark.

Ready to learn more about Rune of Destiny and the author behind it? Keep reading for our interview with author Bjorn Leesson!

Author Leesson, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with Scribbles about your book Rune of Destiny, book three in the Outside the Thalsparr series!

Q: Author Leesson, right from the beginning in the blurb for Rune of Destiny, you make it a point of letting readers know that this will be the final chapter of the main story of the Dokkrsdottir’s destiny. How did you come to this decision that now was the time to say goodbye to Myrgjol being an essential player in the story?

Author Leesson: A couple of things led to this decision: Firstly, it was somewhat predetermined that the majority of Myrgjol’s direct involvement would take place right up front in the first few installments. I wanted to give the reader the meaty “core” of the story first. Of course, in the telling of the core, the readers will naturally have a ton of questions about the backstories that fed it.

Secondly, that is where the remainder of the series comes in. Myrgjol does not work in a vacuum. Her part is heavily fed and supported by dozens – hundreds even – of other characters with their own adventures, stories, and contributions. This is what readers can look forward to in the preceding and final installments of the greater series. The ride is FAR from over with closing of Book 3, but Myrgjol takes more of the backseat from here.

Oh! Okay! So, it was pretty much already predetermined that Myrgjol being the primary focus of the story would only last so long. That makes sense when you think about it. It’s like a passing of the torch. The time comes when it comes, and for her – her time had come. Also, being reminded that there is so much more to look forward to with these other characters? Absolutely makes the series worth digging into further!

1. Was this a difficult decision or did you just feel that it was time?

Author Leesson: Of course it was. As the storyteller, I fell in love with her character as much or more than anyone else. But, her story must end eventually. (Or does it? {wink}. There MAY be more for her, but if so, it will be in another context, place, and time. We will see.)

Wait! There could potentially be more of Myrgjol’s story to come?! We’re sure that our readers will eagerly be looking forward to that! It’s just so hard to say good-bye to Myrgjol and it be forever! LOL!

Q: We notice that when you start off Rune of Destiny that you have left Myrgjol essentially dead. Why? Is she needed more on the other side of the veil than in the world of the living?

Author Leesson: As detailed in a somewhat murky and vague way, the Valkyrie Hildr explains why the Norse, and particularly Myrgjol, are involved in this fight over a millennium after “their time” has passed. The spirits of her 9th-century contemporaries are fiercely loyal to her, which is obvious since they basically agree to postpone their own afterlife to stop the Dark from passing through the gates into the living world at Myrgjol’s side for eternity if need be.

This necessitates her presence with them beyond the veil. And as she has already cemented the loyalty and commitment of her living world allies and descendants – and they have an entire support network at their command – they can carry on the other prong of the attack without her on this side of the veil. The Thalsparr is a little complicated.

The Thalsparr may be a bit complicated, but it sure is fascinating!

1. If she had been resurrected (in the beginning of the book), would that have stripped her descendants of the powers that they received after her passing in Rune of Renewal?

Author Leesson: Unknown. Ha. One of the things that makes the Thalsparr so complicated is the insistence that things MUST unfold in a certain way, at a certain time, and through certain people – BUT – each of those people must choose to do so. Free will is extremely important. And that is why all the plans, full explanations at times and blurry explanations at other times, guidance, support, and omens are meticulously placed in the “song” over thousands of years and within millions of circumstances, all to achieve the final ending while obeying all these rules.

And, as you may have guessed, Myrgjol’s subsequent victory at the end of Book 3 is not the “final ending” I speak of. The war between the Light and Dark is ancient and eternal. It will go on with new players in new times across the ages and world – perhaps even across the universe and other dimensions as well. When it is said, “The Thalsparr is complicated,” it is very literal.

Wow! Just imaging the depth and breadth that the Thalsparr could encompass is quite mindblowing! We absolutely get the sense that the war between Light and Dark is an ancient fight that spans time itself, and that this is just a tiny glimpse of one piece of the epic battle that will continue to rage! It’s really quite thrilling the way you tell it!

Q: When readers are reunited with Myrgjol we’re introduced to a new character. A creature or being of darkness that you call the Manipulator. Is this creature the source of the Darkness? Or is it just a piece of it?

Author Leesson: A piece of it, one of millions upon millions, and there are many manipulators. We only meet two in the series. (Yes, two. We haven’t seen the second one yet in the series. Stay tuned.) The Dark is a collection of entities who form basically a mass of evil that wishes to see the end of humans, the living world, and the “song” of KinaAnnarr (the creator). There is a “leader” of the Dark, named SvartrAnnarr, but this entity does not appear in the series. The Dark is not cohesive and rarely cooperative as a team. The fact that they appear to be cooperating together, at least at a minuimal level, to defeat (or corrupt and recruit) Myrgjol is another indication of how special and singular she is.

Wow! So we haven’t even met the “leader” of the Dark ye?! And here we were thinking that the Manipulator might have been the biggest problem facing Myrgjol and company! But knowing that there’s a “leader” of sorts out there…that’s just chilling! And we love it! LOL!

Q: What was the inspiration for the Manipulator’s character?

Author Leesson: Essentially, every movie or book that features a demon with the wish to corrupt mankind. The best example is, I think, the demon from the original “Exorcist” movie. Even though the effects were primitive by today’s standards, and there really wasn’t much of it, the sheer soul-ripping creepiness of that creature was enough. I mean, the scene where the possessed little girl ran down the stairs, back arched in reverse, on her hands and feet? I still get the chills! But yes, that level of “unnatural evil” who wishes to corrupt the living – the Manipulator.

Definitely sounds like the “Exorcist” was a movie that impacted you quite a lot. It definitely gives us and our readers a great visual when you speak about an “unnatural evil” that is looking to corrupt and destroy the living. We’re that this will give our readers some great food for their imaginations when they read (or even reread) this book and are “greeted” by the Manipulator!

Q: We’ve been eager to ask you this question, and we’re thrilled to get the opportunity. Valkyries are known throughout mythology as being warriors and the beings that led great warriors to the halls of Valhalla. Why did you choose to take them and make them creatures of both light and darkness?

Author Leesson: As the series goes on, and especially in the later installments, the reader will get the idea that in this story of fiction, the “differences” and “divisions” of human religions blur and overlap. For example, in Christian theology, Angels are all male, existed before mankind was created, but eventually were charged with helping and guiding them.. In Norse theology, Valkyries are all female and are exclusively charged with bringing the battle dead to the Halls of Valhalla. What do we have in the Thalsparr? A mix of the two, plus the notion of the Fallen Angels, added in to make Light and Dark ones.

The label “Valkyrie” is also primarily used by the characters in the series from a Norse background, or many of those who work closely with Myrgjol, for a common frame of reference. Others in the series refer to them by different labels based on their own cultural angle. As an example, Greenfeather refers to them simply as “spirits” from the “Spirit World” through the spectrum of her Sioux belief structure. I didn’t intend to make any sort of judgment or declaration about any theological viewpoints , particularly, and I leave it up to the reader to decide for themselves. But, no matter the individual reader’s conclusion on it, “Light and Dark Valkyries” is an awesome detail for this story.

That’s a really interesting explanation! The way that the different religions/theologies are blended together in Rune of Destiny blurs the lines so beautifully! You manage to combine them together to create such a gripping story that it’s easy to forget the differences and divisions!

Q: In Rune of Destiny, you introduce a new character, one who is connected to Myrgjol, and her name is Maeve. Maeve is quite the character, to say the least. What was the inspiration behind creating this new character?

Author Leesson: I love a redemption character in a story, or the “unlikely hero,” and to this point in the series, I really didn’t have one yet. But also, I kind of imagined an “anti-Myrgjol,” and brainstormed how to add her in without seeming overplayed or hokie. As stated in the book, she looks very similar to Myrgjol in the face and hair, but much, much taller and pale skinned.

As the book progresses, the reader finds out that Maeve is not only troublesome and problematic for the MMC in many ways, she also has a power of her own – but it isn’t of her own. It mysteriously comes from a long dead beloved character from the past whose own line has died out, and without Maeve or this power, Myrgjol would never be successful. (And Maeve’s height is a little planted hint who this power comes from).

But all that said, Maeve has a LOT of healing and evolving to do before she can become a solution. If she had only made one or two different choices, the entire landscape of the story changes, and very likely would have ended in failure for the whole living world.

When Maeve was introduced, we almost thought that she was a “long lost daughter.” LOL!

Readers are absolutely going to love piecing together the clues you leave for them concerning Maeve’s heritage and her connection to the Myrgjol.

What really floors us though is now knowing that if Maeve had made just a handful of different decisions that the entire story landscape would have shifted, and that the world would have been thrown into chaos! Talk about mind-BLOWN!

Q: In Rune of Destiny, readers will be made to say goodbye to some familiar characters they have come to know over the past couple of books. Without revealing any spoilers (if you can), how do you decide when it is time for specific characters to exit the stage that is this series?

Author Leesson: In most cases, these deaths aren’t planned ahead. There is a point in the progression of the story where I felt organically, this was the time for this one or that one to leave us. In some cases, it is done to invoke an emotional response from the reader, and at other times, it is done to remind the reader what is at stake for these characters in this vast endeavor they find themselves in.

A few were planned to die from the beginning of the outline, and those were done in the name of character building of the survivors or for added depth to the story. But in the end, life rarely goes the way we plan, and it never exactly matches our sense of justice. Good people die too soon, and bad people live too long. I wanted the Thalsparr Universe to mirror reality as closely as possible while still being a fantasy.

We couldn’t agree more! The way that the storyline plays out, it flows so organically. We may not want to say good-bye to a character, but “life” doesn’t care what we want, and when it’s someone’s time, it’s their time. While it was heartbreaking, it was interesting to read how the characters dealt with the losses and either chose to push forward or walked away.

Q: We noticed as we read Rune of Destiny, that the story has really begun to pivot and shift away from Myrgjol being the focus of the story. Instead, the story focuses more on the descendants, and tucked away in this you start dropping hints that change is coming, whether the descendants like it or not.

We’re curious – even if it turned out that the Thule could never be truly defeated, would the powers the MMC holds still eventually fade?

Author Leesson: Yes. All the descendants of Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir, throughout the twelve centuries from her birth to her final death and across the globe, where all those who came from Thilda and Hralf, carry the power of Myrgjol within them in a dormant form. They can have it available for Myrgjol to use, but they themselves cannot. This is why Robert Peele humorously refers to the descendants as “kid-boosters” in the second book.

But what we saw when Myrgjol decided to follow Hildr back across the veil at the end of Book Two was her own powers fragmented, flew across time and space, and somehow enabled some of her descendants to actually utilize a watered-down version of Myrgjol’s power themselves – sort of like comic book superheroes (and this is hinted to when Peafield visits Marvin for a favor, and Marvin refers to them as “a few comic book heroes.”) The extent, reach, and number of these recipients is not known, but Margaret and Levi’s research seem to conclude that these powers will fade into nothing after a couple of years.

That’s quite a twist, but it absolutely adds drama and tension to the story! Knowing that the characters are on a “ticking clock” so to speak. No matter what, the powers will fade, and they’ll essentially be on their own.

Q: We notice that while the storyline’s era hasn’t changed, we’re still in WWII, and that this particular element of the story takes a step back. Why did you decide to proceed in this manner?

Author Leesson: With Myrgjol’s new “assignment” now being on the other side of the veil, the MMC is still a battle unit for all intents and purposes, but she was their “war horse.” Not only that, but the Thule suffered a great defeat at the end of Book Two, and the MMC, under the direction of Peafield, wasn’t even sure there were any Thule left.

Then, to add another level of discombobulation of the MMC in the abrupt loss of Myrgjol, the military seems to have abandoned the MMC, now seeing them as more of an obligation and potential for trouble to the greater war effort. This leaves the team to find another main thrust – finding more artifacts to keep them out of the hands of evil, whoever that might be now, and eventually to destroy the gates so the Dark cannot find anyone else in the living world to help them make use them.

Ironically, it is Maeve who helps them to discover their reforged focus on the Thule, and ultimately, their “end game” of destroying them all. Unknown to everyone, this momentous event also aligns with the successful conclusion of Myrgjol’s destiny in more than one way.

Taking a step back and really looking at the story from this perspective with the help of your explanation really helps the pivot make a lot of sense. It really works and creates more focus on the importance of finding the artifacts that are scattered all around. Leans towards giving this installment to the series a bit of an Indian Jones feel. LOL!

But it also shows again how pivotal Maeve is to the group and the success of the mission! We never would have known without this pivotal revelation!

Q: Throughout a good portion of Rune of Destiny, readers are going to notice a healthy amount of animosity between Maeve and Margaret. We get some explanation, but is there more to it?

Author Leesson: Yes, in a way. Maeve is bitter and cynical toward the whole world for the reasons laid out in the story, and there isn’t much more to her than that. Margaret, on the other hand, is a “Peele woman,” which means she is strong-willed, forceful at times, temperamental, and not so much for sparing feelings.

Throughout the Second and Third installments, this inherited condition is jokingly referred to often. Before her departure from the story in Book Two, we all get to see Rebecca personify these Peele qualities, and obviously, Margaret carries on the tradition. Heather Peele, not as heavily, but it is still there. All that to say this, the reader will DEFINITELY get to see where these “Peele woman” traits originate from in Books Six and Seven, and in shockingly grand fashion. Prepare for Josephine Peele.

A new “Peele woman” is going to be introduced in the series?! Awesome! We’re willing to bet that she’s going to be a real firecracker! Can’t wait to meet her!

Q: Rune of Destiny has quite the balance when it comes to your storytelling. We get the dark and serious moments, but then you bring in the right amount of humor to brighten things back up. How did you do it? What was the thought process behind writing such a balanced story?

Author Leesson: Really, I just try to replicate the real word inside a fantasy one. There is always humor to be found if you look, no matter how dark the circumstances. My real-life family is renowned for it. People say we have a “dark sense of humor,” and maybe that’s so, but I see it as having a healthy respect for real life, the good parts and the bad parts.

Saying that, I just have a gut instinct when to throw in a one-liner to break the tension, or perhaps a whole humorous scene between emotionally heavy ones. I just go with instinct, and I usually love the way it works out. But more importantly, it seems the readers do too.

Author Leesson, your gut instincts are on the level! The way that Rune of Destiny flows, we’d almost think that these characters are (or once were) alive! That is how realistic they read. We can definitely agree with you and that we as readers enjoy thoroughly how well this story is balanced and the humorous moments show up in just the right places.

Q: In scenes with Hildr and her mother, Myrgjol, faith is a key element that is essential to both characters. Yet, Myrgjol repeatedly struggles with trusting and having faith. Why is this? Is it simply because she is not able to control and influence the outcome to her liking?

Author Leesson: Essentially, yes. It is just a big part of her quirky personality. As the reader surely knows by now, there isn’t much that she shies away from. She has no problem breaking the norms of her culture – whichever one that might be at the time, and she is neither apologetic nor bashful about any of it. But SHE was always the one making those decisions for herself.

Now she finds herself with responsibilities that affect many others – millions of others – and she must find faith. The consequences stretch far beyond just her or a small settlement; it is the whole world. She certainly recognizes the need for faith, and she frequently tries to pump herself up about having more of it, but it remains a struggle until her final breath.

That was always something that we enjoyed overall about Myrgjol, how she is so unapologetically who she is no matter what anyone says or thinks. So it was really interesting to see her struggle with trusting and really allowing herself to have faith.

Q: There is quite the cast of characters in Rune of Destiny. Is there any particular character that you favored over the rest? We’re just curious if there is a particular character that was your favorite – if you had one. LOL!

Author Leesson: I guess it’s like picking a favorite kid as a parent, LOL. But in reality, I don’t have a single favorite. They are all uniquely different, and they all were a blast for me to construct and begin to tell their individual stories. But having said that, MYRGJOL is always going to be the pivotal character in it all. So yes, her, if I have to have one. 😊

LOL! That makes a lot of sense that Myrgjol would be the one you’d pick if you had to choose one. LOL! She’s such a dynamic and pivotal character that you spent a lot of time creating.

Q: While Maeve and Margaret appear to work through some of their issues, but there is still tension between Gould and Maeve. Will they ever “sit down” and work through the issues between them?

Author Leesson: Not likely, at least not a full reconciliation. Some people just don’t like each other. Here are two of them. LOL

Okay! We can understand that for sure. Not everybody has to like everybody, so it makes sense to have that small piece of tension always brewing. Another piece of realism, dear readers, from author Leesson!

Q: Throughout Rune of Destiny, a lot of the focus of the story is on Maeve. Was your intention to showcase exactly how complex of a character she was, and have readers discover her history a little at a time?

Author Leesson: Essentially yes. As previously mentioned, I love a transformational character – especially of the “unlikely hero” variety. Maeve fitted that bill completely. I wanted to take the time to fully develop her for the reader, a little at a time, so her eventual ending (her very important and monumental ending) feels earned. She is easy to hate, at first, but over time, you get to see who she really is right along her best and “first” friend, Lisa Dawn – the only one who pushed past the “Black Irish” to find Maeve Lynch, even before Father Francis did so. And this also was used to firmly speak to Lisa’s underestimated character. Despite the impression she gives off, Lisa is extremely smart in her own way.

We have to agree with you that thanks to your skillful writing, Maeve was definitely easy to hate in the beginning, but through the story’s undertones we got the sense that there was more to her than meets the eye, and you absolutely go on to showcase just that the deeper we got. She was still irritating LOL but we came to understand her better.

Q: Seeing as Rune of Destiny takes place during the era of WWII, are any of the battles/fights that the characters participate in actual battles/fights that took place during that time period?

Author Leesson: I would have to answer honestly with a “no.” Several historically factual battles inspired the battle scenes I wrote in the story, but not close enough that I would call them by their real-world names. I tried to “keep it real” for the reading experience, but I didn’t want to bring the story into documentary mode. If I started trying to pack in too much factual history to make my fantasy story perfectly line up with fact, I was afraid I would get some bored readers. I hope the balance is just right between fact and fiction, and I think it is.

Okay! That makes a lot of sense and we can understand that. Balance is a tricky thing when it comes to stories like this, so it’s just enough to know that some of the scenes were inspired by real battles without getting too deep into it. We understand you wanting to keep the focus on the fantasy/fictional aspect, and that by going too deep into factual that would threaten to strip it away.

Q: The final chapters of this book are a complete rollercoaster of drama, tension, and eventually turns tearful. What were your thoughts as you brought Rune of Destiny to a close?

Author Leesson: Exactly what you just described. 😊 And the fact that you did validifies not only the ending of the core story featuring Myrgjol, but the primary methodology behind the whole series. Thank you so much for that.

LOL! Well, you’re quite welcome author Leesson! Readers surely do action packed novels, so we know that our readers will absolutely enjoy this book, especially the final chapters which truly kept us on our toes.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the Outside the Thalsparr series?

Author Leesson: A confluence of several of my interests, primarily history (Norse Age especially), genealogy, archaeology, psychology, the supernatural, and probably a few more. Added to the notion, now scientifically proven, that Norse women were indeed feared and respected warriors and leaders of warriors, this character Myrgjol began to form in my head. Her character led to adventures, which begged for some paranormal qualities, and finally, genealogy kicked in with descendants from all backgrounds across space and time.

The final touches were in regard to Myrgjol’s wild and uninhibited personality: her quirks, her freedom in regard to romantic relationships regardless of gender, her impulsiveness, her deep loyalty and love for friends and family, her childlike playfulness, and her determination to fulfill her destiny even when she is unsure what it is exactly. The more of the story I wrote, the more the story, and the characters, wrote themselves. Most of the time, I just feel like a passenger with enough solid fingers to type for them. . . AND I LOVE IT!

We can absolutely tell by the way that you talk about Rune of Destiny and the Outside the Thalsparr series how much you truly enjoyed writing these books. It shines through in such a way that it even transfers over to those who read your books.

You created quite the character Myrgjol and the number of interests that blended together to create this series and the characters in it is quite staggering! One would almost worry that they wouldn’t be able to find just the right balance, but you manage it beautifully! We are absolutely astounded!

Q: You’ve written quite the epic historical fantasy series with Outside the Thalsparr. You continue the series in a different direction, with a shift in main characters. How many books do you think will be in this series?

Author Leesson: There will be eight in total. . . for the main series. Spin-offs are on the way. The Thalsparr Universe will continue to grow, and in different genres and disciplines. The Thalsparr is too complicated to end with only eight books, after all. 😊

Eight books?! For the main series?! Spin-offs are coming?! Oh wow fellow readers! Get excited!!! More books from the Outside the Thalsparr are coming and we are sure to be thoroughly spoiled by author Leesson before it’s all said and done!!

We have to agree with you, author Leesson! The Outside the Thalsparr series is much too big to just end with only eight books and we are absolutely excited to read each story that you create and meet all the new characters who will be showing up to show how unique and dynamic they are!

1. Will this series continue all the way to “present” day?

Author Leesson: No. I say that with certainty because, quite frankly, I simply do not want to write for computers, social media, and smartphones in my story. LOL

LOL! Okay! LOL! That makes a lot of sense, but of course, we just had to ask. LOL! Regardless, we look forward to what comes next and will probably end up thanking you for keeping things out of “present” day. LOL!

Author Bjorn Leesson, we appreciate you taking the time to share with us here at Scribbles and our readers about your third installment in your Outside the Thalsparr series, Rune of Destiny. We look forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing what happens next for your characters! Thank you so much for your time today!

Author Leesson: Thank you ever so much for taking the time and space at Scribblesworth to ask me these great questions about the series! I always enjoy all interactions with you all. Keep doing what you’re doing. Your quality and value to the literary world shows. 😊

Thank you so much, sir! That means the world to us! Until the next time!

We enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to read and review Rune of Destiny, and you can check out the review here.

About the Author

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.