***
Today, May 17th,
is Norway
My favorite
place in the world to visit is Norway Norway
in July, and northern Norway
deep inside the Arctic Circle in February.
Both experiences were spectacular!
When I toured
southern Norway in 2011, I
made a side trip to the picturesque coastal town of Arendal —the
home of my fictional Hansen family—which lies just 90 miles across the North
Sea from Denmark
But I digress.
Arendal looks nothing like the landscape in Frozen,
but is beautiful in its own right, as you can see.
In 2015 I went
to see the Northern Lights. This was #1 on my Bucket List and they did not
disappoint in any way. I can’t imagine being able to watch this magnificent
display nearly every night—providing 1) the sun dips below the horizon at night and 2) there aren’t any clouds.
Now I’m set to
return a third time in July of 2017.
Norwegians
almost all speak English (half of their signs and advertisements are in what’s
becoming the “universal” language) and they are very friendly and welcoming to
visitors. And—they love to talk about their homeland: its legends, myths, and
history. Every time I go, I pick up new information and new story ideas.
It won’t be the
last time I go, either.
Want to come
with me?
***
Title: Enemies and
Traitors
Series: The
Hansen Series
Author: Kris Tualla
Genre:
Historical Romance
Publisher: Kris Tualla
Date of Publication: March 2017
ASIN:
B06XBHK93C
ISBN-13: 978-1539806301
ISBN-10: 1539806308
Number of pages: 366
Word Count: 106,000
Blurb:
High
school chemistry teacher, Teigen Hansen, managed to dodge Nazi attention until
the day he was asked to sign Vidkun Quisling’s Declaration of Loyalty and swear to teach Nazi ideals. Mass refusal
put 1,000 male teachers in prison. When they still refused, 500 of them were
sent to a Nazi labor camp deep inside Norway ’s
Arctic Circle . When Teigen is released after
seven months under frigid and grueling conditions, he immediately joins Milorg—Norway
Because
of past experiences Selby Sunde hates men, so she has no problem “dating” Nazi
officers and plying them for covert information. Her resolve is rocked when
Teigen Hansen joins the troupe. Untrained yet determined, he never does what
she expects—but always what’s right. As their Milorg assignments grow
increasingly dangerous, it’s Teigen who saves her life as together they work to
defeat Norway
Excerpt:
Chapter One
February 9, 1942
Teigen Hansen slid the paper across the worn top of
the Oslo Secondary School
Overlærer Oskar Jung glanced
sideways at the German officer wearing an expertly fitted Nazi uniform and
hovering at the edge of his desk, but Teigen refused to look up at the man. He
barely restrained himself from spitting on the officer’s shiny black boots.
Oskar focused his attention on Teigen and leaned
forward a little. “You do understand that every teacher in Norway
Teigen kept his voice calm and his eyes level. “I have
heard the radio announcements, yes.”
“And yet you are refusing?”
The light in Oskar Jung’s eyes did not match his stern
tone. That intrigued Teigen; perhaps he was not going to be fired on the spot
for remaining loyal to occupied Norway
Teigen nodded slowly and quoted bits of the
declaration—he wanted his point to be very clearly made, no matter how the
Neanderthal in brown responded. “I am. I will not sign any declaration of loyalty to the Nazi regime. And I will not agree to promote my students’
understanding of Nazi ideology.”
The German officer cleared his throat. Loudly.
Teigen deigned to look up at the man out of the corner
of his eye. “Perhaps you need a glass of water,” he said in perfect German.
The man startled, then glared at him and answered in
the same language. “Perhaps you need to understand what is happening in the
world.”
Teigen ignored the taunt and addressed his principal.
“Are we finished?”
Oskar nodded as he carefully folded the unsigned
declaration. “There will be a letter in your mailbox tomorrow stating that you
refused to sign this.”
Teigen rose slowly to his feet. He straightened his
back to make the point that at six-foot-six he towered a full half-a-foot over
the glaring SS officer. “I understand.”
He turned to leave the principal’s office when the
officer barked in German, “You have not been dismissed.”
Teigen waited, looking over his shoulder at the
officer. “Was erwarten Sie von mir?”
What do you require of me?
The German clacked his heels together and extended a
stiff right arm. “Heil Hitler.”
The expected response was obvious, but Teigen was
damned if he’d give it. He dipped his head, flashed a crooked grin, and
answered in Norse. “Of course.”
Then he spun on his heel and exited the small office,
closing the door behind him.
Author
bio :
Kris
Tualla, a dynamic award-winning and internationally published author of
historical romance and suspense, has created a dynasty with The Hansen Series.
An active member of
Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, and
Sisters in Crime, she was also a
guest instructor at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at
Arizona State University. She often
asked to speak about her journey – and her Norsemen.
Author website and social media links:
