Book Title: SOOTHING THE BEAST
Character Name: Sigurd. Interviewed at the end of the book, the second in the Noble Norsemen series
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
Hard. I was orphaned at a very young age, so anything related to childhood is painful for me to recall. I was nicknamed “Beast” by the boys in the village and the name didn’t help me make new acquaintances, as you can imagine.
What was your greatest talent?
I don’t know that it is a talent, but I managed to survive in the wild on my own despite my young age. I hunted for food, kept myself warm and fed, weathered the other boys’ taunts. I like to think resilience is one of my strengths. Other than that, I am the best swimmer I know. And of course, I’ve been told I am rather skilled in bed… (winks) But that’s probably not what you meant.
Significant other?
Frigyth, a Saxon woman whom I call Birdie. The most entrancing woman in the world. I fell for her at first sight, and she then ensnared me further with her infuriating questions, her talent for making delicious food and her irrepressible lust. For life and for me.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Trusting that being with someone can be just as wonderful as you hoped. I spent years wishing to have a family, only to balk every time a woman tried to get close to me, too worried that reality wouldn’t match my expectations. Thankfully, my need for Frigyth made me overcome my fears and I have been rewarded a thousand-fold.
Where do you live?
I was born in Denmark, but I left aged fifteen, to try and build a new life away from my painful past. I now live in a village of Norsemen in East Anglia.
Do you have any enemies?
(growls) Only one. The bastard who raped my wife. It’s only because of her that he is still alive.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I found a home here, good friends and a family, so I wouldn’t like to be anywhere else. People here accept me for who I am, they have welcomed me. But I would like to visit Denmark one day with my family, and show them where I come from.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
No pets, no. I have adopted two little boys, and my wife is currently pregnant with our first child. I can’t wait to meet it. I hope for a little girl as pretty as she is.
What do you do for a living?
I take care of my family.
Greatest disappointment?
I try not to dwell on failure but I know you won’t be satisfied until I say something so I will say my inability to make edible oat cakes. It should not be that hard! When I watch Frigyth, I wonder how I cannot produce something better. I have asked her to teach me but somehow I always end up being distracted by the way her fingers handle the dough (wiggles his brow).
Greatest source of joy?
Obviously, my wife and children. The boys make everyday special—and Frigyth makes every night scorching. I also enjoy fishing after a long, solitary swim.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I like weaving baskets for my friends, and a good sparring session now and then with my friend Wolf blows the cobwebs away.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
My inability to control my temper, especially where my wife and children are concerned. But Frigyth made me see it could also be a strength so I’m beginning to accept it better. Oh, and my propensity to swear, a habit I’m trying to moderate, especially in front of the boys.
What keeps you awake at night?
The suffering my wife has been through, both as a child and because of that bastard Olaf. I wish I could erase it all.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
I can’t think of anything. My life has never been better. I just hope it lasts.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
For myself, nothing. For my wife, there is perhaps one thing. I wish her sisters were married to better men. I know it plagues Frigyth to know that, unlike her, they do not have a happy marriage. I wish I could help with that.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
Save killing their husbands and replacing them with men I know and trust, I fail to see what I could do. Perhaps fate will intervene in my stead, and I will be able to tell you soon that they too found their happy ever after. Who knows?
The Noble Norsemen #2
Two souls looking for love, hearts longing for a rhythm they can share with another.
Frigyth and Sigurd, a Saxon and a Dane, walk their own solitary paths day in and day out, never expecting the two should cross. But when Frigyth is attacked by a Norseman living in Sigurd’s village, they find their fates intertwined.
For Sigurd, the attraction is immediate, but how can he act on it? After the trauma she’s been dealt, he knows the last thing she needs is another man vying for her attention. He has no choice but to watch her walk away. When a few days later, the beautiful Saxon returns, begging for his help, he can't resist. She needs him to pretend to be her husband in order to spare her from a life she does not want.
But can he accept, knowing his feelings? And if what starts out as a pretense turns to something more, will she stay, or walk out of his life forever?
Romance Historical [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: January 16, 2024, e-Book, / eISBN: 9781648395376]
Virginie thinks she became a writer the day she decided to write a (very bad, shamefully close to the real story) version of White Fang when aged nine or ten! As for the Middle Ages she fell in love with it at school during a history lesson, then Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood put its final seal on it all. A girl of twelve then, Virginie never recovered!
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