Reily's Point of View: Oden's Shadow Erin Riley

Obsession. Treachery. Revenge. Redemption. Certain themes resonate across the centuries. Selia is a girl on the verge of womanhood, frustrated by the confines of her gender and resentful of the freedom her brother boasts of. Intelligent and resourceful in a time when neither is valued in a female, she longs for an escape from her sheltered existence. Fascinated by the tales of Viking raids told by her maidservant, her hunger for independence is fed through the stories of heathen ferocity she hears at the woman's knee.

A decision to sneak to the city's harbor to view the Viking longships leads to an encounter with Alrik Ragnarson, a charismatic Viking warlord whose outward beauty masks a dark and tortured mind. With the knowledge that her father is about to announce her betrothal to a man she doesn't love, Selia marries Alrik and within a day is on the longship bound for Norway and a new life.

While Selia’s relationship with her new husband grows, her friendship with his brother grows as well. And as Alrik’s character flaws come to light and tension mounts between the two brothers, Selia begins to have misgivings about her hasty marriage . . . especially when a secret from the past is revealed, one that threatens to destroy them all.

Erin S. Riley has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in clinical counseling. She is also a board certified lactation consultant and has had extensive training in maternal-child health. Since Erin was a child, she has been fascinated with human nature and what motivates behavior. She enjoys writing stories that reflect real life: Erin's books feature complicated, imperfect characters who love deeply, make reckless decisions, and try again until they get it right.

A lifelong lover of books, Erin taught herself to read at the age of four and hasn’t been without a book since. She is an equal-opportunity reader of fiction and non-fiction, and her shelves are filled with books on psychology, archaeology, anthropology, and general history. The social history of women and their place in society across the ages is a favorite reading topic of Erin’s.

Erin is drawn to any creative pursuit, from making hand-stitched quilts to producing mini-movies for family and friends from home videos. But writing has always been her passion. When Erin isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her two wonderful children, reading anything she can get her hands on, watching football, and renovating her house with her husband of 17 years who just happens to look like a Viking!

Excerpt:

Selia heard the rustle of footsteps behind her and turned to scowl at Eithne. "I'm going as fast as I can-"

She stopped in mid sentence. It was the Finngall from the hill, not Eithne, who was coming toward her. The sheer size of the man was startling in an of itself, and the way the morning sun glinted off his pale hair and the breeze stirred his deep red cloak around his body made him appear not quite human.

Almost like one of the heathen gods the Finngalls worshiped. She stared, unable to move or speak. It was all she could do to force herself to breathe.

The Finngall met her gaze and smiled. He had a beautiful smile-a flash of white teeth and a boyish dimple on his left cheek-but like yesterday, something about it struck her as unusual. What was it?

His smile didn't reach his eyes. His eyes looked hard.

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