After many months of hinting, vague tweeting, and an overuse of the eyes emoji, I can finally spill the secret about the project I’ve been working on all summer!
I am thrilled to announce that I have been brought on-board with Outland Entertainment and Joshua Gillingham to write a full-length, historical fiction novel, set in the Althingi Universe!
Inspired by the fierce character of Gyda the Grim from the game Althingi: One Will Rise and my short story Wave Runners in the anthology Althingi: The Crescent and the Northern Star, this project will explore Gyda’s quest for power and the loyalty she bears to her sea-going crew – Rán’s Daughters.
More details will be revealed as time goes on. For now, please sign up on the Wave Runners mailing list to receive updates and sneak peeks as they are released.
May the wind ever fill your sails, and the ocean bear you to prosperous shores.
I have been keeping this secret for MONTHS, but seeing some others spill the beans, I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer!
A few months ago, I was approached by the excellent co-editting team of Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad and Joshua Gillingham (a good friend of mine, and the author of The Gatewatch.) These two legends offered me the incredible privilege to contribute a rip-roaring, Tenth-Century Viking tale for the Althingi Anthology, now available from Outland Entertainment!
The Althingi was an annual gathering in medieval Iceland, whereby the Viking landowners and nobles used their influence to settle disputes, create laws, and hand out judgments.
The Anthology will tie in with the Althingi board game, a “quick set-up, fast-play game of strength and influence for 2-4 players based in Viking-Age Iceland. Each player takes on the role of a powerful Chieftain and tries to take control of the annual gathering known as the Althingi through bribery, coercion, and intimidation.”
The publisher is the venerable Outland Entertainment, known for many SFF genre projects with some incredible creators.
This particular project is truly epic in scope and concept. Currently there is aKickstarter campaign for the game, with some amazing stretch goal upgrades available, so please check it out and share with your friends!
I’m so grateful to be counted among a host of talented and exceptional contributers for Althingi. I can’t wait to read their stories!
More details as the release gets closer, but for now, I am excited to share this news with you, and so pleased to be a part of such a wonderful and history-focused project.
My debut novel, out March 4, 2025 – Gyda Fiskwif and her all-women crew of Viking merchants set out to Al-Andalus only to discover that treachery, rather than treasure, lies in wait. A vengeful fire to reclaim her ship, her treasure, and her crew’ s freedom sets Gyda on a harrowing journey through Dyflin (Dublin), Jorvik (York), and eventually to the distant Norse settlements of Iceland at the height of the Viking Age. A saga of seasalt, blood, and gold, Ran’ s Daughters is a female-driven Viking epic like no other.
My short story – Wave Runners – features in this wonderful Muslim/Viking intersectional anthology set in the 10th Century. The anthology ties in with a tabletop game. Now available!
I was kindly given the opportunity to read and review this beautiful poetry book. March 2021. You can buy the book here. Follow the author on her website here.
After six months of hard work and research, the audio adaptation of my Norse-inspired folktale The Seeing Trees has landed!
“In the forests of Scandinavia a family is besieged by a malicious raven which watches and follows them everywhere they go. How will they escape from this curse and at what cost? The Seeing Trees is a dark nordic mystery with elements of violence, peril, horror, language and elements that some listeners may find disturbing.”
Fascinated by Viking mythology and history, I wanted to bring a darker angle to this story. Here is a short interviewI did with the podcast, covering the influences and inspiration. You can also hear a fantastic monologue by Charis McRoberts (Follow herhere!) My interview starts at 10:30 min.
From the Press Release:
“The Alternative Stories And Fake Realities Podcast has produced an audio drama based on a dark, psychological short story by American writer Kaitlin Felix, “The Seeing Trees”. Working with a team of actors all recording their lines separately from their homes, we’ve pieced together a production that is compelling and immersive and made entirely under lockdown.”
Watch the trailer here:
We had a range of brilliant actors for our cast. Here are a few, and a full list with links to their social media profiles:
Tiffany Clare, Charlie Richards, Lewie Watson, Amy Forrest
The Old Norse incantation is performed by Charlie Richards, Tiffany Clare, myself and Chris Gregory, who is the excellent director and podcast runner. He also created the original music and soundscapes.
Below, I have included the Old Norse text of the “Sigrdrifa prayer,” which is located in the Sigrdrífumál section of the Poetic Edda. The translation is by Dr. Jackson Crawford. We used the Reconstructed Medieval Pronunciation, taken from his youtube video here.
Old Norse:
Heil dagr Heilar dags sýnir Heil nót ok nipt Oreiðum augum Lítið okkr þinig ok gefið sitjöndum sigr
Heilir æsir, heilar ásynjur, heil sjá in fjölnýta fold, mál ok mannvit gefið okkr mærum tveim ok læknishendr, meðan lifum
Modern English:
Hail the day! Hail the sons of day! Hail to night and her sister! Look on the two of us here with friendly eyes, and give us victory.
Hail the gods! Hail the goddesses! Hail the hospitable earth! Give the two of us eloquent speech, and wisdom- and healing hands, while we live.
Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast is totally free to listen, and you can find them on any podcast provider. You can also follow on various social media platforms. Click the image below to find them. Happy Listening!
I am incredibly grateful to Chris Gregory and to the entire cast for making the Seeing Trees a truly remarkable experience! I’m blown away by this production, and all the hard work that went into it. I am looking forward to working with Alternative Stories and Fake Realities podcast again!
