Van Gorp Books Category:  Historical Fiction Publisher: Publish America Type: Fiction Pages: 310 Copyright: 2010 ISBN-13: 9781448943760 In such a harsh world, will he ever find his peace. In the Viking Age he is a Warlord, feared by his enemies and respected by those under his rule. But what he really longed for was peace from the violent storm that Thor placed inside him. Can he find it with the Christian woman he rescued from his enemy or will losing her destroy him forever. And where will fate and the gods lead him next? Excerpt Thunder cracked and static rippled through the air in the dwelling. Invisible fingers reached above the bed and sparked as they traced the skin of a sleeping young face. A boy of twelve struggled in the furs that covered the pallet he slept on. An instant jolt caused him to jump, but not wake. Rumbling waves of a powerful storm washed over him, reaching for his soul. Dark clouds of premonition wrapped around him, pulling him tight in an embrace. Hands that could not be seen reached inside him...searching ...testing... Satisfied, the storm pulled back to wait. A scream split the night and Rafn bolted from his bed to stand sweating on the cold wooden floor. His gaze swept the dwelling, searching for the danger. He stared in alarm at the shadows dancing across the dark room. He smelled smoke and sniffed the air for the source. It was not the smoke that escaped the banked fire in the hearth, but one of burning pitch and straw... ...Rafn stood as still as stone as the thunder boomed directly over their heads. A streak of lightning shot straight down and scorched the ground behind him. The warrior watched the bolt hit the boy, and yet the boy still lived. The thunder sounded closer. His eyes widened as Thor’s hammer trembled across the sky. The bear-warrior shivered with the sudden knowledge that the mighty god Thor was claiming this boy for his own. Rafn’s shoulder stung from a spark that burned through his tunic. The lightning bolt had been so close his hair sizzled with its energy, but he felt no fear to have been touched by a god. Confidence washed through and he knew no man could stop him. Rafn yelled out his rage, as he lifted the sword which no longer felt heavy in his hand. Caught in a dance not of his making, he spun around on his feet, giving momentum to the swing of the weapon. The long-sword sliced through the air, singing a song that only Rafn could hear. The bear-warrior lifted his sword in time to stop the blade from reaching his chest. He staggered back...

Book Club
Harsh Innocence, book one of the Thunder From Above trilogy by Tracy Van Gorp, is an epic tale that grabs the reader's attention from the opening passage. The story is seamlessly told in a writing style that reflects the intensity of both the author, and setting of the book. VanGorp has done a masterful job
of creating and bringing to life a myriad of characters with whom the reader can connect. A unique feature of this novel is the variety of genres represented, readers will be pleased to discover that the book has a range from historical fiction, to romance, drama and even some fantasy. Reader's will be left with a feeling of wanting more, and with excitement and anticipation for the soon to be released book two, Bitter Passage!!!!