“Come on. Stay close,” Bergen says as you slink behind him in the shadows. A moment later, you move down a corridor where a door greets you. “Hold up,” Bergen says. A moment later you hear the clink of key in a lock, and the door swings open flooding the corridor with happy light. “This way,” Bergen says and you follow him into a bedchamber made of white marble and lavished in pillows. Writing materials and paper are strewn about. White boards coated in scribbles sit propped against the walls. A water fountain falls from the ceiling recreating an indoor waterfall. Music fills the air. A coffee pot is percolating, filling the room with the scent of freshly ground coffee beans. A single kitten sits on the bed… watching you with sharp eyes filled with intelligence.

“Where are we?” you ask.

“This, is the bio room. This is where you’ll find everything you need to know about Angela. Sadly, nothing is left about me anymore. Angela made sure of that.”

“Who are you?” you ask and Bergen is all too happy to oblige. “I am Bergen, son of Tryggve, prince and heir of Gunir. Rune is my king… and my brother.”

You arch a brow, uncertain still who Bergen is.

“I am Angela’s character from Tales of the Drui,” he explains. “She insisted I was fictitious. So I’ve shown her. I’ve gone rogue. Go ahead. Have a look around,” Bergen says. “See if you can find anything useful. I’ll keep a look out for Angela.”

The Author

Angela B. Chrysler is a writer, logician, philosopher, and die-hard nerd who studies theology, historical linguistics, music composition, and medieval European history in New York with a dry sense of humor and an unusual sense of sarcasm. She lives in a garden with her family and cats.

While writing, Ms. Chrysler fuzzies her cats and survives on coffee, Guinness, and the writings of Edgar Allan Poe who strongly influences her style to this day. When she is not writing, she enables her addictions to all things nerdy, and reads everything she can get her hands on no matter the genre. Occasionally, she finds time to garden, mother her three children, and debate with her life-long friend who she eventually married.

Influences

Growing up without books, Ms. Chrysler spent her early life reading the encyclopedia for fun. By mid-teens, she gained access to her school library, and began working her way through the Great Books. She spent many an afternoon in an old opera house turned library in the town where she grew up. There, she found her passion for reading and writing through the words of Hugo, Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Poe. The words of Leroux and Mary Shelley went on to shape her passion for the romantic macabre she embraces today.

As early as fifteen, Ms. Chrysler embraced philosophy and spent the majority of her life educating herself. At seventeen, she turned her avid reading of the encyclopedia to the Great Books. Through ancient texts, philosophical writings, and Classical Literature, Ms. Chrysler continued the exploration of “self” that began as a teenager in hopes to better understand the world, her life experiences, and those around her. Twenty years later, she is still working hard toward that goal. Today, her philosophies and knowledge inspires her worlds of fantasy while her personal challenges have inspired her to help increase awareness for a number of topics including, trauma, PTSD, BPD, bipolar, animal abuse, domestic violence, and informed/involved parenting.

“Here!” Bergen calls from the lingerie drawer. “She hasn’t touched it.”

“Touched what?” you ask almost afraid of the answer.

“Angela keeps a stash of supplies in her room.”

You push your way through the “Influences” to peer over his shoulder.

“A chest,” he says. “There’s a lock,” which Bergen has picked before you can say “nose.” You look inside (Click the chest to open it).

“You keep looking,” Bergen says. “I’ll try and find another way out.”

Accomplishments

In 2009, after completing two courses from Long Ridge Writer’s Group, her articles appeared in Kritter Kronickles Pet Magazine, and she began work on the Tales of the Drui: a dark mythological fantasy that depicts the Viking era through the elves’ point of view, and combines elements from Celtic mythology. Despite her smile and passion for laughter, Ms. Chrysler survived a number of unique hardships that fueled her darker side and love of macabre. She is active on most social media platforms and can usually be found tweeting on Twitter at @abchryslerabc.

In addition to writing, Ms. Chrysler is very active with her online community and social media. She adores marketing, and her passion to help others has driven her to launch Brain to Books: an online beginner’s manual for authors. You can find number of promotional events hosted by Angela through Brain to Books including, but not limited to The Annual Brain to Books Cyber Convention on Goodreads as well as the Brain to Books summer Blog Tour.

Brain to Books

On 15 October 2014, I conceived an idea for Brain to Books, an online beginner’s manual for authors that accumulates all my writing and publishing findings and thoughts into one page. One year later, I have collected nearly 1,000 followers with access to hundreds of authors, bloggers, and readers. Using the Brain to Books brand, I host events, promotions, and tours for bibliophiles.

Writing is hard. Publication doesn’t have to be. Brain to Books takes the guess work and complications out of publishing for an indie author and makes the road less traveled a little less bumpy for those of us paving the way of indie publishing. We are the first. The generation of authors who are venturing forth, cutting our way through a world unexplored in hopes to find an alternative to Traditional Publishing. Why? Because writing is hard. Publication shouldn’t be.

A familiar cackle disrupts the harmony between you, the bio room, and Bergen. You exchange a worried glance with the Norse Prince. “Come on,” he says and again, you’re up and running, one step behind as he leads you into the next room.