# Berserker - Vikings Vs Yeti



## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

***NEW COVER***

A Viking vs Yeti novel

On their first Viking Tor and Skald must stand up and be counted, for their destinies await them high in the mountains, where the hairy beasts make their lair.

Read a great review here: http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/?p=3126


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Hmmm this one sounds good too!
> 
> I'm a sucker for Viking tales...


Me too. THE VIKINGS, THE LONG SHIPS, THE 13TH WARRIOR, PATHFINDER, OUTLANDER, my book of the Norse Myths, along with a love of big hairy beasties and sword and sorcery in general, all got mangled together in this one. It's bold, brash and bloody. I love it.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hello again Willie, and congratulations on your book.

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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> I've seen all those flicks. The one I probably like the least was "The Pathfinder," however, the costumes in that one was to DIE over. The design was pure genius--I don't know if they were based on discovered designs but they sure were intimidating looking. I know my SCA buddies were probably drooling over them. And Clancy Brown as the Viking leader? It was the closest we'll see him in a highlander tale that was never told.


I agree PATHFINDER looked great but was flawed as a story. As for HIGHLANDER tales... being a Scot, a fan and a writer, of course I'd love to write one given the chance (just in case anyone is listening


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## William L.K. (Aug 5, 2010)

Willie,

Your covers are simply amazing!
Good luck with this one. It looks like a winner.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Just wanted to add another movie to your list of viking flicks... an old tale with Lee Majors (yes, the bionic viking) called "The Norseman." Hard to find, but a decent little tale of vikings and their adventures in the new world.
> 
> No Yeti, however.


I'd forgotten that one. I saw it on TV -many- years ago. Also recently watched Gerald Butler as Beowolf in "Beowolf and Grendel" - a revisionist take on the story but I enjoyed it, and again it looks great.

I think my Viking fascination stems from -way- back. When I was very young I would be taken ten miles over the hill to the shore at Largs on the Ayrshire coast. There's a memorial there to "The Battle of Largs" where Scots fought off Vikings. The story was told to me so often it sunk into my soul, and as kids we spent many a day in pretend swordfights as Vikings (when it wasn't Zorro -- but that's another story


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Extract from a great long review:-



> The narrative crashes over you like a tidal wave, punches you like a mailed fist and carries you along with joyful, gory abandon. This book is meant to be consumed with gusto, not laboured over the way a baboon picks nits from its fur. If Meikle had spent precious pages on Kai's psychology, or deepening Skald and Tor's relationship, this book would have stalled, a ship trapped in ice. This book is an ice-breaker. Berserker isn't about in-depth character studies, poetic descriptions, or lovingly crafted iambic-strewn prose - don't misunderstand me here; Meikle's prose is more than up to the task. It's about frickin' Vikings, monsters, blood and honour, dying by your friend's side, for your friend. It's about sticking a firebrand in Winter's damned face. It's about taking the reader on one hell of a Viking raid, and I, for one, am glad I climbed aboard.


I'll take it


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## davejeffery (Sep 14, 2010)

Any book from Mr Meikle is a winner.


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

I think I'm going have to download this pretty soon.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> I think I'm going have to download this pretty soon.


There's no time like the present


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Willie, 

just had to say, love your covers!  Off to sample....

Betsy


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

I shall be getting it very soon Willie, have no fear. The Valley has also taken my eye.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> I shall be getting it very soon Willie, have no fear. The Valley has also taken my eye.


THE VALLEY and BERSERKER are probably the two favorite things of mine I've ever written, and closest in "feel" to my most fond influences of H Rider Haggard, Robert E Howard and Ray Harryhausen.

And your post reminded my why I wrote them, and what I _should_ be writing next. Off for some end-of-year contemplation


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

BERSERKER is -finally- visible in Amazon searches after weeks of invisibility. YAY!


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

Watch it rocket up the charts.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> Watch it rocket up the charts.


I can only hope... Vikings versus Yeti... what's not to like?


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

Just bought it and The Valley.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> Just bought it and The Valley.


Thanks Stuart -- I take it that was from the UK site?


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm all over it.

Anyone else remember the Chrichton novel "Eaters of the Dead?" I even enjoyed the movie.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Good book, better movie, in my mind. A very under-appreciated flick, when it had a lot of things going for it. Memorable characters--hell, even the minor characters filled up the screen--great story, great production, and killer action scenes pulled along by John "Die Hard" McTiernan himself. I often wondered where exactly they shot that movie.
> 
> Also read an interesting article in Time magazine regarding the Vikings, from their reputation as traders and leaders in commerce, to of course, their exploration of the known world. I think Willie has touched on a story set in a world that will be written about even more in the future. If not by Willie himself, then by someone else.


It'll be me, bet on it 

As for THE THIRTEENTH WARRIOR -- I'm pretty sure it was in the Vancouver area of Canada somewhere.

According to IMDB Filming locations for The 13th Warrior were:

Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Ah, I suspected it was BC, but wasn't sure. Thanks Willie.
> 
> And get started on your next Viking sega


That's this summer's job... got two other novels to finish first.

And also this summer, I plan to visit Gros Morne park on the other side of the island here, and see where they filmed OUTLANDER


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

Probably already mentioned this, but BERSERKER is a great read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Gros Morne park?
> 
> Where exactly you be on my island?
> 
> I will be living on the east, down around Bonavista. If'n yer nearby, you'll haveta drop over for a big ol slice of raisin bread


I live in Catalina Keith... just down the road from Bonavista


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Well....


One of life's little coincidences... a Scotsman moves to Canada, becomes online buddies with someone working in South Korea... and finds that the buddy's parent's home is only a mile or so away from where he's typing this


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Tis something.
> 
> Something to talk about around the kitchen table when I drop over some evening. Probably on my way to Bonavista.That's the big city.
> 
> And from what my parents tell me, Robin's Donuts is opening up over there too. I might never leave...


They recently got a Mary Browns in Bonavista...I'm now addicted to fried chicken 

And, back on topic... I have a "hook" for the follow up to Berserker.

One of Ragnar Hairy Breeks' sons, Ivar the Boneless died in England. He ordered that his body be buried in a mound on the English Shore, saying that so long as his bones guarded that section of the coast, no enemy could invade there successfully. This prophecy held true, says one of the Norse sagas, until...

"when Vilhjalm bastard (William the Conqueror) came ashore, he went to the burial site and broke Ivar's mound and saw that Ivar's body had not decayed. Then Vilhjalm had a large pyre made upon which Ivar's body was burned.... Thereupon, Vilhjalm proceeded with the landing invasion and achieved the victory."


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Bleekness said:


> Sounds interesting. Run with it. I know I'll pick up a copy.


Zombie Vikings -- 2 captive audiences to market it to


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

I've given this one a big five stars. The review should be up on amazon.co.uk as we speak.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> I've given this one a big five stars. The review should be up on amazon.co.uk as we speak.


'Tis there. Thanks Stuart, glad you liked it.

Got a five star review on .com from David MacAfee today too


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Two blog stops for my birthday

On writing Berserker
http://kindleinthewind.blogspot.com/2011/01/william-meikle-on-writing-berserker.html

On Selling Berserker 
http://kindleinthewind.blogspot.com/2011/01/berserker-by-william-meikle_25.html

Go on, get me a birthday present 

Willie


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

It looks like Berserker is doing well on both Amazon US and UK, and rightly so.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> It looks like Berserker is doing well on both Amazon US and UK, and rightly so.


It is indeed... and with a print edition in the pipeline later this year too, possibly in the new FLIPIT format that Generation Next are launching, with CRUSTACEANS as the flip side.


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

Flipit books are a great idea.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> Flipit books are a great idea.


I thought so too, and sold it to Steve at Generation Next. Between us we figured out the mechanics of getting the PDF proofs set up.

The only hassle is that one of the cover pages has to have a bar code on it which will ruin the look a bit, but some cunning design will help hide that (I hope)

THE INVASION/THE VALLEY coming soon, BERSERKER/CRUSTACEANS to follow, and hopefully THE CREEPING KELP/A.N.OTHER after that.


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

I can't wait for The Creeping Kelp.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

stuartneild said:


> I can't wait for The Creeping Kelp.


Then you're in luck... getting its final polish today then it'll be off to Steve at GNP for editing,formatting and cover design


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

Fingers crossed this will be a big hit.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Hooray for vikings!

Nice call-out for The Long Ships.

Have you read the Arn Magnusson series, or seen the film(s)? They're about a Swedish Knight Templar, so it's a blend of viking and christian knight action and culture.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> Hooray for vikings!
> 
> Nice call-out for The Long Ships.
> 
> Have you read the Arn Magnusson series, or seen the film(s)? They're about a Swedish Knight Templar, so it's a blend of viking and christian knight action and culture.


I -really- need to get round to them. Sounds like just my kind of thing.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm going to be including a viking story in my Other Earth series, but I won't get around to it until next year (too many books to write!)

I guess I'll have to tide myself over with Berserker.

Is this a standalone or part of a series?


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> I'm going to be including a viking story in my Other Earth series, but I won't get around to it until next year (too many books to write!)
> 
> I guess I'll have to tide myself over with Berserker.
> 
> Is this a standalone or part of a series?


At the moment it's a standalone... but I'm considering a sequel.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

It seems people like the Vikings versus Yeti concept. "Berserker" has started to get many readers. Which is nice.


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

Vikings vs Yeti was a great idea from the off. No doubt about it.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Berserker is getting close to overtaking THE INVASION as my highest ranked title on Amazon -- the 1st time Invasion has slipped from the top spot since its launch a year ago this week.


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## Stel Pavlou (Apr 1, 2011)

Looks awesome! Can't wait to read it.


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

It doesn't surprise me it's doing so well.


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## Ash Stirling (Mar 2, 2011)

Ooh, Vikings.  As a kid I was a big fan of them.

Reminds me, one of these days must pull out the Viking idea that all came about as a result of a misread, something along the lines of Viking on Mars which I misread as Vikings on Mars, which sparked a crazy idea of Vikings fighting Martians on Mars.  Yeah, it is a silly as it sounds.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Ash Stirling said:


> Ooh, Vikings. As a kid I was a big fan of them.
> 
> Reminds me, one of these days must pull out the Viking idea that all came about as a result of a misread, something along the lines of Viking on Mars which I misread as Vikings on Mars, which sparked a crazy idea of Vikings fighting Martians on Mars. Yeah, it is a silly as it sounds.


Sort of like John Carter of Mars but with Vikings? Sounds like a winner to me. I'd read it.


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## Ash Stirling (Mar 2, 2011)

I haven't actually read John Carter (though one of these days I will) but I do know a little about it; currently it is just a vague idea without a plot.

The concept is sitting on a backlist at the moment - I'd love to get around to it some day because it could be fun, and a little different than my normal stuff.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

>I haven't actually read John Carter

I always do a double take when people say things like that. Haven't read John Carter of Mars? Surely that can't be right? 

Then I remember that I'm an old fart, and that back in the 60's you could find the Rice Burrough's paperbacks everywhere -- not like today where he's almost forgotten in the bookstores.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Featured today at Kindle in the Wind: BERSERKER. Vikings vs Yeti. What else do you need to know?  http://www.kindleinthewind.com/2011/04/berserker-by-william-meikle.html


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Hit a top 100 chart -- #82 in >war strangely...


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

I've stalled and I need a push. All likes/shares/reviews etc gratefully accepted

Vikings vs Yeti, and all 5 star reviews

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004CRSQSU/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004CRSQSU/
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B004CRSQSU/


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Vikings versus Yeti. What else does anybody need to know?  9 reviews, 45 stars so far. http://www.amazon.com/Bers erker/dp/B004CRSQSU


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Review of Berserker just in - http://www.andyerupts.com/2011/11/book-review-berserker/ "It has the feel of King Kong, The Long Ships and The Land That Time Forgot " I'll take that.

Read a sample here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/65390096/


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Thank you for giving voice to traditionally underrepresented groups in literature.



There should be more viking novels... and a lot more yeti novels.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Steverino said:


> Thank you for giving voice to traditionally underrepresented groups in literature.
> 
> 
> 
> There should be more viking novels... and a lot more yeti novels.


Couldn't agree more


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Sample from Berserker - Vikings versus Yeti! » http://www.scribd.com/doc/65390096/


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## acellis (Oct 10, 2011)

Good cover. Looks like fun!


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

It's nice when someone gets it... a great new review of BERSERKER.
http://scottwhitmorewriter.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/my-review-of-berserker-by-william-meikle/


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Somebody else who gets it.

Once again Willie Meikle has crafted a first class adventure story, the narrative rushes along like a Viking Longboat caught in a strong tail wind.

http://gingernutsofhorror.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/berserker-william-meikle/


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Another nice review...

http://justbookreading.com/2012/12/10/double-review-berserker-and-abominable/


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

In talks to get Berserker produced as a graphic novel... keep everything crossed for me...


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