Kick Ass Girls of Fire & Ice by Christina Hoag

Skin of Tattoos is a noir crime novel set in the gritty underbelly of Los Angeles’ gangland, the darker side of the palm-studded, movie-star lifestyle that L.A. What inspired me to write Skin of Tattoos I am delighted to host author and fellow International Thriller Writers member Christina Hoag on my blog today! Today she shares the inspiration behind her thriller SKIN OF TATTOOS. If you have suggestions for how I might further immerse myself in Norwegian culture prior to my trip, please leave them in the comments below. A friend also recommended that I watch New Scandinavian Cooking, which I plan to do. I came across THIS list of must read Norwegian titles, which I’ve added to my Goodreads TO READ list. I realize that crime novels and Ibsen are just a very small part of Norwegian Culture. I’m now reading and enjoying Gunnar Staalesen’s Where Roses Never Die, which takes place in and around Bergen. There will be much more of Harry Hole in my future. I was a little disappointed to discover that it takes place in Australia, rather than in Norway- but nevertheless, it was a great book. I also just listened to my first Jo Nesbo novel, The Bat.

On my last trip to The Mysterious Bookshop, I picked up a few. What I haven’t read enough of is Norwegian crime novels. I’m so excited about learning Norwegian, that I’m actually blogging again after a majorly long hiatus!īut why stop with the language? Why not thoroughly immerse myself in Norwegian culture?

I find myself enjoying my morning commute, excited for whatever new words I will encounter along the way. I can say the bizarrely difficult “Pleased to meet you.” Plus, now I can confidently order a drink in a restaurant in Norway. In fact, I can’t believe I haven’t spent the last 20 years of my life studying other languages.Ĭharlamagne said, “To have another language is to possess a second soul.” I’m only on lesson 21 of the Pimsleur Norwegian, but I definitely agree with Charlamagne. It’s the best thing I have ever done for myself, at least in recent years. I want to be able to say thank you in someone’s native tongue. But I don’t want to travel somewhere where I can’t count to three. I hear that most people in Norway speak English. The coming of the New Year filled us with a Carpe Diem mentality, and by early January we had booked a trip for this summer.

recently confirmed that he’s part Norwegian, making this trip more than a vacation, but a chance to get in touch with his roots. My husband became determined to fulfill her dream. My husband’s mother had always wanted to go, and never did. Visiting Norway had been on someone else’s bucket list. Until we planned our family vacation to Norway last month. Definitely on my bucket list.īut Norwegian? It just never occurred to me. Get really fluent in Russian (my fast-fading first language).

Kick Ass Girls of Fire & Ice by Christina Hoag