About The Author
Meet The Debut Author of The Valkyries
Who I Am
I am David Virga, an engineer by trade, now storyteller by passion. Through my 15 years in the automotive industry, I’ve led product launches, manufacturing operations, and continuous improvement initiatives. But in that same time and even longer, my love for fantasy has never wavered.
What I Write
As a reader, viewer, or gamer, I’m always drawn to stories of grand worlds threatened by world-ending conflicts, especially where a fallen hero must overcome their past to rise again.
The Valkyries is just that—a tale of three warriors who made an impossible choice, earning their banishment and separation, until finding their way back to each other and saving the realms from an eternal dark fate.
Want to be among the first to hear the Valkyries’ battle cry?
How I Got Here
Growing up, my brothers and I bonded over a handful of fantasy video games—Thief, Morrowind, and World of Warcraft, along with some classic shooters like DOOM and Goldeneye. These days, I still return to World of Warcraft from time to time, but I’ve been lucky enough to add masterpieces like The Witcher, Skyrim, and God of War to my list as well.
As for shows and movies, I was a proud bandwagoner of Game of Thrones, which spurred me to read the books as well. The Lord of the Rings films will always be among my favorites, though I’ll admit the books are patiently waiting on my to-read list still. And like so many others, Marvel’s long stretch of movies pulled me in, hurling me down a comic book rabbit hole—primarily around Daredevil, but also with plenty of time with Thor and Loki as well.
Truthfully, it wasn’t until after high school that I found a deeper appreciation for reading. I tend to go through phases, but aside from a long one spent in Norse mythology, my all-time favorites include The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
And herein lies a hidden perk of becoming a writer—to sharpen my skills, I need to read more fantasy—which is leading me to all sorts of books I may never have heard of otherwise. I’ve had my heart broken by The Witch’s Heart and felt a rush of inspiration from The Shadow of the Gods. It’s exciting knowing my “Favorites” list keeps growing—and countless more books are waiting to be discovered next.
But back to the question at hand:
How did I get Here?
All those games, shows, movies, and books—all time I once thought wasted—sparked a story of my own.
The Valkyries started with a single scene playing over and over in my mind: a trio of fallen warriors, once bound by an unbreakable bond, facing each other years after betrayal ripped them apart.
With some extra time on my hands, I decided to write the scene—not as a first step of writing a book or getting published, but to see what it would look like.
For me. No one else.
And it turned out pretty good—at least by my standards back then. So, I continued, carrying the heroes forward, curious where their story could lead. I found my ending first—a moment that checked all the boxes I could have wanted.
But curiosity struck again—where did their story begin?
Who were they before?
How did their paths first cross?
What tore them apart?
How much time was stolen from them?
Every question answered begged another—until one day, I found myself staring at the first full draft of The Valkyries.
I once dreamed of writing a novel, if only to say I did it.
I let that dream die.
But with a rough draft of a full-length epic fantasy novel on my hands, I steeled myself, and took one of the most terrifying steps of this entire journey:
I shared it with someone else.
The Valkyries no longer existed only within me. Someone else read their story.
I owed it to them…
I owed it to Kaelva, Astrid, and Freyna…
I owed it to myself…
To see this journey through to its end.
Now, as I write this, the first steps into the perilous Query Trenches, one final question remains:
Where do the Valkyries go from here?
Follow along as I embark on my writing journey.
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