Helena Halme Author

Nordic Fiction with a hint of Noir and Romance

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What a Week!

November 27, 2017 by Helena Halme Leave a Comment

Last week was the best and yet the worst of my life. I’m not sure I’ve ever had one like it. Come to think of it, the past month has been pretty extraordinary.

Appearance on Live TV

Those of you who follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram may know how I very nearly couldn’t join my sister on her birthday trip to Cap Verde in Africa. To cut a long story short, I had inadvertently put my maiden name on my ticket when I purchased the (very expensive) airfare with TAP Air Portugal to these sunny islands in the Atlantic. Noticing my error a couple of weeks later, I pleaded with the airline, explaining my situation, but they wouldn’t budge, saying ‘It was impossible’ to change the name. Even when I contacted them via Facebook and Twitter they said the only option I had was to purchase a new set of flights for just under £1,000 (about $1,200 or €1.200).
Eventually, in desperation, I contacted Rip Off Britain. (This is a consumer rights programme in the UK). The wonderful people at the  BBC took up my case and within hours of their email, Air Portugal telephoned me and changed my name on the ticket without charge. The process took two minutes at the most. Hearing of the success of their approach, Rip Off Britain asked me to appear on their live programme in Glasgow which I accepted. I’ve never been on live telly before and thought I’d be terribly nervous but the production team, Julia Somerville in particular, were so wonderful and put me so much at ease, that appearing live in front of millions of people was a doddle! I also hope my story will help others in a similar situation, and perhaps make TAP Air Portugal change their policy in line with other airlines, such as Norwegian, SAS, Thomas Cook, or Thomson Air, all of which allow name changes against an administration fee.

Helsinki Book Fair

Just a few days later, I flew to Finland to take part in a panel on self-publishing at the Helsinki Book Fair. It was the first time that this consumer fair had aired the subject of indie publishing. It was a huge success and many authors approached me afterward for more information about Alliance of Independent Authors and about the process of international self-publishing. It was so wonderful to be able to pass on some of the experience and knowledge I’ve accumulated in the industry since my first book came out in 2012, and I hope the fair will invite me along again next year!

Cap Verde

 
I think these pictures speak for themselves! It was hot and sunny and we had a wonderful time celebrating my sister’s significant birthday in Cap Verde.

Series Rebrand and a New Book

On my return to London, I fell headlong into the launch of my latest novel, The True Heart, book four in The Nordic Heart Romance Series, which came out 16 November. In conjunction with the new novel, I also decided to rebrand the books, formerly known as The Englishman series, with new titles and covers. I talk about the reasoning behind the change here.

Becoming a British citizen

While I was away, a letter had arrived informing me that my application to become a naturalised British citizen was accepted and that I was to attend a citizenship ceremony on 20 November. Whoop, whoop! The ceremony was at Islington Town Hall, and it was a joyous occasion, even if the whole (costly) process was forced upon me. The worry about my future in this country since the Brexit vote in June 2016, was finally gone; I now had a guarantee that I’d not be turned away at the British border or refused medical treatment by the National Health Service after the UK leaves the European Union. I talk about my concerns about my future and about feeling very foreign in the country I’ve grown up and called home for the past 33 years in a previous post here.

And by the way, although I have now become a British citizen, I still feel absolutely disgusted by the UK government’s failure to guarantee the future of the 3 million EU citizens who have made their home in this country. And, naturally, I think Brexit is crazy on so many levels, and I will continue to do everything I can to make my fellow Brits who voted to leave the EU, understand how misguided they are, and how they were (and continue to be) lied to by certain politicians.

 

Loss of a Loyal Friend

Only three days after the joyous occasion at Islington Town Hall, as a family, we suffered a terrible loss. Our 15-year-old terrier, Jerry, was put to sleep on Wednesday. He had been going downhill for some weeks, even months, and we couldn’t let him suffer any longer. Anyone who has lost a pet will understand how devastating it is to say goodbye to a loyal friend. For our daughter, who had grown up with this clever and active terrier, it has been very difficult, as it has for me and the Englishman.

Jerry was my little muse. He made me get up and finish work at a sensible time because I had to take him out; he kept me company while I wrote and gave me an excuse to take a break and scratch his tummy or throw a ball for him. He was always happy to see me when I came home – however late, or after however many cocktails … I loved walking him in the woods; the number of ideas for a book, plot twists or character traits that I found during those walks is impossible to count. Simply put, he was my best friend.

 

Helsingin Sanomat

Only the next day, I was interviewed and photographed for a forthcoming story in the Finnish daily, Helsingin Sanomat. (I wanted to appear happy in the photos but you can imagine smiling for an hour only a day after such a loss was a challenge). Hesari, as the paper is colloquially called in Finland, has written many times about Brexit and how it’s affecting the Finns living in the UK. I’m delighted that they have included my story in some of the articles. The next piece will appear within a few days – keep an eye out for my social media posts.

Finland 100 Ball

The week ended with a glittery ball to celebrate the centenary of Finland’s Independence. On 6th December this year, it will be 100 years since Finland gained its independence from Russia. Us Finns have been celebrating this anniversary year for all of 2017, but my London celebrations culminated at the Finnish British Chamber of Commerce ball at the Savoy on Friday. I was lucky to be joined by good friends as well as my family, and in spite of being so very sad about the loss of our furry friend, we all had a good time.

 

 

Have you had weeks, or months, when you feel you’re on a roller coaster ride and the ups and downs of your life are just a little too deep? Comment below to start the conversation!

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Tagged With: Books, Brexit, Finland, foreigner, The Nordic Heart Romance Series

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