Helena Halme Author

Nordic Fiction with a hint of Noir and Romance

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Writing Inspiration for The Island Affair

January 11, 2019 by Helena Halme

I am just in the middle of editing my forthcoming novel, The Island Affair, and I thought I’d let you have a sneak peek into my inspiration for the book.

Here I am with the Englishman on a small island-hopping ferry last year.

The Island Affair (and the series to follow) is set in Åland. This is a group of islands situated in the Baltic off the coast of Sweden, but belong to Finland. Wikipedia describes the place like this:

The Åland Islands or Åland (Swedish: Åland, Finnish: Ahvenanmaa) is an archipelago province at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea belonging to Finland. It is autonomous, demilitarised and is the only monolingually Swedish-speaking region in Finland. It is the smallest region of Finland, constituting 0.49% of its land area and 0.50% of its population.

Åland comprises Fasta Åland on which 90% of the population resides and a further 6,500 skerries and islands to its east. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden by 38 kilometres (24 mi) of open water to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is contiguous with the Finnish Archipelago Sea. Åland’s only land border is located on the uninhabited skerry of Märket, which it shares with Sweden.

Åland’s autonomous status means that those provincial powers normally exercised by representatives of the central Finnish government are largely exercised by its own government.

I’ve been going on holiday to the Åland Islands for years, or even decades! I’ve written several blogs about my escapades on the islands and my blogging history shows how at home I am in Åland. While I have been planning the plotlines and writing The Island Affair, these posts have been incredibly useful for inspiration. A good writing tip to any experienced or new author – start your research on your own blog.😉

A Remote Island Restaurant for a Romantic Getaway

Åland Islands: Glada Laxen restaurant in Bärö

A Crayfish Party for Two

A crayfish party for two

Midsummer Magic

Happy Midsummer!

A Little Bit of Sicily in Åland

A little bit of Sicily in Åland

As you can see from the above posts, the islands are a magical place. I hope I’ll be able to convey some of Åland’s allure in the forthcoming novel. The Island Affair will be published 21 March, so I better get my skates on and finish the editing!

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You may also like:

  • An Island Summer: A New NovelAn Island Summer: A New Novel
  • The Story Behind The Island DaughterThe Story Behind The Island Daughter
  • Love on the Island BoxsetLove on the Island Boxset
  • Reading from An Island ChristmasReading from An Island Christmas

Tagged With: Books, Finland, romance, The Island Affair, writing inspiration

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