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.
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
A Crayfish Party for Two
Midsummer Magic
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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