Blog
This is where you meet me, the creator of The Polar Saga. Here I will share thoughts and musings, or let you in on memories and experiences from my many travels—in this world or another…
hong kong memories
Hey everyone, I’m in Hong Kong–back at my old stamping grounds! This is an amazing city. Even though I have now relocated to Europe, 24 years in Greater China leaves no one untouched. Hong Kong will always hold a special place in my heart. This is where the idea of The Polar Saga was born, and where most of the story line was created.
Being here brings up so many memories. It’s not even a year since I relocated to Europe, yet it feels like an eternity. An eternity since last I met with my teacher here, in a small café on a stormy night. At the time I was working on another trilogy, and as we sat down, eyeing each other above steaming mugs of tea, she suddenly told me to write something else. Something else? I was flabbergasted. After all that work!? Yes. I had been in that world for too long she said. Time to snap out of it and shuffle the cards. And she was right. The Polar Saga fell into my lap so willingly it must have been waiting a long time to be written.
And here we are.
TRAVELS…
Right now I’m travelling in New Zealand. It’s been seven years since I was last in this magical realm. This is truly my Middle Earth and J.R.R. Tolkien is truly my hero. The epic Lord of The Rings trilogy beats absolutely everything if you ask me. There are so many great fantasy authors out there, like Marion Zimmer Bradley, for Mists of Avalon, Julliet Marillier-I started with her Sevenwaters trilogy and never left her. George Marting for Game of Thrones, and of course J.K. Rowling-I am likely the biggest Harry Potter fan there is. And STILL… LOTR is the masterpiece of masterpieces I think.
I have hiked in deep jungles that look nothing less than fairytale surroundings, I have run on top of the world, and I have stared mesmerized into whirling witch’s cauldrons of frothy white water pounding from high cliffs. THIS Mila would have liked. Even though she doesn’t encounter neither elves nor orcs she’s still on a massive journey that demands both courage and grit. Unexpected challenges keeps her on her toes and the only possibility of a good night’s sleep comes from sheer exhaustion. There are just too many moving factors.
OUT OF THE MISTS
I woke up this morning with mist on my mind. Or rather, a reminder of mist. I love mist. It is my favourite weather. I am always wishing and praying for it, so much that my friends dubbed me the Mist Maker. I feel safe in mist. I assume it’s the all-encompassing sense of Mother Earth holding and protecting you. You can hide in mist, shield yourself from the world’s onslaught. Other times you need the mists to clear so you can see better. For Mila, life has been one long journey. Since she was little, there was hard work. A nature bound existence that anchored her to the ground in a way that only Mother Earth can. Where days float seamlessly into one another, following the whistling of the wind and the rhythms of the migrating herd. Then all that changed in a most unexpected way. I think so much happened, and it was all so overwhelming, that for a minute there she got lost in the mists. Mists of punishing drills and screaming masters. Mists of trauma, of bullying and disrespect. It took her six years to finally get them to clear. And life flowed differently after that.
What was it that cleared? What did she suddenly understand?
Read The Spirit Dragon’s Keeper and find out. The first installment of The Polar Saga will be out soon!
Fantastic Feedback
Greastest news is that I’ve had huge amounts of amazing feedback on this website since it went live about a week ago. People have sent me all sorts of really fabulous comments & I am so grateful for that! Apart from the visuals I’ve had a ton of input on the content. Many reported that they were intrigued by all the facts; anything from Sámi handicraft & the ancient Silk Road to the history of the Dragon Temple. Nothing could please me more. This is a work of the heart. I couldn’t tell you exactly where this all stems from - how I got inspired to it yes, but that quietly spiralling energy, laced with some sort of zest for profound stories & ancient cultures... pulling at unseen strings of my heart… No. I couldn’t. But like Mila, who is drawn by deep forests & roaring rivers, I don’t analyse. I just stand my ground. And follow the signs.
and so the journey begins
Well, Mila’s journey began several years ago, way up in the frozen north. Now, “frozen norths” have fascinated me since time’s beginning. Something magical there… that I can’t quite put my finger on… And magic & mystery, that’s right up my alley. In my view, it can be found anywhere; be it in the deep humid forests of southern China, or in the challenging north of Scandinavia.
I have recently relocated to Switzerland, after 24 years in Asia. And just like Mila in her foreign country, there are a lot of things I don’t know. When navigating new territories one has to be brave, clever & sometimes a little crafty. You have to keep your eyes open & figure things out as you go along. Make friends & allies where opportunities arise—& be happy with them—even if a six-year old orphan boy & a white stray cat might not seem the most strategic choices at the time. But when the world looms like ominous mountains around you, you learn what is crucial & how true friendship triumphs all. As the wind starts blowing & loyalties are tested Mila needs to know who she can count on. She has a long journey ahead.
Lucky that resilient reindeer heart never knew how to quit.