And so, at last, summer is here. The lilacs stand in full bloom, the apple blossom has mostly drifted away in little puffs of white blossom, the columbines sway elegantly in the breeze while the lilies-of-the-valley perfume the air.
I wake at four to the chorus of overjoyed birds. Okay, I do not know if they’re overjoyed or simply singing their little hearts out due to having been woken by the sun, but sing and warble they most definitely do. In four weeks or so, the year will have turned, but for now us Swedes rejoice in the light—so, so much light!
I’m not sure how things are ordered in other countries, but up here in the north, we have laws dictating that every Swede has the right to take four weeks of holiday in the period June-August, of which three weeks are to be consecutive. When I was a teenager, the entire country closed down in July when all the factory workers took their time off, but nowadays few businesses can afford to stand still for an entire month.
So why these laws? Well, when you live in a country that is very grey and dark for like six to eight months a year, we’re all itching to replenish our batteries with light. Warmth is nice too, but primarily, it’s about light.
In a couple of weeks, we’ll be celebrating Midsummer, a holiday we all want to celebrate entirely outdoors but that often ends up being indoors because of rain (or snow). But if we can, we’ll be doing the whole dancing and eating thing outdoors. For me, Midsummer is herring and new potatoes and mandatory Swedish strawberries (the kind that are red all the way through)
But before Midsummer, there are weeks of early summer to enjoy, days when I listen to blackbirds and wrens while the sunbeams dance over the water.
Summer is reading time. Actually, all seasons are reading time, but summer is the season when there’s a significant spike in book sales here in Sweden (and, I believe, in many other countries as well)
So here are some recommendations for you to enjoy while slouching in a hammock or lying in the shade.
First of all, I have TWO giveaways for you:
One paperback copy of His Castilian Hawk and one of The Whirlpools of Time
As always – you want a copy, send me an email and tell me where you prefer spending your summer.
Secondly, I just have to do some tooting for the upcoming release of a collection of short stories called COURAGE -Tales of History, Mystery and Hope. https://mybook.to/COURAGE-Anthology
Yes, I’m a contributor, but more importantly, here are so many little gems, set in various periods that centre around the concept of courage. Personally, the older I get, the more I enjoy reading short stories.
Thirdly, I was utterly wowed by Escape of the Grand Duchess by Susan Appleyard. A fascinating insight into the last crumbling decades of Romanov Russia, centred round Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaijeva Romanov and her life and tribulations. A lot of tribulations, let me tell you!
Finally, I just have to tell you Queen of Shadows has so far been very well-received! 5 star reviews from Readers’ Favorite, from Yarde Book Promotions, from several other peeps – and good sales as well! If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, do so before the price goes up on June 10!
