📝 Writing Butterfly Games #2 in Sweden — August 2025
Posted on 03/08/25 in Monthly Blog
Greetings from Sweden, friends! 🇸🇪
I’m lucky to be spending the month writing the second book in the Butterfly Games historical fiction series in a grand circa-1901 apartment in the Haga neighborhood of Karlstad. Yes, Karlstad—not Stockholm, not Gothenburg, but this charming mid-sized city about halfway between Stockholm and Oslo. Why here, you ask? Let me tell you.
The Perfect Size for Me
Karlstad is a gem of a city—about 65,000 residents, twice the size of my little Connecticut town, but still cozy. And in true Swedish fashion, it’s incredibly well-connected: trains to Oslo and Stockholm, buses that reach the tiniest towns, and local transit that runs late into the night. Can you imagine?
It’s a detail I can’t overlook—especially since my son, who has autism, doesn’t drive. Back home, public transportation is… let’s just say not great. Sweden’s connectivity makes me envious in the best way.
🏛️ A House With Secrets
If you’ve read an advance copy of Butterfly Games (or watched the trailer—you have watched the trailer, right?), you’ll recognize the name Carl. He’s one-third of the messy, passionate love triangle at the heart of the novel. His fictional family didn’t appear out of thin air—it’s inspired by the real noble family who ran things around here in the 1700s and 1800s. Their grand estate, Long Manor, was about fifteen miles outside the city. It’s gone. But their townhouse? Still standing, right here in central Karlstad.
Naturally, I had to pay it a visit. 🕵️♀️
😒 Tiny Quirks I Can’t Ignore
☕ Coffee Maker Tyranny
Nothing, of course, is perfect. Thanks to EU energy rules, most coffee machines shut off after 40 minutes. Forty. Minutes. As a writer who sips coffee until 5 PM, I find this borderline hostile. Back home, my Cuisinart gives me four full hours. EU: if you’re reading this, I surrender. Just let me brew in peace.
🧃 Tethered Bottle Caps
I’m all for reducing plastic waste, but the new design? Every cap is permanently attached to its bottle. Try pouring water one-handed while the cap flaps around like a bat. I’ve lost track of how many near-spills I’ve had before my first sip of coffee (assuming the machine is even still on by then).
🍽️ But Seriously… I Love It Here
Petty frustrations aside, there’s so much to love: cobblestone streets, misty mornings, and entire meals devoted to open-faced sandwiches. I’ve been scribbling away on Butterfly Games Book 2, letting the atmosphere seep into every scene. When I need a break, I walk along the riverside path or eat my body weight in smörgåsbord fare like this glorious smörgåstårta above. (Yes, it’s savory. Yes, it’s cake. Yes, it’s amazing.)
🎬 New to Butterfly Games?
If you’re just joining me on this journey and wondering what Butterfly Games is all about, check out the trailer. It’s romantic, political, dangerous—and based on a true story.
👉 Watch the Butterfly Games Trailer
And don’t forget to add Butterfly Games to your Want to Read list on Goodreads!
That’s it from me this month. Next time, I’ll have more tales from Sweden, some bookish updates, and maybe—just maybe—better news about my morning coffee.
