๐ Writing Butterfly Games #2 in Sweden โ August 2025
Posted on August 3, 2025 in Monthly Blog
Greetings from Sweden, friends! ๐ธ๐ช
Iโm 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, Karlstadโnot 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 cityโabout 65,000 residents, twice the size of my little Connecticut town, but still cozy. And in true Swedish fashion, itโs 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?
Itโs a detail I canโt overlookโespecially since my son, who has autism, doesnโt drive. Back home, public transportation isโฆ letโs just say not great. Swedenโs connectivity makes me envious in the best way.
๐๏ธ A House With Secrets
If youโve read an advance copy of Butterfly Games (or watched the trailerโyou have watched the trailer, right?), youโll recognize the name Carl. Heโs one-third of the messy, passionate love triangle at the heart of the novel. His fictional family didnโt appear out of thin airโit’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. ๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ
๐ Tiny Quirks I Canโt Ignore
โ 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 youโre reading this, I surrender. Just let me brew in peace.
๐ง Tethered Bottle Caps
Iโm 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. Iโve lost track of how many near-spills Iโve had before my first sip of coffee (assuming the machine is even still on by then).
๐ฝ๏ธ But Seriouslyโฆ I Love It Here
Petty frustrations aside, thereโs so much to love: cobblestone streets, misty mornings, and entire meals devoted to open-faced sandwiches. Iโve 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 smรถrgรฅsbord fare like this glorious smรถrgรฅstรฅrta above. (Yes, itโs savory. Yes, itโs cake. Yes, itโs amazing.)
๐ฌ New to Butterfly Games?
If youโre just joining me on this journey and wondering what Butterfly Games is all about, check out the trailer. Itโs romantic, political, dangerousโand based on a true story.
๐ Watch the Butterfly Games Trailer
And don’t forget to addย Butterfly Games to your Want to Read list on Goodreads!
Thatโs it from me this month. Next time, Iโll have more tales from Sweden, some bookish updates, and maybeโjust maybeโbetter news about my morning coffee.
