Hello, it’s me again!! Two posts in one day is going to be a THING during blogmas this year, so I thought I’d start off on the right note with two on the first day. This is a post about winter memories from romance author Emily Kerr, whose book Duvet Day I absolutely fell in love with a couple of months ago. Onto the post!
One of my favourite winter memories is of a holiday to Finland which I took a few years ago. Normally I would associate going on holiday with the presence of sunshine and beaches, but when my friends persuaded me to go on a trip to Scandinavia in the middle of winter, I discovered the joy of a holiday featuring glittering snow, frozen lakes, and gorgeous huskies.
In fact, I had such a magical time that it inspired me to write my book, “Meet Me Under the Northern Lights”. When radio host Lucy Fairweather becomes the victim of a viral video she needs somewhere to hide out, and fast. Where better to escape than a wilderness centre in northern Finland on the edge of the Arctic Circle? There she has to quickly adapt to a very different environment, learning how to negotiate the challenges of living in a winter wonderland, alongside dealing with a gorgeous but rather grumpy new boss, and trying to discover who was behind the viral video which caused her downfall. But while my character Lucy is initially less than impressed and wholly underdressed for her new surroundings, I was captivated from the minute I stepped foot off the plane.
Unusually, I hadn’t read up about where we were visiting before we arrived, so I didn’t really know what to expect. In fact, I was rather apprehensive about how I’d feel staying in a place which only had around five hours of daylight, and where the temperature was so low, we were warned not to wear makeup as it could freeze to our faces! But as soon as I arrived, I fell in love with the beautiful surroundings. Like Lucy, I didn’t have a natural talent for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, but thanks to the patience and brilliant teaching of the staff at the lodge we were staying at, I was soon able to explore the stunning countryside using both skills. Dogsledding was a bucket-list experience, and when we whizzed through the snow-covered forest, my friends and I couldn’t help thinking we’d been transported to Narnia!
The highlight of the trip has to be when we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on the final night of our stay. It was a breathtaking experience, and I drew on my memories of that to write one of the most pivotal scenes in my book where the aurora also appears. It was a truly wonderful holiday full of amazing memories which I thoroughly enjoyed reliving in my imagination as I wrote “Meet Me Under the Northern Lights”.
About the author
Emily Kerr is an author and journalist based in Yorkshire. Her new romantic comedy ‘Her Fixer Upper’ will be published in May 2023.
Thank you so much for reading! Please share one of your favourite winter memories in the comments below, or tell me what you think of Emily’s books? I’m soooo excited to read Meet Me Under the Northern Lights.
Speak very soon, Amy xxx
Golden Books Girl 