romance writer blog

Editing and the tales of Walpurgis

Another peek into a writer’s life.

On Monday this week, April 30, Swedes celebrated Walpurgis. We gathered in crowds at sunset, lighting large fires, singing and watching fireworks. To many Swedes, this has become the symbol of spring – when the fires of Walpurgis’ been lit, spring has officially arrived.

But how did this come to be? Let me give you a short history lesson on one of the strongest Swedish traditions.

It began in the 8th century, in Germany. An abbess named Walpurga was the principal of a convent within the Catholic Church and the legend says she was originally an English princess, called to Germany by her uncle to help convert the Germans to Christianity. In her work, she was known to be particularly skilled at fending off witchcraft. She died in the year of 779 and was declared a saint a hundred years later on May 1, 870. The feast held that day got associated with May Day, especially in Sweden and Finland, and bonfires and dancing became tradition on the eve of May Day to ward off witches.

Another reason behind the festivities dates back to the Middle Ages, when the administrative year ended on April 30. This called for celebrations among merchants and craftsmen, and the eve of the feast was filled with dancing and singing in preparation for spring.

As farmers let out their animals to graze in the early 18th century, they began lighting bonfires to scare off predators. Younger people collected greeneries and branches from the woods and brought it out in the open, lighting it up on high spots.

Nowadays, the bonfires, singing and celebrations on Walpurgis night has become mainly a symbol of spring’s arrival, of light. At least in Sweden. Uppsala and Lund are two cities linked to the largest celebrations, but bonfires and choir singing are found all over Sweden on April 30, even in the smallest villages there are local celebrations.

Standing in front of the massive flames, feeling the heat tingle in your cheeks, joining in with the traditional, old Swedish songs, gives you more than happiness for spring’s arrival. It gives a sense of hope. We all made it through yet another dark and long winter, we came out on the other side, and what lies ahead is nothing but beauty. This might sound dramatic, but anyone who’s ever spent a winter in Scandinavia knows what I’m talking about. M-hm.

Speaking of hope on this gray Swedish Thursday; I’m feeling hopeful about yet another thing this week. I’m editing Kilonova Blues like crazy to get it ready to send out to my beloved beta-readers on June 18. And I actually think I’ll be able to make it. I’ve fallen in love with the story, and my deepest hope and wish is that eventually, you will too.

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

Editing and the tales of Walpurgis Read More »

Seattle and turning thirty

Writing this post, it’s two o’clock Monday morning in Scandinavia, and I’m sitting at the airport waiting to check in.

Nine years ago, I sat through the night at the very same airport, waiting for a flight to New York, and worked some time away by watching Twilight for the very first time. I remember sitting crawled up in a corner, mesmerized by Bella and Edward’s strange love story, and I couldn’t decide whether I thought the movie was crap or fantastic – but I fell in love with the story.

After watching the movie, my mind ate the books like cotton candy. I just couldn’t put them down. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, but strangely, I fell in love with yet another story not too long ago; that of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. What was strange was that these two stories both played out in northwest Washington; Forks and Seattle. Something about that area felt magic to me, and when I began writing Kilonova Blues I just knew that Marcus Meyers had to come from Seattle. When I discovered the Nordic Heritage Museum (covering the Scandinavian emigration to the U.S. during the 19th century) was located in Seattle, I knew why Alexandra Johnson had to go there.

Writing Kilonova Blues, I’ve spent a lot of time in Seattle over the last year, but apart from Google Street View, I’ve never actually been there.

This week I’m turning thirty, so I figured that reason is as good as any to make it happen. So at the moment, I’m counting the hours to get my butt on that flight and see if my love for the Emerald City is real or only a product of my imagination.

And the best part of it all? In a couple of days, my brother’s joining me.

I’m ready to get Seattleited. Bring it on 

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

oslo 5

oslo 3

oslo 4

oslo 2

oslo 1

Seattle and turning thirty Read More »

Heritage and vision

I was born in the barren landscape of Småland, located in the southern part of Sweden. The harsh conditions of the region are what made a couple of hundred thousand people leave in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hoping to build a better future for themselves in the promising land of America.

I grew up on the countryside, a few miles away from the birthplace of IKEA. My mother’s dad was a carpenter and my father’s dad a farmer, men of their time with little insights into the emotional or spiritual realms of their lives. What mattered was only how hard you were able to work. Both my grandmothers were soft, gentle souls, yet super women made of steel. They were thrown into a world where all they could do was to adjust, and love just as hard as their husbands worked.

In his youth, about the same time as his peer Ingvar Kamprad began building IKEA, my mother’s father travelled to the U.S. to visit his cousin. He ended up spending some time over there, practicing his craft while building American skyscrapers and fell in love with an American woman. Little could he do when he was called in to fight the Koreans, but to get on the next boat back to Sweden. Lucky for me, because the first weekend after his return, he met my grandmother at a dance and the rest is history.

I took my first job as a swimming teacher when I was 14. During high school, I also tried out customer support and the local post office. After graduation, I got my first real employment assembling wheel chairs, serving merely as financial stability while I was trying to figure out what to do with my life.

The never ending burning world around us bothered me deeply, and the small-minded political views surrounding me at the factory eventually forced me out of there, even though I had no idea what to do next. I booked a ticket for New York to study English. I left with an urge to just switch environment, but when I came back a month later I felt more vibrantly alive than I’d ever been. I ended up booking a three-week bartender course to Gran Canaria, Spain. Three weeks turned into six months and there I met one of my best friends, whose son I’m now the godmother to. The modest 30 euros I earned per night behind the bar has never bothered me as I think of everything else I won during those months.

In Spain, I realized I need to do something to make this world we live in a better place. I returned to Sweden, worked up some money as a credit manager during summer, and began studying political science. How could I change the world if I didn’t understand the forces forming it right now? During my studies, I engaged in refugee consultations at the Red Cross, and after my bachelor’s degree I began working with environmental issues at the local municipality. But I wanted to do more. Have bigger impact. I went back to the university and took my master’s in global studies. Then I worked with local authorities to shorten the road for refugees to the Swedish labour market; I worked at a home for refugee children coming to the country without their families; I worked as manager for a project aiming to create understanding and build relationships between Swedish-born and refugee teenagers. But still, I want to do more. Have bigger impact.

My passion for writing is a whole other chapter. In my writing I can express myself as a woman, analyze relationships, explore factors for personal development and growth, live out conflicts and contradictions. It’s a creative sphere where I can be free and lift the heavy burden of trying to change the world off my shoulders for a while. In my writing I’m free to play, free to find the way back to my inner child who doesn’t care about nothing else than to explore, enjoy and laugh. Right now, I’m indulging myself completely in the bubble of being a full-time romance writer.

My clearest vision and deepest wish for the future is to combine these two sides of my life and personality. To be able to use my playful soul in building a platform as a writer, which in the long run can assist my more serious mind when it comes to changing this world for the better.

I welcome you all to follow me on this journey!

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

Evelyn Lux Fall -17

Evelun Lux Fall -17_2

Evelyn Lux Fall -17_3

Heritage and vision Read More »

Welcome to the blog!

My name is Evelyn Lux and I’m so excited you found your way to my website!

I am a romance writer, based in Sweden, who’s decided to take some time off to pursue my dream to become a published author. More precisely, I’ve set aside the coming six months to be able to work full-time with it.

The blog will serve as a platform where I’ll be able to connect with YOU guys and I invite you to join me in my adventure of bringing my stories to the market. New blog posts will be up once a week and they’ll mainly focus on the process of writing a novel, tips on improving your own writing as well as bits and pieces from my life.

To catch up on what I’m currently working on, don’t miss to check out the “Projects”-page by clicking here! And to get a quick, introductory background to who I am, all you’ve got to do is click here.

If this is not enough for you, be sure to keep an eye on the blog! (I recommend to sign up through the form on this page to make sure you don’t miss out on anything 😉 ) You can also check out my Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing! Eventually, I’ll be posting excerpts from my first paranormal romance novel Kilonova Blues here on the blog. You wouldn’t want to miss that…

That´s all for now,
hej så länge!

White-tulips

Welcome to the blog! Read More »

error: This content is protected.
Scroll to Top