Rauma Stories
So here goes, My first blog! 😀
Well, when I say it is my first one, I should clarify that by saying that it is the first one that focuses purely on my writing...
I have also blogged about various other things, primarily business and coaching, however, to begin blogging about my own creative writing is a real leap for me...and a real pleasure!
I have called the blog "Rauma Stories" purely because my adopted hometown, Rauma, provides me with so much inspiration to write. My stories are either based here or written around here and feature other parts of Finland or even the world.
My writing themes are crime and the supernatural but are also some "curved balls" thrown in, from whatever happens to inspire me. I write a couple of novels per year but also put down a number of short stories. Once the ideas come in, the words sometimes just seem to flow with shorter stories. Novels are of course a different matter and these take a huge amount of work and time to produce...ask any author!
Publishing my first novel this month was a big step and comes as a result of finally having some real time to focus on it. In reality, much of it was done before 2020, however, my career at the time took over and when we are really busy, we sometimes lose the space to discover our passions. Now I enjoy writing almost every day!
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Midsummer Night |
Some of my work is completed late at night, when in Finland it still looks and feels like 7pm. I titled the photograph above "Midsummer Night." I snapped it on a particularly amazing evening at Pyhäjärvi when the sun was setting at around midnight. You may recognise the references to the nearby town of Eura and the Pyhäjärvi lake in my first published book "The Paintings of Rauma."
See my books on Amazon, available as paperback, kindle or kindle unlimited, at all amazon sites. Here are the links for my Amazon Author Page and my first book: The Paintings of Rauma.
And a bit more about me...in addition to writing, I work predominantly online (like many people these days). I train business skills online, produce webinars for various companies and help people develop their Business English skills to increase their opportunities, through coaching and training. Almost everything I do is around helping people to communicate better.
In my free time, I enjoy hiking in nature, kayaking, reading, movies, learning, bass guitar and I am a real foodie!
Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you will join me here from time to time and perhaps subscribe using the button at the top of the main page, to receive my posts and news of forthcomings stories and novels. I will also add exclusive extra material and short stories from time to time...usually centered on Finland and often, in Rauma.
UPDATE: As of September 2021, I have my own Rauma Stories web-shop where signed copies of all of my books are available here.
UPDATE: In addition, my new book, available in English and Finnish, co-written with Saana Jaakkola, and published by Haamu Kustannus: 'Ghosts of Rauma', and 'Aaveiden Rauma' were completed and launched in September 2021. and are available from the authors, Rauma's bookstores. museum shops and local supermarket.
UPDATE: My new book, working title: 'Helsinki Chills' will be released on September 1st 2022.
Whatever you are reading this week, hope that you enjoy it!
Best wishes
John