The Captain’s Island

Dear Ones,

[SEPTEMBER 2018] You may know, my father, The Captain, died in July and I went to Norway for his . . . . . . . – no, I didn’t just go for the funeral or to bury him, I went to find him or to find something I’ve lost. And I did. I write about it in Speak #TRUTH Lies.

‘The Captain’s Island,’ stands out as a good contender for the first chapter of the book. It starts as I arrive at his island on the ferry. My brother, Ruby and I had been driving all day from Ålesund. It was hot and the sea breeze felt cooling. 

I hadn’t seen him in 14 years, which was the last time I visited Atløy, the island where he lived for 17 years.

[UPDATE AUGUST 2023] And now, is published and you can buy a copy right here.

With the hectic and surreal summer behind us, I feel I’ve just crash landed back into work and rewed the writing engine up to full throttle in one second flat. I realise now, that my November publishing date was too ambitious and set by someone (me) who didn’t quite know what it takes to write a book. 

Maybe if I’d listened a little closer to Donna, and looked over her flow chart for what it takes to write a book, I would have given myself more time, but then I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

My ambitious November deadline put the fire under my writing, which was just what I needed to reach my goal of 85,000 words, before I closed my laptop, at the end of last school year. Now,  4 months later, I see the structure, the voice and the theme of the book so much more clearly. That’s why I’m extending the publishing date to Spring 2019, which will still keep me super busy. 

Shane is up the hilts with work too. I know we can’t keep going like this, for too long, so we’re planning a Nile Cruise in October when Ruby is on her school trip. It will be our first holiday, just the two of us, since Ruby was born. 

The fact that she’s started Middle School blows my mind. How did that happen? How did my little girl get so big all of a sudden? The reminders to cherries this time, to really lean in and feel the small moments are everywhere. The day before Ruby went back to school I meet a friend of mine. She asked about Ruby and told me to embrace this precious time we have together. Her daughter is doing her final year at CAC, and she bearly catches a glimpse of her some days, and her son? Oh, – she only sees her son maybe 4 weeks of the year. He’s long flown the nest and is studying in the States.  It’s a big leap from the little ones we used to carry around on our hips.  I’m great full it will take time and I’m grateful I have this time to write Speak #TRUTH Lie and read great books!

I’m reading ‘Some Rain Must Fall’ by my fellow countryman and memoirist  Karl Ove Knugsgård at the moment, you can read more about how Karl Ove’s writing is influencing me right here.

When you have read the book I would love to hear from you. Please send me an email, post a comment below, or share your thoughts in our Facebook Circle. 😘

If you are a fan of my work please share it with your friends, in our groups or on social media.