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Welcome!

... to the vast world of my imagination.

I am Karen. A Dane living in Sweden, working as a physiotherapist, and dreaming about one day becoming a full-time author.

I write fantasy and horror across multiple sub-genres and love to explore atmosphere and tension within the mind of my characters (and maybe myself).

I'm happiest when I'm somewhere in nature. The mountains are my favorite, but the deep woods or an open span of fields can do the trick too. Once I was an avid scuba-diver, but as I'm living land-locked now, the evergreen and damp Swedish forests have become my second home.

Like many (maybe most) writers and authors I draw on my personal experiences, fears, hopes, and dreams when I create my stories. It's that messy mix of life, our individual and shared knowledge put on paper, that makes reading and writing such a joy.

Many highs and lows have shaped who I am today, and that journey colors my written words.

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I grew up under the grey skies of Denmark in a suburb outside Copenhagen. I spent most of my childhood as a scout in the danish “wilderness” and later roamed the streets of Copenhagen wearing black, torn clothes, with my hair in a mohawk, and a beer in my hand. I was an angry youth who fought for an equal society and to take of our environment and nature. I still do, but I have since lost the mohawk and the rivet belt.

I’ve always loved to write and create. My imagination has never failed me and got me through some tough times throughout life. It's always been a safe-space for me; to disappear into my own little world where I can be as brave, strong, vulnerable, or even evil, as I want or need to be. I always dreamed of becoming an author, but I didn't start writing "for real" until I was about 28 yrs old.

Why?

Not sure. Part of me probably thought it was just a silly dream.

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My twenties were busy years!

I became a scuba-diver during a backpack trip to Australia and dedicated the coming ten years to studying marine biology. I powered through university with high hopes and lots to achieve. I got a bachelors with high marks, then moved to California where I took a Masters of Science and published research papers.

 

After five glorious and hard-working years in the Golden State, I packed up once again and moved back to Scandinavia to Sweden, ready to pursue a carrier within research and science. I started on my PhD.

It was such a big change coming from grad-school life in California, constant summer, hiking and scuba-diving every weekend to the doom and gloom of winter in Scandinavia and the oddness of Sweden's culture that's much more subdued than even Danes.

During this year, I started writing the first book of The Palace of Winds. I wrote on the bus to work, in my coffee break, during boring lectures. I even took longer bathroom breaks to scribble on my phone. I couldn't put this story down. I had to write it. And it re-kindled a passion I'd once had for writing. It opened my eyes to the fact that I could write.

I also met and started dating my, now, partner. And suddenly, working 50+ hours a week as a researcher just didn't sound as fun as it used to. There were so many creative and loving things I could spend my time and energy on.

I stuck to my guns for one year, telling myself that a PhD was what I wanted. I was a researcher. A scientist. This was the future I'd dreamed of. But on the sideline, I had started looking for other jobs. After failing an interview for a position I'd really wanted, I realized I had no desire whatsoever to continue my PhD. I had no energy left to do any of it! My body said stop.

I quit the following day, had a massive panic attack, and spent the following three years in a deep depression.

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So anyway. That's life...

I took me lots of therapy, meds, and a change of attitude to figure out what the hell I was to do now. I wanted to write but was not (and am not) in a position where I'm able to do that full time. Being an author is seldom a lucrative career.

So what then? Applying for jobs with my biology degree was getting me nowhere, and honestly if I weren't to be a researcher, I didn't know what I wanted with my degree.

I've always liked to exercise. I love being active whether hiking, swimming, running, or just walking in nature. Physical activity has been a major part of keeping my mind sane since I was a teenager, so I figured; why not work with that?

So I did a 180 turn, went back to school - this time in swedish - and took a 3yr degree becoming a physiotherapist!

I'm very proud of that achievement! Studying in Swedish while learning to speak it took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but now, I'm finally working and I'm excited to! I get to use my experience around physical activity, mental health, and chronic pain to help others who are stuck in situations similar to mine back in 2019. It's very rewarding for me and was definitely the right career choice. Best of all? I get to leave work at the office (literally cannot take home my patients), so when I'm off work, I'm off work.

For me this means I'm able to recharge, breathe, and spend time being a tiny, little indie author.

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Where am I now then?

Well, I'm doing better, that's for sure. Though even now, several years out of therapy, the Big Sad still hits me in periods and my mind can be a terrible, dark place. But I'm very aware of my boundaries and limits and am able to handle them in a mature way (mostly).

I'm living a quiet, simple life with my partner and our two cats. I allocate time to writing, to my family, to my health, and try to share kindness, joy, and wonder where I can.

If you've made it this far in my rambling story, cool! Thank you!

There are a million more pieces that make me me and that shines through in my work (creative and professional), but perhaps the rest is better experienced than explained.

Thank you for your interest so far!

I hope you'll check out my novels or short stories!

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Peace ✌️🏳️‍🌈​

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