Welcome
... to the vast world of my imagination.
I write fantasy novels. Light, dark, humorous or heavy, for adults, kids and all audiences.
I'm happiest when I'm on the top of a mountain or deep in the ocean.
And when my mind needs a break, I crochet and cross-stitch what my heart desires.
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 the city donned in black, torn clothes and with my hair in a mohawk and a beer in my hand. I was an angry youth who fought for an equal society and better environment. 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 high school unscathed. It has been a dream since I was twelve to one day become an author.
But I shelved that dream and pursued a career in science. Why? I’m not sure. Perhaps the dream scared me. The scope of it was so immense. The fear of failure, too much.
Now, I’ve found my courage again and I’ve learned that fearing your dreams is scarier than following them.
So, here we are…
Nature is dear to my heart and my main source of inspiration.
The wilderness welcomes and understands me, so to understand it too was an easy choice for me. I became a scuba-diver and indulged in the hidden world under the black surface of the ocean.
The world of water became a treasure to me, and I started my bachelor’s in biology with the idea that one day I’d save the oceans. Heck, I’d save the environment! I moved to California with this idea in my head and pursued a master’s degree in Earth Science at UC Santa Cruz.
My years in California were a bliss! Pristine diving and hiking wherever I turned. Amazing people. Lots of sun. Iced coffee year-round and west-coast IPA’s when school became too much.
I worked hard and I played hard, and after ~2.5 years I graduated with a boasting resume, several scientific publications and tons international travel behind me.
I was ready for a career in science and continue my life in academia. I moved back to Scandinavia and started a Ph.D. at Stockholm University.
My path was set. Or so I thought.
It's no secret that academia is hard work. It’s competitive, fast-paced and ambitious.
I could list numerous positive and negative things and will spare that pile of words here.
What became obvious to me, was my inability to balance work and life. What suddenly came thundering through, one day when I sat down by computer and just for fun opened Word to write a story that had brewed in my mind for a while, was the dream that had rested in the back of my head since I was a teenager. What suddenly hit me, was a massive wall of stress and anxiety because of a dream I wasn’t following and a potential I wasted.
Many things weighted on my decision to leave academia. The main reason was my own mental health.
I was burned out. I was stressed. I was depressed and I did not want to continue on the path I had laid before myself. Turning off that road is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I still sometimes feel the aftershock of my decision.
For years, I built my life around a future in science. And I quit.
Now, I’m taking my first shaking steps into a whole different world.
I am excited to share it with you!