Welcome to my stop on Helene Fermont’s Because Of You blog tour with BOTBSPublicity!

Many thanks to Sarah @ BOTBSPublicity for arranging the following guest post by Helene Fermont…..

Living in My Home Town of Malmö in Sweden

Malmö. It’s the place I was born and grew up. The parks, commons and beaches are just as beautiful as I recall. I lived in London for nearly 20 years before returning to my roots.

Things have changed, of course, but not the courteous residents and the buzz in the People’s Parks in summer when people gather to listen to their favourite artists. This time of year, were the most prolific and entertaining months of the year in beautiful parks all over Sweden, followed by dancing and having fun with family and friends. When I was younger, people queued up for hours to buy tickets!

As for Malmö now, I love the way my home town has expanded and become part of a larger context. When I grew up here there was hardly any variety in cuisine – the only dishes available were Swedish. Thankfully, that has changed with plenty of places offering a choice of different foods.

One particularly popular area to eat and mingle is Möllan in central Malmö. My grandmother used to do her weekly shopping here, buying fresh produce from farmers whose stands people would queue up from early morning to get the best choice of fruit and vegetables and all kinds of delicacies. Today Möllan is still a great place to socialise and taste food from all corners of the world.

It’s common to bump into old friends and catch up over a Fika which can be anything from a cinnamon bun to a three-course menu of delicious dishes.

My Malmö – the way it used to be years ago – still maintains that special cosy ambience I recall from back then. The straight-forward talking and directness that are part of who I am and my heritage. In London, people can be more anonymous than in a small town. With an approximate population of 300,000 Malmö’s a village compared to London.

The one thing I appreciate the most is how much I can fit into a day. In London I count myself lucky to get something done between work, writing and commuting from one part of the city to another. Here I get everything done in half a day or less. It leaves me room to relax and focus on my wellbeing.

Streets and pavements are as clean as the big green buses, with nearly all commuters finding a seat! It takes less than an hour to get home, even if living in a Malmö suburb.

Unfortunately, some of my favourite places have been replaced by others that aren’t nearly as nice. A few remain however, among them Cafe Hollandia in the pedestrian walk which is my own personal favourite to meet up with friends or visit on my own while contemplating my current or next novel.

I walked past my parental home the other week. It was a moment I dreaded as it nearly always makes me sad that they’re no longer around. Visiting their graves was hard as well, but at least I found the strength to do both and feel much better for it. Sometimes conquering our worst fears helps us to accept that the people we love and lost will remain in our hearts and thoughts until we’re gone too.

Malmö is a lovely, tranquil town, yet also an exciting place to live. When walking in The Western Harbour not far from where we live the other day it struck me yet again how fortunate I am to have the best of two cities.

But of course, there are some negative parts to living here again full-time.

Nowadays, the world is not the same as it used to be. When I was a child people thought nothing of leaving their front door open while chatting with neighbours or walking in the street in the middle of the night. Those days are gone forever unfortunately. These days, everyone fears the worst and our lives are restricted in so many ways. On one hand we live in a high technology era, on the other women are now more cautious in the way they dress and look in case it brings unwanted attention.

When did Sweden turn into an unsafe place to live? It’s a question I keep asking myself and other people around me, yet nobody seems to be able to give a definitive answer. But this is the same the world over, so I take solace in the love I have for my home town and accept it for what it is.

Many thanks for an inspiring guest post, Helene.

How desperate are you to get the one you love?

When Hannah and Ben meet at a friend’s party, he knows she’s The One. But Hannah’s in an intense relationship with Mark and planning to return to her native Sweden to embark on a teaching career.

Desperate to make Ben fall in love with her, rich spoilt heiress Vanessa sets in motion a devious string of events that ultimately changes the course of four people’s lives indefinitely.

Hannah is the love of Ben’s life, yet Vanessa will stop at nothing to claim the man she is convinced is her destiny.

Because of You is a dark, morally complex and cross-generational story of enduring love, fate and destiny.

Watch this space for my review!

Author Bio:

Born into a bilingual family (Swedish/ English) Hélene Fermont enjoyed an idyllic childhood on the outskirts of Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city and major cultural hub. Growing up in the 1970s she had a brief musical career on Swedish TV and radio. Hélene lived in London for over 20 years but has recently returned to Sweden. Hélene is a former teacher, a practising psychologist, and currently the author of three novels, all of which are psychological suspense with a nordic noir flavour. Her fourth novel is coming soon!