Easter is a time when Norwegians head for the hills, or in Norway’s case, the mountains.
Most families have a cabin they own in the ‘fjeller’ – or mountains, decorated in traditional Norwegian ‘Hytte’ style. ‘Hytte’ means cabin, plural ‘Hytter’, in Norwegian.
Hytter are timber cottages decorated with Norwegian crafts such as Traditional Rosemaling Art, woodcarving, weaving and embroidery, with mostly rustic interiors, fitted with benches topped with reindeer furs, (sitteunderlag), and other traditional furnishings.
Norwegian ‘Hytter’ Mountain Cabins
Hytter, or cabins, are quite rudimentary houses, partly because of the remoteness of their locations and partly due to the Norwegian tradition of getting back to nature. Visiting a family mountain cabin at Easter is a therapeutic time for Norwegians to ski, breathe in the fresh mountain air, relax and for a short time, not rely on everyday modern conveniences.
Beitostølen
So when I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Hytte in Beito, high up in the Norwegian mountains with Norwegian friends, how could I resist?
The area known as Beito is part of the community at Beitostølen, an elite skiing location where the likes of the Norwegian Olympic ski team spent their time. Norwegian-Australian friends who heard I was going to visit Beitostølen, were quite rightly jealous, reacting with comments like,
“That is where the ski team practice.”
“Do you realize how lucky you are to be going to Beitostølen?”
I did. It was different to any other holiday I had experienced.
The Hytte at Beito comprised three timber cabins, with adjoining composting toilet and washroom; that would later hold a shower at some point in the future.
The cabins, themselves, were not equipped with running water, so we sponged ourselves using a bucket, with water sourced from the nearby spring. Fetching the water is a chore that would traditionally be delegated to children.
Living as I do in Australia, meant things like fetching water in the snow proved to be a novel experience. I was the first to volunteer for this task as it was another chance to be outside in the hushed, cosy silence of the snow-covered hillside.
If it meant I was to traipse through knee-deep snow to collect water, those mediative moments of silence, amidst the breathtaking mountain scenery, inhaling fresh Norwegian air and hearing only my muffled footsteps, were merely a comforting, restorative practice for me.
Norwegian Hytte Meals
Hytter meals are simple, apart from breakfast. The traditional hytte breakfast is a feast of eggs, salmon, cheese, bread, jam and vegetables, such as cucumber and carrot and also perhaps some yoghurt/kefir or waffles. Our bodies needed lots of food, ostensibly, to keep warm and active out in the snow.
Lunch is almost non-existent, but really after the filling Hytte breakfast, who needs lunch? A Norwegian chocolate bar, known as a ‘Quiklunsj’ (Quick lunch), or an apple, would suffice.
Dinner is mostly a laid back affair of home-made soup, cold meat such as lamb or boiled sheep and bread, or ‘Lompe’ – basically a hot dog, with a bread-like wrap made from potato flour, cooked on the outside barbeque or grill, of course.
Things to do at the Hytte
We spent the daytime out of doors, unless it was snowing heavily. We skied, tobogganed, slide down snowy slopes with the ‘akebrett,’ a paddle like slide, or the snow bike; walked about in snowshoes, built snow castles, threw snowballs and made plenty of snow angels, and snow “candles,” just because.
Once darkness arrived, it was time to ‘play’ inside, talking, drawing or Rosemaling – another Norwegian tradition, which is actually my great passion. If it was snowing hard outside during the day, there would be more Rosemaling as wells as card games or puppet shows, for the children. We read books too, as there was no TV, nor phone reception, unless you visited the grocery store a few miles away.
To get into the full spirit of the Norwegian Easter experience, I read one of the rivetting crime novels from Norwegian crime fiction author Jo Nesbø to complement my surroundings. He is a compelling writer and if you have not come across him before, you can read a Book Review.
The Hytte was good, clean fun and a really healthy, energetic holiday.
Was it cold by Australian standards?
Yes, but did I like it?
Absolutely. I loved it.
Being at the tail-end of a Norwegian winter, the weather towards Easter is generally calm, without storms. After a cold night, the sun could be so warm, my face became tanned!
During these sun-filled days, the Norwegians would enjoy sitting against a sunny wall, their face upturned towards the sky, taking in much needed Vitamin D that their bodies had missed during the long, dark winter. They even have a word for this kind of activity: Solveggen.
Warming the soul and the body!
This is what the Norwegian Easter did for me, too!
Wherever you are in the world, you can still travel virtually. When are you going this Easter?
Norwegians, Easter, cabins and crime literature belong together like horse and carriage – a tradition that started over 90 years ago. Here you can find out how to celebrate a typical Norwegian Easter.
First: Ensure that you have skis – either bought or borrowed. Also, make sure you have ski wax even if you are not sure how to use it. There is always someone along the tracks that can help a ‘forlorn wretch’.
When it comes to clothing it is important that it has red color, preferably with a home knitted wool sweater that smells of last year’s bonfire.
But wait a minute. If you do not know it already: Norwegians love skiing, especially at Easter, and many go several miles to their cabins where to spend the vacation. Surprisingly many people ski into a different era where outdoor toilet, drafty cabins and totally deserted landscape are considered paradise.
A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word.
Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.
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Surely Madam.. 😊 Ice and Snow are the ideal stress busters and can make any landscape beautiful, don’t you think?
I can understand you. I live in India with zilch Ice or Snow.
If you like Ice, do check out my posts on Russia.. Hope you will like them.. 😊
Wow it’s nice to read about the Easter custom in Norway. The cabin in the hills is perhaps equivalent to summer cottages by the lake that Swedes and Finns have? So much snow in Easter time up there, I wonder if it’s been the same in these past years.
I think the snow in Norway is coming later and leaving earlier, Pooja. Some parts the snow has already left, but high in the mountains there is still enough to ski. May that continue. I think the Swedes cabins and Finnish lakeside cottages are exactly the same principle. In Denmark they call them sommerhus, as there is no mountains to retreat to!
Have you noticed winter is changing in Poland?
I’m still in touch with my Norwegian penpal from school days who lives just south of Oslo but has two family cabins, one beside a lake and another high in the mountains. I’ve had the pleasure of staying in both of them over the years and your post reminds me of the happy times we spent together there. In recent years I’ve spend long summer days in a Finnish lakeside cottage which was equally beautiful. Were so lucky to have warm weather here now, I’m not even wearing a cardigan but haven’t disposed of tights just yet but maybe tomorrow if the temperature edges up a bit. Sitting in our large garden listening to the birds chirping and eating freshly baked hot cross buns and drinking tea – I’ll never take my lovely home for granted any more. Take care Amanda and a very Happy Easter to you and your family.
Happy Easter to you Marion. I too am answering your lovely comment, in my garden, on my alfresco area as the builders called it, overlooking my yard and snacking on my breakfast – a Norwegian one at that! You are so very fortunate – firstly to have a lovely yard and sunshine to enjoy a cup of tea in and secondly, to be able to travel so frequently to my favourite parts of the world. Do you realise how perfect, a lakeside Cottage in Finland, or a cabin in Norway, (whether it be at the fjord or high in the mountains), is to me? I know I have ex perienced both, but even so, these things are so very far away from me and takes me so long to get there, that I feel a teeny bit envious of your location just now.
Enjoy your Easter at home. I might put a hot cross bun in the oven for morning tea. They are delicious!
This is the perfect subject for a blog post. Beautiful setting, a unique experience, cute lodgings, and fun activities. I’ve been to Norway but I stayed in a hotel. It looks like I missed out on a lot of fun.
Hi Darlene! I am so glad you stopped by on this post. Your experience in Norway could have been more traditional if you have known about some of these secrets. The Hytter and Stabbur are some of the more authentic Norwegian cultural experience. I do tend to seek them out in the countries where one travels, however, one has to know about them in the first place to seek them out. There is always next time. I highly recommend staying in a Norwegian Stabbur as well. You can read more about that experience here. https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2019/08/25/numedal-valley-in-norway/
I loved reading about Easter customs in Norway. My husband’s mother was Norwegian — born in the US of Norwegian parents.
When we lived in England, we stayed in a hytte for a few days in the summertime. It was somewhere between Oslo and Bergen. Of course, there was no snow, but the wind was never-ending. I’m glad to have seen your photos showing the snow and the strong sunshine.
If you were anywhere on the Jotunheim plateau, it would have been cold and windy. Lots of other places to explore in Norway, that are warmer and less windy!
Sounds great,- and looks like a gorgeous area. I’m not so sure about that much snow at Easter – I’m usually sick of it by Easter 😉 But still, a great experience.
When I wrote that post, I was conscious of the fact that some folks in the North would not be able to relate to my delight in snow, living in a tropical country. However, the Norwegians seem to enjoy the last fling before everything melts. This year, most of it has already melted, presumably due to weather changes.
I do love winter, and am a snow person, or was, but have become a bit less of one since I don’t ski as much. It occasionally snows here in October and I’ve seen a large May snow storm, but most years there is snow on the ground from early December to late March, though a season can stretch from late-November (ski resorts near us open in mid to late November) to mid-April (most ski resorts close the 1st of April). As to “Home by the Sea” – I am started to set up my retirement house by the the sea. Although it is close, there is far, far less snow there, and most of it melts pretty quick, so… I can see how living in a more tropical country, snow at Easter would be exotic.
175 years old! That is amazing! Nearly as old as my country! Are you restricted in what renovations you do or what external colours you use for heritage purposes.
What a wonderful privilege owning a property like that.
I think we are outside of the historic zone, so don’t have to follow the codes for that and the house isn’t listed, so… One thing you have to remember, there have been English speaking people on Cape Cod since the 1620s. (Plymouth is where the cape hits the mainland). So the house is very old, but there are far older ones about – 7 years ago, when I bought the cottage we are selling, we looked at a house built in the early 1770s, but it would have been too expensive to repair. And I’ve seen a few going back to the early 1700s. It is a wonderful privilege to own such an old bit of property.
Amazing 1770 was when the British discovered the East coast of Australia. Hearing of old residences like that, always blows my mind as our history is short. I can imagine that house would have some stories to tell?
I’m sure these old houses have a lot of stories! Old houses do have a ton of personality. And that is the thing I like about the US East Coast, the deeper history. OK, parts of the US have much deeper “history” if you include ancient cities and dwellings of the native people. And Europe has a much deeper history, but walking through a town like Boston, you can almost feel it.
Wow! Those beams and wall panelling, even the stone work oozes snapshots of historic life scenes in my head! It even looks like these old houses could make great setting for ghost stories.
The book? I wrote the rough draft about 3 years ago. I just picked it back up last fall and have done three drafts since then. I’ve been taking a break from it, so I can go back with fresh eyes, and hope to do a final draft in May.
Yes the book. Great that you have picked it up again. I have book that is a wip with another blogger – not sure it will ever get finished as she has become disallusioned with writing! Still it has been a fun thing to do so far. Is that what got you into blogging?
Yes, I started blogging after I wrote my first book, The Fireborn. In the 6 1/2 years since then, I self-published that book, another novel, two books of short stories and a book with two novellas. So keeping busy there. I’m a little burnt out on it, so may take an even longer break when this one is done (I already am taking a slight break – it was almost a year ago that I put out the two novellas…)
I am using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. The paperbacks are available outside of Amazon, but electronic versions can only be Kindle using this,but that is fine.
I think we have to promote ourselves in order for the public to find us. It is hard for folks who are modest, but otherwise we do not reach the people who might enjoy our products. I sell custom designed fabrics through an online store. It is a niche market, but if I do post a tweet or share on social media, I notice the sales increase for a short period. It still remains only a small hobby for me, but a lesson that promoting does work. There is a fine line though between promoting as I have seen some bloggers (not you) mentioning their book in almost every second blog post which becomes tiresome for the reader. I wish you luck with your book sales. What is the name of your books?
Promotion is tough for me. I’ve had times when I hit it pretty heavy, and other times when, well, you wouldn’t know I had books… The First novel was The Fireborn and the the other is The Halley Branch. The Two books of short stories are Seasons of Imagination and Embers. the book with two novellas includes Towards the Light and The Mad Quest. I can post a link to page with links to them all… 😉 But this is a comment on your post, not mine, so only if you want.
Thanks 🙂 Instead of the link with links, I will link to a post i did late last year. I listed the books in the order I published them. I included a cover shot and the blurb.
My husband has family in Norway, we were there last June, they live in the south part of the country, we stayed at their summer ‘cottage’ near Farsund. We toured a lot of southern Norway with them, it was just beautiful!
You are very lucky to have family there. Southern Norway is gorgeous – full of scenic rocky inlets and picture postcard coastal towns. Did you have good summer weather there last year?
So wonderful!
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Thank you, Cindy. It was a lot of fun. Now I know that you have been to Australia. But did you make it to Norway?
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So beautiful Madam..!! ❤ So much Ice and Snow.. ❤ ❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄
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Thank you, Abirbhav. I do like ice and snow as you might have read in my post. I don’t have any where I live though…
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Surely Madam.. 😊 Ice and Snow are the ideal stress busters and can make any landscape beautiful, don’t you think?
I can understand you. I live in India with zilch Ice or Snow.
If you like Ice, do check out my posts on Russia.. Hope you will like them.. 😊
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Can you add a link to those posts, please?
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Surely Madam.. Sharing right away
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Part 1:
https://theunclicheophile.com/2019/01/08/%d0%bc%d0%b5%d1%87%d1%82%d0%b0-the-quest-to-live-the-dreams-part-1/
Part 2: https://theunclicheophile.com/2019/01/18/%d0%bc%d0%b5%d1%87%d1%82%d0%b0-the-quest-to-live-the-dreams-part-2/
Part 3:
https://theunclicheophile.com/2019/01/29/%d0%bc%d0%b5%d1%87%d1%82%d0%b0-the-quest-to-live-the-dreams-part-3-the-mechanics/
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Request you to kindly share your expert opinions, suggestions, comments or feedback.. 😊
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Wow it’s nice to read about the Easter custom in Norway. The cabin in the hills is perhaps equivalent to summer cottages by the lake that Swedes and Finns have? So much snow in Easter time up there, I wonder if it’s been the same in these past years.
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I think the snow in Norway is coming later and leaving earlier, Pooja. Some parts the snow has already left, but high in the mountains there is still enough to ski. May that continue. I think the Swedes cabins and Finnish lakeside cottages are exactly the same principle. In Denmark they call them sommerhus, as there is no mountains to retreat to!
Have you noticed winter is changing in Poland?
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I’m still in touch with my Norwegian penpal from school days who lives just south of Oslo but has two family cabins, one beside a lake and another high in the mountains. I’ve had the pleasure of staying in both of them over the years and your post reminds me of the happy times we spent together there. In recent years I’ve spend long summer days in a Finnish lakeside cottage which was equally beautiful. Were so lucky to have warm weather here now, I’m not even wearing a cardigan but haven’t disposed of tights just yet but maybe tomorrow if the temperature edges up a bit. Sitting in our large garden listening to the birds chirping and eating freshly baked hot cross buns and drinking tea – I’ll never take my lovely home for granted any more. Take care Amanda and a very Happy Easter to you and your family.
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Happy Easter to you Marion. I too am answering your lovely comment, in my garden, on my alfresco area as the builders called it, overlooking my yard and snacking on my breakfast – a Norwegian one at that! You are so very fortunate – firstly to have a lovely yard and sunshine to enjoy a cup of tea in and secondly, to be able to travel so frequently to my favourite parts of the world. Do you realise how perfect, a lakeside Cottage in Finland, or a cabin in Norway, (whether it be at the fjord or high in the mountains), is to me? I know I have ex perienced both, but even so, these things are so very far away from me and takes me so long to get there, that I feel a teeny bit envious of your location just now.
Enjoy your Easter at home. I might put a hot cross bun in the oven for morning tea. They are delicious!
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This is the perfect subject for a blog post. Beautiful setting, a unique experience, cute lodgings, and fun activities. I’ve been to Norway but I stayed in a hotel. It looks like I missed out on a lot of fun.
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Hi Darlene! I am so glad you stopped by on this post. Your experience in Norway could have been more traditional if you have known about some of these secrets. The Hytter and Stabbur are some of the more authentic Norwegian cultural experience. I do tend to seek them out in the countries where one travels, however, one has to know about them in the first place to seek them out. There is always next time. I highly recommend staying in a Norwegian Stabbur as well. You can read more about that experience here. https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2019/08/25/numedal-valley-in-norway/
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I loved reading about Easter customs in Norway. My husband’s mother was Norwegian — born in the US of Norwegian parents.
When we lived in England, we stayed in a hytte for a few days in the summertime. It was somewhere between Oslo and Bergen. Of course, there was no snow, but the wind was never-ending. I’m glad to have seen your photos showing the snow and the strong sunshine.
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If you were anywhere on the Jotunheim plateau, it would have been cold and windy. Lots of other places to explore in Norway, that are warmer and less windy!
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Thank goodness for travel photo archives!
Love the snowy views and interesting information – not a part of the world I am familiar with!
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The complete opposite to your climate Ju-Lyn. That is why I do like it! I seem to function better in cold climates.
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Sounds great,- and looks like a gorgeous area. I’m not so sure about that much snow at Easter – I’m usually sick of it by Easter 😉 But still, a great experience.
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When I wrote that post, I was conscious of the fact that some folks in the North would not be able to relate to my delight in snow, living in a tropical country. However, the Norwegians seem to enjoy the last fling before everything melts. This year, most of it has already melted, presumably due to weather changes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do love winter, and am a snow person, or was, but have become a bit less of one since I don’t ski as much. It occasionally snows here in October and I’ve seen a large May snow storm, but most years there is snow on the ground from early December to late March, though a season can stretch from late-November (ski resorts near us open in mid to late November) to mid-April (most ski resorts close the 1st of April). As to “Home by the Sea” – I am started to set up my retirement house by the the sea. Although it is close, there is far, far less snow there, and most of it melts pretty quick, so… I can see how living in a more tropical country, snow at Easter would be exotic.
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I look forward to following your move to retire by the sea. I highly recommend it! Did you build or buy?
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We bought. The house is about 175 years old and needs a lot of work… But it is a great location and the house has a ton of personality.
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175 years old! That is amazing! Nearly as old as my country! Are you restricted in what renovations you do or what external colours you use for heritage purposes.
What a wonderful privilege owning a property like that.
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I think we are outside of the historic zone, so don’t have to follow the codes for that and the house isn’t listed, so… One thing you have to remember, there have been English speaking people on Cape Cod since the 1620s. (Plymouth is where the cape hits the mainland). So the house is very old, but there are far older ones about – 7 years ago, when I bought the cottage we are selling, we looked at a house built in the early 1770s, but it would have been too expensive to repair. And I’ve seen a few going back to the early 1700s. It is a wonderful privilege to own such an old bit of property.
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Amazing 1770 was when the British discovered the East coast of Australia. Hearing of old residences like that, always blows my mind as our history is short. I can imagine that house would have some stories to tell?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure these old houses have a lot of stories! Old houses do have a ton of personality. And that is the thing I like about the US East Coast, the deeper history. OK, parts of the US have much deeper “history” if you include ancient cities and dwellings of the native people. And Europe has a much deeper history, but walking through a town like Boston, you can almost feel it.
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Have you ever posted about some of the historic houses?
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I’m not sure. I haven’t done a house tour in quite a few years, so maybe not. I’ve had a few posts about my “new” house, like this interior shot: https://trentsworldblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/cove-living-room.jpg
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Wow! Those beams and wall panelling, even the stone work oozes snapshots of historic life scenes in my head! It even looks like these old houses could make great setting for ghost stories.
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As I said, the house oozes personality. And do you wonder that my WIP is a ghost story? 😉 Not set in this house, but…
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Wow. How long have you been working on it?
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The book? I wrote the rough draft about 3 years ago. I just picked it back up last fall and have done three drafts since then. I’ve been taking a break from it, so I can go back with fresh eyes, and hope to do a final draft in May.
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Yes the book. Great that you have picked it up again. I have book that is a wip with another blogger – not sure it will ever get finished as she has become disallusioned with writing! Still it has been a fun thing to do so far. Is that what got you into blogging?
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Yes, I started blogging after I wrote my first book, The Fireborn. In the 6 1/2 years since then, I self-published that book, another novel, two books of short stories and a book with two novellas. So keeping busy there. I’m a little burnt out on it, so may take an even longer break when this one is done (I already am taking a slight break – it was almost a year ago that I put out the two novellas…)
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Wow, an impressive writing CV. What platform did you use to self-publish?
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I am using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. The paperbacks are available outside of Amazon, but electronic versions can only be Kindle using this,but that is fine.
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Sounds great.
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It sounds like it is working out well for you.
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Yeah, I like the platform. Of course I don’t sell any books, but… 😉
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I didn’t want to ask that. Do you promote your books?
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Off and on, mostly on the blog and FB.
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I think we have to promote ourselves in order for the public to find us. It is hard for folks who are modest, but otherwise we do not reach the people who might enjoy our products. I sell custom designed fabrics through an online store. It is a niche market, but if I do post a tweet or share on social media, I notice the sales increase for a short period. It still remains only a small hobby for me, but a lesson that promoting does work. There is a fine line though between promoting as I have seen some bloggers (not you) mentioning their book in almost every second blog post which becomes tiresome for the reader. I wish you luck with your book sales. What is the name of your books?
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Promotion is tough for me. I’ve had times when I hit it pretty heavy, and other times when, well, you wouldn’t know I had books… The First novel was The Fireborn and the the other is The Halley Branch. The Two books of short stories are Seasons of Imagination and Embers. the book with two novellas includes Towards the Light and The Mad Quest. I can post a link to page with links to them all… 😉 But this is a comment on your post, not mine, so only if you want.
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Of course, Trent. Happy for you to post a link here! Thanks for asking first, though. The sign of a true gentleman!
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Thanks 🙂 Instead of the link with links, I will link to a post i did late last year. I listed the books in the order I published them. I included a cover shot and the blurb.
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Great. That will work too.
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https://trentsworldblog.wordpress.com/books/towards-the-light-and-the-mad-quest/
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Darn it, i had the wrong one – Awww…. sorry. Here it is: https://trentsworldblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/11/books-to-this-point/
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All good. Shall I delete previous comment/link?
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Yes, you can
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The Halley Branch and Embers piqued my interest!
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My husband has family in Norway, we were there last June, they live in the south part of the country, we stayed at their summer ‘cottage’ near Farsund. We toured a lot of southern Norway with them, it was just beautiful!
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You are very lucky to have family there. Southern Norway is gorgeous – full of scenic rocky inlets and picture postcard coastal towns. Did you have good summer weather there last year?
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