Blueness

When a bucket-list cruise vacation becomes a nightmare! Solo traveling can lead to enormous complications. American businesswoman Kat Jensen begins an exciting, well-deserved vacation on board an old Danish clipper ship sailing from Copenhagen, Denmark to Hong Kong, but she regrets her decision from the moment she sees her cabin. Before boarding, she agreed to an 1860 re-enactment dress code and digital detox. But life aboard the no-frills ship means going without modern plumbing and electricity. After she hits her head and is nearly swept overboard in a storm, Kat decides to cut her trip short in Southampton, England, the first port of call. But returning home to modern day New York City from Victorian England isn't easy. BLUENESS features a resilient businesswoman on an unforgettable adventure who unexpectedly gets mixed up in some time travel and romance.What readers are saying: ~ Easy to read and enjoyed falling into another world ~ Full of imagination ~ Made me wonder what I would do if I found myself in that situation ~ Fast paced, full of twists and turns ~ Eager to see the next book ~ "Following the events of book one, Aquavit, we return to the life of the go-getting businesswoman Kat Jensen as she determinedly boards her pleasure cruise to escape her busy life. But on board the Danish clipper, where digital tech is banned and a 19th-century dress code is encouraged, Kat soon realizes that the old-timey adventure is more realistic than she thought. Returning to modern-day New York is going to be an eye-opening and epic task, with plenty of surprises along the way. Author Karen Stensgaard presents a truly unique concept in this novel, which forms part of a continuing series of bizarre adventures for her central heroine Kat. The character development of both Kat and the people around her on the clipper is truly excellent, adding a level of realism and relatability which stops the time travel plot becoming too clichéd and over the top. The balance of genres is really well observed, keeping the story interesting with unexpected twists, but also grounding it emotionally with Kat's development arc and allowing readers to fall into this surreal and entertaining world with her." 5 Star, K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite "The story follows a woman who is sent back in time ... The prose is clean and moves the story quickly, and there is some evocative descriptive writing. The plot moves along at a steady pace ...The characters are consistent and realized ... The central conceit of the novel -- a woman on a re-enactment trip ends up actually back in time - is quite clever. The reactions of a modern middle-aged woman stranded 150 years in the past can be interesting ..." Critic's Report, 2019 BookLife Prize Contest Sponsored by Publishers Weekly"In this time-slip novel, a contemporary businesswoman embarks on a re-enactment cruise aboard an authentic 1860s Danish sailing ship. Kat Jensen soon regrets the choice when she realizes just how authentic the ship is, with no electricity or running water. Early in the voyage, she is knocked unconscious during a storm and almost swept overboard. Things take an even more shocking turn after she wakes up. It's clear the author did a great deal of research. Her descriptions of 19th-century food, fashion and customs created a vivid picture of the period and setting. The overall account of what it was like to travel by sea during that time is particularly dramatic and harrowing." Independent Judge, 27th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards