Published Memoir — Between Us
This is my first memoir based on letters we wrote to each other in the 1970s as pen pals for two years. Most of our time together was long distance. We saw each other three times for a few weeks and then the Atlantic separated us.
Cover blurb:
WITH THE LETTER IN THE MAIL…
Pirkko, in her final year of high school, answers a request to teach English to Antti, a seminary student in Finland, and they embark on a pen pal relationship. She visits her relatives for the summer and attends a conference. With no physical description, he calls her over the loudspeaker. They meet briefly.
Pirkko works as a part-time waitress where young men flirt with the girls. After several failed attempts at dating, she decides that single life is her destiny. She moves away from home to university in search of purpose.
Nothing else matters to Antti besides following God’s guidance, but he’s intrigued by the girl behind the letters. His focus on God keeps him unattached. He’s even sworn off dating until his graduation year.
They share faith, but not life goals, and become soulmates. Pirkko wonders whether to stop writing. Two years later, Antti arrives to work as a summer intern at her church in Canada. Instant attraction consumes Pirkko, and she makes a shocking declaration that could jeopardise her chance at love.
Can they have a future together despite the obstacles and the ocean between them?
Available on Amazon.
What readers are saying:
“A refreshing easy to read story of a young Canadian Christian girl finding her way.”
“Captivating story of two strangers across the ocean.”
“A must read.”
“It was hard to put down. So many challenges and hurdles in this romantic journey.”
“The author takes you through the struggles of forming a long distance relationship while trying to discover God’s will for their lives.”
“A refreshing story.”
Published novel — The Other Child
My published novel happened at the same time as our move to Southern Ontario. About a week after my debut novel launch, The Other Child, my husband and I uprooted from our home town in Northwestern Ontario and moved to Southern Ontario. It wasn’t easy to leave behind the life as we had lived for over 40 years! Transitioning from what life you used to have to a new life in a new city is not easy, but with God’s help and with an attitude of gratitude, it works well and lessens anxiety.
Here a blog about it. https://pirkkorytkonen.com/personal
If you’ve known adversity in life you can relate to Emma’s story. Just as my latest move required a lot of adjusting into a new life and a new attitude, Emma needs a lot of attitude changes. She, too, needed to adjust to life changes, not only when she moved to Canada from Sweden as a young teenager, but after she met her adult son for the first time.
Give yourself, or someone else the gift of reading, while at the same time encouraging a new author.
Check out my newly created YouTube channel.
Both books are available on Amazon.com
An emotional story of a young woman’s life and her constant struggles with family issues. Although it’s categorized women’s contemporary fiction this book is for men, too.
Cover blurb:
A DECADES-OLD SECRET SHATTERS A FAMILY
Thirty-seven-year-old Emma Jorgens is a successful corporate accountant with a husband, a daughter, and a secret.
When a young man shows up on Emma’s doorstep, past and present collide. Exposing her secret could jeopardize the sanity of many people. Will she deny the truth and risk losing everything she’s worked so hard to achieve?
Lies and secrets have a way of coming to light. How will they affect Emma, Mathias, and their loved ones? When does love become destructive?
The Other Child is an emotional story of two lives entwined in a cloak of secrecy.
I can’t wait for you to read the book. Here’s my Facebook author page.
Published Novel Review from Goodreads June, 2021
The Other Child, the novel covers tough topics such as adoptions and addiction. The story had my attention from cover to cover. Throughout the book I wanted to read ‘just one more chapter’ to find out what happened next. Highly recommended!
Published Novel Review from Amazon November, 2022
Emma’s life appears perfect on the outside, an image she struggles to maintain. But the strain of keeping secrets is affecting her and her marriage. When a son she gave up for adoption reappears in her life, she is overjoyed, but afraid to tell her husband and daughter. Things get more complicated when she discovers that her son is an addict. Feeling guilty about the past, she overcompensates by bailing him out of trouble while neglecting her family’s needs. It’s only when she gives up trying to control the situation and admits the truth to her husband that God is able to heal her family.