A Freezing Ski Trip follows siblings Liam and Lily on an exciting yet challenging ski trip through the snowy woods to Pine Cottage. What was the inspiration for your story?

There are many exciting things to tell about winter and skiing in Finland. Our winter can look incredible with thick, powdery snow and glittering ice, and snowy terrain is the best place for recreation and winter sports.

However, freezing and icy conditions can surprise even the most experienced skier or camper, and even light outdoor activity can turn into a fight for survival, as in this story.

In this fairy tale, I wanted to highlight how nature can offer different experiences and circumstances. We should take them into account and take sufficient precautions to prevent damage.

I always hope that my stories inspire children to be brave, not reckless, and to believe in their ability to survive. I also want to point out that when people find themselves in difficult situations, it is essential to cooperate and avoid panicking to survive – just like Liam and Lily did!

​The siblings encounter a variety of mishaps while skiing. Did you take any inspiration from your own life when developing this book?

As a child in Eastern Finland, skiing and snowy winters were familiar to us. I have attached two memories to this story, one from my childhood and the other from a dangerous skiing trip I later made as an adult with my family.

In Liam and Lily’s story, they find themselves on a steep hill that is too icy to ski down. I encountered that myself from time to time on my childhood ski trips. The result could be a broken ski—fortunately, no broken bones! Once, my mother accidentally fell off the slope and sank from tip to toe into the soft snow. Other family members laughed, but she didn’t when she got up covered in snow, but luckily in one piece.

However, this book’s primary inspiration is an icy ski trip my husband and I took with two small children to a remote island miles from any settlement. I still get chills when I think about the long route back after sunset and the freezing temperatures. It took all our strength and courage to finally make it across the dark and vast ice fields to the beach where our car was parked. There were no cell phones back then, and no one knew to expect us! The incident inspired a decent book, but I would never do a similar trip
again!

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

In this story, I have focused on three main themes: connection to nature, confidence in one’s abilities, and the power of cooperation.

I grew up close to nature having the opportunity to wander freely in the nearby forests and fields as well as row and swim in the lakes. Both summer nature and winter snow and frost became familiar, and I learned to act alone even in demanding situations. This is how I developed a strong connection to nature, which has always been my strength. I hope that as many children as possible can experience this.

I was lucky to be surrounded by wise adults who trusted my abilities. A child must have the right balance of freedom and safe boundaries. Encouraging independent decisions is good as long as the child gets enough security when it’s needed.

One of life’s important lessons is that we don’t live alone. Most people have someone close to them with whom they can share activities and experiences. Working together and finding solutions is easier than just coping alone. When the situation is challenging and your abilities are insufficient, it’s better to admit that a helping hand is needed. There’s no shame in being weak or incompetent. Besides, solving difficulties together with a trusted person can be fun!

Making mistakes and failing isn’t the end of the world, as long as you overcome the situation and learn something for future attempts.

What is the next book in the I Did It series that you are working on, and when will it be available?

In addition to the four books already published in my I Did It Series and illustrated by Catty Flores, I have at least two more planned. Those books are already ready-made packages in my mind, and I could turn them into books at any time. I must arrange a suitable time to write them down and agree with my trusted illustrator on the continuation. Right now, we are working on a completely different book with her, which we will publish in the spring. But we may embark on these new adventures soon after that.

I still need to name the next I Did It! books, but I can tell you both are related to bicycles. A bike meant a lot to me as a child. It was a symbol of freedom and independence. It took me to places I couldn’t have visited otherwise, kilometers away from home. I was lucky to have safe surroundings.

In one story, the main character participates in a traffic race at school, facing surprising challenges and disappointments. In the other story, the hero overestimates his own abilities as a road cyclist, and because of that, he gets into great trouble. Both stories tell about not giving up and the satisfaction that comes with it: I Did It!

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