Katarina Petersmo
KATARINA PETERSMO lives in Valbo, a small town in central Sweden where she also grew up. She lives in a house with a large garden together with her husband, their two teenage children, and their energetic Spanish Water Dog. Writing is both her profession and her greatest passion.
“When I read a novel, I want to sink into another world. I want to be there; it has to feel real. And when I’ve finished the book, I want it to stay with me — to have changed something inside me. That’s the goal of my writing: to give you that feeling.”
As a freelance writer and copywriter, she writes everything from books to film scripts, often within fields like environment and recycling.
After winning Sweden’s largest short story competition (Icakuriren’s Short Story Prize), Katarina decided to fully dive into fiction. Her stories often explore themes of longing, love, and creativity. In 2026, her fourth physical book will be released — a sizzling romance novel.
She has previously published short story collections and regularly releases steamy short stories and novellas under the pseudonym Lisen Strand. The erotic stories have become so popular that her publisher is now releasing them in book form.
On Instagram, she happily shares all aspects of the creative process and spreads the joy of reading and writing to her followers. Welcome to: @katarinapetersmo@_skrivliv
Katarina loves long walks, conversations with friends, and playing padel.
Waterlily Midnight
Isabell seemingly has it all — her partner Sebastian, a permanent job as a communications officer, and plans to buy a house. But is this really the life she wants?
When the opportunity arises to work as a copywriter at the city’s trendiest advertising agency, she seizes it, despite Sebastian’s protests. Suddenly, a whole new world opens up, where the lines between work, private life, and creativity blur. Here, Isabell finds the passion she’s been missing and revels in her new life. At the same time, she and Sebastian start drifting further apart. Everyday life becomes a playground, and her new colleagues become close friends. But who is Klas, the agency’s owner, who prefers writing erotic crime novels over being at work?
One warm summer night, she goes for a swim with two colleagues — and realizes who she has truly been longing for. Yet beneath the glossy surface of the ad agency lurks a darkness — and Isabell risks losing everything she’s worked so hard for.
Katarina Petersmo has previously published the novel Jag skriver mig bort från dig nu (Writing Myself Away from You Now) and the short story collection Där floden dansar (Where the River Dances). She loves writing stories that move readers and also writes erotic short stories under the pseudonym Lisen Strand. In her everyday life, she works as a copywriter specializing in deposit systems and sustainability.
This is her romance debut.
Quotes and reviews:
“The language is vivid, almost dreamlike”
“The book addresses important topics such as power, vulnerability, self-esteem, trust, listening to one’s inner voice, and having the courage to walk one’s own path and feel secure in it. The characters’ personalities are well described, making them easy to like and understand, thanks in large part to the detailed writing. The language is vivid, almost dreamlike, as Petersmo paints the settings and develops the intrigue while leading the story toward its finale.”
— BTJ-häftet (Hanna Berg)
“Devoured it completely”
“I adored Night Swim the way you can love a book during summer vacation. Devoured it completely.”
— Ebba Pettersson, Culture Journalist, Arbetarbladet
“Captures the joy of life”
“What she succeeds in above all is capturing the joy — not just in the erotic moments, but also in the feeling of being young with your whole life ahead of you, after having lived confined for many years.”
— Kristian Ekenberg, Culture Editor, Gefle Dagblad
“Hot, sweeping, and overwhelming”
*“This is Romance! Hot, sweeping, and overwhelming Romance!
It’s incredibly well-written. The plot is great and hooked me right away! Like a feel-good novel, it ends well — but the heat is there in more than one place!
The words melt like ice cream in the blazing sun. They fit together like the cogs in a gear, perfectly synchronized. A warming feeling envelops me from start to finish! Oh, how I loved this!
If you like romance (feel-good with heat), this is a book for you!”*
— @millimys_books
Original title: Nattdopp
Publication: HaperLove 2023
Pages 247
Rights sold: All rights available
Reading material: Full translation
Waterlily Midnight
In Waterlily Midnight, a sensual and captivating romance, Isabell’s life takes an unexpected turn during a late-night swim that awakens her deepest desires. Set in the vibrant world of Sweden’s advertising industry, this story is about daring to dive into the unknown and risking everything for a chance at true passion.
Isabell seems to have it all—her long-time boyfriend Sebastian, a stable job as a communications officer, and the security of a house on the horizon. But deep inside, she yearns for something more. When she is offered a copywriter position at one of the city’s most prestigious advertising agencies, she seizes the opportunity despite Sebastian’s disapproval.
Suddenly, she is thrown into a world where the lines between work, pleasure, and creativity blur. In this new environment, Isabell rediscovers her passion and enjoys the excitement of her fresh reality. However, as she and Sebastian grow further apart, her days become an intoxicating game, and her colleagues turn into more than just friends. Klas, the mysterious owner of the agency, spends more time writing erotic thrillers than managing his company, adding to the intrigue.
One fateful summer night, Isabell takes a midnight swim with two of her colleagues. What begins as a simple plunge into the lake sparks a profound realisation—Isabell finally understands what and who she has longed for. But beneath the glossy surface of the advertising world lies a darker reality that could cost her everything she has worked for.
Original title: Nattdopp
Publication: HarperCollins June 2023
Rights sold: All rights available
Contact: Renée Ripman
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