The Aquamarine Sea Series

With the help of some Scandinavian aquavit, a restless businesswoman finds a bucket-list worthy voyage, but continual setbacks and bad omens try to stop her! After a traumatic night, American businesswoman Kat Jensen de-stresses with shots of Scandinavian aquavit known as 'water of life' liquor. With her audit consulting business closing and nothing keeping her at home in New York City, Kat has a few months before starting another job search. She decides to do something special - a cruise onboard an old clipper sailing ship pictured on an aquavit bottle. Despite finding a fantastic voyage and itinerary, Kat is forced to resolve continual issues while juggling dates with three men. After arriving in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the ship's scheduled departure, scary omens, shocking confessions, and worries threaten all her plans. AQUAVIT features a resilient businesswoman determined to go on an unforgettable adventure on her dream ship. This novel is the first book in a series and isn't over yet!    What readers are saying: ~ Intoxicating ~ Best book I've read in years ~ Adventuresome and fun ~ Lots of twists and turns ~ Imaginative, held my interest, easy read ~ The only disappointment was that the book ended ~   "This book is extremely well written. The character development is excellent, dialogue is believable, and descriptions of settings are thorough and quite vivid. The plot is intriguing, and the pace is satisfying in that the reader wants to keep turning the pages. The author makes the reader care about the characters, which is no easy feat." Independent Judge, 4 Star Review, 5th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Award  "Aquavit is a novel that will touch the hearts of anyone who reads it. Kat is a woman who misses the comfort zone she had with her husband. She has an urge to break out of her standard routine and try something new. The character development and scenes are impressive and well planned. Karen Stensgaard shows her writing strength in all areas of this beautiful, exciting story and the excerpt from Blueness, Book Two. The Aquamarine Sea Series is filled with romance, adventure, and a bit of danger to hold your interest." 5 Star Review, Michelle Stanley, Readers' Favorite "After completely hooking us on Kat's battles with her suitors and hints of complications once Kat is on her voyage, author Karen Stensgaard leaves readers dying to know what happens with Kat, the clipper trip, and the men she leaves behind. The author gives us a taste of what's to come in the second book, Blueness, at the end of Aquavit. This sequel is already available on Amazon. But you know what I have to do before I get into that one? I've got to buy some Aquavit! There must be something in that drink besides the photo of the clipper ship on the label that got Kat so excited about sailing on an old 1860s boat! Such a refreshing change to read a unique book like this! Delightful." 5 Star Review, Viga Boland, Readers' Favorite "An interesting story that explores travel and one woman's struggle with her choices, especially when it comes to where she wants to be and whom she wants to be with. The author explores the internal fears and preoccupations of the protagonist brilliantly and allows readers to feel the vagaries of her heart and inner world. Aquavit has an international setting that is clearly depicted in the beautiful descriptions. I enjoyed the well-crafted dialogues, the richly developed characters, and the realism that permeates the narrative." 5 Star Review, Romuald Dzemo, Readers' Favorite 

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