Terror on the High Seas

Terror on the High Seas

Storm clouds floated by – either clearing away or threatening more to come.  We strolled on the wet sand with our two golden retrievers.  Perhaps a dozen people and a few dogs were out between the rains. Ten–month old Clifford leaps and dives like a dolphin,...
Dreams We See

Dreams We See

In Islands of Deception: Lying with the Enemy, the main character changes his identity.  The first step is to convert to Christianity and find a community.  I have no idea what my dad might have actually done about conversion because he never admitted his original...
Real People & Imaginary Friends

Real People & Imaginary Friends

As a Historical Fiction novelist, I’m constantly blending facts and imaginary scenes.  For me, the bits just tumble around like marbles in my head. Then I had my first conversations with readers. Readers came up to me asking, “What is real, and what did you make up?”...
Intimate Moments

Intimate Moments

Our most intimate thoughts and experiences are often expressed in our characters.  They are our closest confidantes, reminding us of loved ones, people who have hurt us, and sometime, ourselves.  Significant events in their lives matter to us, or we would...
What is Imagination?

What is Imagination?

How do dreams and imagination tell a story? I wanted a very quiet and confining opening to Islands of Deception, something that would provide a stark contrast between the security of life in Holland and the perils of being a spy in the…