A great quote from Michael Jordan: “I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." That thought underlies the directions of my last two novels—one recently finished, the other nearly finished,

      LifeLine, the first, was a work of historical fiction. It went way outside the lane of what I'd written to date, which was mysteries, thrillers, and suspense set in whole or in part on Amelia Island. Those efforts had found a receptive and growing audience in this corner of Florida. 

       Then I read a book entitled All the Light We Cannot See. That book was so majestic in its reach and scope and the artistry of its prose that in a strange way I almost felt diminished by it. Yet, in another way, inspired by it. I was inspired to raise my sights, aim higher. Not with any hope of ever equaling that book, but in trying to imitate it.

        Sales of LifeLine were slow getting off the mark, to say the least. It languished on the shelves. And that's where the Michael Jordan quote comes in. If I failed, that's the way it goes. But I tried. And I'm at the stage where that counts as much as anything. An idea for a sequel came to me around the time LifeLine was gathering dust on the shelves. A sequel? To a novel gathering dust? Really?

          Yes, damn right. Writing is only worth it if the story pulls you along. That's when it's fun. And so, A Bloodline of Spies nears the finish line. I'm really happy with it, and it's been tons of fun. 

 

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