A Word from the Author
“GIVE ME FACTS, OR GIVE ME DEATH AS A CREDIBLE HISTORICAL AUTHOR!”

It is vitally important to me that I share with you background information on my research that fills the pages of my books, and the liberties I take to tell the stories. The genre I write is historical fiction fantasy, in that order. This means the first layer I begin writing is the history. This foundation layer must be rock solid historically, down to the most minute detail. I exhaust my sources of books, online research, site visits, and interviews with historical experts on people, places, and events. Once the bedrock history is laid, I then add the layer of fiction which must be plausible. For instance, the fictional words I put into a character’s mouth, as well as his actions, must match his character and the cultural setting. Once the historical fiction is as pure as I can make it, I add the layer of fantasy where the animal characters come into play. I look for those “unknowns” in the story of things that did happen (but we don’t know how or why) or that could have happened. I allow my animals to affect the events of the story without ever giving away their true identities, which makes it fun. Once all three layers are set, the book is an accurate, educational, enjoyable (I hope) read intended to make history come alive for the reader. In the back of every book I have a section entitled, "A Word from the Author" that contains a great deal of background information that I hope you will find fascinating and that will fill in some details I cannot possibly cover with an already lengthy manuscript. To me, it is one of the most important parts of my books, and I hope it will inspire you to go hunt down the real history behind the fiction.