People wonder all the time about how much of an author’s life makes its way into his/her fiction. Some novelists, like Pat Conroy, have a career that is one long autobiography and freely admits it. The first thing new writers hear is “write what you know.” Well, when you’re writing science fiction or paranormal, maybe not so much.

I heard the best answer, I think, from William Diehl, a Georgia-based best-selling writer who wrote thrillers, reinventing himself as an author at age 50. (Sharky’s Machine, Primal Fear) He said, “Don’t write what you physically know. I’ve never been deep-sea diving or gone to Thailand. You can research. Write the emotions you know.” And having been a ball-turret gunner in World War II, I think he'd experienced emotions he could tap in his thrillers.

I’ve taken his words to heart.

But yes, once upon a time I did fly off a jumping horse, and that experience made its way into Rubies from Burma. And I was saved in the way that Mae Lee was saved, except I had no Duke to pick me up. Alas! I had to limp back to the barn. And boy, I knew how she felt.

Did I have a relative that served in Burma and told his experiences? No. That all came from research. Tons of research. The first order of business was to watch both of the mini-series “Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance”(24 episodes) to get the progress of WWII straight in my mind. Then it was time to concentrate on Burma. When I started, I didn’t even know why Duke had been sent there, and I had to figure out in what outfit he would serve. I read the memoir of “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell and several books on the war in Burma and memoirs, and the answer revealed itself.

The Winds of War

War and Remembrance

The Stilwell Papers

Is anyone interested in my complete reading list? Let me know and I’ll post it.