Several people I know have asked me where my characters in Battered Wings came from and I told them; out of my head. Clare, the heroine in that first book appeared in my dreams one night and on subsequent nights thereafter. She pushed me hard to write the story. She carefully laid out the storyline. It was my job to remember and commit it to paper (or computer). I do not exaggerate when I say she pushed me hard. What a taskmaster! Anyway, she got her way and slowly I put her story down. I could see it in my dreams and then during the day wrote it down. Of course, it was just the bare bones story. I had to fill in the rest of the details.

Clare introduced me to Lee, her husband, and her children. Lee, a war hero, suffered from an unseen and undetected medical problem for years that grew and caused him to snap. None of this is unlike what our returning wounded warriors are undergoing now. War is indeed hell on mind and the body.

So, I fleshed out the details of the story, carefully (I hope), researching the scenes and people and events. Clare and Lee took shape on paper and not just in my head. Their kids became real. The Vietnam War was real once again. ( I am a Vietnam-era vet)

Much of the background of Clare and Lee were based on exploits of real people before and during WWII. The Vietnam war part was also based in some part on what was happening at the time.

I hope those of you that have read it or are planning to do so, will enjoy it. The story isn't perfect because it is my first attempt at writing a novel. But, I put my heart and soul into it for the readers -- and for all the Clares', Lees', Pauls' and Rebeccas' involved in war any time and any where.

Thank you for listening