Germany, Germany, Germany
When I was in college, my interests took a turn, and I went down a dark, dark hole. I wasn’t sure where to concentrate my historical work, but I knew I wanted to be an archivist. Right about that time, I took an in-depth course on the Holocaust, and that was it.
Because there was no specialization in Holocaust studies, I chose the next best thing: Jewish Studies. And I went deep, people. To the point where I realized I wanted to convert to Judaism after a lifetime of being an active Christian. I’d found my tribe, as the saying goes, and everything fit together.
As it happens, I never did become an archivist, despite the Nazis being the most prolific keepers of records there ever were. But all that work didn’t go to waste because the second novel I ever wrote for publication was The Guilty. Yes, the same book that’s coming out soon, almost twenty years after I scribbled it down.
My horrified fascination with Nazi mass murder has never stopped, nor has my devotion to Judaism. I ended up writing another novel about Nazis, Land of Fire, of which I am pretty proud. But my wife said I had to write a third because I needed a trio like the Mexico books.
So, once again, I’m descending into the heart of darkness. When I’m done with the manuscript, I’ll tell you all about it. Be warned.