What do you read for pleasure?
I love history, whether reading action/adventure historical novels for pleasure or doing research for one of my books. I suppose that is why I enjoy adding greater depth, flavor or the times, and authenticity to my work by linking historical events in my writing. I pride myself on accuracy when describing these events.
At one point, I found myself avidly involved in genealogy, and the result is that I have a large collection of family names going back, in some cases, to the invention of surnames in some geographic regions of Europe. Still, I find it even more interesting to uncover tales that have been handed down through the generations by family members. Many times, I draw upon these to create a framework for my stories.
And, I love the American west. By heavens, the settings provided are so varied. It has been an incredible canvas for many authors of western tales. I'm glad that I can participate.
Yes, I do like history.
What kindled your interest in the American frontier?
As a youngster, my family moved west over the storied asphalt trail named U.S. Highway 66, the twentieth-century version of the dusty dirt trails of previous times. Completed in 1938, that ribbon of road stretched twenty-four hundred miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, crossing eight states, and three-time zones. Known variously as “the Mother Road,” “Main Street of America,” and “Will Rogers Highway,” it had been celebrated in many different venues.
It was the route that breathed life into my boyhood dreams of adventures about pioneer trails, cowboys herding cattle, and Native Americans riding the open plains, created by books, movies, and magazines of my early days. Decades later, my wife and I retraced this journey and more, in the current mode of the covered wagon, a motorhome complete with several hundred horses, as research took us to most of the locations used in my stories.
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