February 1973Moscow, U.S.S.R. The river was frozen, its surface faceted with crystals and cracks. New-fallen snow blurred the outlines of bridges, street signs, cars, and lampposts. It would have been bearable but for the wind. His cheeks stung like open wounds. “Are we there yet?” Christof asked. “Almost,” Sinclair said, glancing behind them. “They’re not there, you know.” “Doesn’t mean …
The Dante Deception: Chapter Three
October 1972The Black Forest, West Germany The Mercedes rumbled down the dark forest lane, black smoke billowing from the tailpipe. Sinclair glanced at the temperature gauge and grimaced. Time was running out and he still hadn’t found the turnoff to the old man’s cottage. The last time he’d come, they met in town for a drink. Best beer he’d ever …
The Dante Deception – Chapter Two
September 4, 1972Montréal, Canada Augustus Wolverton Sinclair, seventh Baron Leighton, tightened his grip on the painting he’d come for. The Frenchmen had already stripped the backings, extracted the canvases, and smashed the frames of the others on his list. “Allez,” he said, stepping over splintered wood and canvas shavings. “Nous sommes finis.” “Mais il y’en a plus.” Yves pointed to …
The Dante Deception – Chapter One
April 1967Unterlengenhardt, West Germany The old woman cackled as a dog snatched the sandwich from her lap. The German shepherd carried the sandwich into a corner and nosed the black bread aside to get at the spicy sausage. Christof Ehrlichmann held his breath. There were three half-eaten sandwiches under the couch. The cats—thirty, at last count—had coated the floor and …
The Dante Deception: Reading List
This book took quite a bit of research, but the sources were fascinating! It’s not really homework if you’d read about this stuff anyway, right? Anyhoo, if you’re also interested in art forgery, medieval manuscripts, Russian organized crime, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, or the Bolshoi ballet, here are the sources I used. Book links will take you to Amazon through my …
Songs for Writers
I went running yesterday, and as often happens when I run, my mind turned to writing. I have a running playlist, but instead of using these songs as motivation to exercise, I usually apply them to writing. Yesterday, I realized my playlist mapped out way more of the writing process than the get-your-ass-around-this-track process. Why? I’ve been going through a spectrum …
Trip Report: The Petersen Automotive Museum
Museums have a tough job – they have to engage the mind of the knowledgeable visitor and entertain or stimulate that of the ignorant. On a recent trip to L.A., the hubby and I visited the Petersen Automotive Museum. Visiting car and motorsport museums is something you have to do when you marry someone who loves cars as much as …
Scared Straight by Empress Elisabeth of Austria
To many people, Elisabeth of Austria was a free spirit – a woman longing for independence who chafed at the restrictions of court life in Vienna in the 19th century. Wild and beautiful, they think of her roaming Europe in search of fulfillment on a physical and spiritual plane she just couldn’t reach with her courtiers, subjects, family, children, or …
Book Review: A Russian Journal by John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck traveled to the Soviet Union not once, but twice. Did you guys know that? I found a reference to it while researching ballerina Maya Plisetskaya for The Dante Deception. A single sentence in one of the articles about her mentioned meeting Steinbeck in Moscow, and I did a double take. I don’t know much about Steinbeck, but being …
The Romanov Legacy Teaser Trailer – 2016 Edition
Because I don’t have enough dumb things to do in my life, I decided to work on my video production skills. I spent time over the summer learning how to put clips together in a way that’s more entertaining than Microsoft Movie Maker pan-and-scan. Then I ditched this project like an unloved orphan while I did round one of revisions …