What inspires you to write?

The common theme in my novels are ordinary people who are compelled to do extraordinary things, driven by events or tumultuous times. My first two books are about WWII, but not generals or admirals or politicians, but a reporter, a history teacher, a violinist. They become heroes, just as ordinary people became heroes during the war.

How did you come up with the title for In Satan’s Shadow?

In Satan’s Shadow is about Amanda Hamilton, a Scottish photographer and violinist, who marries a Nazi Party official and spends ten years in Germany, immersed in one of the most tumultuous periods in human history. Since she is a favorite of Hitler; she walked in Satan’s shadow ? Satan being a symbol for Hitler.

How did you get the idea for the book?

I got the idea for the first few chapters while standing on the German-Swiss border, staring at a winding stream. I thought – hmmm, what fun could we have with this stream, maybe a fugitive, followed by dogs and German soldiers – and off the story went.