This story came to me back in October 2020, when I was
an accomplished writer of heart wrenching IT compliance documents. That day, I
was working on an exciting spreadsheet. The work captivated me, so much that my
brain kept giving me helpful hints such as, check if your friend has posted
a new cat video or look up the weather for tomorrow even if you’re not
going anywhere. When I disregarded those suggestions, my brain did
something I couldn’t ignore. It played a song in my head.
The song my brain played was by a Russian guitar duo
Ivasi and called Did the Frigate Sink (Погиб ли тот Фригат). Suddenly I
needed to hear that song and do some urgent research. What frigate is this song
about? Is it a true story? And did that frigate sink? After some Googling, I
learned that the song wasn’t based on any real ship. I also came across a video
where the song played in the background of scenes from a movie. The glimpse
into that film hooked me: sailing ships, battles, and two young officers who were
obviously best friends. I needed to know more.
With some digging, I learned the reel was from British
mini-series Hornblower, which first aired in 2000. I became obsessed
with that show. (Just to clarify for fans of Hornblower or Ivasi,
there’s no official connection between the song and the mini-series, but
someone created a video combining the two and posted it to YouTube. There are also scenes from Captain Blood: His Odyssey)
After watching the series twice, stories started
coming to me. Visions of ship battles, prison escapes, and a brave young woman doctor
who saves her friends when they become injured. On February 26, 2021, I said to
my husband, “I think I’m supposed to write a novel.” He replied, “That sounds
like time better spent than watching tv.” From that day on, I stepped on a
journey no less exciting than what my characters sailed through. Exactly a year
later, I published A Girl with a Knife. Three years and four books
later, I said goodbye to the wonderful world of IT compliance and became a
full-time fiction author.
This novel was the first story I wrote, but the only
thing that the first draft and the final draft have in common are the names of
the two main characters. I’m so glad I showed the first draft to three people,
and I thank them because they played key roles in my author journey. The first
was my dearest “found sister” Inessa Levin, who cheered for me and told me to
keep writing. The second was my beta reader, Becky Paroz, who told me my book has
“bones of a good story,” but needs to be more believable and based on history,
not just my imagination. The third was editor Kirsten Rees, who told
me that my manuscript had great potential but wasn’t ready for professional
editing. She pointed me toward writing classes and critique groups. As a
result, I learned the craft and built a series. The story of Ella rescuing
Jamie from an enemy prison became Book Three. I’m delighted it’s finally ready to
meet its readers.
