I never dreamed of going to Antarctica. I didn’t even think it was possible. And yet, in January 2023, I had the privilege of visiting the Frozen Continent. As you can see from this picture, I’m not really the “rough and ready” type. I’m more of a “Why, yes, I would like another glass of wine” person. Nevertheless, that’s me sailing near the island of South Georgia where I am about to see lots of King Penguins.
There are, by the way, about 450,000 pairs of King Penguins on Sough Georgia distributed over thirty colonies.
On this day, the weather is cold, but the day is clear. The penguins and seals are not overly impressed by visitors.
South Georgia is also home to some very relaxed seals. The seal pup on the right followed me around for about twenty minutes before deciding there were better adventures elsewhere.
If you would like to know more about my visit to Antarctica and the East Falkland and South Georgia islands, you can check out my four-blog series that started February 9, 2023.
I also never expected to write historical fiction. I began reading historical fiction in Middle School. I enjoyed it so much I became a historian at the University of Hawai`i and taught women’s and global history for over twenty years. I also wrote academic articles, which are included on this web page under the “Pubs & Talks” tab.
But it wasn’t until I left the academic world that I had the freedom to write historical fiction on any topic that caught my interest and then lured me into the research maze. I like stories that take me to interesting research sites. These include Salem, Massachusetts for Ambition, Arrogance & Pride; Northumbria, England for Saxon Heroines, and India for both Two Coins and Rama’s Labyrinth.
More tidbits about my writing life can be found in a 2022 Kirkus Interview.
Outside of the writing life, I like to sing, because there’s nothing like high notes to encourage deep breathing and brief moments of vocal flight. I practice yoga to quiet my mind, read all sorts of fiction to take me out of myself, and I still love to travel.
