In the literary world, I am considered a "Newby," and a late bloomer. Having become a widow, my creative juices found an outlet with this story. My characters were already set; I just needed a story to put them in. I came across a historical account about how the Turks invaded Cyrus in 1974, and the Orthodox churches were stripped of their icons, mosaics, and thousands of crosses and other relics in the aftermath. I found a place to set my characters. I went to Rhodes, Greece for more research, and The Shadows of Rhodes came to life.