Читать книгу Legacy of Silence - Flo Fitzpatrick - Страница 4

Dear Reader,

For years, I’d been fascinated by an old house on my brother’s street that was owned by an elderly lady who was considered the hermit of the neighborhood. She kept two ancient cars in the driveway no one ever saw her drive—perhaps because fifteen felines were always draped over the hood or the roof! I took that house as a starting point and created the fictitious Miss Virginia.

I’d also wanted to create a character who was physically challenged. A good friend of mine has Stargardt’s disease, which brutally affects vision. Despite being legally blind (and unable to drive in a city not known for mass transit!) she started—and still directs—the Waco Children’s Theatre.

When I realized that many people who suffer disabilities or loss of limb because of the war in Afghanistan are thought to be “less than” or just weird, I decided to have my hero lose his hearing. Russ Gerik popped into my brain and whispered, “Use me! Love me!”

Russ became one of my favorite characters, and I hope readers will feel the same about him.

Flo