📚Back Story: LIKE DRIFTWOOD ON THE SALISH SEA

By Richard I. Levine

I definitely didn’t plan this book or these characters in advance. This is my sixth novel and each time the idea came to me in a way that would make most people would think I need to be examined by a professional. Nonetheless, whether I call it my little voice, intuition, my spirit guides or angels, it’s not only the idea for the story that comes to me without warning and from out of nowhere, but it’s also an ongoing inexplainable inspirational feeling that seems to take over during the writing process. I suppose that’s called being in the zone. 

But as with my other novels, the people, the locations, and the basic story simply comes to me in a vision and music has always been the trigger that seems to set the wheels in motion. And there’s no predicting which piece of music will do that, but I suspect that it has something to do vibrational energies (mine and the music) that are vibrating at the same frequency. When it happens, it’s as real to me as anything that anyone sees in front of their eyes. So, it’s not just any music or particular songs, but it’s the way they are orchestrated--tempo, key, volume, types of instruments--that have instantaneously given birth to a story, its characters, relationships, locations, etc. For me, that kind of music, that vibration, simultaneously creates a feeling and a picture that resonates. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, I know I have my next novel. And then there’s this little voice in my head (spirit guides? Guardian angels? Intuition?) that says something to the effect: “This one, do this one”. With Like Driftwood On The Salish Sea there were a couple of orchestrated pieces from a movie soundtrack that gave birth to Mitch, Jess and the Rockwell-esque smalltown in the Pacific Northwest where they lived.

📚Back Story: SOUL STIRRINGS

By Anita Hackley Lambert

I never set out to become an author for accolades or recognition. I wrote to survive—to breathe through the storm of my own silence.

My earliest inspiration didn’t come from a classroom or creative workshop. It came from deep pain—wounds that weren’t visible to the world but weighed heavily on my soul. By the time I turned fourteen, the trauma of my childhood had left me emotionally paralyzed. Depression had taken root. I was young, broken, and desperately trying to understand the purpose behind my pain.

Then, one evening during a small Christian fellowship at our kitchen table, something divine pierced through the darkness. The Holy Spirit rested upon me, and I heard His voice—not in the natural, but in my spirit. He said, “Anita, you can choose to be bitter or better. Which do you choose?” That moment was sacred, unforgettable. It changed everything. I chose better.

From that encounter, my calling was birthed. I picked up a pen and poured my pain onto the page, writing my first manuscript, No Where to Run. It was never published, but it served its purpose—it became my healing balm, my silent prayer, my soul’s release. Writing became more than a coping mechanism; it became a holy commission.

But I had to wait on God's timing—and that required obedience and much patience. For over sixteen years, I wrote in secret. I filled notebooks with dreams, outlines, and chapters, while continuing to live, learn, and grow spiritually. Though the vision tarried, I trusted the Lord to bring it forth in its season. That season finally arrived in 2023.

Without a traditional publisher or literary agent, I turned to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). It was a door God opened, and I walked through it. The process was intimidating at first—but liberating. From God’s guidance, I learned the essentials: formatting interiors, designing covers, crafting descriptions, and optimizing keywords. Most importantly, I prayed over every step. Each decision was guided by the Holy Spirit, from the cover concept to the final sentence.

Publishing through KDP allowed me to steward the message God entrusted to me without compromise. Since then, I’ve released several books, each one born from divine instruction and spiritual insight. These aren’t just titles—they are living testimonies. They represent altars in my life—points of divine encounter, revelation, healing, and transformation.

Now, I write not only to survive, but to help others do the same. My books are for the wounded and the weary, the searching, the silenced and anyone needing spiritual uplifting. I want them to know that God sees, hears, and heals because their lives matter to Him. I want them to realize that what nearly broke them can become the very platform from which they rise.

If there’s one truth I could share with every aspiring author, it would be this: do not wait for perfect circumstances. God’s timing may involve preparation, pruning, and perseverance—but when He says it’s time, move. You don’t need man's approval to fulfill a God-given purpose. If He gave you the story, He’ll provide the strength. He’ll equip you with everything you need to release it. The world is waiting, and your obedience could be the answer to someone’s silent prayer.

Soul Stirrings Books 1, 2 & 3 are available at Amazon 

📚Back Story: THE DEATH OF THE KREMLIN CZAR

By Jörg H. Trauboth

I had a dream. Russian troops were standing in front of Berlin and declaring that Germany was now Russian. We were to surrender and look forward to a life in communism and with the ruble. I woke up and realized that I wasn’t living in 1945, but 80 years later.
Exactly this has happened to Ukraine. For nearly three years, the country has been desperately fighting for its survival. It wants to reclaim its lost territories and peace. Like all of us.

As someone who knows Putin's biography and as a former general staff officer in NATO, I am convinced that there can be no negotiations with the Russian president. And if Ukraine gives up the territories because it runs out of weapons and ammunition, we in Central Europe will be next. Then my bad dream could come true.
“If a solution cannot be found on the battlefield, there must be another way to find one,” I thought.

I am also convinced that reality writes the best stories. You just have to recognize them.
So, I began to develop a plot for my fourth Marc Anderson thriller: 

A group of oligarchs led by Alexei Sokolov wants to overthrow Russian President Ivan in Moscow. Just as Brutus and the senators did with Julius Caesar in Rome on the Ides of March. Modern history shows that it is difficult to overthrow a dictator by force. So, I gave Alexei a tough task, as he only had this one chance. And he is even preparing it with the support of the CIA, and with the knowledge of the US President, who of course knows nothing about it. 

The plan is clever, but Alexei has a problem. He is having an affair with Yulia, the partner of the Russian President. Both are under pressure, as Ivan knows something. 

On the flight to Moscow via Vilnius in Belarus, the plane with Alexei and Yulia on board is hijacked. The Ukrainian hijacker demands that his brother be released from Russian captivity. When the Russian President refuses, the plane begins an odyssey over Europe. The hijacker shoots the crew. The plane is without pilots and is programmed to crash into the Berlin Reichstag. The German government considers shooting down the passenger plane, which is legally forbidden. Crisis management between Berlin, Kyiv, and Washington is under enormous time pressure, as the plane is running out of fuel. The Czar in Moscow is silent. The former elite soldier Marc Anderson and his family are also on board. They are invited to a wedding celebration in Vilnius. Marc's wife, Jelke, pleads with her husband, a hobby pilot, to save them all. He and Alexei go into the cockpit and try to take control of the ailing Boeing 737-300 in the night sky.

Will they manage to fly and to land the plane? And how will the plan to bring down Ivan unfold?

At this point, I have to stop. But you can be sure. The ending is spectacular. By page 180 at the latest, you’ll want to know. Otherwise, you won’t be able to relax. At least, that’s what the readers of the German novel say.

Enjoy!