Stories About Life and Love
Aaron Vanko enlists to fight the Nazis, but the Iowa farm boy is conflicted over whether he can kill another human. Hours before being deployed, Aaron discovers he is a Jew, further disrupting his sense of self. Despite his moral dilemma, Aaron carries out his patriotic duty. He returns haunted by nightmares, and then flees Iowa to protect his loved ones from himself.
Luke and Elizabeth were living the dream and Christmas was just twelve days away. Luke’s day started out so well, everyone was in the Christmas spirit, important decisions had been made and this Christmas was going to be special. That same day Luke loses his job and before they can talk she receives a call and rushes to be with her dying mother. Left alone, feeling deserted, Luke faces thoughts of murder, suicide and fears he is responsible for the hit and run death of a neighbor.
Forty-eight years is a long time and even a longer time to miss the woman you love. The Voyage of Life story is told as the Robert Cole Voyage of Life paintings are described by the woman he loves: Childhood, Youth, Manhood and Old Age. The paintings become a metaphor for Sean’s life–the verdant landscape and calm waters of childhood become turbulent in youth and then early in manhood the shores turn rocky when he believes his one true love left him for another man.
My next novel “Indiscretion Highway” will be out in 2019. This has been a fun book to write—fun knowing so much more about the process and my own style. Certainly, it was the most complicated novel I have written.
