The sequel to Breadcrumbs and Bombs, my historical genealogical mystery, is in the works still. It might seem like this book, Bloodlines and Barbed Wire, is taking a really long time. That’s accurate, actually.

Why?

First, although I did a lot of research for the first book, I still had a lot more research to do for this second book. In the sequel, I will have part of the book set during World War II, in Germany and in the Sudetenland like in the first book, but this time also in Poland and Italy. This book will partially take place in a concentration camp, so I needed detailed research about camps, too. And this time, there will be more Nazis, including some officers.

Second, this book is the most complicated book I’ve tackled. It’s actually two stories in one. One story is set in modern times and is about the protagonist, Lucas Landry, and his immediate family and some new characters who he thinks may be related to him.

The second story is set in the past and is about a German family Lucas had never heard of until a teenage girl in Arizona contacted him.

What this dual story means is that I have to create two sets of characters (fortunately, most of the current-day characters are already ‘alive’ because they were in the first book). It means I also have to create two stories and two plots and somehow weave them together (or connect them).

Now, I had already written a good portion of the book a couple months ago, but then, after completing more research, I made some major changes to both of the stories/plots. This means a lot of rewriting.

The book is now progressing and is well on the way to completion. I’ll try to keep you updated on the progress.

Thanks for your patience!