Have books ever spoken to you? I don’t mean”speak” in the usual way by content that informs, challenges, encourages, or inspires, but rather … well, let me back up a bit.

Like most writers, I get discouraged from time to time. It’s not easy writing historical fiction. I need to come up not only with the right words but with accurate history. Sometimes I simply get stuck. Many call this writer’s block. I call it the “ebb.”
Writing reminds me of the ocean tide. The waters go out to sea but they always come back. So also, there is an ebb and flow in writing. On rare occasions, the waters recede very far and all is silent for a longer time than usual, but just because the tide has gone out does not mean it’s going to stay there. In fact, the longer it stays, the more forceful is its…