Portrait of an Innocent Girl follows a man who transcends space and time and finds himself in Nazi-era Vienna on a mission to locate a haunting painting stolen during WWII. Where did the idea for this novel come from? 

First, I want to thank you for having me. As for the idea, I was trying to come up with something that would flow from Volume 1 of the series, which also dealt with art. I also wanted something that felt current, and with the present world situation and the rise in hate, I felt that going back to Nazi Germany would resonate. That led to a natural discourse about the state of antisemitism in this country during the World War II years.

Can you share with us a little about the research that went into putting this book together? 

Yes. The research revolved around art that had been stolen by the Nazi regime and remained missing. While the artist and the art in the story are fictional, I drew from real art that had been taken. I also drew from real life events as much as possible. The research into the state of affairs in the United States in the years leading up to World War II was quite eye-opening.

What challenges have you faced in writing complex plots?

The most challenging aspects are ensuring that a change, or new plot point, doesn’t adversely effect something which had already been written earlier in the story. I think my legal training, and having spent so much time drafting legal documents, which presents a similar issue, has helped. I know some authors who keep spreadsheets to assist them. I keep it all in my head. The middle-of-the-night awakenings are frequent!

Can we look forward to Volume 3 soon? Where will it take readers? 

I think a Volume 3 may be in my future. I like to take time in between the books in a series to write something different, and I’ve just completed a new manuscript which is totally unrelated to the Watching series. As for where Volume 3 will take readers, that is still yet to be determined, but I do have some ideas swimming around the cranium. We’ll have to wait and see.

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