The Kiev Confession follows a reporter and survivor of the Chernobyl explosion who work together to expose the truth behind government coverups from the Cold War. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I grew up during the above-ground testing era, when the image of an atom bomb exploding was never far from my mind. At school we held atom bomb drills. I pestered my father—unsuccessfully—to build a bomb shelter. I was transfixed by magazine photographs of fiery mushroom clouds rising to the sky. As fate would have it, when the Soviet Union collapsed, I was working as a reporter in Washington, D.C. One afternoon, I had the chance to talk to a group of Russian citizens from a weapons-production region that had been contaminated by radiation. They had come to America to meet with people living near the Hanford nuclear complex in Washington state, which also was contaminated by radiation. I found it extraordinary that strangers who had spent their lives on opposite sides of the Cold War wanted to meet in person and share the tragedies that had befallen their communities during the nuclear arms race. These experiences inspired the premise for the novel.

One thing that stands out is the historical information you include in this novel, it isn’t just setting the stage, it is a primary focus. How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?

I must confess that I love doing research. I also believe that historical novels should be true to the events and the period they depict. The Kiev side of the story unfolds from 1986 to 1991, before Ukraine became independent. This presented a particular challenge because after 1991 many street names were changed, and Soviet patterns and rules were jettisoned. I interviewed Ukrainians and read Ukrainian-American newspapers from that time period. I read numerous scientific accounts of the Chernobyl disaster, many of them written before 1992. I even found on eBay an official Soviet tour book for Kiev printed in English, which I purchased. For the U.S. side of the story, I tracked hot environmental topics from 1990 to 1991 and delved into declassified Atomic Energy Commission documents. I wrote the first draft of the novel several years ago, then set the project aside. After the war erupted in Ukraine in 2022, I picked up the manuscript again and spent about nine months rewriting and completing the book.

What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

I loved Vasyl. He’s a devoted husband and father trying to do what is right but not always reaping the rewards he deserves. Anatoly was perhaps my favorite character to write. In fact, all the Kiev characters were a joy to write. Given her unique and difficult childhood, Vickie was the most challenging character to write.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I am writing another historical novel. It’s too soon to say when it will be available, but I can promise not to sit on it for years!

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