I grew up playing a lot of sports and didn’t begin reading novels until my early twenties.  After college, I worked in the shipping industry in New York City and one day bought a book on the street for $1. The book was called God Is an Englishman, about a young man during the Victorian era in the 1860s who founded a transportation company. In those days, hauling goods was done via horse and cart.

I loved the book, not only for its plot and characters, but for the rich, clever way the author, R. F. Delderfield, brought emotion and interaction to life. He was witty and clever, and I began studying not only the plot, but the prose, how action was described, how the dialogue was delivered, and how the events unfolded through character. It was poetry, I realized, and for the first time in my life, I understood the magic that words can hold.

I began writing short stories, none of which went very far, until one day I convinced myself I could write a book. Over the course of the next few years, I began several stories, only to abandon them each time.  Then I had an idea for a book I called The Tudor Motel, and this is the story I am pleased to present to you today.

While writing it, other ideas popped up involving the main characters: Hester, Elwood, Victor, and Olympia. One idea led to another, and The Tudor Motel expanded into six books—each with its own unique adventure. I hope you enjoy this story and the others that follow.