What do you get when you mix kidnapping, cybertechnology, discovering new meanings in ancient archeology and a few foreign agents? Well, The Man in the Barretina Hat, of course!

I’d love to introduce a few more characters, but fear ruining the surprise. So to get you started, please give a warm welcome to Carlos, Sasha and Cristabel

The name Kashmir stirs exotic images of spices and mountains, of a far-off land caught in a political tug-of-war and of a culture balanced between mountain purity and hectic urban bustle. My husband and I wanted to see it for ourselves. Although the Canadian Government’s travel advisory warned against all travel to Kashmir, the current situation seemed calm. Before heading to this northwestern union territory, we checked with a few local contacts who all confirmed that besides a lot of security checkpoints and military presence, they felt comfortable going there. Plus we wouldn’t be trekking, which we figured should lower the chance of needing to use our travel insurance - coverage is void if travelling to a location against our government’s advice. So, with a window of opportunity, we went. And I can whole-heartedly say, I am glad we did.

~ If you are considering going, please check the current situation and your own government’s travel advisory to make an informed decision. ~

Thank you to Jordan Small at Rocky Mountain Outlook for taking the time to explore the story behind my latest release, The Man in the Barretina Hat.

Thank you to Darren Krause at Livewire Calgary for taking the time to explore how my latest book, The Man in the Barretina Hat, came to be.