Travel literature had always been a huge part of my life, as had travelling. I had shelved a number of completed travel writings and it wasn't until my time in Southern Russia I discovered a story had to be told because of the nature of the events that unfolded. That specific period in Russia's history was the backdrop of one's self against the odds that awaited. While many, many great authors have inspired and compelled me, the one of most significance is my own father Rick, who has published his own travel books and contributed more to my travels and writing than all other sources combined.