The historical romance novel reflects the topography of the Pacific NW area where Lotus was a child. She swam in the great Columbia - a river which is almost a character in the book. She hoped that her readers would enjoy the story as an escape from modern problems. Surprisingly, residents back in the 1830's experienced the presence of a corporation of global reach. The humor novel is a fantasy which might answer the question of what your animals (stuffed and otherwise) do when you are out of the house. She wrote it from the perspective of someone who might be channeling 'Wind in the Willows'.