A Goodreads user asked Derek Haas:

Hi Derek Love all your books and follow on twitter. Finished The Way I Die and can’t wait for next great Columbus adventure. I read Nancy’s question as I am a big fan of ‘Clay’ as well. Loved all the ongoing references to Columbus’ demise throughout the story. Any special thoughts on how they came about?

Derek Haas Sandra! Good to see you on here. When I'm writing the Columbus books, early on, I'll find an idea to keep bouncing back to... a theme or a phrase or an image or symbol that I just keep hammering that sort of echoes the story of that book. I guess it's like a melody in a song. For Dark Men, it was a tiger. For A Different Lie, it was bubbles popping. For Columbus, there are fishing reference throughout. I just opened The Way I Die with Columbus thinking of all the different ways he could meet his end. As I was writing, that turn of phrase just kept coming to me. I can't explain it other than it came naturally. Thanks for the question!

flag