Writing & Inspiration

Pursuit of the Golden Lily is my first novel, but not my last! I'm addicted. I loved writing this story. Perhaps equally enjoyable for me, was the research. Originally, I set out to write the story of my parents' wartime journeys - my father left me his POW diary and my mother wrote a short story, called Lamb and Butter - both accounts fueled my imagination. However, when a friend suggested I write a more contemporary tale, my creativity was challenged. But how could I accomplish my original goals, include my parents' wartime experience, and appeal to a wider audience? After an afternoon walking on the beach in Florida, I returned home in search of a secret from WWII. That's when I discovered the Golden Lily!

Sometimes referred to as Yamashita's gold, the Golden Lily campaign was an impeccably thought out operation, allegedly carried out by members of the Japanese Imperial Family from 1935 - 1945. Few people have followed the trail as extensively as Sterling and Peggy Seagrave. It was their fascinating book, Gold Warriors, that provided me with the information I needed to set the back drop for my mystery adventure! 

People like the Seagraves are few and far between; people who risk their lives in search of the truth, who do not shy away from sharing what they uncover. There are plenty of real-life players implicated in the saga of the Golden Lily - the legacy lives on. Consequently, there is a desire to bury what happened, to act as if all those in pursuit of the truth in the matter are merely 'conspiracy theorists'. But the Freedom of Information laws have thankfully allowed the release of certain documents that prove, beyond a doubt, that this nefarious operation was not a figment of anyone's imagination. I hope that Pursuit of the Golden Lily will play a role in helping to educate the public further. I am grateful to the Seagraves, and everyone else whose research allowed me to build a story enriched by their work.

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I have finished the final draft and still aim to publish by March! Stay tuned!

An inspiring connection!

"Selfie" taken by Tiara Jacquelina! 

When I began researching and writing Pursuit of the Golden Lily, I was seeking connections to my father's life in post war Malaysia. Daddy often spoke about a good friend called Eddie Eu Eng Hock - they shared a love of jazz music. On a whim, I decided to Google Datuk Eddie Eu Eng Hock -  sadly he had already passed away. However, imagine my surprise when I discovered that his granddaughter, Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina Eu Effendi turned out to be a famous Malaysian actress and film producer. (Perfect inspiration for a character in my novel!) Tiara won two "Best Actress" awards for her lead role in the epic fantasy period film Puteri Gunung Ledang. The film was chosen as Malaysia's entry for the 2004 Academy Awards.

In addition to her acting roles, Tiara Jacquelina is the Founder and President of Enfiniti Vision Media, Malaysia's foremost production company specializing in musical theater, film, TV and live multi-media performances. Needless to say, she is a busy woman. Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to reach out and see if I could connect to someone distantly related to my father's life in K.L. So I wrote her a message on FaceBook. To my delight, she responded and invited me to contact her when I had my trip dates finalized. As it turned out, Tiara and her husband Dato Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi were speaking at a Lean In Malaysia summit on December 5th - just when we would be in Kuala Lumpur! She invited us to join her at the summit, so we did!

 Tiara and her husband spoke about the important role men can play in supporting their partners, thereby enabling women to pursue careers and manifest personal goals. Their discourse was inspiring.
 Afterwards, despite their hectic schedules (they were leaving for Australia the next day to accompany their son and daughter to universities there), this wonderful family made time to take us out for dinner. It was fun - not only did we get to experience some wonderful Malaysian cuisine, but we got to creative mind-jam with the Enfiniti Team on Tiara and Effendi's next great venture. I think the two 'Eddies' - my father (Eddie) and his dear friend Eddie (Eu Eng Hock), would have been smiling in heaven! Amazing how life can be so magical!

PS - when you read Pursuit of the Golden Lily, see if you can guess which character Tiara inspired! Here's a hint - she doesn't appear until the second half of the story.