July 20, 2025

When Chateau Saint-Pierre Felt Uncomfortably Real

Some parts of Chateau Saint-Pierre came from first-hand stories people trusted me with over many years.

I changed names, structures, and timelines, but I did not want to lose the moral weight of what I had heard.

The novel is fiction, but its emotional truth is rooted in voices that were careful, personal, and difficult to forget.

At times while drafting, it felt uncomfortably close to reality.

That closeness made me write more slowly and more responsibly.

If readers feel a quiet seriousness beneath the thriller surface, that is why.

Clive