In between projects, I started work on a novella about a young man named Randy Stuart and his solitary experience hitchhiking through Europe and northern Africa in 1970. It's inspired by my husband's own journey at 18, when he traveled from Rabat, Morocco, to Spain, France, England, Italy, and back again.  Along the way, he survived Algeria's No Man's Land and, through a stubborn, inexplicable positivity,  survived emotionally abusive, absent parents, catching a glimpse of his true worth. 

I started writing this years ago, partly as an exercise of discovery.  I stopped and started several times, but now I believe that by fictionalizing his various memories, mixed in with likely characters along the way, it portrays a fascinating picture of a young man's coming of age. It's a story of how good humor, self-confidence, and intentional will can lead to self-fulfillment, acceptance, and success. 

I'm about halfway through the story with much more to write.  I'll keep you updated as it develops.  By the way, if you've read my previous books, Walking In Deep Sand, or its later edition, Cynthia's Search, this is the same Randy, son of Cynthia and Geoff.