Why Cloak and Dagger?

I don't know what first led to my love of swords and flowing gowns and princesses in disguise. Perhaps it was my mom reading The Bridge out loud to me. Or when I read The Runaway Princess. Or when our homeschool writer's club read Tales of the Kingdom. Or when I finally picked up The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at age 11.

Soon following that came my love of spies and international intrigue and undercover work. From Phoebe the Spy to A Way Through the Sea, I loved reading about the rush of clandestine encounters and keeping secrets at all costs.

Later, I realized how hard authenticity would be for someone used to hiding in the shadows with weapon drawn. How could someone pretending to be someone else ever have a true relationship? But it's not just professional spies and incognito royalty who have to deal with the question. We all hide behind our own masks, ready to strike out at anyone who gets too close.

And so my fiction, and this website, explores the facets of this paradox:

How can you live authentically when your existence depends on keeping secrets?