Shortly after returning from Amsterdam, I met with members of The Rep Book Club who read my novel. I was gratified by the positive feedback about the story, characters, and writing style, and readers saying they loved learning about ships and aspects of life during the latter 1500s. There were numerous questions about my approach to writing and the influence of David and my world travel experiences. Sue Gazdo's scrumptious speculaas koekjes, which she made from a recipe found on a Dutch website, elicited humorous warnings of the risk of pregnancy from eating them!