Kim asked Barbara Nickless:

Sydney Rose seems to have developed some serious issues from her tour in Iraq. Her experiences ring as being very realistic. I'm guessing, since you were born in Guam, that you were a child in a military family. I'm curious about how you get into Sydney Rose's head. Did you serve, does it come from family experience, or is it based on research and interviews?

Barbara Nickless Kim, thanks for a great question! You are right about Guam--I'm an Air Force brat. My father served as a bomber pilot in WWII. My maternal grandfather was a general in the National Guard. A maternal uncle was a POW in Germany. None of these men talked much about their experiences, and after reading some great books about WWII and Vietnam (including the incomparable Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes), I became curious about what our troops were experiencing in Afghanistan and Iraq. When I read Jessica Goodell's Shade it Black and other resources about Mortuary Affairs, I knew what perspective I wanted to use in Blood on the Tracks. So, yes, a lot of interviews and research. And all those family members who dealt with the aftermath of war. Thank you for asking!

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