Tag: Colorado State University

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – The Romance

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day for Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – The Romance. Is the romance between Charlie and James fact or fiction? Since that question is multifaceted, we’ll take a look at its parts.

The Hero and Heroine

The actual hero and heroine are inspired by real people. Writers envision who their characters look like and often keep a photo handy of these characters to keep them on track. The photo can be a snapshot of people they know, or a photo of a popular actor or actress or … .

J.C. & P.J.'s photo at the Stanley - the inspiration for the hero and heroine in Search Beyond Lies
J.C. & Priscilla Jane

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction — Missing revealed that the character James, was inspired by my son, J.C., who actively participated in the search for Brian. But how about James’ love interest, Charlie?

Charlie

The heroine, Charlie, was inspired by a real person – Priscilla Jane (P.J.). Charlie’s physical description mirrors that of P. J., a true 6-foot beauty.

Many of Charlie’s character traits are actually those held by P.J. who is beautiful on the inside and out. However, her history and participation in the search is mixed with fact and fiction.

Charlie’s background as an expert skier is fact. At one time she considered training for the Olympics until a high school soccer accident made that impossible is fact. That same accident made P.J. unavailable to be on the front line in the search for Brian. She needed surgery from that same injury years prior.

However, P.J. worked in the background in the search for Brian by getting volunteers, and doing all the behind the scenes work on her computer.

Charlie’s military background is another story. It is pure fiction.

the romance

J.C. and P.J. at their engagement.

The romance between J.C. and P.J. is real. They are engaged to be married this year and although I already consider her a part of my family, it will be official.

How they met and the romance as portrayed within Search Beyond Lies is fiction. Speaking of romance, do you consider Search Beyond Lies a Romantic Suspense Thriller or a Suspense Thriller with a dash of romance? The next article will look at the “rules” for determining genre and survey what the readers feel, after all, it’s the readers that count, not the rules.

writing, inspiration, time, events, characters, Thyme for Writers, books, articles, short stories, graduation, Washington, D.C., Georgetown School of Medicine, army, residency, neurosurgery, radiation, Radiological Health Sciences
Priscilla Jane, Karen, J.C. & Joe

© 2023 Karen VDH Fischer

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – The Paintings

In the last Fact or Fiction article for Search Beyond Lies – The Clues: Part 2, I left you with a mystery about the real glasses. A particular painting was the source of a few of the clues revealed in the book. Does this painting exist? If it does exist, who is the artist? How about the other painting described in detail?

the artist

art gallery, Denver

Brian Perri did in fact have a favorite artist and he collected a number of this artist’s paintings. The name of “Brett’s” favorite artist in the book is fiction. As a matter of fact, that fictitious name is an alternate since unbeknownst to me (until pointed out by one of my beta readers), the original name I planned to use belongs to a professional basketball player.

The real artist’s name is Greg Pettit. Brian discovered Greg’s paintings in a Denver art gallery and since he found his paintings fascinating at many levels, he started collecting his work.

  • Greg uses colors that bring joy.
  • Every time you look at his paintings you discover something new.
  • His work inspires creativity.
  • Each painting is unique.
  • The work is captivating.

The painting

The clue-revealing painting described within Search Beyond Lies is a real painting that was painted by Greg Pettit. It is now owned by J.C. and came into his possession in the manner described in the book.

Painting by Greg Pettit
Artist: Greg Pettit

This painting can captivate someone for hours, and it was a source of inspiration for me. Since I know I didn’t do the painting justice in its description, I received permission from Greg Pettit to post a picture of it. If you want to explore more of Greg’s work, feel free to click his name which is linked to his Instagram account or copy and paste: greg_pettit@instagram.

the other painting

To my knowledge, Brian did not paint. The example I used of “Brett’s” painting hobby was that of a skunk painted on the wall of his parents’ guest bathroom. You could not sit on the commode without the skunk’s lifted tail aimed at you. The fact that the character, Brett, painted it was fiction.

Painting of a Skunk with lifted tail, by Brett Rosenberg
Artist: Brett Rosenberg

However, the painting itself is fact and was painted by a family friend, Brett Rosenberg. It is the real Brett’s hobby – he is very creative, a great artist, and is a Radiation Health Physicist, as Brian was in life, and as my character, Brett is in Search Beyond Lies. I received Brett’s permission to share it with you. It brings a smile to my face every time I use their guest bathroom.

What would you like to see for the next Fact or Fiction article for Search Beyond Lies?

© 2023 Karen VDH Fischer

SEARCH BEYOND LIES – CAN YOU IMAGINE?

Today’s post was supposed be the first Fact or Fiction article of 2023, however, I experienced an unusual act of kindness I just had to share. Can You Imagine?

What most writers dread

The 90th Birthday Celebration!

Marketing is the bane of most writers’ existence, and I’m no exception. My trip to South Florida was a combination of business and my dad’s 90th birthday celebration. While there, I decided to take photos of Search Beyond Lies with natural backgrounds to use in marketing. I found what I believed to be an ideal location on the bridge that crosses the inlet.

the bridge

Since currents are extremely rough, it opens on demand and there is always a bridge operator. I selected a great spot and started taking photos and videos. I didn’t think about the dynamics of how I needed to move to capture these photos and the thought of what I may have looked like never occurred to me until…

the bridge operator

The bridge operator came rushing out of his shelter to make sure I was alright — carrying a beautiful rose. Can you imagine what he must have thought?

When I explained what I was doing, a grin spread across his face. He handed me the rose and wished me blessings on my day. I can only imagine why he had this picture-perfect rose in the first place…

What an incredible act of kindness!! He definitely made my day as I took the remainder of my photos with the rose.

My walk

My 3-mile walk turned into 6.5 miles. With a smile on my face, I took photos of my book and special rose in a multitude of scenic places:

Along the inlet…

On the beach next to the inlet…

In the park, and …

My day was truly blessed!

A writer friend of mine started sharing quotes as a ministry during COVID and one of her primary topics is kindness. What are the most unusual acts of kindness you have experienced? Any ideas to share? We’d love to hear about them!

The first Fact or Fiction article of 2023 will reveal what was fact and what was fiction about the paintings found in Search Beyond Lies. Stay tuned!

© 2023 Karen VDH Fischer

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – The Clues: Part 2

In The Clues Part 1 of the last Fact or Fiction article for Search Beyond Lies, we learned that the existence of the glasses Charlie discovered was fact. The way they were discovered was fiction. The story behind the glasses still makes my head spin….

The History Behind the Glasses

Brian was an avid hiker with a goal of hiking all the 14ers. Par for the course, his sunglasses took a beating. J.C. was also hard on sunglasses so as a tit for tat type of joke, they gave each other their favorite sunglasses for their birthdays. At the time, J.C. liked a certain style of Ray-Ban® sunglasses.

Brian & J.C. hiking wearing the infamous sunglasses.

The sunglasses

The day before J.C.’s birthday, 8 months after Brian’s last hike, a small package was delivered to our home for J.C. By this time, J.C. had started a new job back east, so he asked me to open it. They were Ray-Ban® sunglasses. He asked who the sender was and where it originated from. Logical questions.

Estonia

The answers, however, did not make sense. They were sent from Estonia and the sender was his father, my husband. Clearly, he did not send them. Not only had my husband never been to Estonia, but even if he had, he would have sent a gift to his son’s new residence.

Hmmm. I took a picture of the sunglasses and texted it to J.C. They were his favorite style….

The investigation

I called Ray-Ban® and was advised that they could be counterfeits. They did not distribute from Estonia, and they were made only in Italy or China. I checked the packaging and tag. These were made in Italy, or so the tag said. The next step was to take it to an authorized distributor who had the capabilities to inspect and determine whether they were genuine Ray-Ban® sunglasses.

Italy City Scape

I did and they were genuine Ray-Ban® sunglasses. Hmmm.

friends and family

J.C. called every one of his family and friends who may have given him those sunglasses for his birthday. He struck out. No one he knew sent him those glasses.

conclusion

Who sent those sunglasses? Maybe it’s only my novelist’s imagination, but I’m not 100% sure Brian is no longer with us….

© 2022 Karen VDH Fischer

suspense thriller, romantic suspense, Colorado, Rocky Mountains, action

Search Beyond Lies is available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO

Search Beyond Lies-The Top-Secret Research Project: Fact or Fiction?

In our last Search Beyond Lies Fact or Fiction article on the university, we discovered that the university within the book is fiction. Colorado State University’s Radiation Health Physics program is the real deal where Brian Perri and J.C. Fischer obtained their graduate degrees. But what about the top-secret research project at the heart of the novel? Did Brian in fact work on such a project?

Colorado State University Science Quad
Colorado State University – Science Quad

Search Beyond Lies’ Top-Secret Research Project

The top-secret research project with world-wide implications at the heart of Search Beyond Lies is pure fiction—a figment of my active imagination. Although Brian and other graduate students had the opportunity to work with several world-renowned Health Physicists, none of the projects rose to the level described in the book.

The Real Research Project

Both Brian and J.C. had very interesting research projects, but neither were top-secret.

Fukushima

Brian took advantage of one of the many graduate student opportunities mentioned in the last article regarding the university. Through CSU’s partnership with Fukushima University in Japan, “Brian used Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) modeling to determine lens dose conversion factors for mice living in the Fukushima exclusion zone in various exposure scenarios.” (In Memoriam Brian Joseph Perri, by Amber Harshman, Health Physics Journal, May 2019). It is my understanding that the data from Brian’s research could be used to counteract the harmful effects of the sun’s radiation.

Safety

J.C.’s project was part of a Department of Defense grant. The mathematical formula described within the book is fact. “The purpose of his research was to further improve and advance detection capabilities of shielded and unshielded radioactive sources in elevated background environments using a string or series of measurements.” In other words, his research was used improve the detection of radioactive materials/nuclear “bombs” that are “shielded” in lead or other such shielding in defense of our country.

PhD or Masters?

J.C.'s Graduation from CSU

Both Brian’s and J.C.’s research projects were for a master’s thesis, not a PhD. So, the existence of J.C.’s defense was fact, the level was fiction. The purpose of elevating the projects to that of a PhD was two-fold: 

  1. A top-secret project with worldwide implications would only be done at the PhD level; and
  2. The hero, James, would not be old enough for Charlie if he went straight through from undergraduate unless it was for a PhD.

My son-in-law, Rob, is finishing up his PhD in Intergraded Biomedical Sciences in the discipline of Neuroscience. I received the low-down from him and witnessed a PhD defense at CSU for the Radiation Health Physics Program. The protocol as outlined in the book is fact.

Brian Perri's graduation posthumously.
Brian Perri’s Graduation with Dr. Thomas Johnson, Dr. Amber Harshman, & J.C. Fischer

Both J.C. and Brian earned their master’s degrees, however Brian’s was posthumously. At the time Brian made his last climb, he had the initial draft of his thesis completed. His professor finalized it and published it in his name posthumously.

What would you like me to reveal in the next Fact or Fiction article for Search Beyond Lies?

© 2022 Karen VDH Fischer

suspense thriller, romantic suspense, Colorado, Rocky Mountains, action

Find Search Beyond Lies on Amazon

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction — The University

In Search Beyond Lies, a key place is the university. Both James and Brett were graduate students at the university and obtained PhDs in Health Physics. Is the university a real place?

The University

Although the university within the book is fictitious, both Brian Perri and J.C. were graduate students in Colorado State University’s Health Physics program. Because my intention was to create a fictitious university, I intentionally did no research on CSU at the time of my writing Search Beyond Lies.

The Real University – Colorado State University

Colorado State University
Colorado State University

Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Its Health Physics program was created over 40 years ago and was fully accredited by ABET in July 2007 and continually reaccredited in subsequent years. CSU is recognized as one of the premier health physics/radiation protection graduate training programs in the country.

ABET and the Accreditation Process

  • In case you are wondering what ABET is, it’s a nonprofit, ISO 9001 certified organization that accredits university and college programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
  • Every year the entire Health Physics program is critically examined by an advisory board, and in depth every 6 years by the ABET external review team.
  • CSU’s External Advisory Board contains representatives from nuclear power facilities, consulting experts, mining and milling operations, and national laboratories.

What is Health Physics?

I reached out to one of the key faculty members who provided me with the best definition of health physics: “Protection of workers, the public and the environment from harmful effects of radiation while facilitating beneficial use of radiation.”

You might wonder why someone who works in the field of radiation is called a Health Physicist. Why not a Radiation Physicist? I touched a little bit about this within the book.

The professor provided me with further insight. “The health physics profession was named in an effort to obfuscate what we do. It was named in WWII to try to deflect the actual work that was done.”

Unique Offerings in CSU’s Health Physics Program

Unlike other programs, CSU’s health physics program offers classes in Radioecology and Radiochemistry. Both of these areas are important for evaluating reactor chemistry and making human health and environmental impact assessments for all segments of the nuclear fuel cycle.  Additionally, these areas are very important in evaluating and periodically revising the environmental regulations for nuclear power and other nuclear activities, especially nuclear accidents.

There are many opportunities for their graduate students, including the ability to work in radiation research through CSU’s partnership with Japan’s Fukushima University.

Job Opportunities

Where do graduates of CSU’s Health Physics program work? Since there are very few graduate programs in this highly specialized field, opportunities abound. Graduates are working in nuclear power plants, at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Monaco and Austria, most of the national laboratories, and hospitals. Many alumni hold leadership positions in the Health Physics Society, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Power Plant

It’s an incredible program with global opportunities.  In the next article we’ll delve into the truth behind the top-secret research project with world-wide implications at the heart of Search Beyond Lies. Is it fact or fiction?

suspense thriller, romantic suspense, Colorado, Rocky Mountains, action

Search Beyond Lies is available on Amazon.

© 2022 Karen VDH Fischer