I must have the best readers in the world. They're smart and funny and involved in all sorts of activities. That said, I want to introduce them one at a time. Well, in this case two at a time, because I decided to start with Kerstin and Annika, talented twins from Uetersen, Germany. Their drollery has been making me laugh for several years now. This is the twins' painting of "Mt. Looshmore". 

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     I made Kerstin's acquaintance when she sent me a letter illustrated with cartoons. I was working on Shadow Patriots and needed some old German insults for Baron von Steuben to yell at the American troops while teaching them the manual of arms at Valley Forge. I asked Kerstin if she could help me out. I didn't expect anything, but I didn't know Kerstin then. She went to the library, ransacked her father's books, and enlisted her sister. Useful phrases started arriving within a couple days, along with the twins' own off-beat and witty observations on music, pop culture, history, family, neighbors, current events, and their dog Lolle.

   Some of the phrases that didn't make it into Shadow Patriots are: 
-- Potz Plunder! Something like "for heaven's sake," although Plunder means rubbish or old clothes 
-- zum Teufel mit euch! to hell with you all! 
--ihr Hannebambel! You foolish guys. 
And this, said of a boring small town: 
--Da willst du nicht mal tot uberm Zaun hangen! You wouldn't want to hang dead on a fence there. 

     Recently Kerstin and Annika sent me their painting of Mt. Looshmore with characters from my novels substituted for the presidents. They included a ten-page explanation of how and why they did it, all illustrated with the two cartoon characters that are their alter-egos. As they put it, "We have often been wondering how Mount Rushmore was built. And why nobody lost their orientation, hanging down on Washington's nose. Why didn't they believe they were hanging on Washington's chin? The first time we saw it was, by the way, in "North by Northwest" (?) by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant."

    Kerstin also painted a portrait of Quanah Parker. It's posted on the German page of this website, and the Parker family has asked Kerstin's permission to use it on their private website too.

   I told them I was planning a little surprise and asked them to tell about where they worked and what they studied. Here are their answers: 

Annika:       Annika works in an office in Hamburg in a department which helps people not to lose their homes because of debts. ("Sometimes we pay only a loan, so we'll try to get the money back one day, if they burned it or bought pink elephants instead of paying the rent.")       Kerstin attends Hamburg's "Alsterdamm", a school for graphic design. She designs brochures, creates print campaigns, tv spots and so on.      Kerstin sent your mails to Annika (K has a vacation, poor A is in her office), and Annika's replies read "hahaha!" and "hahaha! Lechz (yearn), what is her own little surprise?!"       Wir sind gespannt wie ein Flitzebogen. (We are tense as a bow. This arrow bow.) ;-)       Mach's gut!       Annika & Kerstin

More readers to be featured in the future.

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