Novel Research The historical research for Christine's upcoming novel about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, founder of San Diego, included sailing in the wake of his 1542 voyage up the California coast and landing on all eight of the Channel Islands.  To the left, Christine stands upon the bowsprit of the tall ship Californian, captained by Dr. Ray Ashley, director of the San Diego Maritime Museum.  Christine's investigations related to her latest novel THE WHALER'S FORGE  included traveling to five Canadian provinces, primarily Labrador, and getting her hands (and many other parts) dirty with a team of archaeologists from the Smithsonian Institution on a dig at a Basque whaling site. Delving into the experience of the first Columbus voyage for CHALLENGE THE WIND, Christine sailed aboard replicas of the Nina and the Santa Maria, enabling her to step into the shoes of her young protagonist, Domingo Laca and to see, hear, smell, and touch the things of his world. These sailing experiences enhanced her research of the Magellan voyage for SAILS OF FORTUNE. Traveling to Getaria, Spain, the birthplace of her main character, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, gave her a deeper perspective of the man and his mission. The perceptions and understanding gained help provide readers a glimpse of the intriguing times, bold men and women, and unparalleled events of the age of exploration.