All Russian and French literature; also most of British literature from Chaucer to Amis(es)! Much of US literature. Read contemporary literary as well as historical works but very picky about writing style and avoid current US narcissistic novels and memoirs. Writing short stories got me started (late in the 50's) but was encouraged to do a historical novel. "A Russian Affair" concerns the assassination of Tsar Alexander II and his mistress as well as the woman terrorist who was a key figure in his murder and hanged for her role. It is both a love story (told both from the point of view of the Tsar's mistress and from the point of view of the terrorist who has an affair with the leader of the organization created to get rid of the despot). As a consequence the novel is centered around two women and their divergent choices--both in men and in the social spheres in which they lived.