Carolyn Marsden says that THE BUDDHA'S DIAMONDS was inspired by a talk given by Thay Phap Niem to the children of Deer Park Monastery. She lives in La Jolla, California. Thay Phap Niem's childhood experiences form the basis of THE BUDDHA'S DIAMONDS. A year after the storm depicted in the story, he escaped postwar Vietnam and became a Buddhist monk. All of his royalties will be donated to the Touching and Helping Programs in Vietnam.