My favorite fictional stories also include factual elements. Here’s some behind the scenes information, with links to read more:
The Glass Dolphin antiques shop, and its owner, Arabella Carpenter, play a pivotal role in The Hanged Man’s Noose. Named after Arabella’s first antique “find,” the candlesticks in her store window can indeed be found in antiques shops, as well as at auction. Read more in The Boston & Sandwich Glass Company.
The Hanged Man’s Noose takes place in the small, historic town of Lount’s Landing. While Lount’s Landing is fictional, the man who it was named after—Samuel Lount—was very real. Read more in Samuel Lount.
The protagonist in Skeletons in the Attic, Calamity (Callie) Doris Barnstable, was named after Calamity Jane, a Wild West frontierswoman. Read more in: Calamity Jane
Herman Tappen Perfume Bottles make an appearance in A Hole in One: A Glass Dolphin Mystery #2. Read more in: Herman Tappen Perfume Bottles.
In Past & Present, protagonist Callie Barnstable researches her latest cold case by searching through photographs in York University’s Toronto Telegram Collection in the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections. Read more in: The Toronto Telegram.
In A Fool’s Journey, protagonist Callie Barnstable becomes well acquainted with flash art, the term used for generic tattoo designs. Read more in: Flash Art at Ripley Auctions.
The inspiration behind the title of A Fool’s Journey, believe the Major Arcana is The Fool’s Journey as he travels through life, making discoveries and learning along the way, until his journey is complete. Read more in: The Fool’s Journey.
Learn more about Ontario’s Missing Adults, the website that inspired the fictional Ontario Registry of Missing and Unidentified Adults, in A Fool’s Journey. Read more in: Ontario’s Missing Adults.
Learn more about holograph wills and the story of Cecil George Harris as found in Where There’s A Will.
Witch bottles and rosemary have a long history, as you’ll find in Where There’s A Will. Read more in: Witch Bottles
The daguerreotype is an early photographic process using silver-plated copper and mercury fumes (doesn’t that sound safe?) that plays an important role in Where There’s A Will. Read more in: Daguerreotypes.
Remember the roll top desk? One in particular plays a major role in Where There’s A Will. Read more in: Cutler Desk.
Blue Rodeo remains one of my favorite bands of all-time, and their music is often referenced in my books. Read more in: Blue Rodeo.
After 26 years, an unidentified adult referenced in A Fool’s Journey has been identified. Read more in: John Doe of Regina.