All of Alex’s novels mix fact with fiction. Most of the time she uses only bits and pieces from the piles of research she gathers. Here’s a little “behind the scenes” trivia from DAMAGED. (No spoilers included.)
Pensacola, Florida: the "original" first settlement
In 1559, six years before St. Augustine, Florida, was settled the spanish explorer Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano landed on Pensacola's shores with a fleet of 11 ships and a crew of 1,400. Within two years a violent hurricane destroyed the colony, so St. Augustine gets the credit for being the first "permanent" Settlement, but we Pensacolans know who was really first.
Real life serial killer, John Jouertd
In DAMAGED Maggie refers to real-life serial killer, John Joubert who killed two little boys in Nebraska and one in Maine during the early 1980's. A piece of unusual rope helped lead to his arrest. Joubert pleaded guilty, was convicted and executed in 1996. Alex's first novel, A Perfect Evil, is loosely based on the Joubert case.
Hurricane Ivan Alex used the same path for her fictional Hurricane Isaac that Hurricane Ivan took in September 2004. It was the first hurricane she had experienced as a new resident of Florida. She wanted her fictional story to have the same coordinates; however, she lessened Isaac's steam just before it came ashore. She didn't have the heart to put Pensacola through the same devestation that Ivan and Dennis did, even for the sake of fiction.
Coney Island Canteen
The character of Walter Bailey is based on real-life Naval Commander Walter Carlin. When Walter retired he bought a rusty mobile canteen from the Navy base in Pensacola, cleaned, polished, painted it red, white and blue, and named it the Coney Island Canteen. (Walter was an original "Jersey Boy".) He drove up and down Pensacola's old fishing bridge from 9pm to 6am selling hotdogs, soft-serve ice cream and Coke. His regulars nicknamed him, "The Hot-Dog-Man". Walter had plans for an entire fleet of mobile canteens, but instead of dealing with city politics, he decided to really retire. His wife Emily and him moved to Marbella, Spain, returning after 18 incredible years. Walter passed away September 2008 at the age of 85.
First Woman Rescue Swimmer
Kelly Mogk was the first woman to complete the difficult Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer School in Pensacola, Florida, and the first woman in all the military services to qualify as a helicopter rescue swimmer. She graduated from the Coast Guard program in 1985. At last record, she is now Lt. Cmdr. Kelly Larson and a rescue helicopter pilot in Port Angeles.
The Coffee Cup Restaurant Pensacola, Florida
Maggie and Charlie Wurth have breakfast at this Pensacola cafe that has been a downtown tradition since 1945. If you're in the area, stop by and try their award winning Nassau grits. You'll run into all the local bigwigs having breakfast or lunch.
A waitress named Rita
In eight of Alex's ten novels you'll find a waitress named Rita somewhere in the story. If you want to find out why and would like to read more behind the scenes trivia from her novels, JOIN Alex's VIR (Very Important Readers) Club. It's FREE, it's easy, and you'll learn all sorts of fun triva.
