1920S New York City HistoryI had so much fun writing this book, partly because I’m so familiar with Niagara Falls. I live near Lake Ontario on the outskirts of Rochester, New York, and the Falls are only about an hour away from us. I don’t visit often, but I’ve been there several times over the years.
1920's New York City HistoryI planned to publish KILLJOY in the fall and couldn’t resist focusing the plot on the spooky Halloween season. So, I began researching ghosts and hauntings in the 1920s. That led me straight to Olive Thomas and the New Amsterdam Theatre.
The information in Killjoy regarding Olive’s life and death is true, although I merely grazed the surface of her life and career. As for her death, it made me wonder if she actually mistook her husband’s topical medication by mistake, or if he had killed her, which was a popular belief at the time. I guess we’ll never know.
1920's New York City HistoryIf you’re familiar with the series, you know I always love to share some of my research and a few tunes from the Roaring Twenties.
Let’s start with Chumley’s Tavern, which was, indeed, a former speakeasy located at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village. Leland Stanford Chumley, a socialist activist, converted a blacksmith’s shop into a pub in 1922, and it became a favorite spot for influential writers, such as F. Fitzgerald Scott and Ernest Hemingway, along with poets, playwrights, journalists, and activists.
1920's New York City HistoryThe first two books in the Jax Diamond Mysteries series, Songbirdand Framed, took place in New York City, and the next two books will be back in the heart of Broadway. Yet, Laura Graystone was anxious to find out the details surrounding her father’s death, so they needed to travel to her hometown, temporarily.
When I was young, my family used to vacation for a few days in Massachusetts during the summer, and I remember hearing all about the witches of Salem. My mother was also somewhat superstitious, although I’m not sure why, but at an early age, I learned to throw salt over my left shoulder, avoid black cats, and I never, ever touched a tails-up penny on the ground.
1920's New York City HistoryAs with Songbird, I’d like to leave you with a few tidbits from the Roaring Twenties. This one came as a surprise to me, especially with the immense historical research I’ve done for all of my books.
Did you know that before the 1920s, ‘cocktails’ were unheard of? Beer, shots of liquor, and wine were the only common alcoholic drinks. Prohibition was passed on January 17, 1920. Shortly afterward, women won their right to vote on August 26. Therefore, more and more women began frequenting clubs and speakeasies. To accommodate them, the club owners began introducing different liquors combined with various mixers, which appealed to women far more than beer or shots. And cocktails were born.
1920's New York City HistoryIf you’ve read the other books in the series, you’ll see that I’m trying to use a different theme in each book. Songbirdfocused on Broadway Theaters. Framed was all about bootlegging and gangsters. Deucetook us to Laura’s small hometown in Millbury, and Two of a Kind deals with a few of the larger department stores in New York City at Christmastime. The next book, Blackjack, well, that speaks for itself, and we’re back on Broadway with a full cast, including my favorite gangster/friend, Orin Marino.
I always enjoy sharing historical tidbits and songs from the era. This book doesn’t include any songs, but since it’s about Christmas, I thought I would share a few holiday tunes. The first video isn’t really a song, but it made me laugh, and it was released in 1922. The second video took me back to my childhood at Christmastime. The music was a staple in our house during the holidays. And I couldn’t pass up sharing Bing Crosby’s infamous White Christmas.
1920's New York City HistoryUsually, I write historical romance novels based upon the lives of heroic women and events in history. Originally, I intended this book to be based upon the true Broadway Butterfly Murders that took place in New York City in 1923-24.
Dorothy King and Louise Lawson were two not-so-famous actresses who were drawn away from their Broadway careers by a few wealthy businessmen who showered them with furs and diamonds. They were both killed separately a year apart, and their murders remain unsolved to this day. Back then, the newspaper headlines had read, “Who Killed the Broadway Butterflies?”