THIS NOVEL WOULDN’T exist without the story of my Great Aunt Ruth-in-law, whose own life inspired my protagonist. Thank you to my husband, David; my sister-in-law Laura; and my brother-in-law Steve for being supportive of pulling from the family lore of their Great Aunt Ruth, who did what she had to do when her version of Pony crossed a boundary one time too many.
Likewise, this novel wouldn’t exist without the history of Middle Island, the southernmost point of land in Canada, in the waters of Lake Erie. Middle Island is the inspiration for Trouble Island. Though Middle Island is now a conservation area that is not open to human visitors, it is part of an archipelago in Lake Erie, and is visible (with the help of binoculars) from nearby islands in Lake Erie near the north shore of Ohio.
This novel’s setting and atmosphere grew from a long offseason weekend visit to one of those islands, South Bass. Thank you to my daughter Gwen for accompanying me, going on many hikes, helping me keep track of notes, taking photos, and spending lots of time looking through binoculars! And for keeping me from getting lost, which yes, I could do even on a small island. The visit included a long afternoon at the Put-in-Bay Library—Erie Islands Branch reviewing the archives of local newspapers and historical accounts. Finding stories of iceboats, daring lake rescues, and yes, bootlegging, all fortified this novel’s plot.
Another wonderful resource that deeply informed this novel is the National Museum of the Great Lakes (nmgl.org) in Toledo, Ohio. A long visit to the museum’s displays and its Col. James M. Schoonmaker freighter provided valuable details on lighthouses, shipwrecks, storms (particularly the 1916 Black Friday “perfect storm” on Lake Erie), life on freighters, bootlegging, and more. It’s a beautiful, fascinating museum and I highly recommend visiting. Thank you to Gwen and David for accompanying me and being just as enthusiastic about the exhibit as I was.
While novelists spend many hours working alone, novels are the result of community. First, I must thank the members of my amazing writing tribe, all of whom I count as dear friends: the “Cute City Bitches” Katrina Kittle, Erin Flanagan, Christina Consolino, and Meredith Doench. (And a special shout-out to Kelly H., Erin’s sister, for generously letting the CCBs retreat several times a year to her lovely house so we can write, write, write as well as encourage one another in our literary endeavors.) A special thank-you to fellow writers and dear friends Heather Webber, Jessica Strawser, Kristina McBride. You all never fail to cheer me on and cheer me up, and I’m ever grateful. Extra shout-outs and hugs to David, Erin, and Christina for being my beta readers for Trouble Island; your insights helped me make sense of the story.
A huge thank-you to my publishing team. All of you inspire me to work on being a better writer, every day! From The Book Group: Elisabeth Weed for initial feedback and my agent, Nicole Cunningham, for a thorough review of initial drafts and for illuminating conversations. From Minotaur Books: Catherine Richards, my editor, for insightful direction and always helping me serve the story; Kelly Stone and Kelley Ragland for shepherding the novel through its final stages; copy editor Christina MacDonald for polishing the manuscript; and publicist Sarah Melnyk and marketing manager Stephen Erickson for their dedicated, tireless efforts to make sure Trouble Island reaches readers.
Finally, I must thank my dear, dear family: my husband, David, and our daughters, Katherine and Gwen. Your belief in and support of me over the years makes my life a true joy. Endless love and hugs right back at you.