St Paul’s Cathedral 
Criterion Hotel 
Powder compact circa 1942
As I begin to write my 4th Belleville novel, I was reflecting on my pleasure in having my fictional characters inhabit a world that is not entirely fictional. I enjoy grounding my characters in real environments, (where practical, I hasten to add).
I originally set out to write a trilogy. With that completed, I still felt there was more to write about the Belleville family as the next generation comes to adulthood. So watch this space.
Scattered throughout my books you’ll find references to real places (some pictured above) – in Book 1, Julia’s Story, St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral (Rockhampton) and the Criterion Hotel (Rockhampton) are important backdrops to the story.
Among my treasured possessions is a powder compact, ironically from 1942, which belonged to my mother’s younger sister. She died at 16 from pernicious anaemia – an entirely preventable disease these days – long before I was born but my mother kept some keepsakes of her sister. This small item (pictured above) is described in Book 1 as a gift to Julia.
There are many other examples of events and places that are real throughout my Belleville trilogy. Can you spot them?
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THE BELLEVILLE TRILOGY - http://jmarymasters.comBook 1: Julia's Story Book 2: To Love, Honour & Betray Book 3: Return to Prior Park
Judith Mary Masters (Judith) - Australian author writing as J Mary Masters 