Speaking of which: I love it when other authors talk about the fact versus fiction of their books, so I've included some notes here (hopefully for your enjoyment) that shed light on which aspects were true—and which I played around with.
Seward's Assassination Attempt
In case you didn't realize it, the attempt on William Seward's life was very real. The event happened the same night Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theater. Sadly, his wife was so distraught about the incident that she took ill and died not long after.
Seward House
The Seward mansion is a historical landmark in the beautiful city of Auburn, New York. Many people don't realize how pretty the New York countryside is, and I always recommend people give it a visit. The rolling hills and mountains make for a picturesque setting in every season of the year. The towns, too, are perfectly situated in the natural surroundings and make for a lovely stay.
The home is now a museum, and visitors are welcome to come by and check out the property to see it as it was in the 1800s. The home is in amazing condition and is certainly worth visiting to take a journey back in time. As far as I know, most of the furnishings are originals and have been kept in good condition. It's an incredible thing to stand in a place where such a remarkable and tragic historical event took place. Kind of sobering.
The Surratt Boarding House
The Surratt Boarding House was the real meeting place for John Wilkes Booth and his associates. While the conversation at the beginning of the story was fabricated, the people involved were all real, as were their roles in history.
For her actions in harboring and assisting the conspirators, Mary Surratt became the first woman to be executed in United States history. Her son, John Jr., however, was released. After his work as a spy in the Confederate Secret Service, John remained in Baltimore where he lived out the rest of his life. He lived until he was 72, working as a United States postmaster, school teacher, lecturer, and farmer.
This place still stands today and really is the home of the Wok and Roll Chinese restaurant. While I have not eaten there, I almost always recommend General Tso's tofu (or chicken) if you're in the mood for something sweet and spicy. Of course, there's nothing spicier than a little conspiracy.
The building has gone through many renovations since the time of Lincoln. If anything was hidden there, it would have been removed long ago.
The Surratt Farmhouse
This place, also known as Surratt's Tavern, is still a historical landmark in Clinton, Maryland, and is an interesting place to visit if you're passing through the area, though maybe not worth going out of your way to investigate.
Many of the rooms and furnishings are as I described in the story. The only device I used with this particular scene was the oddly colored grout between the stone tiles. That was a figment of my imagination.
The bed that Tommy claimed to have bumped his knee on, however, is very real. Watch out that it doesn't get you, too.
The Note and Map
To my knowledge, the Seward letter to Lincoln about the anomaly in Alaska and the map with its location do not exist. It would be pretty cool if they did. There is, however, speculation that a pyramid does remain hidden somewhere underground in Alaska. It might be fanciful dreaming or just rabid conspiracy theorists letting their minds run amok. Either way, I thought it was a fascinating idea.
The General
The story about Andrews and his Raiders is absolutely true. My parents' home rests on the mountain that overlooks the railroad where the final leg of the Raiders' journey took place.
I imagine about the time those guys crossed the trestle in the valley below that they knew they were in trouble.
The cave is also a very real thing. The opening is only a few hundred feet away from my parents' house, on our neighbor's property. The trenches I mentioned are also still there and quite visible.
The neighbor has been kind enough to allow us to do some exploring through the years, though now the cave entrance has collapsed and no one will be able to go in there again.
I had the good fortune of going back pretty far in several years ago. At one point we thought we could hear cars going by, which meant we'd descended a few hundred feet to get that close to Highway 41 below.
The Russian Gold
There is a sentiment among some Russians that Alaska should be taken back from the United States. So wide-ranging is this feeling in some quarters that, in fact, there's a plaque near Crimea that suggests this should happen.
As for the gold in dispute in the novel? Most people claim the United States paid its gold debt to Russia. Others say "nyet!"
Based on my research, I do not have a definitive conclusion. I can say that if I were asked, I'd lean more toward the side that claims the gold was never paid. Maybe that's because I just enjoy a good conspiracy. I like to think it's more than that. The thing that bothers me the most about the USA's side of the story is the historical unwillingness to offer an explanation or defense. The U.S. Government has few records of the gold shipment being sent and no eyewitness testimony. There's almost nothing about the actual payment other than the ceremonial check used to make the deal.
It is sort of fun to imagine Russia and America at odds over gold and ancient pyramids instead of elections and other wild accusations. It's is a lot more interesting than almost anything the day's headlines could bring.
For Carol Griggs. If not for you, the second book would have never been written, much less all the others. I, and all my readers, thank you.
Acknowledgments
None of my stories would be possible without the great input I get from incredible readers all over the globe. My advance reader group is such an incredibly unselfish and supportive team. I couldn't do any of this without them.
My editors, Anne Storer and Jason Whited, must also be thanked for their amazing work and guidance in crafting these stories. They make everything so much better for the reader.
Last but not least, I need to give a big thank you to Elena at L1 Graphics for the incredible cover art she always delivers, along with beautiful social media artwork.
The Denali Deception is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events, and places are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright ©2017 Ernest Dempsey
Ernestdempsey.net
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States of America by Enclave Publishing.
<<<<>>>>
Created with Vellum
The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4 Page 83
