by April White
Thousands of skeletons were exhumed from the catacombs under Rome in the sixteenth century, and sent to towns and cities in Germany, Poland, and the north to be adorned in jewels and finery. They were displayed as saints in the local Catholic churches in order to re-inspire the masses to Catholicism. They are called the Catacomb Saints, and have been documented beautifully in a book by photographer and art historian, Paul Koudounaris.
The Fisherman’s Ring was the official seal of the Catholic popes, and disappeared from papal business in 1842, hence my choice for the year in which to set the Italian section of Cheating Death. The discovery that Mary Shelley had actually been on tour in Italy that year was her entrée into Saira’s world. The other historic event of 1842 included in this book, though altered for location, was the Versailles rail accident. A train traveling from Versailles to Paris derailed, overturned, and caught fire, resulting in 55-200 deaths (the actual number was never determined due to the extraordinary heat of the flames). It was the worst rail disaster in history at that time and ended the practice of locking passengers into their carriages.
As you can see, the true facts in Cheating Death are all over the historical map. From Saladin’s siege of Jerusalem in the twelfth century to the twenty-first-century discovery of Lord Byron’s copy of Frankenstein, this book was far less concentrated in one time period than the previous books in the series, and I definitely took liberties with some of the details. The kernels of truth are great starting places to look up some fascinating facts though, and I’ve set up a page of links to the real history from all five Immortal Descendants books on my website at www.aprilwhitebooks.com.
Although the journey which began with Marking Time and now ends with Cheating Death is over, I will, from time to time, check in with these characters to see how they’re doing. Ringo and Charlie are living in a townhouse that Valerie built for them in central London on what is now Baker Street, if that gives any indication of the mischief they might get up to. Bas has had a whole lifetime of experiences on his quest to understand the world’s religions. And did you know that Edgar Allen Poe once disappeared for nearly a week and was finally found wandering the streets, semi-delirious, wearing clothes that weren’t his own? He died soon after, taking the secret of his disappearance to the grave, and I’ve always wondered whether there was a spiral nearby …
The best place to discover information about further adventures of the Immortal Descendants is through my once-a-month newsletter, the sign-up for which can also be found on my website at aprilwhitebooks.com/newsletter. I hope to see you there!
Thank You
The story I tell to explain my friendship with my best friend and editor, Angela, is about the first time she came to my house. She walked right up to my bookshelves, studied the titles, and smiled. “Oh, I know you,” she said, and a friendship was born.
I am able to do what I do because I am supported by an amazing community of people. Angela, Korry, and Valerie keep me mostly sane; Mom, Tania, Jessie, Maria, Dawn, Jill, and Kelly love me even when I’m not; Dan, Heather, Anneke, Kim, Linda, Kate, Jenn, and Mary-Cathryn make me better; Alexandra, Stella, Shannon, Maeve, Griffin, Wyatt, Aeris, Beck, and Bauer make me want to be. And Ed, Connor, and Logan are my mirrors, my reason to breathe, and the loves of my life.
My very favorite quote from an incomparable storyteller is one I wish for all of you:
“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.” – Neil Gaiman
Thank you for taking this journey with me, dear readers. Thank you for your support, your generosity, and the gift of your time. I feel I can honestly say now, at the conclusion of book five of a series I’ve poured my heart into, “Oh, I know you,” and that a friendship based on a mutual love of stories has been born.
