The Steward family’s church in Angel of Mercy is St. Andrew’s in Barrie, Ontario. Why St. Andrew’s? The church is Presbyterian, which kept with the family’s Scottish roots. I also used it because Presbyterian was a very large denomination at the turn of the 20th century. (This post is a companion piece to my WWI […]
The Inspiration Behind an Angel’s Hometown
The hometown of my main character in Angel of Mercy, Henrietta Steward, is Barrie, Ontario. Many real-life buildings were the inspiration for her family and friends’ homes and workplaces. Without leaving many spoilers, here are a sampling of photos that inspired places in the novel. (This post is a companion piece to my WWI Trilogy, […]
Automobile: From Obscure Invention to War Tool
Contrary to popular belief, the automobile has been around for more than a century. The vehicles just didn’t become practical until about 100 years ago. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year, available wherever eBooks are sold.) The first automobile was developed […]
A Brief History of Royal Victoria Hospital — Barrie, Ontario
My fictional character Hettie Steward worked at her hometown hospital, Royal Victoria, in the year between finishing nursing school and joining the Canadian Army Medical Corps, Even though the hospital plays a very small role in Angel of Mercy, its history gives us an interesting glimpse into medical care during the first part of the […]