True Treasure: Real - Life History Mystery

by Lisa Grace

  Thanks again,

  Lisa

  References and Research:

  Please know I just don’t sit down and start writing historicals. I put a great deal of time researching down to the word level. For this book I had to spend time on chronometers, Captain Cook’s Diary, Greenwich Time, Navigational charts and usage by the Royal Navy, Navy ships, Spanish ships, the political systems and commerce of Costa Rica, Spain, Portugal, England, Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land); land grants, goals (jails), Modern GPS systems and how they relate to navigation, weapons (modern and old), pirates (modern and old) the aborigines of Van Diemen’s Land, weather from volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and how it all pertained to the 1812 to 1857 time period.

  Fun Fact: September 15, 1821 Costa Rica declared its independence from Spain, becoming part of the Central American Federation.

  These are just some of the subjects I delved into just off the top of my head. I have a list of at least thirty sources. Here is a short selection:

  Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.

  Map_of_Cocos_from_Pacific_Islands%2C_vol._2_%28Geographical_Handbook_Series%2C_1943%29.jpg

  Map Collection of the Perry-Castañeda Library, University of Texas. Originally from (1943) Pacific Islands: 2, Eastern Pacific, Nov. 1943 [Geographical handbook series; B.R. 519a],

  London: Naval Intelligence Division OCLC: 310446759. [1] Author Naval Intelligence Division, Admiralty (UK).

  Dedication

  First, thank you to God for giving me story ideas I enjoy writing.

  This book is dedicated to my husband’s side of the family. Grandma May Johnson, traced her lineage back to the infamous pirate Bloody Graham. She had a wonderful sense of humor, and now our daughter bears part of her name. My wonderful mother-in-law Elaine who has treated me as a daughter. You couldn’t have better in-laws (or in Bloody Graham’s case—outlaws.) My father-in-law Glenn, has always been another bright star and a brilliant man. A true rocket scientist. For some “light” reading check out his book: Star Trackers and Systems Design by Glen Quasius and Floyd McCanless. It doesn’t have many words as half of it is mathematical equations and graphs that help keep heads and the universe spinning.

  Thank you to Todd, my wonderful hubby, who spent countless hours editing and working with me to improve this book. In the places it fails, I’m sure it’s because I didn’t take his advice. Thank you to my ten-at-the-time Cammy, for your patience. It can be really hard having a mom who says, “Just wait a minute while I finish typing my thought.”

  Thanks readers for reading this far. Know that all my work is always dedicated to you.