Some of my faithful readers may recognize the first two parts of Burnt. They are adapted from the short story “Fire Bug” that appeared in my short story collection, “Vanessa.”
BurntThis book is a complete work of fiction. It’s all made up. Readers may catch a whiff of reality or familiarity with some of the places and incidents. But, as the famous authors say, any resemblance to an actual person or place is coincidental.
However, The Pelican Inn was an actual place in Lauderdale by the Sea, and I went there as a child. It was owned by the parents of my Aunt Marian Morton McAdams, and operated by her and my Uncle Burch McAdams (my mother’s brother) for many years. It’s been long gone, but I moved it into the present for this book. Marian was one of the truly great characters in my life,
