Pure fiction and every word is true—that is what I strive to offer. And to that end, I wish to acknowledge the people who helped me bring my characters to life and to resonate with the realities ordinary people face every day. 

My editor, Cris Wanzer, has spared you the inconvenience of confirming the correct American spelling of words. More important than that, she has also improved my clarity in transforming the film scripts into the novel now in your hands. Ironically in film school, I was reprimanded for sounding too much like a novelist! Also, Cris was not afraid to challenge me to clarify my characters’ motives and actions—even tracking details just as an experienced travel guide makes sure that everyone’s luggage gets on board the bus. And off.

Professor Joseph McBride at San Francisco State University, film historian and critic, especially focused on the legends of Hollywood, was an inspiration for all the screenplays including the conversion of the trilogy into a novel. He encourages all his aspiring writers to recognize the diversity in America and to have their work reflect that. Professors Scott Boswell and Julian Hoxter, also at SFSU’s School of Cinema, helped me structure the storylines in the original film scripts and keep the characters authentic and their plot progress compelling. 

To that end, much of the dialogue comes from real conversations overheard or dialogue I heard growing up. Emily certainly channeled my mother, Rita Curtis. Her advice to my sisters on how to be alluring to young men still stings. 

What about the challenges of parents going through separation and fighting for child custody? Why not consult a court-appointed clinical psychologist with over 13 years in family dispute cases? With an insider’s view of people tangled up in domestic trauma, Charles Roth, PhD, my husband, was most helpful in the development of Terri Gallagher’s character. I had such a hard time understanding how a woman could be so terrible as a mom. 

The Redwood Writer’s 2020 Anthology, Sunset Sunrise, edited by Crissi Langwell, included my opening chapter—but not without important feedback. The judges reminded me that readers need to empathize with Terri. Then my first beta reader for the entire novel, Elaine Vickery, said we needed to cheer for her, to have hope for her recovery. She needed to have more humanity. 

In addition to Redwood Writers and Elaine, Beverly Ford gave me invaluable reassurance in her thoughtfully reading my rough draft.  Researching domestic abuse was daunting. In addition to the many women with whom I shared Terri’s story, I found an amazing resource. San Francisco’s La Casa de las Madres—once I was allowed into the highly secured facility for women seeking shelter from abuse—was most informative. With printed resources, including TED Talks, I have since learned that domestic abuse and sexual abuse, are far more pervasive in our society than I originally thought.

Chapter-by-Chapter

CHAPTER 1

 * The opening setting is Kensington—think Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky. The neighborhood my husband grew up in the 1950s now has the unfortunate ranking in the entire state of Pennsylvania for highest levels of poverty, drug addiction, domestic violence, and incest. How are we to climb or crawl out of these circumstances? Lost & Found is my exploration into that. It is also a success story for families of all kinds.

CHAPTER 3

 * Scrapple is a mélange of pork scraps of head, heart, and liver, plus trimmings, corn meal and spices. “Waste not, want not.” Right? It is considered an ethnic food originating from the Pennsylvania Dutch. Vegetarians relax. It’s not available everywhere.

CHAPTER 4

*  Margaret is inspired by what my mother would have said and done if she were Sean’s mom—a “spitting image” as she herself would have said. Growing up, we would see the Maryknoll magazine proclaiming the heroic efforts of that American Catholic religious order serving in foreign missions. Mom contributed to them every month from her college years to her passing. 

* My brother, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph R. Moran, USA, Retired, assisted me in his experience as a career officer and his understanding of many things military. He helped me honor Sean’s father and grandfather—and of course, all the men and women who have served.

* Yes, Childhelp is a real entity—1-800-4-A-CHILD, childhelp.org. They do good work in spite of some parents’ efforts to outsmart the system to get what they want. Sean may not have tried hard enough to prevail over Terri. It’s complicated.

CHAPTER 10

* In all my research and in conversations with friends, I get a mix of views on just what is the best way to identify people. Black or black or Afro-American or African American without the hyphen… We know negro and colored are quite dated. And what about people of Asian or Filipino descent? Latino, Latina, Latinx. And while we’re at it, what about the LGBTQ+  alphabet string to be inclusive? So the point of this note is to say that I believe we need to appreciate the great stew of American mixed races, religions, cultures, and more. We do not need to become a homogenized mass. We can appreciate how different we look and accept our unique heritages. We just need to respect one another.

* This lady on the bus is as close as I can create a character based upon a dear friend, Beverly Sallee Ophoff. She has been so influential in my life and so many people around the world, I just had to include her in this story. Check out her books: Sunday Morning: A Step by Step Journey to Wholeness. Also: A Woman’s Guide to Bootstrapping a Business and Hitting the Highest Notes. On Goodreads or Amazon.

CHAPTER 11

* The character Ryan is the fictional name for the honest and thoughtful young man from Baltimore. He introduced me to a real character, here known as Whiskey Bill. Whiskey was required to live at the Seneca Hotel and not on the streets—or in the parks. He was a good storyteller and claimed to have been close to Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane. Though I find that hard to believe, it did inspire me to include “White Rabbit” for the bus ride. 

CHAPTER 14

* Only in the last couple decades has the alphabet string LGBTQ+ come into common usage. When I myself was coming to terms with my sexuality, I attended the Gay Fathers Association in Seattle, wp.gfas.org. I believe Sean’s story resonates with men coming to terms with their orientation. They may not yet understand or may not be in a psychologically safe enough place to admit they are gay. Times change. A little. 

CHAPTER 16

* Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is a lovely community of Christian believers who do aspire to put into practice the teachings of Christ. However, Malcolm and Emily and Robin are entirely my own creations. They are not based on any members past or present. 

* Our regional and ethnic accents are wonderful and as I appreciate and respect them, I have sought out confirmation and correction for what you hear in this novel. Thanks to Jacalyn Kinney for help with Emily and Grace. 

CHAPTER 17

* Oregon Episcopal School is a very real school and, like the Trinity Cathedral, it’s characters are my own.  

*  Likewise, SBG, the gym where Robin learns jiu-jitsu, is real. When I began developing Robin’s character—or was she calling the shots?—I took my original descriptions of jiu-jitsu moves to the local martial arts school in San Francisco’s Japantown. When the owner of Bay Jiu-Jitsu, Stephan Goyne, said I could join the other adults even if I was seventy-whatever, I accepted. So glad I did. He has created a very welcoming environment. Even the members respect and adjust to each other’s skill level. That way nobody gets hurt.

CHAPTER 20

* The Raven Steals the Light is a 1996 reissue of a timeless collection of Haida myths by Bill Reid and Robert Bringhurst  with a new preface by Claude Lévi-Strauss. Of course, there are additional beautifully illustrated books and calendars on Raven.

CHAPTER 21

*  English Now is my own name representing the extensive list of organizations offering ESL. The Multnomah County Library:  multcolib.org/learn-english  and Portland ESL Network is another: portlandesl.com.

CHAPTER 28

* My sisters deserve thanks here: Kathy for taking me to her AA meetings and sharing her decades-long sobriety; Georgia for recounting stories about her church-sponsored work with alcohol, drug, and unsheltered people in downtown Spokane, Washington. Empowering Women is my own name for a composite of organizations that provide different shelter and support options for women in Philadelphia.

CHAPTER 30

* Luis Ochoa is a tattoo artist and fellow teammate at Oliver’s Market—yes, I work a few hours a week there. He gave me the lines, “You take it. And you like it…” His use of the phrase was only in playful jest, never a setup for abuse. Special thanks to Caren in Wellness and Coleen in Gourmet Cheese for reading segments of the story. Also customers, Michelle Ferguson and Barbara Brennan for their thoughtful review of my characters. 

* Whole Foods Market, in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood where I worked, inspired several characters for my story. Special thanks go to Aya, Brian, Dion, Gonzalo, J.C., Karen, and dear friends Cathy and Stephanie.

CHAPTER 32

* Joe Braden was my apartment building manager when I returned to San Francisco State to pick up where I left off my screenwriting pursuits. He read my script version and declared that Robin most certainly would not flee the burning warehouse without returning to rescue her Ryan. So obvious for her character! Thank you, Joe. 

And while seeking authenticity in reporting the disturbing news, I combed through the coverage by local TV stations and newspapers. I especially appreciate my neighbor, Alex Eberle. As a paramedic, he confirmed some of the basics in fire rescue work and the resulting damage done to patients with smoke inhalation.