Real Photos of The Zone & Nerdy Pictures of Me!

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I look like a weirdo in my publicity photo (1998).

A while back at the Historical Fiction Stack, I promised paid subscribers special content, such as author interviews and other goodies relating to historical fiction and fantasy, and my novel Theda’s Time Machine. Honestly, it took me a while to really decide to pull the trigger on the paid content. If you’re a Substack writer, not a second goes by that someone doesn’t post a note linking to an article about when, if and how to go paid. These notes run the gamut of your work is worth it to I’m just happy to have readers! and everything in between. For a long time I didn’t know if paywalling was the way to go, but now I have paying subscribers (who aren’t related to me!) and I want to be able to give you something special in return for your support of me. You have no idea how deeply I appreciate you!

Before we go into it, in the next few months here’s what you’ll see from HFS:

• Several new chapters of Theda’s Time Machine. I had a few changes I wanted to make in the plot so forgive me for not having them out sooner, but as usual I’d rather be a little slow and get better work out. Look for chapters in the next few weeks.

• I’m going on a trip to Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, next week for a baseball tournament. I have had the pleasure to be writing for Lighthouse, one of the most inspiring and interesting on this platform, and my first story was set around baseball. The novel I’m currently working on has a lot of baseball worked into it, so as you can see, it’s my favorite sport and baseball history is another obsession. Look for the post and a lot of photos of old players!

• A new Author Spotlight coming soon!

And a big welcome to our new readers! The Historical Fiction Stack is now read across 40 States (I’m looking at you, South Dakota and Nebraska! Come on over!) and 25 countries!

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Murder in the Zone (Chapter 13)

Back in chapter 13, Murder in the Zone, Theda and her sister, Violet, accompanied Asa Jackson and Private Billy Rankin to a dance in The Zone, which is what the soldiers at Camp Funston called the hastily constructed area for the thousands of Army soldiers who passed through Fort Riley, Kansas, on their way to the fronts of the Great War. This is a photo that I found in an authentic booklet for Fort Riley soldiers that I was lucky enough to be able to buy on eBay. It’s a hauntingly beautiful photograph. You can see the FUNSTON sign at the top and on the left a movie marquee.

The next photo is of a dance in the Kansas Building, which is also pictured. Since my novel is historical fantasy because of the time travel aspect, I took certain liberties with the setting, even though a good deal of the story is based on historical fact. Because, as you’ll see as more chapters of TTM are released, the story contains some nefarious scenes which are completely fictitious, I changed the names and locations of some of the buildings in the story. The Kansas Building wasn’t in the Zone, but I based my description of the dance on these next photographs.

Dance in the Kansas Building, which is pictured on the bottom right.

These photos show a concert in the Kansas Building. The first is a full band of enlisted men. In my story, the band was much smaller than this! The second photograph is of a crowd of four thousand on May 13, 1918, enjoying The Messiah. Take a look at the nurses in the crowd and the women seated separately from the soldiers.

Bonus: The Kansas Building seemed to be a popular postcard as well. Here is another eBay purchase of an authentic postcard from a Fort Riley soldier named Harry sent to his sister, Ida, in 1918:

Cleopatra, Cops and Cosmic Connections (Chapter 17)

One of the most-read chapters is Chapter 17, when Theda meets Patrick Conlin for the first time in a Zone movie theater. It’s not the first time that she’s seen him, but the first time she actually speaks to him. Below are actual photographs of the Funston Theater, the Gaiety Theater and the National Army Theater, packed with soldiers! I wish I knew what movie they were watching. You’ll recall from the chapter that when Theda meets Conlin during a daytime matinee in an almost empty theater.

The Two-War Time Slip and White Feathers (Chapters 15 & 16)

The Two-War Time Slip (The Infirmary, Part 1) and White Feathers (The Infirmary Part II) are set outside and inside of, you guessed it, the Camp Funston Infirmary Building. Here’s a shot of the inside of what was called The Record Room. I envisioned a set up similar to this for when Theda glances at the records.

First Kill the Doctor, Then Yourself

Finally, in Chapter 18, the stockyards at Fort Riley were briefly mentioned. More on the stockyards and their significance in later chapters, but here is a compilation of photographs of what the stockyards looked like.

And As Promised, Nerd Alert

Recently I wrote an essay called The Analog Archives where I mentioned my brief stint as a radio disc jockey in the 1990s.

This was one of the promotional photos that was taken of me during that time. It’s a strange thing to see this photo. I remember when it was taken and I was having a hard time smiling for the photographer. I’ve never been one of those people who can fake a smile for the camera so I ended up with this fine shot where I look a little pissed!

And to top off the embarrassing photos, and I can’t believe I’m sharing this one, here’s a shot of me in my waitress uniform! The story that I cross-posted with Lighthouse is The Night Moths which, although fiction, contains some true elements of my time as an overnight diner waitress at the Jersey Shore.

This is from 1995. I remember that both of my grandmothers were in the house and one of them insisted on taking my photo as I was heading off to my twelve-and-a-half-hour night shift. I’m sure I was less than thrilled to have my photo taken, but I’m glad now, almost thirty years later, I have it. I didn’t know it at the time, but during this summer, I was heading into my last year of college and listening to the night disc jockey on the radio in the dining room while I took orders that I was going to be working in radio at the shore, which was what I always wanted. So much was ahead of me then. What’s in store for me now?

I hope you enjoyed this post! As always, please share the Historical Fiction Stack with your best buddies and readers. Thank you and see you in the comments!