Gone to Ground (34 page)

Rhonda Dyess, receptionist at Bay Springs City Hall, was warm, kind, and so very helpful. I'll be ever grateful to Rhonda for introducing me to the real Cherrie Mae and to Josephine Brown.

I also must thank the real Cherrie Mae (last name—Gammage), who granted me an interview. I hadn't expected to use her name in this story, but it was so perfect for my character, and she said she'd be "honored" if I did. The Cherrie Mae in this story is purely fictional and is in no way meant to represent the real person. Rhonda Dyess says Cherrie Mae Gammage has a hundred crowns waiting for her in heaven because of the daily Christian help she extends to her community, black and white alike. I think Rhonda is right.

As it turned out, both Rhonda's and Cherri Mae's voices were used in the book trailer for
Gone to Ground
. Cherri Mae Gammage, of course, plays Cherri Mae Devine. And Rhonda is the voice of Deena. (The book trailer can be viewed on my Web site.)

Thanks also to Bay Springs resident Mama Jo—Josephine Brown—for granting me an interview. Mama Jo cooks for many people in Bay Springs, including the high school football team (now there are some big appetites!). Through Mama Jo I learned (among other things) about turnip greens and pot liquor.

Bobby Cole Jr., jailer of Jasper County, was kind enough to take me on a tour of the jail and answer my myriad questions.

All of the above people know their stuff. Any factual errors in this book are my own.

My thanks also to the people of Bay Springs. I've tried to represent your town accurately. If I fudged a few small details, please know it was only to help my story.

Finally, I must give recognition to the real winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the Feature Writing Category: "Fatal Distraction" by Gene Weingarten. His gripping article can be read at the URL found in this book for Trent Williams' fictional "Gone to Ground."