Criterion Hotel – this is where all the trouble started for Julia Belleville
It isn’t fiction – the Criterion Hotel, Rockhampton – owners: Megan and Ryan Turnbull (Image courtesy The Rockhampton Morning Bulletin)
Readers of my two books The House of Secrets: Julia’s Story and To Love, Honour & Betray – will know this hotel – The Criterion Hotel in Rockhampton – because it featured prominently in both books.
Yes, that’s right. It wasn’t a figment of my imagination although it’s internal layout might have been fictionalised.
READ THE FULL STORY OF THE HOTEL HERE
American troops did commandeer the hotel as an officer billet in WWII and it was the location for many social events – my elder sister Deidre Hofmann’s engagement party was held here (probably late 1962).
If you’re ever visiting Rockhampton, you should check it out. It’s well located overlooking the Fitzroy River – and there’s another name from my books.
Other local landmarks that were mentioned include the Rockhampton General Hospital (up on the hill). The city name was fictionalised.
While all the characters are purely fictional, I chose to set my books in a setting I knew well – even though I left the area as a teenager.
Check out the book details at this link – http://www.jmarymasters.com
#Romanticfiction #JMaryMasters #TheHouseofSecretsJuliasStory #ToLoveHonourampBetray #Familysaga
