I read my first Trixie Belden mystery story the summer of 1961, and was immediately enchanted by the spunky 13-year-old from Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson, New York and her friends, the Bob Whites of the Glen.
Anyone 13 that summer would have been born in 1948, which, coincidentally, is the year that the first Trixie Belden book was released. I have always liked to think that, IF Trixie were real, she would have been born in 1948, and only a few years older than I!
For several years, I have played with the idea of creating a universe with Trixie being born in 1948, so that all her original adventures would have occurred around 1961-63, EXACTLY when I was reading them. If she had been allowed to age, she would have graduated from high school in 1966, right in the midst of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights and Woman's Liberation movements, and a decade of rapid social change and turmoil.
How would Trixie and her friends have responded to those chaotic times? Would they have been immune to it all or would they have chosen to “turn on, tune out and drop out”? To find out, I invite you to join me in an entirely new Trixie Belden Universe.
Sleigh Ride- Young submariner Andy Belden is Stateside as the Second World War ends. It is a time of hope, when everyone is singing along with Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters on the radio. Written as a Secret Santa story for Ryl, 2011.
A Magi-cal Christmas- Young parents Helen and Peter Belden select the perfect Christmas gifts for each other. Written as a Secret Santa story for BonnieH, 2009.
- I'll Be Home For Christmas
- It’s Christmas 1966, and Trixie is anxiously waiting for all the Bob-Whites to arrive home for Christmas. While waiting, she discovers a pack of letters, each with a large distinctive “V” logo in the upper left hand corner. What are these mysterious letters? Written as a Secret Santa story for Robin, 2008.
- Waiting For The Train To Come In
- In December, 1967, Trixie is worried about a special young serviceman who is being sent to Vietnam. Her mother, Helen, has a story to tell her. Written as a Secret Santa story for Lorindol, 2010.
- A Whiter Shade of Pale
- The young adult Bob-Whites face many challenges as they come of age during the turbulent 1960’s. Will their friendship survive or will they scatter like butterflies across our nation?
Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 - Morningside Heights
- On a cold February day in 2007, Honey Wheeler receives news that takes her back to the idealism and upheaval of the 1960s.