You may or may not have picked up on all the cross overs between the books to date. I like the idea of using existing characters,
especially those who had a rough time in an earlier book, to give karma a chance to play out. A lot of characters appear as ancillary
voice pieces, or as mechanisms to aid the storytelling. But then later, in another book, they are fleshed out, and the reader (if they
have been paying attention) see development and that even the most minor characters have a role, a purpose, like everyone in the
world.
So far the following crossovers exist between THE BENDS, SHADOW'S BLISS, FADE and BURNING INDIGO:
Key: (Title page number/Title page number)
FROM THE BENDS
THOMAS GREENE, our wonderfully foul protagonist in THE BENDS, has his time working as a tea and coffee boy at an investment
bank (Bolt-Henry) retold by Patrick in FADE. (Bends 1/Fade 65)
From THE BENDS Thomas' crush FRANKIE SANZ's brother MILO is the actor who beats Daniel to the DE NIRO stand in role and is
also working on the boat trip. (Bends 50/Shadow's Bliss 211)
FRANKIE SANZ herself appears in BURNING INDIGO as Goth God DYLAN's loud American girlfriend. (Bends 49/Burning Indigo TBA)
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON appears in THE BENDS as a clown on the ducking stool and as Ollie's favorite president after appearing at
her school for a pro-literacy event.(Bends 34/Fade 204)
The MANIC STREET PREACHER in THE BENDS spouting anti-War and anti-Bush ramblings appears in FADE at the same time, as
Patrick is heading to Madison Square Park, suggesting Patrick and Thomas were there at the same time. (Bends 177/Fade 238)
JUDE and EMIL, who throw the dinner party in THE BENDS attended by Thomas, Mel, Max and Daniel are at the couples party in FADE.
(Bends 190/Fade 172)
SCARLET GREENE, Uncle Jon's wife and East Coast artist, appears in THE BENDS and her art appears in SHADOW'S BLISS in the
hotel in CAPE COD and in Wellfleet in FADE. (Bends 44/Shadow's Bliss 78/ Fade 165)
CHERRY MANSELL, Thomas' sophomore girlfriend and victim of the Levy brothers, is reinvented, married and happy as CHERRY
HUBBLE, the casting director who offers DANIEL his big break in SHADOW'S BLISS. (Bends 97/Shadow's Bliss 107)
NICO DANTE suffers in the first two books. He is arrested for rape (without knowing it) in THE BENDS, a friend of THOMAS and
WENDELL, and is DANIEL's greatest role, and mob victim in SHADOW'S BLISS. (Bends 92/Shadow's Bliss 148)
THOMAS' second college roommate RICHARD BENTLEY, a photography major who disappears dated DANIEL BLISS and took the
head shot NERVOUS uses to make notes on in the EMPIRE DINER in SHADOW'S BLISS. (Bends 88/Shadow's Bliss 248)
FROM SHADOW'S BLISS
DANIEL BLISS, the vain and vacuous star of SHADOW'S BLISS, appears at the dinner party at the end of THE BENDS. (Bends 191
/Shadow's Bliss 1)
At the same dinner party MAX HAMMOND, the has-been, is DANIEL's guest. (On a side note I have a whole new idea for a story for
MAX that I will come to at another point) (Bends 191/ Shadow's Bliss 94)
MR. EL ABABI the frugal and nicotine stained Egyptian businessman who runs and owns the parking lot where DANIEL, Jerry and
Carlito work in SHADOW'S BLISS is at CITY HALL in THE BENDS, giving THOMAS bad advice about women before MEL turns on
him, making him run away. (Bends 171/Shadow's Bliss 18)
LINDA SCHENKER, the cute heroine who saves DANIEL in SHADOW'S BLISS and works as many jobs as he does, is the receptionist
at the doctor's office in FADE where PATRICK is treated for stress and scabies. (Shadow's Bliss 129/Fade 72)
NOEL POTTER, the downtrodden and victimised partner of notorious theatre producer Brendan O'Keefe in SHADOW'S BLISS appears
in FADE as Patrick's dad's lover and then stays with Patrick and becomes his and Ollie's caretaker. (Shadow's Bliss 20/Fade 45)
FROM FADE
SYDNEY STEWART appears in the first three stories. In the FADE she is a high school prom queen that breaks Patrick's heart. In THE
BENDS she is in her final year at university, about to embark on her master's degree. In SHADOW'S BLISS she is the cold and loveless
business woman who hires Daniel for a major role. (I have often been asked what happened to her to change her so. Is there a story
there? Maybe, however, if I suggest that perhaps, if Mrs. Willard had not stolen all the mail from her to THOMAS that their friendship could
have changed both of their futures, then surely that is enough of a tease) (Bends 68/Shadow's Bliss 1/Fade 128)
REESE CARMICHAEL Yalie playwright of I'm With Cupid in SHADOW'S BLISS caused Sydney to dump Patrick, breaking his heart in
FADE. (Shadow's Bliss 44/ Fade 128)
FROM BURNING INDIGO