Some of the action in both Earn Fire and The Shore of Two Worlds takes place in Key West, Florida, and Captain Tony Tarracino (1916-2008) has a walk-on part in both books.

Captain Tony wearing his “Jesus is coming – and boy is He pissed” T-shirt, with singer Jimmy Buffett, who got his start at Captain Tony’s Saloon.
The Shore of Two Worlds includes scenes at Rest Beach and in the salt ponds.
At the beginning of Earn Fire, Chico has difficulty delivering The Miami Herald to the upper storey of a house because of a Royal Poinciana.