Spoiler alert! Read this after you've read The Resilient Bride.
The Resilient Bride - Author's Note
When I first mapped out the Colter Sons Series, I intended to write only about the five sons. Yet, as Violet’s character developed over the course of those five books, the series felt incomplete to me without telling her story. I wrote most of it before I started writing Preston’s story, and I originally planned to release it as a standalone novel.
With so many hints about Zayne Harrison throughout the series, I knew the only satisfying end to Violet’s story had to include him. But they needed time to mature and grow before they were ready for their love match.
The idea of Violet’s complicated back story with three suitors, with only one making it to the altar, took shape. Once I opened the story with Forest’s funeral and made Zayne a widower and single father, I knew Violet carrying Forest’s child provided the extra tension needed for Zayne’s character to grow.
Though the historical events took a distant backseat to Violet and Zayne’s story, I included several historically relevant details. After a trip to Prescott last summer, I picked up a copy of Bradley G. Courtney’s book, The Whiskey Row Fire of 1900. I originally considered killing off Cooper James in the great fire, but after reading Courtney’s book and learning no one died, I wanted to stay true to history. So, the great fire ended up being the perfect cover for Cooper to skip town.
This past year, I also joined a Facebook group run by several historians about Prescott’s history. It’s been fun learning even more about the town’s history. One member posted a photo and article about the streetcar in Prescott, which started operation in 1905 and ceased operation in 1912. So, Prescott really had a streetcar, though I have no evidence that anyone was injured in any accidents.
The Facebook group also helped me nail down the dates of the first phones used in Prescott. We figured they were widely available when the first exchange was installed in 1902, though the SFP&P installed some lines between their stations in 1894, those weren’t public lines.
As the Colter Sons Series closes, I hope you enjoyed reading the stories of the second generation Colters. Don’t be surprised if future generations share their own stories, though it may be a while.
The next series underway is: Harper’s Justice. It follows the dangerous lives of the remaining four Harper siblings (Hayley, Flynn, Ike, and Shane) as they fight for justice in their own way and learn to overcome the shadow of their painful childhood.
Thank you, readers, for your continued support and encouragement. May God bring a smile to your face at the end of each story.
Karen Baney