Author Note

One of the reasons I love writing about the Wild West is because it was a time of change. Towns sprang up overnight, and they could become ghost towns just as quickly. Fortunes were made and lost at the turn of a card, or with a stroke of luck in a mine. Back east, people were divided by social structures and class. While that existed to an extent in the West, the barriers to moving up in the world were far easier to overcome. When it came to battling Mother Nature and outlaws, people were more likely to judge a man by his character than his bank account. The same was true for women. Necessity opened up professional opportunities that might have been closed off to women in more established cities.

That’s why I loved writing Caroline’s story. It was a great opportunity to dive into a character who had to overcome rather strict social and cultural mores to fulfill her dreams. I also loved the idea of Caroline having to find the one man who would support her. Who better than the outlaw Castillo, who’d had to overcome his own share of bias and hardships, to support her in reaching her dream?

If you’d like to learn more about the obstacles women had to overcome in the past, research Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910). She is the first recognized female doctor in the United States. A great online resource is the American Memory from the Library of Congress. It devotes a section of its website to women’s history.

I hope you enjoy Castillo and Caroline’s story. Please connect with me on Facebook or visit my website at harperstgeorge.com to sign up for my newsletter for sneak peeks and exclusive contests.