It’s hard to believe I began this journey five years ago. This book marks the final one in the O’Malley saga, and it’s sad to say goodbye to the characters I’ve lived with for so long. Thank you for sharing in this journey. I hope these stories have made you laugh, cry, shake your fist at the characters, and kept you up reading until late in the night.
During research for this book, I read about the chestnut trees that used to inhabit the Smoky Mountains. Settlers gathered and preserved these nutritious nuts. What they didn’t keep for themselves, they sold to local markets and shipped to larger cities, where they were in high demand. Wildlife such as turkeys, deer and bears depended on the chestnuts. But in the early 1900s, a fungus entered the country, wiping out millions of acres of chestnut trees. The loss was a blow to humans and animals alike. I enjoyed adding this aspect of mountain living to Grant and Jessica’s story.
My hope is to write a few more books in this Smoky Mountains setting revolving around some of the townspeople. I’m sure the O’Malleys would make appearances in those books from time to time. You can find further information on my website, karenkirst.com, and on my Facebook page. You can also follow me on Twitter, @KarenKirst.
Until next time,
Karen Kirst