My Story Inspiration for Adella's Enemy

  

By Jacqui Nelson

What inspires a story and an author to finally publish that story? How many stories does an author write before joining the publishing world...just that one or many more? 

Last month, I shared my Story Inspiration page (the page I've included in the back of all of my books) for Rescuing Raven, the free read for my newsletter subscribers. 

Now I'm excited to share the Story Inspiration page for the first book I published! 

Adella's Enemy wasn't the 1st book I wrote (it was the 4th), but it was the one that launched me into the self-publishing world -- with the help of two writing friends who invited me to join their group project. 

ADELLA'S ENEMY 

Story Inspiration page ~ from the back of the book

Have you watched the TV series Hell on Wheels? Would you like to write a railroad romance with a race for riches? Those were the questions asked by Elisabeth Burke and Jennifer Jakes. Without them, Adella’s Enemy would never have been written.

Post-Civil War America was a time of great tension and transition but also incredible opportunities for prosperity—if you played your cards right. Instead of weeks or months to cross America, when its transcontinental railroad was completed in May 1869, the journey was reduced to less than a week. The railroad builders’ and camp followers’ journeys (and fates and fortunes) made Hell on Wheels.

Time is money for travelers and builders—from the worker laying track to the smooth-talking promoter overseeing construction and the proposed route. The proximity of a railroad could make or break a town’s future and a speculator’s fortune. The entire endeavor often became a cutthroat race for riches. 

In Adella and Cormac’s story, I like to think their race for revenge, forgiveness and, above all, love provided the greatest riches of all.

ADELLA'S ENEMY

The Katy Railroad, Kansas
 – 1870

The War Between the States ended five years ago, but she still pursues her enemy…

Rebel spy turned government rabble-rouser Adella Willows receives her mission straight from a Washington senator—play havoc with the Katy Railroad and derail its bid to win the race. The senator craves wealth. Adella craves revenge against the man responsible for her brother’s death. But her plans crumble into chaos when she enters a battle of wits with the railroad’s foreman.

An ocean separates him from his failures in Ireland, but he’s still haunted by those who died…

Seasoned railroad foreman Cormac McGrady’s sole desire is keeping his workmen safe and employed, which means keeping the Katy ahead of its rivals. But the beautiful spy bedeviling his railroad needs protecting as well. Cormac must choose between winning the race and winning Adella’s heart, while Adella must choose whether she lives for revenge or dies for love.

Click here to read an excerpt on my website.

What readers are saying about Adella...

What readers are saying about Cormac...

Hope you enjoyed my writing inspiration and that your Friday and your July are...filled with your favorite things ❤️

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