My Story Inspiration for Between Home & Heartbreak

 
By Jacqui Nelson

What inspires a story? How about...sharpshooter Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Eldorado, and picking the name Eldorado Jane (for a Wild West superstar trick rider heroine)?

Last month I shared my Story Inspiration page (a page I've included in the back of all of my books) for book 1 in my Gambling Hearts series, Between Love & Lies. 

Today I thought I'd share the inspiration for book 2, Between Home & Heartbreak...

BETWEEN HOME & HEARTBREAK 

Story Inspiration page ~ from the back of the book

I love spending time pondering names. In Between Home & Heartbreak, the spark for the stage name Eldorado Jane came from the desire to have a two-part name like Indiana Jones. One part fancy or unusual, the other common or plain. Jane was a quick choice for a common but still beautiful woman’s name.
The name Eldora was an easy pick for a short version of Eldorado. The “Dora” part of Eldora led to Dorothy and the last name Dority as well. Dority was also a pick from the TV series Deadwood (a violent but also incredibly fascinating series) in which two of my favorite characters were Al Swearengen and his right-hand man, Dan Dority.

Bringing Eldora and Lewis’ different personalities together was great fun—as was researching traveling vaudeville performers. America’s most iconic Wild West show, Buffalo Bill's Wild West, started in 1883 but it wasn’t until 1885 that it featured its two equally large but also opposite personalities: the flamboyant embellisher, impresario Buffalo Bill (William Frederick Cody), and the understated but brilliant sharpshooter, Annie Oakley (Phoebe Ann Mosey). He called her Little Missie. She called him The Colonel. 

Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Eldorado (found in this book’s preface) provided inspiration before and during writing. After I thought of Eldora casting a soothing shadow over Lewis (when they first met), I remembered Poe’s poem. It seemed only fitting that Lewis would soon see Eldora as not only his Angel Eyes but his faithful shadow.

BETWEEN HOME & HEARTBREAK

Gambling Hearts Series, Book 2

Texas Hill Country – 1879

Plain Jane Dority vanished while riding in a storm beside her childhood best friend. Eighteen years later, Wild West trick-riding superstar Eldorado Jane returns to claim her birthright: the Dority homestead now owned by the steadfast Texan who never forgot Jane or forgave himself for her disappearance.

Lewis Adams would give anything to see his friend come home, but he’s certain Eldorado Jane isn’t his Jane. So why does this mesmerizing woman—with the talent and fame to have anything she desires—want the remote patch of land that he loves? There’s only one way to find out: accept a wager with a deceiver who holds the power to bring back his friend or break his heart. The outcome rests in her hands. Or does it?

Friendship. Betrayal. Blackmail. Eldorado Jane holds every card…except the one that matters most.

Click here to read an excerpt on my website.

THE GAMBLING HEARTS SERIES 

Between Love & Lies, book 1

Between Home & Heartbreak, book 2

Click here to see a summary of all of my books on one page.

Hope you enjoyed my writing inspiration and that your Friday and your September are...filled with fabulous autumn color and fun 🍁🍂❤️

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