Ten years ago, I fell in love with the parents of Luke, Katie, and Trevor (who were the only siblings at the time) and decided to write a prequel to my series. However, after realizing my rather embarrassing blunder of publishing them before they were truly ready, I pulled all my books and let them gather dust on my desktop, convinced my dream had ended.
But as I shared in a previous post, God told me it was time to write again. This time, I had the tools, knowledge, and experience to do my stories justice.
When I first picked up the pen again, I naturally started with my original manuscript, A Ranger for an Angel. But as I worked, I realized that the parents' story needed to be more than just a prequel. They were the original couple, the foundation of the Rollins family legacy, and their story was destined to introduce many new and compelling characters to the series. Their story had to come first.
Writing Seth and Sophia’s story completely reshaped my perspective on the Rollins of Riverview series. What began as a simple prequel turned into the emotional foundation of everything that follows. Their love, struggles, and triumphs became the bedrock upon which all the future generations of the Rollins family would stand.
One of the biggest shifts in my thinking was realizing how much legacy matters in storytelling. Before, I had focused on the next generation—Luke, Adam, Katie, and Trevor—but once I told Seth and Sophia’s story, I understood that their choices, sacrifices, and relationships would deeply influence their children and, ultimately, the entire series. Every future book would be shaped by the world they built, the values they instilled, and the love they fought for.
Seth, especially, changed how I approached my heroes. His strength wasn’t just physical; it was in his steadfastness, his ability to protect without controlling, to love fiercely without condition. Writing him made me rethink the kind of men I wanted to portray in the series—flawed, yes, but unwavering in their devotion to the people they love.
Seth’s name was always Seth. I love that name—it just sounds strong, steady, like a rock. That’s exactly what I wanted him to be: a man who loved and protected his family with unwavering strength. I never could have imagined how fully he would embody that vision. Seth is a man’s man—tough yet deeply devoted—and he was an absolute joy to write.
And then there’s Sophia. Her character became a symbol of survival, identity, and transformation. Her journey, from the name change to her struggles in a world that didn’t always see her worth, made me look at my female characters in a new light. She’s soft yet unbreakable, graceful yet full of quiet fire. She set the standard for the strong, complex women that will follow in the series.
Sophia, originally started out as Ruby in the original drafts. It wasn’t until I dove into the extensive research for A Georgia Princess for an Orphan (SO MUCH research!) that I came across a wanted poster that changed everything.
On October 11, 1858, a 24-year-old enslaved woman named Sophia Gordon ran away from a farm near Washington. The description of her was brief—small in size, of copper color, tolerably good-looking, with a low and soft (which I interpreted as timid) manner of speech. The man who placed the ad on November 16, 1858, offered just $100 for her return. That's what a woman’s life was worth to him. It broke my heart. This woman wasn’t just a name on a faded poster—she was a person. She had hopes, dreams, fears. I pray with all my heart that she was never caught and that she found what all of us, created in God’s image, deserves—FREEDOM.
I knew I wanted to honor her. Not to tell her exact story—there wasn’t enough recorded history for that—but to capture the essence of her courage. To have someone love her. From that single wanted poster, a plot twist was born, and Sophia’s name was changed forever.
This entire book was a labor of love—my love for Seth and Sophia, my love for history, and my deep sense of right and wrong.
Another major shift was in the depth of my storytelling. Writing about the Civil War era meant confronting hard truths—real history that wasn’t always easy to process. It forced me to dig deeper into the characters’ motivations, their faith, and the way hardship shapes people. I couldn’t give everyone a happy ending because history wasn’t that kind, but I could write about resilience, redemption, and hope in a way that felt real.
There were so many moments when my heart broke while reading real-life accounts from the Civil War. Not everyone got a happy ending—SO MANY didn't. As much as it hurt, I knew my story had to reflect that reality, and that not every character could walk away unscathed.
I can’t tell you how many times I laughed and outright bawled while writing A Georgia Princess for an Orphan. But in the end, it wasn’t just a journey that shaped Seth and Sophia—it shaped me.
Ultimately, writing A Georgia Princess for an Orphan made me fall even more in love with this world and its characters. It deepened my appreciation for the weight of history and the power of love to endure through it. Now, every book I write in this series will carry a little piece of Seth and Sophia in it—and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 💕
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I’d love to hear—what stories, whether fictional or real, have moved and shaped you the most?
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