backstory :: behind the Chicago Fire trilogy

So I had a dilemma–I wanted to write a trilogy of novels that could be published together. But I didn’t have time to research three books in the short amount of time I had to write them.
Solution: Research one setting and situation, and place all the novels in that setting.
A brand new e-book edition is on sale now–all three books in one.
I chose the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It was dramatic and sweeping, it created chaos, and the time frame was compressed. That’s how I came up with The Hostage, The Mistress, and The Firebrand. Three young ladies were all at the same party on the night of the fire, and the ensuing emergency sent them scattering…and of course, they all ended up finding true love.
Each book starts the same, the moment the fire is sparked. Here is page one of each book. Here’s THE HOSTAGE:

…and then we have THE MISTRESS, which plays with the theory that the fire was started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicking over a lantern:

…and finally, THE FIREBRAND, in which Lucy will rescue a baby and raise it as her own:

And there you have it. Three books, one huge drama.
#historicalromance #Chicago #ebooks