The theme for this Fun Fact Friday is about the Kingston Brothers series.
When I first started “plotting” out this series, they were going to a bit different. I have plotting in quotations because I don’t really plot. I get a general idea and sit down and see what happens.
So I knew their names, but Royce was going to be younger than he ended up, but only by a few years. You know Cillian? Our tatted up tattoo artist and painter? He was going to be a writer! He had a whole different vibe. His previous relationship was going to be delved into a little more and kind of have a love triangle vibe with someone who WASN’T Midge. Wanna know why? Midge was never supposed to get her own book. I didn’t plan for her and Cill to get together until I was almost done writing On the Rocks.
One of the brothers was going to be divorced, but I decided to change that. I’m pretty sure it was Elijah.
I always knew Elijah would have the student/teacher theme, and Merrick was always going to be gay, but his story changed a little. At first I was going to have his love interest have a job that put him on the road with him for a little while. They were still going to have a past together, but I decided I wanted him to be in his hometown when their story took place.
If you read Against the Rules, you might remember this little exchange between Merrick and Elijah. “Hey, man. I’m not judging you. You’re attracted to who you’re attracted to.” And that was just a little hint into his story.
Like I mentioned in the acknowledgments in On the Rocks, the town this takes place in was named after my late father. Stores like Nae’s Gourmet Coffee Shop, Flaky Vicki’s, The Teacup (and Doreen who owned it) and Victor’s specialty soda shop are all named after family members. Small characters were named after family members, too.
Stories the brothers told around the table are things that my kids have done. Well, not all of them. And some were some I did as a teen. Hunter was based on an old ex-boyfriend, who I’m glad is an ex. Haha!
As far as the other stories go, more and more kept being added. In Risking it All, you’ll see the name Chaparral. It’s the town Ali lives in, but it was actually the street me and my husband first lived together on. Box O Tacos was a place in my own hometown, but that was actually called Taco Box. And it was me who ate my cheese sticks the way Merrick did, and I always argued that their strawberry Mountain Dew was better than the strawberry Sierra Mist, though my husband would disagree.
Honestly, there’s so many stories that came from my real life I can’t even keep track.
Have any questions about these guys? The stories? Anything? Leave them below and I’ll answer!
Less than a month to go!
Grab your copies now. The first three are in KU!
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