I took some liberties with the real-life pit bull regulations in Denver to fit the context of this story. There is no way Dixie would actually be allowed to keep Dolly, and for Wheeler and Poppy to keep Happy in the city limits they would need a special license even if they owned their own property. If you are interested in the actual ban you can read about it here:
I know I’m going to get questions about timeline and continuity because of the babies and both Kallie and Salem being pregnant, so I’m going to do my best to clear some of that up. Keeping in mind that all of the Saints of Denver books take place in the time frame between the end of Asa and up until … and beyond Rome and Cora’s wedding.
In Asa, at Rome and Cora’s wedding, Salem had just announced she was pregnant to everyone, so for me that put her at right around four months or so in February, since Rome and Cora got married on Valentine’s Day. That would mean she told Sayer and Poppy about the baby in Built around late November or in early December. I was locked into that time frame because it was already written in stone since the books had long since been published. It might not be EXACT but it’s as close as I can figure it out without my mind exploding. I do words … not numbers.
I knew I wanted Wheeler to face what his idea of family was, so I had planned all along on his ex having a baby … but I didn’t figure out how that would affect the timeline I’d already laid out. It forced me to get creative and do a lot of counting on my fingers.
Kallie had to be further along in her pregnancy for things to fit all the events that happened in both Charged and Riveted and for her to be at the point where she was able to try to find out the baby’s sex during winter. So my best guess how all of this would work is Kallie got knocked up in early September or maybe even late August and was right around four months in December. In my mind, she was already pregnant when she was throwing a fit in Charged. I think she was scared out of her mind about what she was facing … that’s why she acted so crazy … on top of her being a drama queen to begin with.
I hope that helps some … I know it might not be spot on, but for those who are sticklers for continuity and consistency it does offer a little bit of perspective as to my reasoning and rationale.
The other thing I want to throw out there is that if you or someone you know is in a bad situation, I hope this book and these characters remind you that you are not alone. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. It never burns out. There is always hope and everyone deserves a shot at something better.
You are valuable.
You are necessary.
You are important.
You are appreciated.
You are treasured.
You are loved.
I don’t know much but I do know that no one, and I mean no one, deserves to suffer any kind of abuse at the hands of someone who claims to love them.
All forms of abuse are horrific and terrible, but patience, love, and understanding go a long way toward helping a survivor heal. I’m not an expert or an advocate, but I am someone who cares a lot about people … all people. So I’ll leave these numbers here, and if you know someone who could use them or if you can use them yourself, please do:
National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
If you are looking for a place to start to help yourself or someone else, go here: .
Also, I know you are going to ask about the next generation after this book … there are a lot of little kiddlets running around now, aren’t there? They’re all so cute! I’ll be honest and say I have some ideas, have been playing around with the possibility of a spin-off series based on the kiddos in the future very loosely, but I’m not there yet and I’m not sure when and if I ever will be. The idea of trying to write with no cultural references because we don’t know what that far in the future will look like is intimidating and slightly daunting. I want to do it right if I do it and I know I don’t have the time or the patience to tackle that kind of project anytime soon. I don’t have anything solid or concrete planned (at this exact moment in time). I’ve been in this world for eleven books over the course of five years, and as much as I loved every minute of it, I need a break. I love Denver, it’s my backyard, it’s my happy place, but there is a big, beautiful world out there that I want to explore through words, so I’m gonna do that first and foremost. If anything changes, my readers will be the first to know. In fact, you should sign up for my newsletter right now so you don’t miss a thing! It’s full of everything I’m currently working on and everything I have planned for the immediate future.
You can also appease your inner stalker in all of these places:
… My fan group on Facebook. I’m very active in there and it’s often the best place to find out about all the happenings and participate in giveaways!
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