I Was Hijacked by My Characters—And The Story Is Better For It

On listening when a story insists, and trusting the long game

You know how sometimes a story taps you on the shoulder…and then refuses to let go?

That’s what happened to me.

When I first started planning the Davis Crest series, I had a very tidy plan in my mind. Six cozy, small-town romances, one for each holiday season. Clear plots. Clear timelines. I even had the book covers designed.

On paper, it all made sense.

And yet… something felt off.

I’d already written two and a half of the Davis Crest books, I even shared the Halloween book with a couple of trusted friends, and their feedback was a little stinging:

“It’s fine… but kind of forgettable.”

Ouch.

But, if I’m being honest, that was exactly how I’d been feeling about the series, too. Something was missing, but I could put my finger on what.

When the Past Starts Knocking

Around that time, the Davis sisters from the 1850s started whispering to me.

Okay. Yelling.

Their story wanted out. Their hardships. Their grit. Their love. Their legacy. The founding of the town of Davis Crest itself.

I tried, for a while, to ignore them. After all, I already had a plan, but if you’ve read Rachel’s Butterflies, you know how I write best: by being a passenger and letting my characters take the wheel.

Eventually, I gave in, and when I did, something remarkable happened.

Suddenly, everything snapped into place.

The Story Came Alive

The story I’d been forcing suddenly started breathing on its own, and what emerged was no longer a neat holiday romance series, but a dual-timeline trilogy that I’m completely in love with—one that lets the past and present speak to each other in ways I hadn’t planned, but desperately needed.

Here’s what that looks like now:

• Book 1: Promises — set at Halloween (Finished and currently out with beta readers)

• Book 2: Freedom — set at Thanksgiving (I’ll be writing the 1850s timeline in January)

• Book 3: Destiny — set at Christmas (I’ll be finishing the modern timeline and writing the 1850s story in the spring)

This version of Davis Crest feels richer. Deeper. Truer. Definitely not simpler—but more alive.

One Last Thing

I’m aiming to release the first of these books next year, and yes—when the time comes, I’ll be looking for a street team and early readers who want to walk this journey with me.

If you’d like early access to the Davis Crest trilogy, you’ll be able to sign up for advance copies soon. I would truly love to have you join the gang!

For now, though, this is the part of the work that matters most:

Listening. Letting go. And trusting the story when it changes course.

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