Much thanks to Lynn Cherrington and Vic Workman, realtors at Christie’s in Whitefish, for putting me in touch with Jim and Lea Ann Noffsinger. Jim was kind enough to share details of the Noffsingers’ Wild Horse Ranch north of Whitefish, which became the blueprint for my fictional Rafter S.
I’m indebted to Bob Bacon and Anthony Ewell, who provided guidance and good food at Casey’s in Whitefish, where the huckleberry margaritas are icy and the DJ starts the music at ten on Friday nights.
It would have been impossible to write this novel without the things I learned about grizzlies in the many books that found their way into my hands. I especially enjoyed Mark of the Grizzly by Scott McMillion, Great Montana Bear Stories by Ben Long, and A Year in the Life of a Grizzly In Glacier National Park by local Whitefish author and artist Vernon Anderson.
Nancy November Sloane, owner of Rebel Marketing, provides endless assistance with all the minutiae necessary to keep readers informed about what I’m working on and what’s coming next. I’m grateful for all her hard work and for being a great cheerleader when I need one.
Thanks again to my sister Joyce for being on the other end of the phone line when I’m trying to decide where a comma belongs. She’s forgotten more about grammar, punctuation, and spelling than I will ever know.
I’m a better writer because of my editor, Shauna Summers, who allows me the space to let my imagination roam and puts her finger on what needs a second look with her incisive suggestions. I can’t thank her enough for sticking with me through the years I’ve spent writing the stories of the four women I labeled King’s Brats.
Letter to Readers
I might have scared myself out of the woods with the research I did on grizzly attacks for this book, the way Jaws scared me out of the ocean. Violent encounters between man and grizzly in Glacier National Park have gruesome results, but Death in Glacier National Park: Stories of Accidents and Foolhardiness in the Crown of the Continent makes it clear that you have a far better chance of drowning or dying of a heart attack (not from meeting a grizzly face-to-face, but from the altitude) than being attacked by a bear in the park. If you take proper precautions, the beauty to be found is breathtaking.
This is the final book in my King’s Brats series, which includes Sinful, Shameless, Surrender, and Sullivan’s Promise. If you’ve enjoyed these novels, you might want to check out others in my Bitter Creek series, all of which are listed on my website, joanjohnston.com. You can stay in touch with me at Facebook.com/joanjohnstonauthor, on Twitter @joanjohnston, and on Instagram @joanjohnstondinnerparties. I look forward to hearing from you!
By Joan Johnston
Bitter Creek Novels
The Cowboy
The Texan
The Loner
The Price
The Rivals
The Next Mrs. Blackthorne
A Stranger’s Game
Shattered
Sisters of the Lone Star Series
Frontier Woman
Comanche Woman
Texas Woman
Captive Hearts Series
Captive
After the Kiss
The Bodyguard
The Bridegroom
Mail-Order Brides Series
Texas Bride
Wyoming Bride
Montana Bride
Blackthorne’s Bride
King’s Brats Series
Sinful
Shameless
Surrender
Sullivan’s Promise
Connected Books
The Barefoot Bride
Outlaw’s Bride
The Inheritance
Maverick Heart
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOAN JOHNSTON is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than sixty historical and contemporary romance novels. She received a master of arts degree in theater from the University of Illinois and graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law at Austin. She is currently a full-time writer living in Colorado.
joanjohnston.com
Facebook.com/JoanJohnstonAuthor
Twitter: @JoanJohnston
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