Nineteenth-century America—the setting of the Bone Wars—was all about expansion and discovery. Think: the Louisiana Purchase (a massive swath of land) and the 1845 annexation of the Republic of Texas (much larger than it is today) to the Union as its 28th state.

So…if you read my “About” page, by now you know that I love road trips. Can’t get enough of ‘em! And to write the Bone Wars Trilogy, I’ve covered quite a lot of territory across the U.S. (My husband, Al, does the driving so that I can watch and navigate. Bless him!)

I first heard of Edward D. Cope and O.C. Marsh in a college Geology class. From that moment, their story captured me, even obsessed me. I knew it would be the subject of my first novel. My personal search for Cope and Marsh began in their old, but official, biographies.