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The Story Behind "Flame of the Rockies" by Angie Breidenbach

Angie Breidenbach • Feb 01, 2022

The history behind Flame of the Rockies is rich with heroism. Heroism that rose out of desperate times. Learning the stories of the people who fought for the lives of others, who lived and worked in such dire situations, and helped build our country while surviving intense extremes of hardship and weather had to be shared. Even a few years after writing this book, the real people of the largest fire in US history still live in my heart and mind. The engineer, Johnnie Mackedon, is one of those real life heroes that went into the heart of the massive firestorm to save lives.

 

Let me share an excerpt with you as the fire grows…

 

Lukas arrived at Roland, three long whistles alerting the town and depot workers. The telegraph operator ran to the engine waving a sheet of paper the wind tried to yank away. "Johnnie, you gotta go back now!"

The engineer, Johnnie Mackedon, shouted out of his window, "What's wrong?"

"They're shutting down all the mines and log camps. The fire converged and blew up at Avery." The operator climbed up far enough to hand off the full message.

Lukas jumped off the steps and ran toward the railroaders to better hear the emergency. He had men in camps all along the line—and Juliana, where was she? Had she gone down past Stetson to Avery or did she get warned in time and stay in Falcon?

“Johnny, what’s the plan?”

"We got word that the wind has fanned embers into a massive fire back southwest of Avery.” He never stopped working as he shot off the rest. “Hurricane force winds blasted through St. Joe City into the back country. A wall of fire is headed this way."

“What do you need me to do?” Lukas shouted over the building howl.

"Get the passengers off and unhitch those full freight cars. Let's turn her around and get as many out of there as possible!"

The telegraph operator shouted more information. “There should be slew heading up toward Falcon. The tracks closed about thirty minutes ago downline from there."

Lukas grabbed the man’s arm, holding him back before he jumped down. "Send a message. Send it as fast as you can. Tell everyone to get to the depot platform. We'll get them from there." Panic bit his belly spreading the poison of terror. Terror for all the people he knew, but especially for Juliana. "Johnnie, I'm with you! The Angel of Adair is down there."

The engineer sized him up in a second. He agreed by pointing Lukas to the coupling. It’d become too difficult to talk over the din.

Lukas signaled back he understood. Adrenaline poured into his bloodstream as Lukas raced to assist. He bounded on the first car as they put all the full freight cars in the hole on the side track. With the forest service out of the threatened area this last week, Juliana's regular delivery, from Adair to the small camp town of Falcon, took a deadly turn. Could he find her and get his men out before the wall of fire overtook them?

 

 To get your copy, please visit AngelaBreidenbach.com or your favorite bookstore.

 

About Flame of the Rockies:

Can she release her prejudice to love again?

The fiery pain at her new husband's murder might equal the disaster blazing across the Pacific Northwest. Stranded in the treacherous railroad camp, baking bread for survival to avoid the life of a bordello canary, Juliana Hayes has no desire to marry a railroad ruffian like Lukas Filips, or anyone else. Her scrimping and saving will pay off soon. She’ll be free of the camps, the rails, and the men who destroyed her life. But she can’t earn her living constantly besieged by desperate bachelors where few women cause chaos in the male ranks.

 

Juliana reluctantly accepts his protection, but when Lukas reveals the secret of his Montenegrin nobility, the old fears flare as hot as the fire storm eating up the forest at their heels. Can she release her prejudice to love again? Or will either one of them survive The Big Blowup to find out?

 

Flame of the Rockies, Book 6 in the Queen of the Rockies series, is based on true history when three million acres burned out of control on the border of Montana and Idaho darkening the skies all the way to the East Coast during August of 1910. It’s a wonder anyone survived! Read this heart-pounding romance full of adventure, honoring true history and the heroes that made it. Be sure to follow this 6-book historical romance adventure series, Queen of the Rockies, set in the Gilded Age through the turn-of-the-century. Written by bestselling author and professional genealogist, Angela Breidenbach.

 

Get your copy at your favorite book seller:

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/b5X7Mp

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09N8R63LX

AngelaBreidenbach.com

About the Author: 


Angela Breidenbach is a professional genealogist, media personality, conference speaker, bestselling author of eighteen books, and screenwriter. Angela lives in Montana with her hubby and Muse, a trained fe-lion, who shakes hands, rolls over, and jumps through a hoop. Surprisingly, Angela can also. Catch her show and podcast, Genealogy Publishing Coach!

https://AngelaBreidenbach.com

A-Muse-ings Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/n0s2t2

Social Media: @AngBreidenbach

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Angela-Breidenbach/e/B00460W4F4

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/angela-breidenbach

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3370320.Angela_Breidenbach

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