Behind the scenes with the Barclay sisters

The story of the Barclay sisters had been simmering in my imagination long before I began writing the Sisters of Barclay Square series. It all began when I created the Of Gold & Blood series — a ten-book historical mystery saga centered on the Russell brothers, three half-brothers raised in Hong Kong by their ambitious Scottish taipan father, Sir Robert Russell.

When Sir Robert dies unexpectedly, the brothers scatter: John, the eldest, heads to California to manage the family’s import-export business; Sebastian joins his mother’s family in Boston and fights in the Union Army; and Nathan, the youngest, goes to Australia with his widowed mother, Arabella.

By the time the brothers reunite in California, Nathan is a young widower trying to rebuild his family’s fortunes after his stepfather’s disastrous business collapse. What intrigued me most was imagining the young half-sisters Nathan left behind — the Barclay sisters — and dreaming up their futures.

A Personal Connection: Women’s Stories Across the Pacific

As a New Zealander, I’ve always been fascinated by the far-reaching connections across the Pacific. I often wonder where the waves have traveled and what stories they carry, much like the stories that inspired my books. My own great-uncle left New Zealand for San Francisco during the Gold Rush and returned with an American wife from New York. Stories like these remind me of the real histories that tie us together across oceans.

The Barclay sisters are, in part, shaped by my own experience. As the eldest of four sisters, I know firsthand how different siblings can be — even when raised in the same family. Posey, the heroine of Posey’s Peril, is independent and principled, determined to resist the societal pressures pushing women into marriage. In the 1860s, that was no small stand.

Exploring the Courage of 19th-Century Women

Through my research, I was shocked to learn how few rights women had back then. Married women weren’t legally entitled to keep their own children if their husband died, without explicit mention in their husband’s will, and unmarried women were often seen as “failed” if they worked as governesses or teachers. Posey’s Peril became my way of exploring what courage and determination looked like for a woman of her time.

Want to Step Into Posey’s World?

You can dive into Posey’s story right now in Posey’s Peril, the latest book in the Sisters of Barclay Square series. If you’re new to the series, start with Poppy’s Dilemma — it’s available as a free download to welcome you into the world of the Barclay sisters.

Check out the series here

Thank you for reading, and I can’t wait to share more of these characters’ journeys with you!