Real People in A Cowboy’s Destiny
In a previous blog, we talked about the actual 101 Ranch. It plays a pivotal part in the story of Charlie Kelly and "A Cowboy's Destiny." The ranch existed, and the Millers also truly owned the ranch. The Miller brothers, Joe, George, and Zack are characters in the story. So is the person E. W. Marland. I wanted a genuine feel of realism in the story even though it absolutely is a work of fiction.
George L. Miller, the middle son and the gifted businessman who oversaw keeping the books straight and the bills paid, at the 101, plays a significant role in the story. The events that happen are all fictional but could have happened. George hires Charlie to assist him in the oil business working with Marland. It makes for an excellent way to show growth in Charlie and how he deals with new challenges. Every character in this novel and the future ones that are real people are there because Charlie (and Susan) will come in contact with them, and something special happens.
Every real person will be a “Good Guy” and add color and a sense of “realism” to the story. When I need a bad guy, I’ll invent him, or as will happen later in this series, I may use real bad guys. An example of that is Charlie will deal with Johnny Torrio, the infamous Chicago Outfit mob boss in the 1920s, in a future edition. Charlie and Susan will spend some time in Southern California in the future and meet several “for real” people including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, they'll meet in the Hotel Tulsa with J. Paul Getty, Henry Sinclair, and William Skelly, who are already icons in the oil business. There will be several ranches bought and other things that will continue to expand the story, but the reader will have well-known people pop up and hopefully make the storyline interesting and fun.
