How The Prophet Almost Became The Shimmering

Every novel has a story behind the story.

Sometimes the book readers hold in their hands isn't the book the author originally set out to write. That was certainly true for The Prophet, the third book in The Shimmering trilogy.

When I first conceived the series, the plot that eventually became The Prophet was actually intended to be the very first novel.

The story centered on a modern-day man who unexpectedly found himself transported back in time along the Natchez Trace. It had everything I wanted to write—history, adventure, mystery, and the fascinating question, "What if you suddenly found yourself living two hundred years in the past?"

Then I began doing what every historical fiction writer should do.

I started researching.

When History Changes the Story

One of the most important locations in the series is the Gordon House, a historic inn and ferry site along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee. I wanted to use the Gordon House as a major setting because it perfectly represented life on the early American frontier.

As I dug deeper into its history, I discovered something that completely changed my plans.

The Gordon House wasn't built until 1817–1818.

That caught my attention immediately.

At the very time I was writing the novel, it had been almost exactly 200 years since construction of the Gordon House began.

That coincidence was simply too perfect to ignore.

Rather than forcing my original story to fit the location, I decided to let history lead the way.

A New Beginning

Instead of beginning the trilogy with my original concept, I shifted the timeline.

That decision became The Shimmering.

Daniel Lane's journey from 2017 back to 1817 allowed me to place him in middle Tennessee during the very year the Gordon House was being built. Suddenly, history and fiction fit together in a way I hadn't anticipated.

The timing felt natural.

The setting became authentic.

The story grew stronger because of it.

What began as a simple research project completely reshaped the direction of the series.

The Original Story Lives On

Of course, I wasn't about to abandon the story that had inspired the series in the first place.

Instead, I asked myself another question.

What happens after The Shimmering?

That answer eventually became The Prophet.

Rather than disappearing into my files, the original storyline evolved into the third installment of the trilogy. The characters had grown. The world was larger. The mysteries surrounding the Shimmering had deepened. By the time I returned to the original idea, it had become an even richer story than I had first imagined.

Sometimes the best ideas simply need time to mature.

Why Research Matters

Historical fiction is a balancing act between imagination and accuracy.

As authors, we often begin with an exciting idea, but research has a way of steering us toward something even better. Instead of treating historical facts as obstacles, I've learned to view them as opportunities.

The Gordon House didn't derail my plans.

It inspired an entirely new direction.

In the end, the trilogy became stronger because I allowed history to shape the fiction rather than forcing the fiction to ignore history.

The Journey Continues

Looking back, I'm grateful that I discovered the Gordon House's construction date when I did.

Had I not taken the time to research, The Shimmering trilogy would be a very different series today.

The story I originally intended to tell still found its place.

It simply had to wait until Book Three.

As readers often discover, time has a way of changing everything.

Sometimes...

...even the story itself.

If you've already read The Shimmering and The Diary of Gus Childers, you'll find that The Prophet brings the trilogy full circle. What began as my original concept ultimately became the conclusion of Daniel Lane's remarkable journey through time, proving that sometimes the best stories arrive exactly when they're meant to.