Nine years. NINE YEARS. It’s been almost a decade since I published Trans-Continental: Mississippi Queen. Eleven years since I wrote Trans-Continental: Girl in the Gears. I’ve wanted to do this book all that time. I have made several outlines, had several brainstorming sessions, and even had a false start with a first chapter a few years ago. All ended up fizzling out, or being eclipsed by a newer, shinier idea.

To be fair,...