A Goodreads user asked Sarah Sundin:

What was your inspiration for the Paxton Brothers?

Sarah Sundin Hi Anna! Their story came in a roundabout way. My initial idea for the Sunrise at Normandy series was to tell the story of D-day from the sea, the air, and the ground - from the perspective of three brothers. But that required the three stories to be told in parallel, rather than in sequence as most series are told. However, the three brothers would have been communicating with each other, which would have removed all suspense for the books for brothers #2 & #3. My agent and I almost threw out the entire idea.
But then I wondered...what if the three brothers were NOT talking to each other? But why would three brothers not be talking to each other? Why would at least two of them not be talking to their parents? From there, the tragic spiral that destroyed the Paxton family unfolded. That also gave me an overarching and multifaceted theme of forgiveness and reconciliation to explore for the series.
Each brother's personality and story kind of developed out of their role in the family tragedy and their role in the war.

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