This page contains information about the O'Connor family, one of the main subjects of my original fiction. The page will be expanded with more information as stories are posted.
Evan �Scott� O�Connor was born in Ireland. His mother�s family owns several horse farms in Ireland and England, and are known for their excellent breeding program for steeplechasers. Evan has 1 older brother, Joseph, a younger brother named Ross, and a younger sister named Cecily. Out of the four, Evan is the only one who shares his mother�s love of horses.
At the age of 12, Evan�s family relocated to New York City! His father�s company owns several large precious gemstone mines and a couple of gold mines. The O�Connor family fortune was made in emeralds and sapphires.
While growing up, Evan was a top eventer. After he turned 16, he began racing a few steeplechasers on the side while continuing to compete in eventing. Evan has never been the �favorite� child and is treated as the black sheep by everyone in his family except his mother.
During his teen years, Evan went a little wild with a string of girlfriends. He has 5 children from this, Justin, Drew, Nathan, Jessica and David.
Then when Evan was 18, just before he graduated high school, one of his horses was killed during the cross-country portion of an eventing meet. Evan grieved deeply over the gelding, and when his father tried to force him to make a college decision, he left.
Somehow he ended up in western Colorado, where Justin�s mother, Julie, lived. While there he went to work at a cattle ranch, the Ridge Line, and met Julie�s sister-in-law, Brooke Thunder. It was love at first sight because Brooke shares Evan�s love of all things equine.
Brooke is full-blooded Shoshone Indian, and the third child of Dr. and Mrs. James Thunder. She�s lived her entire life in the little town of Holly Ridge, nestled in a valley in the Rockies. The area is known for excellent skiing, and is just being discovered by avid skiers from other parts of the country. The only thing Brooke has ever wanted is to be a mother and to have as many children as she can.
The two were married less than a year after they met, and the birth of their first child followed shortly after. Children actually, twin boys.
When their oldest were 7, the owner of the Ridge Line Ranch where Evan was the foreman, died and left the entire ranch to Evan. Evan quickly took over, and expanded into breeding and training horses. Evan trains Quarter horses for cutting and herding, and also breeds and races Appendix Quarter horses. He�s one of a handful of breeders with an established palamino line. Evan trains using natural horsemanship taught him by Brooke�s grandfather.
Evan made Brooke aware of his other children before they were married, and he has remained in constant contact with them through the years, even though he was never allowed to have custody of them. Justin, Drew and David were raised by their mothers, Nathan was raised by Evan�s mother, and Jessica or Jessie as she prefers, was raised by Evan and Brooke.
In current times in the storyline, Evan and Brooke are the parents of 14 children. They have 3 sets of twins, all boys, and adopted a set of brothers from Russia. Following is a list of all the main characters, with their spouses names if they�re married. Most of them do have children, but in the interest of keeping things �straight�, they will be introduced as needed in the stories.
Justin and Kylie
Drew and Lara
Nathan and Jacqueline �Jackie�
Jessica and Derrick �DJ�
David and Courtney
Seth and Michelle
Kyle and Helen, then later marries Jenna in �Always and Forever�
Josh and Deanna
Grant and Heidi
Keith and Samantha
Nicholas �Nick�, later will marry Tatiana �Ti�
Victoria �Tori� and Aaron
Michael �Bo�, later will marry Amber
Benjamin, Ben, later will marry Cassie
Blaine, later will marry Shanna
Adam, much later will marry Rose
Zachary �Zac�, much later will marry Carol
Jacob �Jake�, much later will marry Dana
Ryan
Tabitha �Tabby�
These are some important friends that will have recurring roles throughout the stories:
Dusty Greyhawk: One of Seth�s closest friend outside of his family. They are the same age.
Brandon O�Hara: Another of Seth�s close friends, they met in college. Brandon is an internist and �takes care� of Seth.
Micah Walker: Kyle�s partner. They are FBI agents.
Sam Tyson: Nick and Bo�s oldest biological brother. He was adopted by the Tyson family in Denver, and is very close to his younger brothers. The youngest of the boys, Peter, now lives with Sam and is an aspiring artist. Bo also has a twin brother, Andrei, who later joins the Navy. Sam and his wife Brandy are avid participants and teachers in a local vintage/swing dance society and are very active in re-enactments and helping to provide period �atmosphere� at various functions.
Todd Hardin: The vet in Holly Ridge, and one of Kyle�s closest friend. Todd was also the brother of Kyle�s first wife, Helen.