King Cotton II: Kentucky Gold, the second entry in a trilogy of historical fiction novels involving the exports of Jack Bailey, was just named a finalist in the Colorado Authors League 2026 Book Awards in the Historical Fiction Post 1850 category.

In the spring of 2023, a Kentucky farmer noticed the furrows behind his plow begin to sparkle in the sun. He had just inadvertently unearthed hundreds of Confederate gold coins, the newest from 1863. No one knows how or why they were there. Well, one man does. Cotton trader, photographer, philanderer, and Civil War veteran (having served with dubious distinction on both sides), Jack Bailey returns in King Cotton II – Kentucky Gold. 

Picking up exactly where King Cotton ends, just moments after Lincoln’s assassination, Bailey flees Washington justifiably fearing that he’ll be implicated. During his ensuing travels he encounters many of the famous characters of the day, including Jefferson Davis, Wild Bill Hickok, Kit Carson, Frank and Jesse James, and Buffalo Bill Cody. Prior acquaintances Allan Pinkerton, Ulysses S. Grant, distiller John Beam, and P.T. Barnum are also back. 

As usual, Bailey’s exploits place him at many notable historic events, including the first quick draw gunfight in the old west, herding longhorn up the Old Chisholm Trail, one of the earliest train robberies in America, Black Friday of September 1869, and the Battle of Beecher Island, Colorado. True to form, he finds himself in various boudoirs along the way, entertaining ladies ranging from famous actresses to borderline sociopaths. As it was in all three King Cotton books, all of the events, timelines, and most of the characters in this sequel are real. 

Stay tuned for King Cotton IV: Slaughter in New Mexico.