Welcome to the Blog Tour for Texas Forsaken by Sherry Shindelar, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Texas Forsaken
Series: Lone Star Redemption #1
Author: Sherry Shindelar
Publisher: Wild Heart Books
Release Date: May 21, 2024
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
The man who destroyed her life may be the only one who can save it.
Seven years ago, Maggie Logan (Eyes-Like-Sky) lost everything she knew when a raid on a wagon train tore her from her family. As the memories of her past faded to nothing more than vague shadows, Maggie adapted, marrying a Comanche warrior, having a baby, and rebuilding her life. But in one terrible battle, the U.S. Cavalry destroys that life and she is taken captive again, this time by those who call themselves her people. Forced into a world she wants nothing to do with, Eyes-Like-Sky’s only hope at protecting her child may be an engagement to the man who killed her husband.
Enrolled in West Point to escape his overbearing father, Captain Garret Ramsey finds himself assigned to the Texas frontier, witnessing the brutal Indian War in which both sides commit atrocities. Plagued by guilt for his own role, Garret seeks redemption by taking responsibility for the woman he widowed and her baby. Though he is determined to do whatever it takes to protect them, is he willing to risk everything for a woman whose heart is buried in a grave?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
Interview with Author Sherry Shindelar
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I have dreamed of being a published fiction writer since I was nine years old. I used to swing for hours on my swing set making up stories. When I was in my mid-twenties, I visited a historical home in the Shenandoah Valley. That house inspired my first novel which I started writing ten years later. When publishers didn’t snap the manuscript up and give me a contract, I put it in a box and stuffed it under a dresser (I had a lot to learn about the writing life). I returned to college and earned a creative writing degree and a PhD in literature, but something was still missing. Five years ago, the Lord worked in my life, and I fell in love with writing all over again. The stories came alive in my head. I have poured my heart into writing ever since. I rewrote that first book twice, and then I moved on to Texas Forsaken. Last summer, the Lord opened the doors to my receiving a three-book contract. My life-long dream came true.
What do you do besides writing?
I’m an English professor at a small Christian college. I enjoy teaching writing and research, and I hold a writing and art contest for the school every year in hopes of encouraging and recognizing young writers and artists. In my spare time (which I have very little of between teaching and writing), I enjoy spending time with my family (I have three grown children and three grandchildren. My husband and I have been married thirty-nine years), traveling across the U.S., and doing Zumba and kickboxing.
What was your favorite part of researching for this book?
This book was inspired by the life of a real person, Cynthia Ann Parker, the most famous captive in nineteenth-century America. I read her story twenty-five years ago, and her story has haunted me ever since. She was captured by the Comanche at age nine and adopted into the tribe. Twenty-four years later, after she’d married and had three children, she was recaptured by the U.S. Cavalry and Texas Rangers. She never reintegrated. Her heart was Comanche.
I enjoyed thoroughly researching her life and the fort/camp where she was taken. I especially love diaries, journals, and letters written during the time period.
At the beginning of my story, my character, Eyes-Like-Sky, has lived with the Comanche seven-years, is married to a warrior, and has a baby. The story starts at a moment of crisis similar to Cynthia Ann’s life, but the trajectory is much different.
Do you have images you can share that come close to how you picture your characters? Do you like to find visual inspiration for your characters before or during your writing process?
I usually look for images after I’m well into the writing process. I like creating the characters in my mind and having a good feel for them before I go looking at any pictures. Later in the process, I sometimes search for images of eye color or hair, especially men’s hairstyles of the time period to help with my descriptions. In the case of Texas Forsaken, I didn’t look at full facial images until my publisher asked for cover ideas.
What are some songs that you listened to or inspired you while writing your book?
I love the period song “Shenandoah.” (My favorite performance of it is this one by Sissel Kyrkjebo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1EG_4IBzbA.) My thought is to at least mention it in every mid-nineteenth story I write. In Texas Forsaken, the heroine and hero dance to it during a significant moment.
In my stories, I also think of contemporary Christian songs that capture my vision for my characters and/or the message that I want my readers to take away from the book. For Texas Forsaken, I chose “Way Maker” and “Another in the Fire.”
What message would you like readers to ultimately take away from the book?
That God isn’t as distant as the stars. He is as near as our hearts. Another message would be: Don’t give up. There is hope, and there is healing even when one has endured the worst of circumstances. We don’t have to be lost in our grief, guilt, and/or failures. God is the God of second chances.
What can we look forward to coming from you in the future?
I’m currently in the middle of Book Two of the Lone Star Redemption series. The second book, Texas Divided, takes place in 1863 – 1864 in Texas. The third book, Texas Reclaimed, will be my next project. Eventually, I’ll be publishing a historical romance set in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War, but my heart is in Texas at the moment.
About the Author
Originally from Tennessee, Sherry Shindelar loves to take her readers into the past. She is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West, and she is a romantic at heart. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-eight years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.
Connect with Sherry at sherryshindelar.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will win a $25 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Texas Forsaken, and a Texas Bluebonnet mug!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 21, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 28, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment!