Do you find yourself enjoying a certain time period in fiction more than others. Guest author Sherry Shindelar loves the time of the Civil War, though she might prefer to go back even further in history if she could. Read on to find out why.
What is it about the Civil War period that draws you to use it for your stories?
The war tried people to the core of their being and tested their mettle. I’m drawn to the inner conflict of having to choose between family/home/familiarity and what one believes to be right, and between family/home and the person they want to marry. The enemies-to-lovers trope resonates with me, and I love stories that show that love can overcome all obstacles, including falling in love with an enemy.
What is one of the most interesting facts you’ve discovered in your research?
I discovered that the part of Texas where Texas Divided was set had a castle in the mid-nineteenth century. Robert Robson, a Scot who immigrated to Texas, built a concrete castle in the 1850’s in Colorado County. Robson’s Castle had a moat, a drawbridge, a garden on the roof, and indoor plumbing (pumps drew the water from the nearby river). Guests traveled from faraway communities to enjoy lavish champagne dinners, card parties, and balls. Unfortunately, the foundation was destroyed by a flood in 1869.
What is something you hope readers leave with when they have read one of your books?
Hope. I want my readers to know there is hope even in the direst of circumstances. I want them to realize that God is there with them in the hardships, the pain, and even when it seems that all is lost, and that He’ll see them through if they trust in Him. God can make a way where there is no way, and love can overcome all obstacles.
What will you work on next? Can you give us a sneak peek?
I just finished Book Five of my Lone Star Redemption series. Texas Redeemed focuses on a feisty, female newspaper reporter, Evelyn McKenzie, and Indian agent, Jake Cooper, who is suspected of corruption. She writes a news story that gets his brother killed. Once she discovers that her information was likely faulty, she follows Jake deep into Indian Territory to discover the truth and make amends. She starts to fall in love with him, but even if he manages to forgive her for her role in his brother’s death, he is obligated to marry his brother’s widow.
Then, this month I’m starting to research my next story, which will focus on Little Star (the baby from Book One, Texas Forsaken) and Charlie.
Of all the places in your books, which one would you most like to go back in the past to see? Why?
I’d love to go back to the 1830’s (two to three decades before the setting of my books) and travel across the Western frontier, with the Western artist George Caitlin. In addition to the Comanche, he visited almost fifty other tribes. I’d love the idea of being able to visit the land and its people, seeing what life was like before the settlers arrived.
I had a glimpse of this three years ago when I traveled to Palo Duro Canyon in west Texas. This majestic canyon was once a favorite haunt of the Comanche, and as a state park, much of it has been preserved to be as it was in the nineteenth century.
Last but not least, what is a fact about yourself that very few people know?’
I love to do Zumba and kickboxing.
Thanks for joining us today and giving us a sneak into you and your writing. Your stories sound great and I can’t wait to check them out.
Readers, keep reading to find out more about Sherry and how to keep up with her.
Three remarkable women find themselves caught between two worlds on the American frontier. A captive of the Comanche must choose between escaping to white society or her growing feelings for a rising war chief in 1850s Texas. A Georgia judge’s daughter flees an unwanted betrothal during the War of 1812, only to be captured by Creek warriors but protected by a mysterious brave. And in 1754, an English lady traveling the Great Wagon Road to become a music teacher discovers her carefully planned future may not survive her attraction to a protective frontiersman.
From quaint civilized towns to treacherous mountain passes and wilderness villages, three couples navigate cultural divisions, overcome past wounds, and face deadly dangers to discover that love knows no boundaries. But as war clouds gather and ancient tribal alliances shift, will their newfound relationships survive the coming storm? Or will the clash of worlds tear them apart?
Three unforgettable romances prove that God’s greatest blessings often come disguised as our greatest challenges, and that true love can bridge any divide.
Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she isn’t busy writing, she is an English professor, working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is a multi-award-winning writer. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty-one years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.