In the Footsteps of the Outlaws

I've kind of always been fascinated by Old West outlaws, such as Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, who pillaged and roamed the western states like pirates of the prairies. So it was super fun, this past week, to visit a place they had been.

We took a short research trip, for my next Love Inspired Historical western, up to Buffalo, Wyoming. Located about 45 miles north of "Hole in the Wall" country, a popular hideout for outlaws, Buffalo offered these men all the amenities of a growing town, which including The Occidental Hotel.

The hotel still provides lodging for guests today, and that's where we stayed! And boy, did it feel like we'd stepped back in time. Not only seeing the gorgeous antiques that filled every room but walking across the creaky, wooden floors and listening to the wind rattle the old windows.

We also drove farther north to visit Sheridan and got a breath-taking view of the Big Horn mountain country. This beautiful, historic ranch was built near the Big Horn foothills back in 1892. And it certainly got my writer brain spinning at what western tale I could set there!

Though we weren't gone long, it was a trip worth making and a great reminder of why I love history, the West, and combining the two into stories.

Launch Tour and Giveaway for My Newest Release!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Book Tour Launch for

The Express Rider's Lady

By Stacy Henrie

Join us on the historic trail with a Pony Express rider and a woman who needs his help to get to California! Learn more about the setting, check out the reviews, and find a little inspiration and romance...

Tour Schedule

February  2nd: Heidi Reads... & The Power of Words

February 3rd: Katie's Clean Book Collection & Min Reads and Reviews

February 4th: Babs Book Bistro

February 5th: Savings in Seconds & Literary Time Out

February 7th: Wishful Endings & Zerina Blossom's Books

February 8th: Mom with a Reading Problem & Backing Books

February 9th: Seasons of Humility & I Am A Reader

February 10th: Singing Librarian Books, Christy's Cozy Corners, & Mel's Shelves

February 11th: Getting Your Read On & Tell Tale Book Reviews

February 12th: Dixie n Dottie, Reading Is My SuperPower, & Rockin' Book Reviews

February 14th: Grand Finale

Interview with the Author

1. What is your motivation behind The Express Rider’s Lady?

It was while driving across Wyoming on the way to South Dakota one summer that I thought up Delsie and Myles and their cross country journey. And their story turned out to be so much fun to write! Partly because of the adventure of racing against the clock to reach California, partly because it features the Pony Express, which is such an iconic part of the Old West, and partly because both characters end up growing so much from their experiences.

2. What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?

I hope readers take away that we can each do hard things; that we don’t have to let others’ imposed stereotypes have sway in our lives or our hearts. Also, no matter where we are, the Lord is aware of us.

3. Do you have a favorite scene?

That’s always a tough question to answer! But I would say one of my favorites is the scene when the Indian tries to barter for Delsie’s hand in exchange for giving Myles a new horse. The situation is rather intense, and Myles knows that, even if Delsie doesn’t at first. But the way Myles handles it is really fun.

4. Share something about you that is unique?

In the third grade, I wrote a very, very short story about the Pony Express, complete with illustrated picture of a girl rider and her horse. So it’s super fun to now have a full-length novel about the Pony Express. I’d love to go back and tell that little girl self, “Just you wait. Someday you will be a writer and have enough story to fill a whole book.”

— Stacy

The Express Rider's Lady

by Stacy Henrie
Adult Christian Historical Romance

Paperback & ebook, 288 pages
February 9th 2016 by Love Inspired

Westward Wedding Journey

Delsie Radford is going to make it to California, no matter the danger or difficulty. Her father may have kept her and her sister apart, but Delsie refuses to miss her sister's wedding—even with only eighteen days to get there. And she's found the perfect escort in Pony Express rider Myles Patton.

Myles can't believe it when a pretty socialite hires him to take her cross-country through rough terrain and dangerous territory. Surely she'll quit before they reach their destination—he's known girls like her before. But the longer they ride together, the more Myles notices Delsie's toughness and kindness beneath her polished exterior. And though they may be worlds apart…they might just be perfect for each other.

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Harlequin - Walmart

Stacy Henrie has always had a love for history, fiction, and chocolate. She earned her B.A. in public relations before turning her attentions to raising a family and writing inspirational historical romances. Wife of an entrepreneur husband and a mother to three, Stacy loves to live out history through her fictional characters. In addition to author, she is also a reader, a road trip enthusiast, and a novice interior decorator.

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest

Tour Giveaway

$50 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
Print copy of The Express Rider's Lady (US only)
ebook of The Express Rider's Lady (open internationally)
Ends February 19th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Recommendation: On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she could want. A boyfriend back home, a loving family, and a challenging job as a flight nurse. But in July 1943, Georgie's cozy life gets more complicated when she meets pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson.

Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates how the war keeps him from his fiancée. While Georgie and Hutch share a love of the starry night skies over Sicily, their lives back home are falling apart. Can they weather the hurt and betrayal? Or will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection they've made?

MY THOUGHTS:
I've found a new author whose books I'm really enjoying - Sarah Sundin! ON DISTANT SHORES is the second book in her Wings of the Nightingale series. And while I really liked the first one, I absolutely loved this one! Georgie and Hutch are both so likable and human. They're each dealing with challenges I think we all face at one time or another, even though the backdrop for their story is WWII. Sundin's writing is wonderful, and I appreciate how she includes historical information and details in a way that doesn't bog down the story or take away from it. I've enjoyed learning about the air evacuation nurses and the challenges of pharmacists who enlisted in the war. And of course, Georgie and Hutch's romance is fantastic with some equally fantastic kisses. :) This is a great WWII, get-lost-in-the-story inspirational romance!

My Recommendation: Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; seventy years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past.

Gisèle Duchant guards a secret that could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France.

A present day story weaves through the past one as Chloe Sauver, Gisèle’s granddaughter, arrives in Normandy. After calling off her engagement with a political candidate, Chloe pays a visit to the chateau to escape publicity and work with a documentary filmmaker, Riley, who has uncovered a fascinating story about Jews serving in Hitler’s army. Riley wants to research Chloe’s family history and the lives that were saved in the tunnels under their house in Normandy. Chloe is floored—her family isn’t Jewish, for one thing, and she doesn’t know anything about tunnels or the history of the house. But as she begins to explore the dark and winding passageways beneath the chateau, nothing can prepare her for the shock of what she and Riley discover…

MY THOUGHTS:
It's been quite a while since I read a book I couldn't put down, but Chateau of Secrets was one of those! I love books with past and present story lines, and in this one, I enjoyed both time periods equally. The WWII history was super fascinating. I never knew there were Jewish soldiers serving in the German army. And the French countryside sounded so lovely and was easy to picture - the author made me want to visit there! I liked the main characters, especially Gisèle, and of course, the underlying romance in both their stories. This was a great historical read that I highly recommend.

FREE Of Love and War Short Story!

Whether you've read all of the Of Love and War books and want to see what happens to secondary characters Alice Thornton and George Dennis at the end of WWI, or you want to give the series a try for free, then this short story is for you! Download a PDF copy for FREE from my website.


Love Awaits at the Journey's End . . .

After nearly two years of serving overseas as an Army Nurse Corps nurse, Alice Thornton is more than ready to return home to the States. But what her future holds there is still uncertain. Should she accept an unexpected proposal from her doctor friend and continue nursing? Or is the real object of her heart, Sergeant George Dennis, still hoping for a life together, as Alice secretly is?


Though Sergeant George Dennis has finally traded the trenches of France for his quiet farm life in Wisconsin, the effects of the war have followed him home. And while he does his best to cope, he's sure the one thing that can help him rise above the past is his continued love for Alice Thornton. But does she still feel the same about him? And will he reach her in time to find out?

An Epic Week!

I learned last Thursday my book HOPE AT DAWN (Of Love and War, Book 1) is a finalist in the inspirational category of the Romance Writers of America RITA Awards!

I missed the initial call because my cell phone was off. But when I saw I had an email from someone at the RWA Board of Directors, I suddenly remembered it was the day for RITA finalist calls. I quickly called the woman back, and even though I had a pretty good idea at that point what the call was about, I still couldn't believe it.

This is the highest award an author of romance can receive. And needless to say, I'm still pinching myself. :)

The other exciting event of the week is the release of my final book in the Of Love and War series, A HOPE REMEMBERED (Of Love and War, Book 3). I have learned so much about WWI through writing this series and it's been a joy to share that knowledge and these characters with readers.

A reviewer for Night Owl Reviews said: "What stands out beyond all else with Henrie's novels is the fact that she dares to create stories of a time when most feared hope was lost and she dares to show the readers the aftermath of war and the lives that are left crippled by the devastation."

I'm thrilled to finally share Nora and Colin's love story and hopefully bring to life for readers England's Lake District in the aftermath of WWI.

As the War Ends, Love Begins ...

Nora Lewis just wants an escape after losing her fiance in the Great War. When she inherits property in England, she boldly packs up and leaves America for a fresh start. But, if not for her dashing new neighbor, Colin Ashby, she'd be lost. Even as their friendship deepens, Nora knows a British aristocrat would never be free to love an American orphan, no matter how much the war has changed the world ...

After his brother's death in the war and his own experiences as a pilot at the front, Colin returns home broken, only to discover his family's estate is also in ruin. The pressure is now on him to save his home and the Ashbys' place in society with a well-bred match to a wealthy heiress. Too bad he finds more of a kindred spirit in Nora, the beautiful American next door. She, too, has faced the rigors of war and survived. Now the ex-soldier will have one more battle to fight--this time for love.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FdFpfF
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1xvDW4z
Books A Million: http://bit.ly/1yvVmJ2
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1G3jNpa
Itunes: http://apple.co/1y1C8Lf

My Recommendation: Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano

What It's About:
Andrea Sullivan is so consumed by her hospitality consultant job that she’s forgotten what brings her life. She travels the world yet shields herself from the exotic locales or another chance at love. She dreads her new assignment—a last chance to snag a high-profile client in Scotland. Yet the lush Isle of Skye transcends her preconceptions. As does the man she came to interview—the rugged, blue-eyed Scotsman James McDonald.

James is passionate about cooking but after six restaurants, four cookbooks, and his own television show, he has no desire to be a celebrity chef. Andrea and James begin to sense these five days in Skye may just be God’s wild invitation into deeper life ... and truer love.

My Thoughts:
This is the first book I've read by Carla Laureano, but it won't be the last. I absolutely loved this one! The chemistry between Andrea and James was fantastic, and I loved the way they first met. My favorite part of this book was the fact that it took place over just five days. While that might seem fast for a romance, the author does such a great job growing the relationship between Andrea and James to a deep level, even in the short time they have together. I loved the reminder, too, of what's really important in life. This is the sort of book I'd enjoy reading over again!