Friday, March 11, 2016

My Journey to Publication by Stacy Henrie


Stacy Henrie

Besides talent, imagination, and a desire to learn and grow in the craft, a writer also needs tenacity to keep trying, even when things don’t always go as planned. Author Stacy Henrie shares her personal journey to publication and how she refused to give up. Enjoy! ~ Dawn

My Journey to Publication

As a first-time mom, eleven and a half years ago, I found I had some time on my hands while my baby was napping. So using a book idea I’d thought up several years before and some writing software my husband had given me, I began to write my first novel. When I finished writing that book, I wrote a second and a third, all of them inspirational historical romances. I knew I wanted to be published someday—that had been a goal of mine since I was eleven—but for those first six years, I wrote mostly for the enjoyment of it. 

In 2011, I entered a blurb contest Love Inspired Historical was hosting. I sent in the description of my second novel and won a chance to chat online with one of their editors. She requested the full manuscript.

I was also submitting my third novel to a number of literary agents and publishing houses. And while there were definitely moments of encouragement throughout this process, by the end of that summer, I’d garnered only rejections, including one from Love Inspired Historical on my other manuscript. The most difficult moment was probably when I realized it was time to shelf that third book.

I figured I had nothing to lose, at this point, by writing the Love Inspired Historical editor who’d reviewed my book and asking if she would see it again if I fixed the problem areas. I was ecstatic when she replied that, yes, she would take another look! After making the revisions, I sent the manuscript back to her, then I waited.

On January 13, 2012, I got a call from New York City. It was this editor, telling me they wanted to publish my book. That same weekend, I emailed one of the literary agents I had contacted the year before and told her I had an offer of publication. She agreed to represent me. It was an amazing couple of days. I felt like I was walking around on cloud nine.

My first published book released with Love Inspired Historical that September—eight years from the time I started writing as a new mom. THE EXPRESS RIDER’S LADY is my second release with them and my fifth full-length novel to be published. In between writing westerns, I had an inspirational WWI series published by Grand Central Forever. And that third manuscript I shelved? I rewrote the whole story, though I used the same characters, and it became the second of my WWI books.

There were so many moments along this journey to publication when I felt discouragement. But looking back, I’m truly thankful for the process and the Lord’s timing. Things didn’t happen the way I had once envisioned, but they worked out the way they were meant to. This is the journey I was supposed to make and one I am grateful to still be making today.




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.



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. Her books include Hope at Dawn, a 2015 Romance Writers of America RITA finalist for excellence in romance.

You can learn more and connect with Stacy at the following online sites:

Author website: www.stacyhenrie.com