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| 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
