Author Spotlight: Sherry Shindelar – Where History, Romance, and Faith Collide

If you love stepping back in time—like you can practically smell the campfire smoke and hear the hoofbeats—you’re going to want to meet Sherry Shindelar, an award-winning historical romance author who writes stories packed with grit, heart, and hope.

Sherry is originally from Tennessee, now living in Minnesota with her husband, and she’s not just a writer—she’s also an English professor who loves helping others fall in love with words, too.
And yes… she’s racked up some serious writing accolades along the way (ACFW Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, Crown finalist, and more).

Why readers love Sherry’s books 🤍

Sherry’s stories take the emotional intensity of historical fiction and weave in:

• High-stakes romance
• Courage + redemption
• Deep character wounds… and the slow healing that follows
• Faith woven in with purpose (not pasted on like a sticker)

Honestly? Her work is a great fit if you like fiction that leaves you thinking about what really matters—very Philippians 4:8 energy (“whatever is true… noble… right… pure…”).

A little about Sherry (and what makes her tick)

Sherry has loved stories since childhood—she even admits to inventing romantic storylines for Captain Kirk back in the day (iconic 😄). But what’s especially meaningful is how she talks about returning to writing with a heart that’s been “chipped, molded, and shaped” through life’s joys and pains—and seeing God’s hand in the process.

That kind of life experience shows up on the page: her characters feel real, and the emotional payoff is earned.

Book Spotlight: Texas Forsaken (Lone Star Redemption #1) 🤠🔥

If you like your historical romance with real danger and real moral complexity, Texas Forsaken is a strong place to start.

Here’s the setup:

• Maggie Logan (also known as Eyes-Like-Sky) loses everything, is forced back into a world she no longer recognizes, and ends up facing the unthinkable—an engagement to the man tied to her deepest grief.
• Captain Garret Ramsey is drowning in guilt and trying to do the right thing… but the right thing isn’t simple out on the frontier.

Sherry also shares that this story was inspired by a real-life captive narrative that haunted her for years—and she wrote a fictional version with a very different ending.

If you like “read the next one immediately” energy…

Book 2, Texas Divided, brings even more tension:

• Morning Fawn is desperate to return to the Comanche people she considers home
• Devon Reynolds is trying to redeem old choices… while working undercover as a Yankee spy
• Two wounded souls keep colliding, and the question becomes: can love survive the chaos of war?

And Book 3, Texas Reclaimed, is set to release Feb. 3, 2026—with a story that includes a ranch on the line, a war-scarred hero, and faith threaded through the struggle.

Freebie time: Get The Christmas Parting

Okay, this is the part you don’t want to skip.

Sherry is offering a free short story called “The Christmas Parting” (set on Christmas Eve, 1864, with all the yearning-and-history vibes you’d expect).

If you enjoy:

• historical settings that feel lived-in
• romance with emotional bite
• faith and hope that show up when life is messy

…go grab it. Seriously. Click the freebie link below and treat yourself.

Quick “pick your flavor” reader prompt 💬

Before you snag your freebie:
Which trope pulls you in fastest?

• enemies-to-lovers
• forced proximity / survival
• scarred hero + resilient heroine
• found family
• redemption arc

Drop your answer in the comments when you read this post—because I love seeing what readers gravitate toward. 😊

P.S. Helena’s February Anchored: A One-Chapter-a-Day Journal is now available. Find your copy here.