Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Texas Reclaimed by Sherry Shindelar, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Texas Reclaimed
Series: Lone Star Redemption #3
Author: Sherry Shindelar
Publisher: Wild Heart Books
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Can love blossom between a woman haunted by her family's past and a man haunted by the trauma of war?
Cora Scott is determined to hold onto her family's Texas ranch and provide a stable home for her young half-brother, Charlie, despite the mounting challenges of post-Civil War frontier life. But when a scheming creditor threatens to seize their land, she must accept help from Ben McKenzie, a former Yankee soldier sent by her late brother. Though Ben's generosity and strength draw her, the man's private struggle she stumbles upon—too reminiscent of her father's alcoholism—makes her question whether she can trust her heart to him.
Ben McKenzie arrives in Texas intent on fulfilling his promise to his dying friend to protect Cora and Charlie. While using his inheritance to save their ranch, he battles not only the loss of their cattle but also his dependency on laudanum—a medicine that turned into a curse after his imprisonment at Andersonville. As his feelings for Cora deepen, he must choose between his promise to his father to take over their Philadelphia newspaper and his growing dream of a life with Cora in Texas.
When a Comanche warrior begins courting Cora and Ben's responsibilities in Philadelphia threaten to tear them apart, they must decide if their love is strong enough to overcome their fears and forge a future together on the Texas frontier.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Wild Heart Books | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
Book Excerpt
Cora sank against Ben’s chest like parched earth soaking up rain, her body trembling almost as much as Ben’s battered one. He could have been killed. A chill swept over her body. Her hands dug into the back of Ben’s rumpled undershirt and held on tight. Thank God, Ben was alive, standing, and breathing. Thank God, they hadn’t taken Charlie. That they were all still here safe.
Charlie came alongside and hugged them both.
Ben slipped one hand from Cora and wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulders.
Jack scurried around their feet, panting.
Safe. Cora bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She choked back a sob. She wouldn’t cry. Strong and steady beneath the hard wall of his chest, Ben’s heart pounded against her cheek. His warmth permeated the dirty linen of his shirt and the thin cotton of her chemise, drawing her like a magnet.
Moisture dropped onto the back of her head. A metallic smell. Blood.
Her breath caught. What was she thinking? Releasing her hold, she pulled back a few inches, her hands still lingering on his sides as if they belonged there. “You’re bleeding.” Every inch of her wobbled.
More in This Series
About the Author
Originally from Tennessee, Sherry Shindelar is a romantic at heart who enjoys taking her readers into the past. She fell in love with writing when she was nine years old. Decades later, she is living out her dream of writing stories from her heart and sharing them with the world. Sherry is a multi-award-winning author: 2025 Maggie Award Winner, 2023 ACFW Genesis Finalist, and 2022 Crown Finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty-one years. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.
Connect with Sherry by visiting sherryshindelar.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Author Interview
Q: What inspired you to write
Texas Reclaimed?
Sherry: Writing a story about victory over addiction has been on my heart for years. In the movie,
Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce and his battle to end the slave trade in England, I was struck by the fact that this great man, who devoted his life to setting others free, struggled with dependency on laudanum, a medicine given to him by his physicians. Then, later, I learned of the thousands of Civil War soldiers who were given laudanum and opium as part of their medical treatments. The treatments may very well have saved their lives, but they left thousands of men dependent upon the drugs.
My heart ached for people caught in the chains of addiction, especially when it wasn’t their own choice that led them there, and I wanted to show a story of hope, victory, and healing.
Q: How long did it take to write this book?
Sherry: I thought of the idea a couple of years ago and wrote the first chapter, but I had another book I needed to write first. Once I really got started on it, I wrote it in ten months.
Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel?
Sherry: I didn’t know the hero, Ben, had a sister until near the end, or that she was going to jump off the page and convince me that she needed to be the heroine of the next book.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from
Texas Reclaimed?
Sherry: Here’s one: “Love. How had it crept in past the wall of her heart? If she had any sense, she’d shove it right back out again.” Here’s another: “She should say something. Forgive him. Be understanding. But the words were mere pieces of link stuck into a gunshot wound. Not nearly enough.” Or: “Forget what the frontier had taught her. Her heart wasn’t listening.”
Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
Sherry: I have been in love with stories since I was a child. I’d swing for hours on my swing set, pumping my legs back and forth, dreaming up stories in my head. Even then, I had a flair for romance, creating new love interests and episodes for Star Trek’s Captain Kirk.
My favorite possession at age nine was a set of author playing cards (a matching game with photos of famous authors). I wanted to be an author when I grew up and bring stories to life on the written page, stories that would impact my readers.
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?
Sherry: I’ll give two, one light-hearted, one serious. Light-hearted: I love to drink iced tea 365 days a year, even in the middle of a Minnesota winter. Serious: I’m part of a prison ministry. I help lead a Bible study at our local jail.
Q: What are you currently reading?
Sherry: I’m getting ready to start
The Lady of the Red River Valley by Gabrielle Meyers.
Q: What is your favorite genre to read?
Sherry: I love to read and write Christian historical romance. On rare occasions, I read historical fiction, dual timeline, or rom-com. I also enjoy reading diaries, journals, and letters from the nineteenth century.
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
Sherry: Working full-time and writing as close to full-time as I can doesn’t leave much time for hobbies, but I love traveling and spending time with family. I also enjoy going to exercise class several times a week, especially Zumba.
Q: What is your favorite season and why?
Sherry: I love summer. In northern Minnesota, where I live, summer is the perfect time of the year: warm but usually not too hot, sunny days, lake breezes, and lots of time in nature.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Texas Reclaimed and $40 gift card to winner's choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 3, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 10, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Enter Giveaway
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