Sherry Shindelar – Real Life Romantic Interview

Shannon here: Sherry Shindelar shares insight into her real-life romance, plus a chance to win an e-book copy of her Historical Romance, Texas Reclaimed. Comment or answer the question in any post dated March 19th – 31st to enter the drawing for Sherry’s book plus 3 other titles. Deadline: April 11th, 11:59 pm central. Here’s Sherry:

• Do you and your spouse have a favorite song?

When we first started dating, we both loved “Just a Swingin” by John Anderson. However, the song that really impacted our relationship was the “The Rose” by Bette Midler, but my eventual husband-to-be had no clue for a while. The song was my favorite in high school and college. I closely identified with its message that if you are afraid of risking your heart, unwilling to take a chance and risk rejection, you’ll never experience the joy of romantic love. I felt like that was me. I was reserved and shy and definitely afraid of rejection.

So when John and I were sitting on a river bank, talking and looking at the water, three weeks in to our dating relationship, and a riverboat slowly chugged by blasting “The Rose” over its speakers. I took it as a sign from God. That the man sitting beside me was the one for me, and that it was time for me to step out of my comfort zone and risk my heart. In that moment, I decided that John was the man I wanted to marry. (I didn’t tell him for a few months because I was afraid it’d scare him away.) And I never changed my mind. Last November, we celebrated out forty-first wedding anniversaryJ

• What’s the most romantic present your spouse ever bought for you?

How about a present that was presented as very romantic but turned out to be a totally unexpected practical joke? Two or three years into our marriage, we were at a Valentine’s party for the couples in our Bible study. Each man was to present his wife a Valentine’s gift in front of everyone. My husband wrapped mine in lovely wrapping paper with a big red bow. Once I unwrapped the paper, I found an elegant box, about the size of a necklace box, except a little taller. I was thinking jewelry. But when I opened it, I screamed (I’m a screamer) and threw it across the room. It was a piece of plastic/pretend dog poop. Thankfully, I had a sense of humor after I recovered from the shock. It was definitely the highlight of the party for everyone. In the end, my husband presented me with a second wrapped box, which turned out to be a beautiful pink and white alabaster jewelry box with engraved roses on top (which I still have on my dresser).

• How soon after meeting your spouse did you know he was the one?

It took about seven months after we first met before we actually went on a date. He asked me out after five months, but I didn’t answer. By the time he asked me out again, I’d been hoping for weeks that I’d get another chance. And once we started dating? It only took three weeks for me to know he was the oneJ (Read that story above under the favorite song question.)

• How soon after meeting you did your spouse know you were the one?

It look him longer than it took me. A couple of months after I made my decision, we walked by a wishing well fountain. He gave me a coin to toss in. My silent wish was to marry him. When he asked me what I’d wished for, I wouldn’t say. Later, he told me that in that instant he knew what I’d wished, and the realization shook him up a little. A few days after that, he gave me the “friend” speech about how he wanted us to be best friends like Jonathan and David. I cried. Friendship was good, but not enough. Then, he told me that he had plans to go to school, etc. and that although he loved me, it’d take a couple of years before he was ready to consider a huge commitment like that. By the time the time that two year date arrived, we’d already been married eight months.

• What is the most caring thing your spouse has ever done for you?

One of the most supportive things he’s ever done is that he’s all in when it comes to my writing. He totally gets my love for writing and my pursuit of my dream. He is very understanding of all of the evenings and weekends I spend writing, after I come home from my day job as a college English professor. And he’s my #1 fan when it comes to handing out business cards, bookmarks, and telling people about my books.

• Where did you and your spouse go for your honeymoon?

We spent the first couple of nights at a cabin in a Tennessee state park. It was November, so we definitely appreciated the cozy fireplace. Then we traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and stayed in a cabin owned by distant relatives. The night we arrived there, it was so dark and rainy, and the gravel roads were so steep and windy that a sheriff’s deputy had to help us find our way to the cabin. The roads were especially difficult since we’d packed all of our belongings in a U-Haul trailer that we pulled behind our car. For better or for worse, we had decided on a real adventure. We combined our honeymoon with moving to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where we knew no one and didn’t have a job lined up. We fancied we were a little bit like the pioneers who’d headed West.  Only we headed north 🙂

Reader Question: Do you have a favorite love song? Why is it your favorite?

March Book Bundle #2

My Journey into Fiction Writing by R.F. Whong, Nonfiction, Newsletter signup download

Fairest Inn All by Amy R. Anguish, Fairytale Retelling Contemporary Romance, autographed print copy

Julia’s Sense by Lynne Tagawa, Historical Fiction Short Story, digital

Texas Reclaimed by Sherry Shindelar, Historical Romance, digital

About Sherry: Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she isn’t busy writing, she is an English professor, working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is a multi-award-winning writer. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty-one years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren. Learn more & connect:

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About the book – Texas Reclaimed:

Can love blossom between a woman haunted by her family’s past and a man with a war-scarred heart?

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.

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Texas Reclaimed            Sherry’s Books

Come back March 4th for Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup!