WIN A DVD IN OUR NEW PALE MOON STALKER CONTEST! We are so pleased with Sky’s story that we’re holding a contest based on the second paragraph in Jim’s author’s note at the front of the book. In his usual Grinch mode, he grouses about how I rewrote his favorite action scene. We had a real donnybrook over that one, let me tell you! After sulking around the house for several days, he read mine again, then admitted that it was better than his! After you read PALE MOON STALKER, Email one guess stating which action scene I revised from his original to www.shirlhenke.com. We will give out three prizes: DVD’s of the Michael Caine movie ZULU, a really great historical adventure flick made when he was a young man. Whew, was he ever a hottie back then! Max’s character not only looks just like Caine did, but the nightmare that haunts him is based on the experiences of Caine’s character. If more than three contestants guess the right scene, we’ll hold a drawing for the winners. Contest ends December 31,2008.

Isn’t the cover and back copy for our November release, PALE MOON STALKER, absolutely wonderful! When Jim and I first saw it, we high-fived each other! Max and Sky look just as we imagined them and the wonderful shadowy figure of True Dreamer against the moon adds just the right touch to give readers the idea that this is a western romance with Native American mysticism in it.

If you go to our Upcoming page, there is a second installment from PALE MOON STALKER to draw you into Sky and Max’s adventurous romance. In case you missed the first installment, it’s on the bottom half of the section—just scroll down. If you like what you read and wonder how their “arrangement” is going to turn out, please buy the book anywhere paperbacks are sold. See the side of this page for information about our contest and how to enter. You might win one of our favorite movies of all time. 

We have just finished the next book in our “Wild West Series,” CHOSEN WOMAN. Watch for it in 2009. Fawn, True Dreamer’s granddaughter from PALE MOON STALKER, is the heroine. Her nemesis is Jack Dillon, a russet-haired Irishman hired as her bodyguard by the Stanhopes, who have adopted her. The war of wits and wiles between Fawn and Jack really heats up as they battle villains and each other during the land rush era in Oklahoma Territory. Jim didn’t blow a gasket over my revisions of “his” scenes, but we did have our usual disagreements about how we view the characters. He wanted to make Fawn too “bratty” for my taste. When I toned down some of his more outrageous offerings, let’s just say he was not too happy with me. It’s great to have “line item veto power!” 

Right now we’re sketching out Lady Ronnie’s story from PALE MOON STALKER, along with several other western romance ideas. Many readers have asked us when we will write books about supporting characters from the American Lords trilogy, especially Fox from YANKEE EARL, Lorilee from REBEL BARON and Michael from TEXAS VISCOUNT. We really want them to have their own happy endings, too, so as soon as we receive the green light to go forward, we will let you know on this website. Stay tuned…

Please read Jim’s Fall Newsletter to catch up on what’s happening around the Henke household. Is it just me…or are we really crazier than the average family? Must be that “storyteller gene” in us. 

Enjoy the holidays and alwqays, always keep a good book near at hand!

Happy reading,

Shirl