My friend and critique partner, Michelle Shocklee is making her debut with the release of her first novel, The Planter’s Daughter. Michelle and I met nearly a decade ago at a writer’s conference. We shared the same literary agent, Les Stobbe, back then and Les took all his writers in Denver to dinner during the conference. There were about a dozen of us, but the only writer I really remember is Michelle.

We sat together at the end of a long, rustic table, and by the time the meal was finished, we’d made a special connection. Michelle’s boys were the same age as my girls, teenagers at the time, and we both were working on historical romances in 2009. Michelle and I loved Jesus, our families, and books in that order. After we returned home, we decided to become critique partners. We’ve rolled with the punches through plenty of rejections together, and both of us are Chicken Soup for the Soul writers. This past year, we became published authors of full-length novels, which is a new thing for us.

Michelle’s new book is a clean, lovely romance, but more than that, it’s a redemption story about all the ways people can become enslaved, and the power of God to set people free. And Texas comes alive in this novel. You won’t want to miss this wonderful story.

Michelle lives in the Texas Hill Country on a 400-acre ranch where she and her husband of nearly thirty years are estate caretakers. When she isn’t spoiling llamas, chickens, and sheep, Michelle enjoys spoiling her grown sons. Here is a note from Michelle:

I have always loved the written word. As far back as I can remember I’ve enjoyed books. My mother, an elementary school teacher, read to my four older siblings and me a lot while we grew up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After I learned to read on my own, books were part of my daily life. When I walk into a bookstore, I take a deep breath, inhaling that wonderful, unique aroma. Ahhh. (Sorry techies, but ya just can’t do that with a Kindle!) So it wasn’t a big surprise when I discovered how much I enjoyed writing my own stories. I filled pages of notebooks and eventually computer screens with tales of love, heartbreak, drama and humor. Although I write various genres, historical settings are my favorite. My new historical romance series, THE WOMEN OF ROSE HILL, is set on a large cotton plantation in Texas before and after the Civil War. Although the South was far more infamous for slavery, Texas had her share of large plantations and cotton kings. Using firsthand slave accounts from Texas as reference, I’ve attempted to maintain Texas’ uniqueness while weaving the true stories into a heart-warming saga that belongs to characters I hope you will fall in love with. The first book, THE PLANTER’S DAUGHTER, is now available on Amazon.

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THE PLANTER’S DAUGHTER When her father’s Texas cotton plantation faces bankruptcy, Adella Rose Ellis must choose between the man who can save her family’s land and the man who can save her!		CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: THANKS TO MY MOM Mom’s teach us so many things! Read how my precious Mom instilled “A Love of Words” in me.		Look for “Harvest of Blessing” in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL DEVOTIONAL STORIES FOR WIVES.
“Mary and Me” appears in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS.		Read “Election Day Setback” in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.		“Mary and Me” also appears in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL TALES OF CHRISTMAS, hardback collector’s edition.
“Mary and Me” appears in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS, hardback collector’s edition.		“An Honor Beyond Measure” appears in DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD.