Highland Homecoming Book 4
BY SHERRIE HANSEN

Blurb

TRAVELLER’S JOY

Highland Homecoming Book 4
BY SHERRIE HANSEN

Excerpt

Thoughts on the release of my new novel, Traveller’s Joy
(the final installment in the Highland Homecoming series – Highland Heather, Alpine Meadow, Love in a Mist, Traveller’s Joy:

If you’ve read my book Love in a Mist (if you haven’t, you should!), you probably remember the surprise twist at the end when Pastor Ian and Rose’s son, Liam MacCraig, tries to seduce Misty. I won’t spoil the ending by telling you whether she ended up with Liam or Bayn, but I will say that as I wrote the scene, my heart was so caught up in Liam’s character that I knew the story had to continue.

I loved fleshing out Liam, discovering what made him tick, and figuring out how the various influences in his life shaped him into the enigma he is when Traveller’s Joy begins. Born in Botswana, the son of a naïve missionary and a native of the village, Liam was adopted by a Scottish couple who couldn’t have children of their own. If you’ve read Wild Rose, Blue Belle, Shy Violet, and Sweet William, you may remember snippets of the story. If not, Traveller’s Joy will cue you in gradually.

Liam is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever had the privilege of getting to know. Life in the parsonage, the rectory, or the manse as it’s sometimes called in Scotland, is full of twists and turns, joy and heartbreak, praise and criticism. As a pastor’s wife, I can say with all certainty that being a part of pastor’s family is not easy, simple, or straightforward. I’ve also never personally experienced what it feels like to be plucked from one continent and culture and plopped down in another, but I like to think I can relate to being a part of a complex family unit (I grew up believing I must be adopted because I was so different from the rest of my family.) I like to think that I did Liam’s character justice.

But Joy is a part of this story, too. So are Misty, Bayn (Love in a Mist), and Heather’s husband, Brodie (Highland Heather), for that matter, but I already knew them well when I started Traveller’s Joy. I think Joy’s character came about because I had just sold the Blue Belle Inn B&B and Tea House, and was starting over. It was hard to shut the door on the past and look to the future—still is in many ways. When Traveller’s Joy opens, Joy has recently gone through a divorce (which I did years ago), and left her business in Italy behind, her whole life, really, to move back to Scotland, renovate the house she grew up in, and turn it into a B&B.

Who was it that said you can’t go back? As I wrote Joy’s story, I could relate to her frustrations and setbacks. Conversely, I know the joy of birthing a new life and discovering anew things that tickle my fancy and bring me delight. I know the thrill of watching a fledgling idea take off and soar.

I think we can all relate to those pivotal moments in time when everything seems impossible, when we’re living life on the brink of success or failure, when anything can and does happen. Like us, when crossroads are reached, Joy needs to make decisions—where to turn, whether to keep trying or call it quits, whether to put her trust in things, in man, or in God.

I started Traveller’s Joy with two wonderful main characters and a host of amazing stars in supporting roles. The story idea came from a trip to Scotland in the spring of 2023. Mark and I stayed at a wonderful B&B called The Lodge near Stonehaven, a picturesque village on the east coast of Scotland. The owners, Karen and John, told us some of the legends surrounding the woods at the edge of their property—the field where the old Kennedy House stood before it was torn down, the Wee Shell House, the Lady’s Bath, Hangman’s Hill, the Walled Garden, and a little further out, Dunnottar Castle and the town of Stonehaven. Their enthusiasm, and a memorable walk through the wood, which was covered in a carpet of wildflowers, inspired me to write Traveller’s Joy, the novel, and the song, Wildflower Wood. Hangman’s Hill and the eerie feeling surrounding it stirred both my imagination and my heart. I hope it will touch you, too.

About Author Sherrie Hansen…

SHERRIE HANSEN’s highly acclaimed novels are set both close to home and abroad. Her Wildflowers of Scotland and Highland Homecoming novels, and mysteries set in Ireland, Denmark, France, Czechia, the Midwest, and Florida, are full of quirky characters and local color. One reviewer called her novels “the thinking woman’s romance.” The Blue Belle Inn B&B and Tea House Cookbook reflects her life’s work, and her recipes are her legacy. She enjoys photographing sunsets, playing the piano, painting, sewing, and planning her next European adventure. SHERRIE HANSEN and her husband live in picturesque Northern Iowa.