Story Behind the Story: Henry McLaughlin

The idea for the novel came first as an image of a man, Michael Archer, standing on ridge looking down on a small town.

As I asked myself why he was there, the story unfolded: He was there to attempt reconciliation, a prodigal by proxy, of a son, Ben Carstairs, hung for a crime he didn’t commit and his estranged father, Sam.

The characters grew out of the story. I don’t know how else to describe it. Michael meets the stunning Rachel Stone while waiting for Sam to return from a business trip. Beautiful yet guarded, Rachel is running from a past as dark as Michael’s, and the last thing she expects—or thinks she deserves—is a chance at love. Yet there’s a spark between them neither can deny. When word reaches town that Sam has been kidnapped on the stagecoach home, Michael joins the search posse. But the trail ahead is more dangerous than any had imagined, and making it back alive will require Michael to face his past and overcome his deepest fear.

What inspired me the most were the ideas of reconciliation, restoration, and self-forgiveness, of people coming to grips with their pasts and moving forward.

Thank you for stopping by, Henry! Visit his website here!