As is so often the case, the release of my new novel, Traveller’s Joy, came in the midst of a huge spurt of busyness in my life. Now that I’m kind-of-retired, I thought I would have a calm schedule and plenty of time to promote my novels. Did I mention that we just got back from Italy and that I’m barely over being jet-lagged from our trip to Ireland in June?

I know, good problems to have… but I didn’t want to let the release of TRAVELLER’S JOY slide by without a wee bit of fanfare, especially since it’s the final installment in the Highland Homecoming series (Highland Heather, Alpine Meadow, Love in a Mist, Traveller’s Joy.) For those of you who like to wait until a series is complete to start it, binge read away!

Highland Homecoming novels by Sherrie Hansen

On the other hand, if you read my books as they’re released, you probably remember the surprise twist at the end of LOVE IN A MIST 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 Joy will cue you in gradually.

Wildflowers of Scotland novels by Sherrie Hansen

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.  When I got home, I started to research the wildflower, Traveller’s-Joy, and found it’s common name was Old Man’s Beard. And, voila, another character was born.

And then one night when I was working on the book, the Northern Lights started to dance over our house, and the plot thickened. Hangman’s Hill and the eerie feeling surrounding it stirred both my imagination and my heart. I hope it will touch you, too.