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A Fire in the Blood
Book by Henke, Shirl
448 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1994
About the author
Shirl Henke
63 books77 followersaka Alexa Hunt.
Working my way through college provided great life experiences for a novelist. One problem. I didn’t know I was destined to write books. Instead, I floundered around during and after receiving my B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of Missouri. None of my wide variety of jobs satisfied me: cashier for a loan company, public welfare caseworker, assistant circulation manager for a small daily, editor for several “house organ” newspapers, administrator of a federal information program for the elderly.
Finally I was offered the opportunity to use my history degrees, teaching in a large urban university in the Northeast. I truly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, when the history requirement was dropped for incoming students, so was my instructorship. After that I taught gerontology, sociology, proposal writing for social service agencies and freshman composition at the same university. Further life experiences. My last two years of teaching were in remedial English—just the nudge I needed to take this writing thing seriously.
Since childhood I’ve been an avid reader, everything from Robert Heinlein’s sci-fi adventures to Frank Yerby’s historical romantic sagas. More recently I became hooked on thrillers. Since childhood I had story ideas in my head, but never the epiphany to write them. Okay, maybe I just didn’t have the courage. But there were just so many times I could explain what a verb was to a college senior before I realized that maybe writing a book might be easier. I sold my first novel, a big historical romance titled GOLDEN LADY, to Warner Books in 1985. Within two years, I quit remedial comp. Now I can't imagine doing anything but writing for a living. In 2005 I switched over to the “dark side.” Tor published two political thrillers, CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY and HOMELAND SECURITY under the pseudonym Alexa Hunt. I’ve also written romantic suspense for Penguin Onyx and Silhouette Bombshell as Shirl Henke. Since I began my career, I’ve appeared on the USA TODAY bestseller list, been a RITA Finalist twice, received a BookraK Bestseller Award, and won three Career Achievement Awards, an Industry Award and three Reviewers Choice Awards from Romantic Times.
My husband Jim Henke is a former cabdriver, bartender, sailor, judo instructor and English professor. He's a scholarly authority on obscene slang and a master at its use, but an astonishingly understanding man who puts up with my all-night writing sprees and sudden dashes to my desk to jot down bits of dialogue as dinner burns on the stove. Since he took early retirement from academe, he has helped me brainstorm plots and research my novels.
After four years in the U.S. Air Force, our son Matt works in telecommunications and lives in an adjacent county with his brute of a cat, Max. Jim and I now share our cedar house in the woods with a pair of utterly adorable tomcats, Inky and Pewter, whose destructive capacity rivals that of a medium sized thermonuclear weapon. But just as life without writing would be unimaginable, so would life without cats.
For therapy when I'm not at the computer or off researching a new book, I cook large dinners for our extended family, putter in my garden and greenhouse, and still read voraciously. When deadlines permit, I love to travel. I'm a member of the Author's Guild, Romance Writers of America, Missouri Romance Writers, Sisters in Crime, Novelists Inc. and International Thriller Writers
I wrote my first twenty-two novels in longhand with a ball-point pen--it's hard to get good quills these days. Dragged into the 21st century, I now use one of those "devil machines. Another troglodyte bites the dust
Working my way through college provided great life experiences for a novelist. One problem. I didn’t know I was destined to write books. Instead, I floundered around during and after receiving my B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of Missouri. None of my wide variety of jobs satisfied me: cashier for a loan company, public welfare caseworker, assistant circulation manager for a small daily, editor for several “house organ” newspapers, administrator of a federal information program for the elderly.
Finally I was offered the opportunity to use my history degrees, teaching in a large urban university in the Northeast. I truly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, when the history requirement was dropped for incoming students, so was my instructorship. After that I taught gerontology, sociology, proposal writing for social service agencies and freshman composition at the same university. Further life experiences. My last two years of teaching were in remedial English—just the nudge I needed to take this writing thing seriously.
Since childhood I’ve been an avid reader, everything from Robert Heinlein’s sci-fi adventures to Frank Yerby’s historical romantic sagas. More recently I became hooked on thrillers. Since childhood I had story ideas in my head, but never the epiphany to write them. Okay, maybe I just didn’t have the courage. But there were just so many times I could explain what a verb was to a college senior before I realized that maybe writing a book might be easier. I sold my first novel, a big historical romance titled GOLDEN LADY, to Warner Books in 1985. Within two years, I quit remedial comp. Now I can't imagine doing anything but writing for a living. In 2005 I switched over to the “dark side.” Tor published two political thrillers, CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY and HOMELAND SECURITY under the pseudonym Alexa Hunt. I’ve also written romantic suspense for Penguin Onyx and Silhouette Bombshell as Shirl Henke. Since I began my career, I’ve appeared on the USA TODAY bestseller list, been a RITA Finalist twice, received a BookraK Bestseller Award, and won three Career Achievement Awards, an Industry Award and three Reviewers Choice Awards from Romantic Times.
My husband Jim Henke is a former cabdriver, bartender, sailor, judo instructor and English professor. He's a scholarly authority on obscene slang and a master at its use, but an astonishingly understanding man who puts up with my all-night writing sprees and sudden dashes to my desk to jot down bits of dialogue as dinner burns on the stove. Since he took early retirement from academe, he has helped me brainstorm plots and research my novels.
After four years in the U.S. Air Force, our son Matt works in telecommunications and lives in an adjacent county with his brute of a cat, Max. Jim and I now share our cedar house in the woods with a pair of utterly adorable tomcats, Inky and Pewter, whose destructive capacity rivals that of a medium sized thermonuclear weapon. But just as life without writing would be unimaginable, so would life without cats.
For therapy when I'm not at the computer or off researching a new book, I cook large dinners for our extended family, putter in my garden and greenhouse, and still read voraciously. When deadlines permit, I love to travel. I'm a member of the Author's Guild, Romance Writers of America, Missouri Romance Writers, Sisters in Crime, Novelists Inc. and International Thriller Writers
I wrote my first twenty-two novels in longhand with a ball-point pen--it's hard to get good quills these days. Dragged into the 21st century, I now use one of those "devil machines. Another troglodyte bites the dust
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 27, 2017
Enthralling Love Story from Wyoming Cattle Baron Days
Not many romance authors would start their story with the black moment (or one of them) but Henke does it and does it well. This is an absorbing story, very well told, of a hero who thought he’d never belong and a heroine who had everything but him—another Western historical keeper from Shirl Henke. Meticulously researched, Henke serves up a worthy love story from the days of the cattle barons, the powerful cattlemen of the Cheyenne Club who ruled over Wyoming Territory in the late 1800s.
Jess Robbins and his father, though Texans, fought with the Union in the Civil War. Jess also did a stint with the French Foreign Legion. By the spring of 1881, he was a fast gun and had a talent for spying out cattle thieves. So it was no surprise Wyoming rancher Marcus Jacobson hired Jess as a stock detective to find out who was stealing hundreds of his cattle from the sprawling J Bar ranch. The first time Jacobson’s only daughter and heir, 19-year-old Lissa, caught sight of Jess Robbins, she was drawn to the man. A mixture of white man, Mexican and Indian, Jess was exotically handsome, virile and very sure of himself. Lissa had many suitors, including an older man her father would have her wed, but she wanted Jess. Though each was forbidden to the other, they could not stay away.
Henke captures the nuances of a relationship that was forged in passion but held something deeper, a lasting bond that would not be denied. Lissa grows up and her strength comes to the foreground as Jess realizes he cannot live without this woman. How it all comes together was fascinating and held my attention for 435 pages, right up to the sweet ending.
You’ll like this one!
Not many romance authors would start their story with the black moment (or one of them) but Henke does it and does it well. This is an absorbing story, very well told, of a hero who thought he’d never belong and a heroine who had everything but him—another Western historical keeper from Shirl Henke. Meticulously researched, Henke serves up a worthy love story from the days of the cattle barons, the powerful cattlemen of the Cheyenne Club who ruled over Wyoming Territory in the late 1800s.
Jess Robbins and his father, though Texans, fought with the Union in the Civil War. Jess also did a stint with the French Foreign Legion. By the spring of 1881, he was a fast gun and had a talent for spying out cattle thieves. So it was no surprise Wyoming rancher Marcus Jacobson hired Jess as a stock detective to find out who was stealing hundreds of his cattle from the sprawling J Bar ranch. The first time Jacobson’s only daughter and heir, 19-year-old Lissa, caught sight of Jess Robbins, she was drawn to the man. A mixture of white man, Mexican and Indian, Jess was exotically handsome, virile and very sure of himself. Lissa had many suitors, including an older man her father would have her wed, but she wanted Jess. Though each was forbidden to the other, they could not stay away.
Henke captures the nuances of a relationship that was forged in passion but held something deeper, a lasting bond that would not be denied. Lissa grows up and her strength comes to the foreground as Jess realizes he cannot live without this woman. How it all comes together was fascinating and held my attention for 435 pages, right up to the sweet ending.
You’ll like this one!
June 12, 2022
4.5 stars! Excellent read, I went through this one very quickly. Nothing really new here other than the little used Wyoming cattle baron ranch setting. I wasn’t to sure about the heroine Lissa in the beginning, but she matured and was a good match for our alpha Hero Jess. There was a good plot, plenty of action and we are continually guessing as to who has it out for the J Bar ranch. This was my second read by S. Henke and it won’t be my last!
March 19, 2025
Не съм особена почитателка на романсите в дивия запад (много прахоляк и мръсотия), но този е добре написан. Шърл Хенке е от старата школа, която има повече от 100 думи речников запас и не псува. Мацката започна като глезла, но еволюира просто отлично. А героят имаше нужда някой да му намести главата, че хич не го слушаше, но затова си имаше героиня - закъде са мъжете без жените си! 🤣
3,5⭐️
3,5⭐️
March 16, 2023
3.5 stars for me!
I liked a lot about this book. I like a well developed plot with great surrounding characters and this had all of that. I think the story was overall a good one. I enjoy Westerns and a bit of danger. I think there were certain times where the suspense in this book was great, both with the main h and H and with the surrounding plot lines.
I think the best way to describe my feelings on why I couldn't give it 5 stars:
-I think the scenes of action felt less lively for me than expected, not fully rounded out, I didn't get the sense through descriptive writing of living in some of it - I want to read the action and feel anxious and I just didn't. The suspense was hit or miss with plot and with h/H, when it was good it was GREAT, or it felt just not there at all. Others might like the changes in pacing better.
- The "large" time gaps where months go by were abrupt to me personally and maybe not as well described as I would like.
- I would have liked the H character's motives and feelings behind his behavior to have been revealed slowly and more thoroughly to the reader much earlier on and throughout the book.. saving that reveal for so long I think did a disservice to the story a bit and led to extended undue annoyance with this man 😂
I fully see why some people love this book. I think the author seems pretty good and I'll probably read more of her work. Something with more danger and suspense will probably fit better for me. I hate to focus on the negative points as those may be largely personal to me as a reader and its just my way of counting back from 5- I.e. why not 5 stars? I don't hold that against the author in any way. The book was good just wasn't my favorite style for the reasons listed above. Pick up the book, maybe you'll love it!
I liked a lot about this book. I like a well developed plot with great surrounding characters and this had all of that. I think the story was overall a good one. I enjoy Westerns and a bit of danger. I think there were certain times where the suspense in this book was great, both with the main h and H and with the surrounding plot lines.
I think the best way to describe my feelings on why I couldn't give it 5 stars:
-I think the scenes of action felt less lively for me than expected, not fully rounded out, I didn't get the sense through descriptive writing of living in some of it - I want to read the action and feel anxious and I just didn't. The suspense was hit or miss with plot and with h/H, when it was good it was GREAT, or it felt just not there at all. Others might like the changes in pacing better.
- The "large" time gaps where months go by were abrupt to me personally and maybe not as well described as I would like.
- I would have liked the H character's motives and feelings behind his behavior to have been revealed slowly and more thoroughly to the reader much earlier on and throughout the book.. saving that reveal for so long I think did a disservice to the story a bit and led to extended undue annoyance with this man 😂
I fully see why some people love this book. I think the author seems pretty good and I'll probably read more of her work. Something with more danger and suspense will probably fit better for me. I hate to focus on the negative points as those may be largely personal to me as a reader and its just my way of counting back from 5- I.e. why not 5 stars? I don't hold that against the author in any way. The book was good just wasn't my favorite style for the reasons listed above. Pick up the book, maybe you'll love it!
June 24, 2018
Pretty good....eh!
This is the second book I've read by Shirl Henke and, although pretty good, not as good as the first one.
The story begins when a mixed blood Indian gunfighter hired by a wealthy rancher to stop cattle rustling in Wyoming arrives to meet members of the local cattle ranchers association.
Jess is an oddity in town having mixed blood and obscenely good looking.
Problems arise when his wealthy employer's beautiful and spoiled daughter sets out to catch the gunfighter's attention and sparks fly between this unlikely couple.
It's an old theme and I found it hard to believe and was a bit bored as the storyline was staid and predictable.
About midway through the book it picks up and gets interesting with a background story involving the continued problem of theft of cattle and other crimes against the ranch.
While I found the love interest between Jess and Liss uninteresting and disingenuous, the other characters were more of interest and saved the old plot breathing life into a dying story up until the end of the book.
I rated it three stars, and I feel that is generous given the yawn of the first half. I don't know that I'd recommend this one given the unimpressive romance aspect which is the main plot. Not a good example of this author 's otherwise capable writing in my opinion.
This is the second book I've read by Shirl Henke and, although pretty good, not as good as the first one.
The story begins when a mixed blood Indian gunfighter hired by a wealthy rancher to stop cattle rustling in Wyoming arrives to meet members of the local cattle ranchers association.
Jess is an oddity in town having mixed blood and obscenely good looking.
Problems arise when his wealthy employer's beautiful and spoiled daughter sets out to catch the gunfighter's attention and sparks fly between this unlikely couple.
It's an old theme and I found it hard to believe and was a bit bored as the storyline was staid and predictable.
About midway through the book it picks up and gets interesting with a background story involving the continued problem of theft of cattle and other crimes against the ranch.
While I found the love interest between Jess and Liss uninteresting and disingenuous, the other characters were more of interest and saved the old plot breathing life into a dying story up until the end of the book.
I rated it three stars, and I feel that is generous given the yawn of the first half. I don't know that I'd recommend this one given the unimpressive romance aspect which is the main plot. Not a good example of this author 's otherwise capable writing in my opinion.
November 8, 2020
Not one of the best but still good to read especially towards the second half of the book. He is a half breed mixed race gunman who is employed by a rancher to see what can be done about the cattle rustling. He ends up having an affair with the rancher's spoilt daughter and she falls pregnant. A gunshot wedding ensures. He leaves and she is left to pick up the pieces. Her father dies and she is now unable to cope with the ranch and loss of cattle because of rustlers. She asks for her husband to return and help. Eventually he comes and helps but once everything is cleared up her leaves her again. She sells the ranch and decides to move to his ranch. He comes home to a big surprise. HEA ending.
February 1, 2024
I recently found this HR in a used bookstore and devoured it! Someone in another comment .. I can’t remember where … recommended a Henke book and I agree, she writes some beauties about the West. A Fire In the Blood by Shirl Henke (1994), is a sweeping love story that transcends racism, bigotry, and social hypocrisy. The main characters are drawn to each other and despite the prejudices they face, the events that occur, and the heartaches of long separations, their passionate romance endures. Bonus: well written descriptive sex scenes. It’s also available as an ebook.
(Cover by the artist Pino Daeni)
(Cover by the artist Pino Daeni)
November 18, 2021
I truly enjoy Shirl Henke's books and have read many. This was a great read about an gun for hire Jess and the woman who loved him - Lissa. She was a rich cattle baron's daughter and he a half breed who knew things could never be between them. She would not give up on him as she loved him from the first time she saw him. This was a great, hard to put down book. Jess left Lissa a few times as he did not feel worthy but she was determined to have her man and would do anything to get him. This is a not to be missed love story with a HEA.
February 2, 2016
This is my Shirl Henke debut and I'm very pleased! She sure knows how to weave an interesting, well-thought-out story. It was so good. I started out disliking the heroine but she matured and even if I didn't end up loving her character, I admired the strength of spirit she displayed. And the hero Jess was goood! Excellent book! I can't wait to read more from her. I may yet find an absolute favourite among her works. Hopefully.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews