Welcome to the 2025 Winter Clue Quest

A holdup gone wrong, a reluctant outlaw, and the captive she’s sworn to guard.

Life in the American West hasn’t been easy for French refugee Lorraine Durand. She has precious few connections and longs to return to her native land. So when the man who rescued her from a Parisian uprising  following the Franco-Prussian War persuades her to help him with a deadly holdup, she reluctantly agrees. Despite his promises otherwise, the gang kidnaps a man, forcing Lorraine to grapple with the fallout of her choices even as she is drawn to the captive she’s meant to guard.

Jesse Alexander must survive. If not for himself, then for the troubled sister he left behind in Los Angeles. At the mercy of his captors, he carefully works to earn Lorraine’s trust, hoping he can easily subdue her when the time comes. But as they navigate the treacherous wilderness and he searches for his opportunity to escape, he realizes there may be more to her than he first believed.

With danger lurking at every turn, they must decide whether to trust each other enough to plan a combined escape or risk falling prey to the gang’s devious schemes.

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Now for our interview with Lorraine.

CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Lorraine. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?

LD: I am a displaced French refugee and female outlaw trying to find a way to remain in the past. As both love interest and antagonist to the hero, my story is one of many mistakes, or perhaps a blessed miracle, depending on your faith in the “happily ever after” requirement of our beloved genre and the good Lord’s will.

CC: It is so easy for us to want to live in the past where we have so many memories–good and bad. I happen to know yours are pretty heavy in the bad and are hard to escape. 

What is it that you want, and what is standing in your way?

LD: What I want is not all bad. I did not become an outlaw solely for myself, though that does not excuse my illegal escapade. You see, four years before the story begins, I was rounded up in a mass arrest following the Bloody Week in Paris—a civil revolt and uprising after the Franco-Prussian War. Many innocent people were sent to a penal colony without even a trial. An old friend of my father’s rescued me, before the ship headed for Australia set sail. He also helped me immigrate to America. So, four years later, when the same friend offered an opportunity to help them, I said yes. I cared more about them than any amount of righteousness. But nothing was as it seemed, and I was drawn into a terrible trap that nearly ended… well, you will have to read the book to find out. 😊

CC: What you went through was awful, and I completely understand your desire to save your fellow people from the depravation of the penal colony. Granted there are better ways, but sometimes we can’t see past the answer presented to us by others.

Who do you interact with in the story that confounds you?

LD: Without a doubt, Jesse confounds me. I do not understand how any man could be so genuine and selfless. He is the kind of person whose heart bleeds for his enemies. I took away his freedom and kept him from his sister, who is in dire need of care, yet he prioritizes my well-being over his own. When he had the chance to escape, he did not take it. Thinking of Jesse reminds me of the Bible verse: “Greater love hath no man than he who lays down his life for his friend.” It is a wonderful thing when the man you love exemplifies the love of God. 

CC: Amen. It is confounding when a man so wonderfully exemplifies Christ.

Who is the most difficult character for you to interact with?

LD: Pierre Bernard, tall and gangly with a mean squint and thin mustache, is a cunning, manipulative, and cruel man. I lead the gang for this job, and the whole time Pierre constantly tries to lure me into conflict. While he is a minion of sorts to the primary enemy in this story, Pierre causes more havoc and hurt than really any other character.

CC: I agree. He was definitely a scoundrel!

How would you describe your relationship with God?

LD: If you asked me this in the first chapter, I would say, “I didn’t walk away from God; He walked away from me.” I never hated God for what I suffered because of the war. We live in a fallen world, and mankind is capable of great evil. Despite that, I stopped seeking or considering God’s will for my life when said evil stole everything from me. That was a dangerous path, and eventually, I lost myself. I was so consumed by grief, intent on just surviving, and haunted by past memories that I nearly killed an innocent man. A friend stepped in and saved him from me. Without that intervention, this story would be a tragedy. God worked in my life, despite my mistakes and brokenness, to give me a full, beautiful ending. He granted me the desires of my heart in so many ways.

CC: I love that He is the God of second chances and beyond. It’s a beautiful story in how He brings you back to where you need to be.

If there is one thing you could tell the reader, what would it be?

LD: Do not hold onto the past because the future scares you. We are all afraid of something, but we are never alone. You can trust God to see you through the hard times, even when it hurts.

CC: Amen. Thank you so much for hanging with us, Lorraine.

Reader, I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of The Bandit’s Redemption for a look at an outlaw’s redemption, the miracle of love grown out of a difficult situation, and the nail-biting how they will ever stay together story. Don’t forget, Kylee is graciously giving away a print copy below!

About KyLee Woodley:

KyLee Woodley teaches preschool at a lab school in Texas where she lives with her husband of 18 years and their three teenage children. Having been raised in the Pacific Northwest and spent part of her adult life in Texas, she has a deep respect for American values. She grew up in an impoverished area and began ministering to homeless, drug addicted, and desperate people while in her teens. As a result, she feels a deep sense of concern for society’s unloved. This comes through in her stories, enriched with historical detail that shows how loving the unlovely is a timeless need. On weekends, KyLee cohosts and produces the Historical Bookworm Show—a steadily growing author interview podcast for history lovers and readers of historical fiction.

In her spare time, she cares for a rescue mutt—Lucky Dog—a feisty feline named Hazel, and two adorable Boston Terrier puppies. She listens to Cricket Country and K-Love radio, reads classic books to her children, and watches Marvel movies with her husband who might resemble Superman.

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