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The Bandit's Redemption

Image Supporting the Content of The Bandit's Redemption

Jodie Wolfe

March 15, 2025

About the Book

Book: The Bandit’s Redemption

Author: KyLee Woodley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: February 18, 2025

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.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

KyLee Woodley is a cheery romantic who loves to write about bygone days and heartwarming romance with a pinch of adventure. She teaches preschool at a lab school in Texas, where she lives with her husband of eighteen years and their three teenage children. 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 three adorable Boston Terrier puppies. She listens to Cricket Country and K-Love radio, reads classic books with her children, and watches Marvel movies with her husband, who might resemble Superman.

More from KyLee

A Pinch of History on Our Heroine

The heroine of The Bandit’s Redemption started as simply a female outlaw and evolved into a complex, troubled, and fascinating woman. Firstly, Lorraine’s parents defied cultural norms in France simply by marrying. Her father was a French soldier and her mother was Romani. Such a marriage was frowned upon because the Romani people were considered outcasts throughout all of Europe. Her father died when she was fairly young, and so Lorraine was raised among her mother’s people.

When Lorraine’ was old enough, she attended the Château d’Écouen—a school for the daughters of less prestigious French military officers. But, doing this meant being separated from her mother and her people. The Romani people were typically nomadic, traveling from place to place and sometimes camping in the French countryside. Lorraine finished school and moved to Paris with her mother, who was no longer able to travel with her troupe due to poor health.

In 1870, Napoleon III, Emperor of France, declared war on the German Confederation and so the Franco-Prussian War began. The conflict lasted six months, and during this time, German soldiers advanced into parts of France and laid siege to Paris. In January of 1871, the two countries signed an armistice, and France had to pay reparations amounting to five billion francs plus interest.

Paris had been besieged by the Prussian army during which time privation ravaged the city. When the French government rescinded the wartime moratorium on debt repayment, the working class of Paris, whose industry and commerce had stalled during the war, revolted. The movement was spearheaded by a group known as the Paris Commune. Prussia allowed the French government to deal with the civil unrest, and after a two-month standoff, French troops took back Paris during the Bloody Week—May 21-27, 1871. The death toll is not known and has been debated by historians for years. It is certain to be in the thousands. Some members of the Commune who survived were sentenced to death, imprisoned, or sent to penal colonies. Other people accused or suspected of being involved were arrested and imprisoned without trial.

Lorraine was swept up in the arrests but rescued by a man who had been close friends with her father during his life. She immigrated to America because she believed she had no other choice. Settling in a new land where she felt like an outcast, after never fitting in at school or among her mother’s people—because she was half French and half Roma—Lorraine determined to remain isolated. She refused to speak English, only ate French foods, and purchased her clothes from French seamstresses. To make a living, she joined the Sells Brothers Circus with a few of her friends from home. There she used her horsemanship in an equestrian act.

Her life was relatively predictable for the next few years until that friend of her father’s, who rescued her following the Bloody Week and brought her to America, asked for her assistance in a robbery. She refuses, until she learns the money will go towards freeing the people they left behind in France. This is where the book picks up. Lorraine is torn between the desire to stay in the predictable routine she’s built in the East and assisting her people who were unjustly condemned. Will the moral compromise and inability to leave her past behind cause Lorraine to lose the battle for her soul or will she find redemption with a God who heals even the deepest wounds?

Blog Stops

Stories By Gina, March 6 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 6

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 7

Texas Book-aholic, March 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 10

Vicky Sluiter, March 11 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 12

For Him and My Family, March 13

Cover Lover Book Review, March 14

lakesidelivingsite, March 15

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 16 (Author Interview)

Devoted To Hope, March 16

Holly’s Book Corner, March 17

Pause for Tales, March 18

For the Love of Literature, March 19 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, KyLee is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54167


If you could give advice to a newbie writer, what would it be?

Don’t give up. By wise with your time. Listen for God’s calling in this area and be willing to accept it, no matter how big or small. Remember to give to others as you would have them give to you.

Is your book part of a series?

Yes, The Bandit’s Redemption is part of an inspirational historical romance series releasing in 2025. The Outlaw Hearts Series takes readers into the Wild West during the Gilded Age, blending sweet romance with a pinch of adventure. Each novel features a main character with a criminal past, all connected to the steadfast Alexander family from The Debutante’s Revenge (a short story available when you sign up for the author’s newsletter). Whether amidst rugged landscapes or big city life, love blooms and adventure awaits, offering a heartwarming blend of romance and excitement.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on The Bounty Hunter’s Surrender (book 2 of the  The Outlaw Hearts Series.) Here is a glimpse at that story.

An expecting widow, a rugged bounty hunter, and a set of secrets that might shatter her fragile heart.

The death of Aubrey Willot’s wealthy but abusive husband left her with an unborn child, an empty chateau, and the last name of a criminal. When she learns he double-crossed a ruthless business associate, she’s forced to accept the protection of the handsome and daring bounty hunter tasked with finding her late husband’s fortune. Though Aubrey swore never to trust another man, she can’t help but be drawn to the bounty hunter’s rugged charm.

After a tragic mistake cost him everything, Nathan Reed spent years running from his past. Now, he needs funds to care for his orphaned niece, and quickly. The chance to retrieve a set of stolen documents offers an opportunity he can’t resist. He’ll find those papers and claim the reward, even if it means deceiving the alluring young widow.

As danger rises, Audrey’s strength, honesty, and compassion break down Nathan’s defenses, daring him to embrace a future he never imagined—a loving wife and a family of his own. But when his secrets are exposed, will his chance at redemption and Aubrey's heart slip through his fingers?

When you aren’t writing, what do you enjoy doing?

Oh, I like to read. I especially enjoy reading aloud with my family. We also enjoy hiking, sightseeing, and going to museums. Family get-togethers and dinners with close friends are something I enjoy as well. We play card games and talk. I am not very good at card games, but somehow, I still manage to have fun.