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Sky Tinted Water by Keta Diablo #atozchallenge

The A to Z April Blogging Challenge 2013   is entering its 4th week! I’m co-hosting it on Amlokiblogs, so drop me a comment there if you have something to say about the challenge itself. On this blog, I’ve been featuring mostly indie-published book excerpts for all of April. I love reading, and supporting author-friends, and this is a good way to do both.

Today, for S, I give you a sweet historical romance: Sky Tinted Water by Keta Diablo, where familial bonds, malevolent schemes, and passion collide.

Sky Tinted Water

Sky Tinted Water

Elevator Pitch: Set in Minnesota during the Civil War and the Sioux uprising, this is the story of Rory Hudson, the exquisite Irish lass with an unbreakable spirit and the enigmatic Dawson Finch, a man bound by honor, duty and loyalty. When Dawson enlists in the army to bring peace to a nation divided, Rory’s world plummets into a tailspin.

Excerpt: Looking over her shoulder, Rory blew a sigh of relief. Minx had paused to nibble on a sprig of grass bursting through the forest floor. The foal would act skittish if danger lurked. She relaxed in the saddle and journeyed on . . . until Charmer’s ears flattened against her head. Had she heard a foreign noise or were her muscles preparing for an attack from pesky flies?

Rory turned a keen ear to her surroundings and concentrated on a sliver of sunlight ahead. Keep moving toward the light. A scream tore through the still woods, or a war-cry. She’d never heard a native prepare for battle, but had read about their nightmarish shrills. Charmer whinnied and tossed her massive head and a sense of danger spiked Rory’s heartbeat. Clutching the reins, she looked down at her white knuckles and caught a flash of movement on her left. Her blood ran cold when she spied a tall, dark form stalking her with the stealth of a panther. God’s nightgown, is it human or beast? Minx whinnied, a sign she’d picked up a foreign scent. Charmer came to an abrupt halt, swung her long neck around and emitted a pitiful wail meant for her foal. Rory dug her heels into the mare’s sides. “Move, Charmer! Fly!”Twigs snapped behind her, confirmation the ghostly specter had closed the distance between them. She glanced behind, and fear knotted her stomach. Naked from head to toe—except for a breechcloth—black and red war paint masked his face. Scarlet lips flared and white, feral teeth gleamed. Another scream exploded overhead. Good, God, hers! Slapping the reins against Charmer’s neck, her every breath sheer torture, she pleaded with the mare. “Go, girl! Run!”At breakneck speed, Charmer tore down the path, the branches speeding by in a blur. Bent low over her neck, Rory hung on with all her strength. An anguished squeal of relief left her lungs when she saw gray streams of smoke spiraling skyward. Isabelle’s house.  She yanked on the reins, bringing the mare to a screeching halt near the front porch. Not sure her trembling legs could hold her she remained mounted and hiccoughed through her cries, “Jon! Jon! Isabelle!”Buy the book on Amazon, PubIt and Kobo.

I’m not a romance fan, but pick the occasional one when I need a light read. I love historical novels, though, so I might give this a try. Are you a fan of historical romance? Have you read any books by Keta Diablo?

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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