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March 28, 2013

The PP Gals welcome Keta Diablo & her historicals, Sky Dance & Sky Tinted Water

Why I wrote Sky Tinted Water and Sky Dance

First of all, I'd like to thank the Plotting Princesses for hosting me today, and I'd also like to thank you for stopping by. Much appreciated.

Some readers have asked how I choose certain time settings for my books, or maybe a better question would be why? You've probably noticed there aren't many romance novels set during the Civil War, but it happens to be a period in our history that fascinates me. I think about the thousands of lives lost and the boundaries crossed when family members chose sides. It wasn’t uncommon to find cousin fighting against cousin or neighbor against neighbor. The Civil War was a deeply personal war for many, and yet in the end, many soldiers forgot why they were fighting.

It's hard to imagine a country so divided, harder still to think families were torn apart by principles, beliefs and ideals. Imagine drawing a line across the United States – the top half fights for one side and the bottom for the other. And suppose you had beloved family living in Texas and you live in Wisconsin? You can see where I'm going with this, right?
 













Sky Tinted Water and Sky Dance take place during the Civil War and a Native American uprising that struck terror in the hearts of settlers. This is a story about two people who lived during this turbulent time and persevered through separation, loss, triumph and of course, love.
  
Blurb:
Familial bonds, malevolent schemes and passion collide in this sweet historical novel. 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 nation divided, Rory’s world plummets into a tailspin. War, distance and time separate them, but nothing can dispel the haunting memories of their love. Not even death can destroy their fierce passion or a love so strong it beats the odds of the impossible.

Excerpt:
The woods loomed ahead. Here, the path would narrow and she’d be surrounded by clusters of dense hardwood and pines. On the other side of the forest, her sister’s belching chimney would come into view and to the east Jab and Louisa Pearson’s homestead, to the west, Hiram’s. She hadn’t thought of him since her wedding day. Neighbors claimed he’d changed; some said he’d run amok after Jane and Levi died. A pang of sadness cloaked her, but the day was far too beautiful to be bogged down with tragic thoughts.

Entering the woods, the familiar call of a whippoorwill competed with the harsh screech of a blue jay. Twisted limbs and branches hugged the man-made trail and thick bracken and underbrush covered the ground around her. Rory stopped Charmer when an eerie stillness descended on the woodland. The chatter of small critters had stopped and the songbirds had ceased their melodic trills. She forced her eyes to scan the trees in all directions, the lump in her throat tightening.

Looking over her shoulder, she 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 the mare 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?

Find Sky Tinted Water at:    Amazon  Barnes&Noble  Kobo Amazon UK






If you read Sky Tinted Water and Sky Dance, my humble thanks. I hope for a short period you're transported to another time and place and I sincerely hope you enjoy the journey. And w
atch for SKY DANCE, book 2, coming to a Kindle and Nook near you March 2013.

8 comments:

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Good morning, Keta, and welcome to the PP. You write several genres--right?

Kathy Ivan said...

Welcome to the Plotting Princesses, Keta!

That except really evokes the surroundings and the tension, good job. I love reading historicals and these sound terrific.

Sylvia said...

Hi Keta,
I love historicals set during the Civil War. Good luck with these books the excerpt was very intriquing.

Keta Diablo said...

Hello my lovely Plotting Princesses! How nice of you to host Sky Tinted Water and Sky Dance on your blog. btw, your blog ROX!

Wishing you all mucho success in all your future writing/blogging endeavors. I know it's well-deserved.

Thanks again, ladies, Blessings, Keta
http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

Melissa Keir said...

What a great time to write about! The Civil War had everything going on from family conflicts to new thoughts on why people were fighting.

All the best!

Anonymous said...

Hi Keta. Good excerpt. I enjoyed it.

Renee Vincent said...

I love the look and sound of this new series, Keta! As historical romances are my first love, I can attest to finding some great historical romance authors over the years. Looking to add you to that list now, darlin!

Best of luck to you!

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Thank you, Keta, for visiting the PP. Much success with the books. hugs