Ginger's Sunday Sampler

The only problem with being an author and reader is finding a way to balance the time and still be productive.  My Kindle is bulging with books I'd love to read, some I've committed to read and review, and others I downloaded because they were free and sounded interesting.  At least, I'm able to kill two birds with one stone, proverbially of course, by being able to share samples of some of the books I think are marvelous. I'm in the midst of this one, preparing to share a review on Historical Novel Review's Blogsite, and I thought you might enjoy a little sample.

 Keowee Valley by Katherine Scott Crawford is a debut novel, which surprised the heck out of me, and although when I realized it was written in first person, I had a mind set I wasn't going to enjoy it....BOY, was I wrong.  It's a "can't put down" kind of story, and I'm very awed by the author's talent and style.  Enjoy what I've copied to tease you into wanting more:

I was cold all the time, and I dressed as a man would, abandoning hoop skirts and delicate linen for a pair of rough breeches I'd sewn from a wool blanket.  Whenever I rode Fire Eater, or worked in the barn, I wore them and an old greatcoat of my grandfather's--much to dismay of Hosa, who gave me a glinty-eyed look and shook his head in disgust whenever he saw me.

"You are mad," he said this morning as I stood with my backside high in the air, holding Fire Eater's bent foreleg in my arms and digging at a stone in his hoof.  "You'd be took to jail, we be in Charlestown."

"Well, it's a good thing we're not in Charlestown," I said, working the wooden pick.  Fire Eater swung his big head around, snorting.

"I know," I told the horse. "But it'll soon be over with."

"Dressed a man, talkin' to beasts,: Hosa grumbled, his lyrical voice lightning the complaint.   He broke the ice in the water trough with an ax.  "You too fine a lady for dis, now--you be temptin' de devil wid dat look."

The stone flew out and hit the stall door.  I straightened, looked down at myself and frowned  I did look a boy with the fitted gray breeches and black greatcoat of Grandfather's that hung past my knees, the hugely cuffed sleeves flapping with each move.  But in this frigid weather, I honestly didn't care.  There were no society ladies to frown at and gossip over my improper garb, no Grandfather to send me back to my dressing rooms, insisting I change. 

 "I'd rather be ugly as a toad than freeze to death," I said. "On a morning like this I'd be out the door two steps and have the hem of my skirts dripping--by noon they'd be frozen."

Hosa rolled his eyes and hung the ax on a nail.

"Besides, I grumbled, hanging the pick on the nail beside it and walking to take Fire Eater's lead, "hoop skirts are nonsensical on the frontier.  The air gets underneath, and it's literally freezing."

Hosa held both hands in the air and backed away, and I could swear I saw his dark cheeks turn a shade of deep berry.  "Dat's it," he said.  "I don' wan' be hearin' no more 'bout what's up no skirts."  He turned and headed to the other end of the barn, shaking his curly head.

"Madwoman," I heard him mutter as he left.

Just FYI, this is just one of many cute scenes in this historical set in the 1700s. It's filled with action, adventure, romance...everything that makes a book enjoyable, and I'm only half way through it.  I can't wait to see how it ends, but I dread having it end because it's kept me so entertained.  I'm sure you'll feel the same.  You can preorder a copy on Amazon.