Blurb:
Red Dawn's world was shattered in a single vengeful act, an
act that brought her to into the home of the enemy. She couldn't love a white
man, not after what they did to her people. Could she? After losing a limb
serving his country, Laban Jones has built a life from nothing. He's got more
than he dares ask for, but what woman would accept a one-legged husband? Can he
offer Red Dawn three-quarters of a man, and will she be content with that? The
answer they receive on a Christmas Eve is a miracle neither will ever forget.
Excerpt:
She
looked so pretty sitting there on the edge of his bed, her slim form swimming
in that old white nightgown, her mane of black hair flowing around her
shoulders. She looked young, even younger than she did as she went about her
daily routine.
She took
the comb from him. It was part of an ivory dresser set some desperate woman had
traded for food. But Red Dawn seemed to like it. She began to run it down that
river of hair. She held it upside down, the teeth facing upwards. He bit back a
laugh, but then he saw that she was laughing too.
“It no
work.”
“Here.
Let me show you.”
He
perched behind her and began to pull the comb through Red Dawn’s hair. It
wasn’t that tangled, she kept it braided most of the time, and the strands
separated easily.
She sat
very still as Laban developed a rhythm, pulling the comb through the rich black
hair. Up and down, up and down. He found he could barely breathe. What would it
be like to hold her?
He had
better leave before he found out.
Bracing himself on a bedpost, he got to his feet and
looked down into that perfect face. And found his voice at last. “Better go
before we wake the boy. You can, uh, keep the comb. Good night, Red Dawn.”
“Good
night, La-ban.”
****
Red Dawn
tied her thick braid with a piece of string and blew out the candle. She
wrapped her fingers around the comb. It was the nicest thing Laban had ever
given her. Her other
hand caressed the raised design. Some kind of flowers,
and a sweeping curl on either side of them.
And he
had shown her how to use it, his hands strong and sure but gentle. And she had
sat there frozen, aware as never before of his manhood–and her womanhood.
Oh, she
had to get out of here. Why did White Bear not come?
Oh, she
wanted to stay, and see what came of these feelings.
Oh,
there was no good answer, and one of them would surely be hurt.
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Questions:
1.
Why this book? What inspired you to write it?
Red Dawn and Laban Jones are minor characters
in my larger book, “Redemption’s Hope,” the final book in my Western Dreams
series. I played around with the idea of them having a relationship, and
decided to give them one. White Bear, the hero of “Redemption’s Hope,” has to
leave his scarred and bitter sister-in-law with his only white friend, Laban,
after their village is burned to the ground. She doesn’t want to love Laban, or
even like him, but his gentle spirit and caring gradually win her over. With only
one good leg, Laban thinks of himself as inferior and doesn’t see how Red Dawn
could want “three-quarters of a man.” As the seasons change on the prairie,
they deal with their misconceptions of themselves and each other, just in time
for a Christmas they will never forget.
2.
What is your favourite Christmas carol/song and why?
I love all the traditional ones and almost
none of the modern ones. There’s a version of “The First Noel” that the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir did back in the 90s that still gives me chills.
3.
What is the best Christmas present you ever received
and who was it from?
My older daughter. She was born Dec. 3, 1979.
I did not care about presents, trees or anything else.
Comments
KB
Good luck and God's blessings
PamT