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The Saga of Indian Em'ly - Book Tour and Giveaway

3/7/2019

36 Comments

 
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The Saga of Indian Em'ly
Books 1-4
by Sara Harris
Genre: Historical Adventure 

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Twelve-year-old Wind That Knocks Down Lodges loves his little sister, Cactus Flower, and the wildness of the desert canyonland the Apache call home. But in one night of misunderstanding and mistakes, Knocks Down and Cactus Flower’s innocent world is shaken as they find themselves locked in the nearby fort with the pale face soldiers and their mother’s lifeless body. With no one to lean on but each other, Knocks Down and Cactus Flower must make their way as children of The People in the pale face world—pale faces who have now become the enemy.

After finding themselves at the mercy of the Army, far from Apache Territory and well on the trail to Colorado, Knocks Down must bring himself to trust the soldier, Pale Face Joe. But Joe disappears, and when ordered to dispose of the children or else, the other Army soldiers waste no time in depositing them at the nearest Catholic orphanage.

They manage to escape the evil orphanage along with a new pale face friend, Kid McCoy. But they are set upon by a gang of murdering claim jumpers who steal Cactus. With Kid McCoy’s help, Knocks Down goes after her. When they encounter a soldier who was responsible for their mother’s death, they realize he’s set on seeing them dead, as well. How can a boy defeat a battle-hardened soldier? Just when Knocks Down is about to give up, the biggest surprise of all changes everything…



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​Something isn’t right. The night animals ceased their songs in unison, and another troublesome cloud shrouded the moon. An icy shiver trickled down my backbone to the tune of silence. The happy drumming coming from the camp, telling the world of the birth of Red Lake’s firstborn son, had slowed to a stop. I froze, pulling Cactus Flower back onto her bottom. She rose from the hard-packed earth, her bottom lip puffed out and her inky eyebrows knitted together above her eyes. Before she could open her mouth to speak, a flock of beating wings sent me cowering, nose first, into the dirt beside her.
“Knocks Down, why did those birds –”
Instinctively, I slapped my hand over her mouth, taking care enough to be gentle. No sooner had she quieted, than another sound echoed through the solemn night air.
“Halt! Who goes there?”
I slipped my finger over my lips, wordlessly instructing Cactus Flower to remain silent. She nodded and I removed my hand from over her mouth.
“That voice...it’s pale face. Do you know it from your visits to the soldier fort?” I kept my own voice low, so it fairly bounced along the mesquite branches before disappearing into the canyon, no more out of place than a wren scratching on a rock.
She shook her head and wrinkled her nose. I knew she was scared. I was, too.
“I say again, halt! I have orders to shoot!”
A woman’s voice answered. “Izdzaa, yiiltse! Pa-lease, please!”
Cactus Flower and I exchanged a look. Peering through the mesquite branches, I saw my mother, our mother, her outstretched hands bathed in the moonlight as the cloud slid from over it. She was making the Apache sign for peace. Cactus flower saw her, too. Before I could raise my hand back to cover her mouth, the word tore from her lips in a shriek that echoed down through the canyon and back again. “Ma!”
“Sentry, fire!” came another voice, followed abruptly by two booms. Booms which echoed the very one that had taken the life of Silver Sky, my father, so many winters ago.
My mother’s moans filled the empty darkness. I pushed my fear deep down and jumped from our hiding place. In a moment, I was at her side.
“Mother?” My spirit ached as I took her head in my lap. “Why?”
The soldier’s boots hit the earth hard as they struggled both to find us and to make sense of what they’d done.
Stealthily as either of the mountain lion cubs we’d been watching, Cactus Flower slipped up behind us, sobs catching in her throat. “Ma, Ma?” She curled into Shining Waters’ outstretched arm, snuggling against our dying mother. “No, Ma.”
I didn’t have to look down to see the pool of my mother’s blood, I could smell it, coppery and unwelcome. Tears stung my eyes, and hatred filled my heart as the soldiers approached.
“Oh, my stars, Tom. It was a woman! We done shot a woman!” The soldier dropped to his knees and scooped up my mother’s hand. “Tom, administer first aid. We can’t let her die right here’n front of her chill’ns.”
The second soldier stood, his mouth hanging open like a dog. “She was Injun, Joe. Ain’t no matter now, we done kilt her. They said to be on th’ watch, heard tale of Injun attacks.”
Joe, the first soldier, never took his eyes from my mother’s face. “Go get supplies, Tom. We will do our best to save’er.”
Sure enough, Tom turned and trotted off in the direction of the soldier fort. I watched him go, visualizing my hand-carved arrow flying into his retreating back. My hands began to shake.
“I come…I help,” Ma sputtered in broken English.
Joe covered his mouth with his free hand. “Lord above, she speaks English.” His eyes darted about a moment before resting first on me and then on Cactus Flower, who lay whimpering at my mother’s side. “Ma’am, are you Cap’n Redding’s wife? His Indian bride?” He gulped. “Indian…Em’ly?”
A weak smile found its way onto my mother’s lips. “Me Em’ly. Me help.”
Old Joe bent down close, my mother’s hand still in his, as though he were tending his own kin. “How did you want to help, ma’am?”
“Gonna be a …” My mother coughed. “Raid. Raid on soldier fort.”
Joe’s back stiffened and he hefted his weapon from where it had fallen beside him. “They told us to watch those thievin’ Apaches.”
“Not Apache. Comanche.”
His gaze settled back on Shining Waters. I had to fight the urge not to reach out and grab his throat. I could almost feel my fingers squeezing his last breath from his body...
Comanche war whoops echoed off the rocky canyon walls.
“They’re coming,” Cactus Flower whispered. “Get up Ma, let’s go home.”
“Em’ly! Em’ly?” Captain Charlie Redding skidded on his knees, almost tumbling as he came to a stop near my mother.
Her face relaxed. “Take care of children, Charlie. Comanche raid soldier fort.”  
The blood-chilling cries of the Comanche met my ears as my mother, Shining Waters, expelled her last shuddering breath.
Captain Redding grasped the sides of his head and dug his fingers into his hair. Wordlessly, he spun on his booted heel and, with one punch, sent Tom reeling backward into Joe, who had backed off to a respectable distance when Captain Redding approached. Both soldiers collapsed in a pitiful heap. “We’re under Comanche attack and you killed my wife! You fools!”
I watched through wide and surprised eyes as Captain Redding drew his sabre and marched over to his soldiers.  
“Ma?” Hysterical confusion overtook Cactus Flower as she tried to help our mother up. “Get up, Ma, we have to go!” 


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Sara is a mother of four, animal lover and advocate, and conservationist. Little House on the Prairie, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and Lonesome Dove are among her favorite shows/movies and books. Sara holds her B.A. in History and is the author of the historical romance series, An Everlasting Heart, from 5 Prince Publishing and recently debuted into the children's book realm with Chunky Sugars (5 Prince Kids), written for her own chunky baby.


Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

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I first learned of a woman named Indian Em'ly when my parents and I accidentally found her supposed grave while wandering lost at Fort Davis.  Her story and legend lives on there in the mountains of south Texas.  Several people have told me Em'ly never existed . . . that she is just a legend.  They can't explain why she has a tombstone (which has since been taken down . . .) but seem certain she never existed.  Me? I side with the Shinbone Star newspaper reporters from the John Wayne classic, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance . . . "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend."  This one's for you, Em'ly. 

I started writing this four-book series even before I published my first novel, A Heart on Hold.  Funny thing- in my four-book Everlasting Heart series (where A Heart on Hold is book #1), a young child is born to 19th century Army wife Charlotte and her husband, Captain Sanderson Redding named Charlie Redding, one of the heroes of my Indian Em'ly saga.  Silver Sky is another of my characters from another of my fiction novels, Silver Sky at Dawn (coming soon).  Young Cactus Flower is named in honor of Quanah Parker and Cynthia Ann Parker's young daughter, Prairie Flower -- I lived down the road from their final resting places at Fort Sill, Oklahoma when I wrote these books. 

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Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway
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36 Comments
Janet W.
3/7/2019 07:22:40 am

Great cover!! Sounds like an interesting read!

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Debbie P
3/7/2019 09:09:29 am

This book really sounds like an awesome read and I can't wait to get a copy.

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Kelly D
3/7/2019 09:26:35 am

I like the cover, it is cute.

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Calvin
3/7/2019 11:43:21 am

Sounds like a nice unique read.

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Rita Wray
3/7/2019 12:39:39 pm

I liked the excerpt, thank you.

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Wendy Jensen
3/7/2019 01:05:41 pm

Beautiful book cover.

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wendy hutton
3/7/2019 02:53:21 pm

sounds like a really interesting book thanks

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heather
3/7/2019 03:47:54 pm

This so sounds like one I would enjoy reading.

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heather
3/7/2019 03:50:07 pm

NOTE*** I make an error on the rafflecopter form I follow on twitter as @myway070

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Dale Wilken
3/7/2019 09:37:12 pm

The excerpt sounds really great I like the cover.

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lynn clayton
3/8/2019 01:41:26 pm

oh what a nice cover this looks like such a great read

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Kelly Nicholson
3/8/2019 07:04:42 pm

What do you think of the book or the cover?

why does it seem like the old west stuff is played out?

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aaron reck
3/9/2019 12:13:10 am

WEll I hope it all works out for her I really do on this one.

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James Robert
3/9/2019 01:33:01 am

Thank you for sharing your book with us. I always look forward to finding out about another great read.

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Jessie Redding
3/9/2019 01:09:02 pm

I think the kid on the cover is adorable!

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Marcy Meyer
3/10/2019 12:05:20 pm

I really like the sound of this story. The cover is great.

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Sara Harris link
3/11/2019 09:33:35 am

Hi everyone! Thanks for the comments! This story is very dear to me for so many reasons. I wrote these books for my own children to read as bedtime stories and to keep the spirit of the west alive (since that is where we live ❤️). Also, I was teaching sixth grade at the time and my students loved to play editor and edit segments of these stories for me. I hope you enjoy!

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Kathy Cozzarelli
3/12/2019 10:27:46 pm

The girl on the cover is cute.

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Mary Cloud
3/13/2019 07:09:07 pm

No questions - the cover is nice

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bn100
3/15/2019 05:44:33 pm

nice excerpt

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June S.
3/17/2019 11:55:48 am

Wonderful book read, good luck.

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Serge B
3/17/2019 12:29:22 pm

I liked the excerpt!

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Angela Saver
3/19/2019 05:31:02 pm

This sounds like a great historical adventure!

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Patricio
3/19/2019 08:53:44 pm

Thx for the opportunity and great cover.

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Denise Higgins
3/22/2019 04:32:41 pm

Love the cover

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Lavender P.
3/23/2019 05:17:21 am

I found the story of the two siblings so sad. I mean, with what happened to their mother, and then Cactus Flower's kidnapping, what did they do to deserve all this misfortune?

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Sara Harris link
3/23/2019 10:10:09 am

Those were hard times in our country’s history for sure. All of these stories are based on truth in some shape, form, or fashion during this time period from the nuns at the orphanage to the Army and Kid McCoy. Did you get a chance to enjoy all four books? I hope you loved the ending, I know I did ❤️

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Chelle
3/23/2019 02:57:21 pm

Knocks Down and Cactus Flower is cute.

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Terri Quick
3/27/2019 09:16:52 pm

I love the cover

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Mood Reader
3/28/2019 04:40:58 pm

Sounds like a good read. :)

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Daniel M
4/4/2019 07:25:11 pm

like the cover

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Daniella Bonagura
4/6/2019 03:52:00 pm

Seems interesting.

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Mya Murphy
4/7/2019 12:43:49 pm

The cover is truly amazing!!

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Apryl
4/7/2019 12:44:31 pm

Sounds like a great book, thanks.

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Jerry Marquardt
4/7/2019 11:28:14 pm

I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including The Saga of Indian Em'ly, and wishing the best in keeping up the good work in the future.

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Abigail Gibson
4/7/2019 11:45:15 pm

Adorable book cover. Looks like a very nice read too.

Reply



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