Chasing the Dead
Tagline:
A sinister ghost is out for revenge. Madrid, Deacon and Sacheen must stay one
step ahead of the ghoul and reach the hacienda.
Blurb:
In 1884 New Mexico, Madrid Arrende finds
herself kidnapped by the Apache. Determined to rescue her, her wealthy father
realizes there is only one man capable of bringing her back alive...Deacon
Bannister. Deacon doesn't give one whit about the large sum of money Don
Erasmos Arrende has offered him to find his daughter. He only cares about bringing the woman he left
at the altar a year ago home.
A ghost is terrorizing the Apache village
and the young maiden, Sacheen, has been banished by her People for unleashing
Uday's wrath. Now, Deacon, Madrid and Sacheen must flee for their lives across
the rugged New Mexico landscape with the evil spirit in hot pursuit.
Will they make it back alive to Madrid's
father's hacienda or will Deacon lose Madrid forever?
Setup and Excerpt:
Madrid
and Sacheen confront the ghost
Sacheen
ignited Maddie's torch and both women scrambled over the half-wall to light the
packets of sage. The moon glinted off a shadowy form sweeping past a line of
trees to Maddie's right. Dios, the ghost!
With gooseflesh rising on her arms, she called out to Sacheen, "Hurry!
Light your bundles and go inside with Deacon."
A
circle of fire from a dozen piles of sage lit up the sky around the shelter. The
wind moaned and wailed, sounding like the sorrowful lament of Scottish
bagpipes. What other magic and manipulations had the dead spirit learned in the
underworld since Maddie last saw him?
With
a look of startled horror, Sacheen shouldered her. "Do you see him?"
"I
thought I told you to go inside. We must not show him fear."
"Do
you see him!?"
Tendrils
of darkness slipped in as the wraith advanced. Maddie shivered when his visage
manifested in her line of vision. More terrifying than any specter she'd ever
seen, a haze of gray mist swirled around his translucent form. A quiver hung
from his shoulder stocked with stone-headed arrows—a sign he'd taken the form
of a native from ancient history. Steeped in blood, his clothing hung in
tatters around his massive frame—a vest made of animal hides, a breechcloth and
fringed leggings. Maddie's gaze traveled to his painted, pock-marked face. Her
insides quivered and ropes of tension knotted every cord and fiber of her body.
Bleary, unearthly eyes turned to Sacheen when
the spirit raised a hand with claw-like fingers and pointed at her chest. The
wind, much like the sound of women wailing, keened into the deafening silence.
Fire exploded from the ghost's eyes—flames the fires of Hell couldn't compete
with.
"Yes."
Maddie fought to keep her voice calm and even. "I see him. His hunger for
you permeates the air."
Sacheen
shouted above the roar and chaos. "You are not welcome here! Hear my
words, Uday, you are tats-an. You are dead!”
Maddie
peered at the girl through the dim light. Uday? She spoke his name?
"It
is I, Sacheen, and I do not fear you chidn. Hear my power:
Hinamaya
hinamaya hinamay Chee Chi Yo
Hinamay chee chi yo hinna may chee chi yo
Hinna hinna hey ya hinna hinna hey yo
A
cry of anguish and rage melded, knifed through the dank, still air. The maiden
couldn't see him but stood tall before her imaginary tormentor, her aura
shimmering like molten glass. "You are like the dust-storm, nothing but a
shiver in the air. Do you hear me? I did not want you in life and will not
accept you in death. You are yah-ik-tee, no longer with us!"
Bio:
Keta Diablo lives in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of woodland.
When she isn't writing or gardening she loves to commune with nature. She adores animals and donates her time and support to local food and animal shelters.
Keta is a multi-published author in contemporary romance, erotic romance and gay fiction. She's also an Amazon best-selling author. Her erotica novel Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the MOLLY contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America and was nominated for a Red Carpet Award in 2014. Her paranormal novel Meko’s Woman was nominated for a Bookie Award by Authors After Dark and her historical novel Sky Tinted Water was nominated for a RONE Award by Ind’Tale Magazine. Her latest contemporary romance novel, Season, Unforgettable, was a finalist in the romance category sponsored by Independent Author Network Book Awards for 2015.
Keta Diablo lives in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of woodland.
When she isn't writing or gardening she loves to commune with nature. She adores animals and donates her time and support to local food and animal shelters.
Keta is a multi-published author in contemporary romance, erotic romance and gay fiction. She's also an Amazon best-selling author. Her erotica novel Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the MOLLY contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America and was nominated for a Red Carpet Award in 2014. Her paranormal novel Meko’s Woman was nominated for a Bookie Award by Authors After Dark and her historical novel Sky Tinted Water was nominated for a RONE Award by Ind’Tale Magazine. Her latest contemporary romance novel, Season, Unforgettable, was a finalist in the romance category sponsored by Independent Author Network Book Awards for 2015.
Keta's books have received numerous Top Pick, Book of the Month, and
Recommended Read awards from top professional review sites.
Book links:
Follow Keta on the Net:
#RomanticIdea
When summer comes to the Midwest, we
think lakes!
One way I love to pass a sunny afternoon
is to pack a picnic lunch and head for the water on a Pontoon boat. What could
be more romantic than spending a lazy day cruising the lake? The crappies are
biting, the sun’s sharing its awesome warmth and the cooler is filled with our
favorite beverages.
This is also a great time to catch up on
my reading (a romance novel, of course). As the sun sets, we head on over to
one of the many restaurants on the lake and enjoy a delicious meal together.
Now this is my idea of Romance!
Happy sailing and happy reading! ~ Keta
~
I love the author's name Keta Diablo. The books sounds so interesting. Since he left her at the altar, he'd better get there and rescue her. Keta's image of cruising on the lake is wonderful for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI find the story interesting indeed. As it has a ghost it is exactly what I enjoy reading. To my TBR list. And the Romantic idea is perfect for summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking our tour, Flossie!
The setting for this one is really intriguing and original. Great excerpt, too. I love the time period it's set in.
ReplyDeleteA lot of interesting books on this tour, don't you think so? Thanks for leaving a comment, Mae!
DeleteHello Carmen and all,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting me, Carmen! I enjoyed visiting with you online. And thanks to everyone for stopping by.
Hope if you read Chasing the Dead you enjoy it!
Happy 4th of July (USA!)
~ Keta ~
You are most welcome, Keta!
DeleteHappy 4th July to you and all American authors and followers of this blog!