A Chat with Eyes-Like-Sky from Texas Forsaken by Sherry Shindelar

Welcome to Novel PASTimes, Eyes-Like-Sky! We are pleased you stopped by today.



Is there anything special about your name? 



I love my Comanche name, Eyes-Like-Sky. It is who I am. I once had another name, Maggie Logan. I don’t know who that person is anymore. Yet the people at the fort, especially the ladies who want to  civilize  me, insist upon calling me by this foreign name. And then there is my uncle who wants to stretch it out to Margaret Logan. He is set on erasing every trace of Comanche from my life. He has another thought coming.



The news of your deliverance from the Comanche has spread across the frontier. The Texas Rangers and U.S. Cavalry are congratulating themselves, but I hear you have a different perspective on the event?



They didn’t rescue me. They kidnapped me and took me from the only home I remember and from my beloved husband. And now I’m here in the miserable, scrapping camp that doesn’t even deserve to be called a fort. Please let me go home to the prairies, to my village, to the Comanche. I want nothing to do with the plantation house back East where my relatives want to drag me. Set me free. Let me and my baby go to our real home.



What is your heart’s deepest desire? 



One of my heart’s deepest desires has been ripped from me. But I still have one left: my baby daughter, Little Star. She is the light of my life. Her bright eyes and bubbly chatter are my joy. I will do anything and sacrifice everything to protect her and keep her with me.  My uncle is plotting to take her away from me. He can’t stand the thought that her father was Comanche. I will fight, runaway, and vow whatever I have to in order to protect her. 



But when Captain Garret Ramsey offers me another option, another way to keep Little Star, I’m stunned. Can I trust the man? After all, he’s the one who destroyed my life. But when I look into his eyes, and see the determination on his face, and recall his kindnesses to me and Little Star, I know he is my only hope . 



What are you most afraid of? 



Three things: 



1) That they’ll succeed in taking Little Star from me. But I’m reassured by the fact that I know I’ll do everything in my power to stop them. I’d give my life before I’d let this happen. 



2) What if I find my way back to the Comanche, and I no longer belong there? If I can find my own tribe, they’d take me back, but that might come at the cost of marrying one of my husband’s brothers. If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. But what if I don’t find my village? My tribe moves around a lot over hundreds of miles, and after the cavalry raid, they’ve probably moved further than ever. 



3) What if I develop feelings for Captain Garrett Ramsey? He’s the only one who has shown me any kindness since I came to the fort. He’s like an anchor in a storm. But my heart is buried in a grave, and it’s going to stay there. There is no room for warmth or affection. I’ll do what I have to in order to keep Little Star, but my heart is my own, and Garret Ramsey and any other man still breathing air had better leave it alone.



Tell us about your faith journey :



I used to pray. When I was a little girl, I gave my heart to Jesus. But now I don’t know. The God of my childhood is as distant as the stars. Does He hear me? Does He even care? After me and my baby girl are captured by the cavalry, and I’m trying to escape, I pray. I cry out to the Lord.  You’ll have to buy the book to see what happens. (Smile.) (By the way, I like my picture on the cover, but my hair’s really a little bit darker. The artist did a great job of showing my favorite place, Palo Duro Canyon, and in case you’re wondering, I’m every bit as stubborn and determined as my expression on the cover.)



Thanks for allowing us to get know you a little better!














Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-nine years.  



You can get your copy of Texas Forsaken HERE.



Learn more about Sherry at her website.



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