The man who destroyed her life may be the only one who can save it.

Seven years ago, Maggie Logan (Eyes-Like-Sky) lost everything she knew when a raid on a wagon train tore her from her family. As the memories of her past faded to nothing more than vague shadows, Maggie adapted—marrying a Comanche warrior, having a baby, and rebuilding her life. But in one terrible battle, the U.S. Cavalry destroys that life, and she is taken captive again, this time by those who call themselves her people. Forced into a world she wants nothing to do with, Eyes-Like-Sky’s only hope of protecting her child may be an engagement to the man who killed her husband.

Enrolled in West Point to escape his overbearing father, Captain Garret Ramsey has graduated and finds himself assigned to the Texas frontier, witnessing the brutal Indian War in which both sides commit atrocities. Plagued by guilt for his own role, Garret seeks redemption by taking responsibility for the woman he widowed and her baby. Though he is determined to do whatever it takes to protect them, is he willing to risk everything for a woman whose heart is buried in a grave? Or is there hope she might heal to love once more?

Purchase Links: Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Now for our interview with Eyes-Like-Sky.

CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Eyes-Like-Sky. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?

ELS: I’m the heroine and a woman caught between cultures. I became Comanche when a raid on my family’s wagon train seven years ago tore me from my family. I adapted. I fell in love with a warrior and married. We had a child. Then, the Texas Rangers and U.S. Cavalry attacked our village and stole me away from my new life. They killed my husband. I’m heartbroken, but I still have my precious baby daughter. I’m a fighter, and I’m willing to sacrifice whatever I have to in order to protect her and get back to my people, the Comanche. I’m stubborn and a force to be reckoned with. (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.)

CC: It sounds like you’re a Momma Bear, a much-needed characteristic in the hard world you live in. Your daughter is very luck to have you.

Since you now consider yourself Comanche, how would you describe your relationship with God?

ELS: 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. 

CC: I imagine you have a lot to wrestle with, considering all that has happened to you over the last seven years. It can’t be easy to figure out how you feel about God.

How do you think others view you?

ELS: The Texas Rangers and U.S. Cavalry think they rescued me. They didn’t. 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. The people here see me as some savage. They’re trying to force me to be like them. They even burned my Comanche clothes. Well, they can take their grubby hands off my life. 

CC: Ouch. I wonder how often we are guilty of thinking we’re rescuing someone when in fact they don’t want to be “rescued.” I imagine it must be very difficult for you–and maybe even a bit for them. The unusual and those who don’t fit inside our boxes tend to make us uncomfortable. I pray someone in the book shows you the love and kindness of Christ, accepting you for who you are and not what they think you should be. 

What are you most afraid of?

ELS: 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.

CC: That is a lot of things to fear–but I’d say they are all valid. Very few mothers wants to give up their children. To be forced into your position is definitely not one to be envied.

You say that your heart is your own and men better leave it alone, but what is your heart’s true desire? What do you really want?

ELS: 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, run away, and do whatever I have to in order to protect her. But when Captain Garret Ramsey offers me another option, 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, I realize he might be my only hope.

CC: I can see why you are so determined to protect and keep her, but what a terrifying prospect–to trust the man who ruined your life or give up the daughter you love.

If there is one thing you could tell the reader, what would it be?

ELS: That God isn’t as distant as the stars. He is as near as our hearts. Another message would be: Don’t give up. There is hope, and there is healing even when one has endured the worst of circumstances. We don’t have to be lost in our grief, guilt, and/or failures. God is the God of second chances. It took me way too long to learn this. But I thank God that He didn’t give up on me.

CC: Amen. I look forward to walking through this journey with you in Texas Forsaken. 

Readers, I hope you will join Eyes-Like-Sky in her journey to keep her daughter and find her place in a world where she doesn’t fit into their perfect little box.

GIVEAWAY

For your chance to win an e-copy of Texas Forsaken, answer the following question in the comments: What intrigues you about this story?

One person who comments on or before 8/13 will be randomly selected and emailed–so when filling out the commenter section, be sure to include your email. I can see it without anyone else being able to see it. 😉 I will update the top of the post with the first name of the winner once they have been chosen.

About Sherry Shindelar:

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 isn’t 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, 2021 & 2023 Maggie finalist, and 2022 Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-nine years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren. Her novel Texas Forsaken was published in May 2024.

Connect with Sherry: Website  |  Newsletter  |  Amazon  |  BookBub  |  GoodReads