 Welcome to the blog tour and giveaway for Chasing the Wind by Paula Scott, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! About the Book Title: Chasing the Wind Author: Paula Scott Publisher: West Butte Publishing Release Date: March 20, 2018 Genre: Inspirational Historical Fiction A beautiful, half-Indian girl raised by the Californios finds her fate intertwined with an American frontiersman haunted by his past in 1850 California. As California comes to statehood amidst the madness of the gold rush, Isabella Vasquez must wed a buckskin-clad American who wins her in a card game. Though their union is passionate, Isabella soon finds herself abandoned in a brothel, where she rises to fame as a singer known as the Bluebird. Yet because of her Indian blood, the Bluebird will always be bought and sold in the white man’s world. When more is demanded of the Bluebird than just singing, Isabella flees to Fort Ross in search of her Russian father and her own race of people. Peter Brondi has battled Indians all his life. The last thing he wants is a half-Indian wife. While taming the West with Kit Carson and John C. Fremont, Peter has fought the Mexican War and lost his beloved fiancée, Maggie, to his half-Indian brother, Paul. To satisfy his father’s dying wish, Peter vows to find his brother and put an end to the hate that’s between them. But when history repeats itself and Paul steals Isabella away, Peter must come to terms with his past and the animosity he holds against all Indians, including his half-brother and the wife he has forsaken. *Chasing the Wind is the final story in the sweeping saga of California Rising, a tale of love, betrayal, and the ties that bind brothers together and California to the nation. About the Author Paula began her writing career as a civilian contracted to write for the United States Air Force’s newspaper and magazines. Later, she wrote feature stories for a daily California newspaper. A fifth generation Californian, Paula’s great great grandmother came to California in a covered wagon and married a California farmer. Paula’s family has been farming ever since. Paula works on her family’s farm, writes historical fiction, and blogs about life, love, and farming at psbicknell.com Guest Post I find human beings so interesting. A person’s past is the key that unlocks their character. Writers call this backstory. Carson wasn’t an Indian fighter for no apparent reason. Raised to deeply fear Indians from a very early age, Christopher “Kit” Carson was born in Madison County, Kentucky on Christmas Eve, 1809. His father, Lindsey Carson, fought in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Carson’s father also battled Indians on the American frontier, losing several fingers on his left hand fighting the Fox and Sauk Indians. Lindsey Carson married Rebecca Robinson in 1796. She was his second wife. Kit’s father had five children from his first wife who died, and ten more children with Kit’s mother. Kit was the sixth of their ten children. When Kit was about a year old, the Carson family settled in Howard County, Missouri on a tract of land owned by Daniel Boone’s sons. The Boone and Carson families became close friends. When Kit was a child, Missouri was the frontier of American expansionism. Cabins were “forted” with tall stockade fences to defend against Indians. When Carson was about eight years old, his father died when a limb fell on him while he was clearing a field. His mother remarried four years later, but Carson did not get along with his stepfather. Because of this Carson was apprenticed to David Workman, a saddler in Franklin, Missouri. Franklin was located on the eastern end of the Santa Fe Trail. Many of the saddle shop’s customers were trappers and traders that told stirring tales of the West. Against his mother’s wishes, at 16 years old, Kit ran away from his apprenticeship and joined a caravan of fur trappers. The teenager soon learned the skills of a trapper, and also the necessary languages for trade. Eventually, Carson became fluent in Spanish and several Indian languages. At 19 years old, he fought his first real battle with Indians, the dreaded Apaches. He traveled with famous mountain men like Jim Bridger and Old Bill Williams and spent the winter of 1828–1829 as a cook for Ewing Young in Taos. This ancient pueblo city in New Mexico territory would eventually become Carson’s home. Indians were always the enemy, and Carson was exceptional at fighting them. He spent most of his life waring with the native tribes. But Carson’s feelings toward Indians softened over the years. His mindset about Indians grew understanding and humane as he grew older. He urged the government to set aside reservations of land for their use. As an Indian agent, he made sure under his watch that “Indians were treated with honesty, fairness, and clothed and fed properly.” Historian David Roberts believes his youthful love for Singing Grass ultimately softened Carson towards Indians. Giveaway Paula Scott is giving away a signed print copy of Chasing the Wind! (US Only) Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here. Enter the giveaway HERE. Tour ScheduleLAUNCH @ JustRead April 16 Remembrancy Reflections From My Bookshelves April 17 Among the Reads Faithfully Bookish April 18 Singing Librarian Books The Christian Fiction Girl Reading Is My SuperPower April 19 A Baker's Perspective Melony Teague April 20 All-of-a-kind Mom Bibliophile Reviews 
3 Comments
4/18/2018 08:37:07 am
Thanks so much for having Chasing the Wind on your blog today. Really appreciate being here!
Joan Arning
4/19/2018 05:37:44 pm
Love the cover! Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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