Hawk MacKinney is a writer that I have had my eye on for a while. Any time I see one of his books come up for promotion, I’m in. So let’s check out Moccasin Trace.
Moccasin Trace by Hawk MacKinney
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB
… it was about the land…a tale of love and loss and hope…
Hamilton Ingram looked out across the fertile Georgia bottomlands that were Moccasin Hollows, seeing holdings it had taken generations of Ingrams to build. No drop of slave sweat ever shed in its creation. It was about the land…his trust, his duty to preserve it for the generation of Ingrams to come… It is July of 1859, a month of sweltering dog days and feverish emotional bombast. Life is good for widower Rundell Ingram and his Hazel-eyed, roan-haired son, Hamilton. Between the two of them, they take care of Moccasin Hollows, their rustic dogtrot ancestral home, a sprawling non-slave plantation in the rolling farming country outside Queensborough Towne in east Georgia. Adjoining Ingram lands is Wisteria Bend, the vast slave-holding plantation of Andrew and Corinthia Greer, their daughter Sarah, and son Benjamin. Both families share generations of long-accepted traditions, and childhood playmates are no longer children. The rangy, even-tempered Norman-Scottish young Hamilton is smitten with Sarah, who has become an enticing capricious beauty—the young lovers more in love with each passing day, and only pleasant times ahead of them. But a blood tide of war is sweeping across the South, a tide that might be impossible to stand before.
“The most engaging and brilliantly crafted historical work since Margaret Mitchell’s great classic.”
Barbara Casey – Author, The Gospel According to Prissy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Bessie’s head jerked around, “…them gun shots.”
A stooped-over Sarah looked up, “What?”
“Gun shots…” Bessie put down the box of jars and headed toward the cellar door. “From the direction where the men be. We gittin’ upstairs, an’ gittin’ now.”
Sarah’s heart pounded as they came up out of the cellar and looked in the direction of more shots.
“Come on…” Bessie hurried into the pantry where she reached down the powder horn from the top shelf, then the rifle and pistols. “Git ’em ready with all that shootin’. Till we know different, we make sure two-legged low-downs don’t sneak to the house.”
Sarah rushed to the window and murmured, “Hamilton…” She feared for him, for their child, for all of them. “Surely you don’t suppose it’s Federals?”
“Might be better if’n it is ‘stead of what else be skulkin’ in them woods. Stay away from the winder, an’ finish rammin’ this powder.”
Sarah poured the ball and powder firm, rammed it, pulled the rammer out, and whispered, “Bessie listen…birds stopped singing.”
“Except that cawin’ crow seein’ somethin’ what don’t belong.”
Sarah took another quick peek, “There’s several horses, but I don’t see any riders. Mules are still hitched. I don’t see anyone at the plow, but there’s men on among the trees.”
“You watch the front door.” Bessie snugged the pistol in her apron pocket. “I cover the back. Anybody tries comin’ through the dogtrot door or through the parlor, we back into here, keep ’em from circlin’ us.”
“What about Papa Rundell?” Sarah’s stomach was queasy.
“He keep his rifle ready. Anyone bust in his room be dead ‘fore they twitch a hair.”
With a crash the kitchen door flew open. Sarah brought her rifle up and fired, the shot splintering door and jamb. The sound thundered through the house. Bessie’s rifle steadied dead-on.
The silhouetted head and shoulders ducked into a hunch and Hamilton yelled, “Sarah!” His hand smeared at stinging blood-speckled splinters of wood along his cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction. Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention. Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with another mystery-thriller work out in 2014. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012. “Without question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and conspiracy–these are the things that take Hawk’s main character, Navy ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation’s capital and across Europe and the Middle East.”
Barbara Casey, President
Barbara Casey Literary Agency
GIVEAWAY
Hawk will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found by clicking on the image below:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really enjoy books set in the Civil War era that deal with dichotemy of friendships and familial relationships when the participapants are on opposing sides of the conflict. This looks like an engrossing read. Thanks for sharing.
ilookfamous(at)yahoo(dot)com
The Civil War/The War Between the States is par excellance background(s)/settings for character-conflicts/resolutions AND makes for great readin’ – hope U enjoy –
Hawk MacK
That cover totally reminds me of the beginning of Wizard of OZ.
As much as I like the cover, I would like to take credit for the cover design. I can’t. The publisher/cover designer added the details I wanted, in the way I wanted, but the layout (sepia as well) came from them. I’m glad U like it – hope U like the tale told –
Hawk MacKinney
hawkmackinney.net
Yay! I received notification of this post via email! Looks like your blog is up and running smoothly again, Sherry!
I love the way Mr. MacKinney writes Bessie’s accent in the excerpt.
Any book that has been compared to ‘Gone with the Wind’ must be GREAT!
Bessie’s accent, as well as other regional accents among kith & kin in the land of my birthin’-an’-raisin’, is a character-idiosyncrasy we Southrons pick up the moment we take our first birthin’ breath. Hope U enjoy the read.
Hawk MacK
Thank you for hosting my historical romance Moccasin Trace. For the readers who follow the Craige Ingram Mystery Series, Moccasin Trace, set during the Civil War, provides the Scottish-Normandr bloodlines and background of protagonist SEAL/PI Craige Ingram in that contemporary thriller/mystery series, and is available in hardback, trade paperback and Kindle.
Hawk MacKinney
http://www.hawkmackinney.net
I am happy to host Moccasin Trace. All your books look great to me, so I try to catch all the tours and shout it out. Wishing you many downloads! Thanks for stopping in and talking to us. ^_^
Thank U for taking the time to reply –
Hawk MacK
The blurb sucked me right in! :0)
Thank U – a hooked reader AND one that responds is the biggest thrill this writer can have – thank U for tearing your self away from MTrace, dropping by, leaving a comment – hope U enjoy it –
Hawk MacK
http://www.hawkmackinney.net
Yippe and hugs! I received your email notice. It’s great to see you in my emails again!!
The cover had me thinking something was coming. I was waiting for a breeze to blow. Well done.
As I’ve admitted many times – I love the cover; wish I’d designed it but I didn’t. Publr’s graphic designer(s) put in the details I wanted, broken fence, dog trot plantation clapboard (probably pine in that area of GA), dirt road & forlorn kepi on a fence post – the designer’s sepia touch really set it off – enjoyed the writing – hope U enjoy the read –
Hawk MacKinney
http://www.hawkmackinney.net
Thanks for hosting!
My pleasure.
I like ” it was about the land….a tale of love and loss and hope. ” this says it all. I was never one to like history in school but now that I am older, reading about the past intrigues me. This book sounds like a great adventure! Thanks for the giveaway.
I felt the same about DULL ole history -AND- what did I do? Once of my undergraduate majors is history. I don’t think it’s a number-of-birthday things. More likely it’s a how-do-people (characters) respond – the past is traditions & familiar & we like it –
So did you know that the book was going to be called Moccasin Trace the whole time? Or did the title kind of creep up on you and smack you on the back of the head? Any other title options come up?
andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
Yes – my country place is on Moccasin Trace – an old stagecoach dirt road & lakes with critters & frogs & black bears & otters & beavers & it’s spring! It’s part of the REAL Tobacco Rd that most don’t even know exists. A retreat where cell phs & so-called civilization cannot intrude…very often –
Hawk MacK
http://www.hawkmackinney.net
Hawk MacKinney – what a cool name.
The dusty artwork is a real draw.
Nice to have you back, Sherry.
Isn’t it though? I try and promo all his stuff. It is so nice to be back. Thank you Emma.
Thank U for your support – I’ve found myself looking forward to bloggers’ comments & intrigue whole new plots –
Hawk MacK
You never know where inspiration may come from. It has been my pleasure sharing Moccasin Trace.
I would like to take credit for the `dusty’ artwork but I can’t. The graphics designer did the sepia, which i like. My contributions was I wanted a broken down fence, dog trot plantation house of clapboard (probably pine in that area of GA), dirt road & forlorn kepi on a fence post – the sepia touch really set it off. Thank U for dropping by & your comment –
Hawk MacKinney
http://www.hawkmackinney.net
I love this time period and enjoy books written during this era. Thanks for sharing the excerpt 🙂 This sounds good Sherry 🙂
It’s an emotion-charged era which makes a good drawing board for a character/characters one uses to change plot direction or feed the conflict – thank U for stopping by & commenting –
Hawk MacKinney
http://www.hawkmackinney.net
Interesting story
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thank U – I hope your interest pans out to your enjoying the tale told –
Hawk MacK
This promises to be a tumultuous ride!
I think so too. To compare it to Gone With The Wind really caught my attention. I loved that book and I have done several tours for Hawk. I look forward to more.