Monday, February 1, 2021

Indigo Tour and Giveaway

 


Indigo
by Paula Berinstein
Genre: Time Travel Romance, Adventure



What would you do if you suddenly found yourself mistress of an 18th-century plantation?

Esther Rubens is looking forward to getting to know her new community in South Carolina and repairing her troubled marriage. But as soon as she arrives in Charleston her life begins to diverge from the idyllic picture in her mind. Her physicist husband, Melvin, is arrested for driving while black, she inherits a strange English property from a cousin she didn't know existed, and she learns that her great-grandmother Sophie, a brilliant scientist kidnapped by the Nazis, discovered the secret of time travel of all things.

Intrigued by Sophie's cryptic journal Melvin begins to experiment with time travel, but his anger at the police makes him careless. The process backfires, killing him and throwing Esther back to 1750. Attacked by an unknown assailant the moment she arrives, she seeks protection at an indigo plantation belonging to a dashing planter with a dangerous secret, negotiating a deal that guarantees her safety. But she soon realizes she's made a terrible mistake. What she discovers on the plantation is far more horrific than anything she could have imagined.

Overwhelmed, she attempts to flee just as the planter's mysterious, handsome brother arrives from England seeking refuge-and offering an opportunity that's too compelling to turn down. But can he be trusted? And are the two of them strong enough to vanquish the evil that's pervading the lowlands? Only time will tell.

The first title in the Indigo series.



I was getting dressed for my wedding and Pixy was brushing my hair when I heard a commotion downstairs. Several people were yelling and wailing—ululating is the word that comes to mind—and I rushed down to see what was happening, leaving her to follow after me. As I descended the stairs I saw two female slaves, both of them in tears, screaming at Daniel hysterically. It took me a moment to figure out what they were trying to say, and just as I did I saw Jesse run out the door with the two of them following him. It gradually emerged that a young girl had fallen down our well and one of the male slaves had tried to go down after her, but the rope had broken and he had fallen in too.  The rest of the men were out in the fields or away on other tasks and the women who were left on the scene didn’t know what to do. Hence they had rushed to the house.

Pixy began to cry herself, obviously wanting to run after Jesse and the women but worried that she wasn’t supposed to leave me. “Come on,” I yelled, and pulled her by the hand. 

In less than a minute we had reached the well, which stood in the yard a ways off from the house. Several of the slave women were looking down into it, wailing and crying. Jesse was lowering himself down, one foot braced on each side for traction. If his legs hadn’t been as long as they were I don’t think he could have managed, but as it was he seemed to be getting a pretty good grip. 

“Esther, tie a bucket to a good strong rope and lower it down,” he yelled to me as he descended into the darkness. “Throw a second rope down too.”

“We need a bucket,” I said to the women at the well. “And two ropes.”

One of the women started running and I followed her to the dairy. She made a beeline for a corner where some rope was stashed.

“Don’t got no bucket,” she said.

“There has to be one,” I said. 

“They supposed to be here,” she said frantically. “I don’t see none.”

“Where else could they be?” I said.

“By de well,” she said. “But dey ain’t there.”

“Where else?” I said. 

“In de shed,” she said, taking off like the Flash.

I ran after her and in another few seconds we had attracted the attention of some of the field hands.

“Bucket!” she screamed as a man stared. He looked confused, then realizing what must have happened he ran to the icehouse next to the river, lifted a bucket full of ice, tipped out the contents, and came running. The three of us ran all the way back to the well and tied the bucket to the rope the other slave had found. The male slave lowered the bucket into the well and threw another rope down, holding tightly onto the end.

“I’ve got her,” I heard Jesse yell up. “But she’s hurt badly. I need to get her up now.”

“What about the man?” I yelled down.

“Broken legs,” Jesse yelled up. “I’m trying to keep his head above water. Hurry or it will be too late!”




Paula Berinstein (Paula B) is the author of the Amanda Lester, Detective middle-grade/YA series, which features a descendant of the Sherlock Holmes character Inspector Lestrade and is set in the English Lake District.

She is also the author of a new time travel series for adults, Indigo.

From 2005 to 2012, Paula produced and hosted the popular podcast The Writing Show (http://www.writingshow.com). She holds degrees in English literature and librarianship from UCLA.





Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$25 Amazon giftcard– 2 winners!
 

1 comment:

The Heart Knows What The Mind Cannot See Blitz

  Self Help, Spiritual Inspiration Date Published: 06-02-2021   This is a thought-provoking and enlightening exploration of sp...