I am happy to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for CHARGED by Gillian Zane ! I have teasers to share with you today check it out and enter to win a
$10 Amazon GC below!
About The Book:
Title: DEL
TORO MOON
Author: Darby
Karchut
Pub.
Date: October
2, 2018
Publisher: Owl
Hollow Press
Formats: Paperback,
eBook
Pages: 224
“Ride hard, swing hard, and take out as many of those creepy critters as you can.”
Twelve year old Matt Del Toro is the greenest greenhorn in his family’s centuries-old business: riding down and destroying wolf-like monsters, known as skinners. Now, with those creatures multiplying, both in number and ferocity, Matt must saddle up and match his father’s skills at monster whacking. Odds of doing that? Yeah, about a trillion to one. Because Matt’s father is the legendary Javier Del Toro—hunter, scholar, and a true caballero: a gentleman of the horse.
Luckily, Matt has twelve hundred pounds of backup in his best friend—El Cid, an Andalusian war stallion with the ability of human speech, more fighting savvy than a medieval knight, and a heart as big and steadfast as the Rocky Mountains.
Serious horse power.
Those skinners don’t stand a chance.
Now on to the excerpt!
Dad gestured toward the middle of the field. “Ben. Your
turn.”
“Nah, I’m good. Really. I can do that stuff in my sleep.”
“There is always room for improvement, my son.”
Ben barked a laugh. “It’s mounting a galloping horse, not
performing brain surgery. Any idiot with a little coordination and strong arms
can do it.”
Dad’s face stiffened into flat planes and lines. One eyelid
twitched.
As usual, Ben missed the signal. “Practicing stuff I can
already do? Kind of a waste of time.”
“It is mine to waste.” Our father’s voice was low and even.
Another signal.
My clueless brother tried a different tactic. “Have Matt try
again. He’s the one who stinks at it.”
“No way.” I gathered up the reins. “He told you to.”
“Boys . . .” Dad began.
“I don’t want to work with either of the little rats,” Turk
snarled. “They can’t ride worth spit.”
“That’s because you,”
El Cid sniffed, “have the coordination of a beer-swilling, overweight Clydesdale.”
“My brothers…” Dad tried again.
Turk flared his nostrils and took a stiff-legged step toward
El Cid. “Lose the kid and I’ll show you—”
“¡Ya basta!”
We all jumped at Dad’s roar. Even Turk shied a few paces.
He glared at Ben, eyes blazing gold fire. “Practice keeps us alive in there.” He stabbed a finger northward toward the mesa with
each word. “There will be moments when your horsemanship and skill with a mace
are the only things standing between you and death.” He stepped closer and
crowded my brother. “Now, get on that warhorse. Because I will not lose you, or
any member of our familia, because
you thought it was a waste of your time!”
That’s when I saw something I’d never seen before.
Fear on my father’s face.
Fear that one of us—Ben or I or one of the horses—would die in the Maze at the teeth of a skinner. Dad had
lost his sister that way when they were teens. It dawned on me that he rode
with that same terror clawing at his shoulders every time we hunted—saddled with the almost impossible task
of keeping all of us alive. Alone.
Even worse? I knew Ben didn’t see it. For a moment, I felt
like the older brother.
About Darby:
Darby Karchut is an award-winning
author, dreamer, and compulsive dawn greeter. A proud native of New Mexico, she
now lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where she runs in blizzards
and bikes in lightning storms.
When not dodging death by Colorado,
Darby is busy wrangling words.
Her books include the best selling
middle grade series, THE ADVENTURE OF FINN MacCULLEN. Coolest thing ever: her
YA debut novel, GRIFFIN RISING, has been optioned for film.
Giveaway Details:
1 Winner will receive a signed finished
copy of DEL TORO MOON, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Great cover art and font. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove the story idea and the cover art. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
ReplyDeleteSounds fun!
ReplyDelete