After her parents die in a fire, Sophia Whitfield struggles to save her beloved home, Arbor Rose. The Civil War has devastated the South, and another blue coat has come to steal her meager possessions. Before the hated enemy inflicts his destruction, she shoots him. And soon discovers the soldier is Gavin, the champion of her childhood.
Gavin's dark secret lurks in Sophia’s future. When she discovers the truth, she's torn between a burning hunger for the man she truly loves and loyalty to Jesse, their childhood friend. The despicable acts of war have changed everything Sophia and Gavin once cherished. Yet somewhere deep in their hearts, the mystical Land of Falling Stars still exists.
Excerpt
After her parents die in a fire, Sophia Whitfield struggles to save her beloved home, Arbor Rose. The Civil War has devastated the South, and another blue coat has come to steal her meager possessions. Before the hated enemy inflicts his destruction, she shoots him. And soon discovers the soldier is Gavin, the champion of her childhood.
Gavin's dark secret lurks in Sophia’s future. When she discovers the truth, she's torn between a burning hunger for the man she truly loves and loyalty to Jesse, their childhood friend. The despicable acts of war have changed everything Sophia and Gavin once cherished. Yet somewhere deep in their hearts, the mystical Land of Falling Stars still exists.
Excerpt:
The bedraggled specimen of a man on the road advanced at a foot-dragging pace. Sophia’s heart sank. Not one speckle of gray covered his lean form. "Another Yankee," she spat. "Thanks to your friends, there's nothing left."
She fled toward the house, raced up the porch steps, and scurried into the parlor.
Retrieving her father's Springfield, her heartbeat gathered speed. From the porch, she lowered the musket to the floorboards and loaded the cartridge, maybe not fast enough for the army, but the outcome would be the same. She rammed the cartridge twice and then lifted the gun level with her chest. With one eye on the stranger, she inserted the primer cap and cocked it.
“Lord above, the man moves slower than tree sap.” Hatred roiled in her bosom.
“Come on, Yank, keep on walking. Your kind destroyed my home, reduced my family to beggars and took Jesse from me. I won’t tolerate one more smidgen of degradation.” She drew a bead on the listless form, set her sight on the left side of his torso. With any luck, she’d hit his villainous heart. Pulling back on the trigger, she tasted sweet revenge. Seconds later, the muzzle exploded and the Yankee toppled to the ground in a heap. Ol' Nap and Daddy Brister hobbled from the barn, their dark eyes bulging.
Ol' Nap clasped the sides of his head. Stout and beefy, his skin weathered by years
of picking cotton, the darkie shouted across the distance separating them. ,"Lawdy, Miss Sophia, has ya done lost your mind? Ya shot a man!”
“Coming to plunder and steal. Or worse.” She rushed down the steps with a prayer on her tongue. "Lord, if I make it to heaven, forgive me."
Dropping to her knees beside the man, she glanced at the haversack slung over his shoulder. “Let it hold food or Union money. Confederate notes aren’t worth spit.” She pulled the bag from his still form and rifled through it. Beside her, Ricochet whined and licked the man’s face. Dread rumbled in her stomach. Why would Ricochet lick his face? She flipped the hat from his head and gasped. "Sweet Mother of Jesus! Gavin!"
Her gaze traveled to his wound. Blood soaked his blue shirt and seeped into the waistband of his trousers. Pain-filled eyes opened and blinked, and a hard-earned smile parted his lips. Mindless of his wound, Sophia fell against his chest. “Dear God, I didn’t know. Gavin, oh, please don’t die. Stay with me.”
"Sophia." Coughs racked his frame and his eyes rolled in the sockets. "Walked for miles."
"Don't speak, Gavin. Save your strength. I thought you were one of them."
He chortled and gasped through another faint smile.
"You are one of them, but . . . Gavin, the Yankees came, took everything.”
He struggled to lift his head. "Beautiful Sophia.”
The pewter buttons scattered when she tore his shirt open. God, so much blood.
"Discharged, head wound. I came to tell you . . . ." One hand went to his chest, the other to her face. “Dreamed of you every night.”
"Shush now." His bloodless face loomed before her. Soon he’d lose consciousness or, the Virgin save her, die.
He frowned when another cough ripped through him. “Thought of you every day; ever since I pulled you from the Rappahannock.”
That undid her. She touched his cheek and blanched beneath his cold skin. "Please don't try to talk."
"Jesse," he moaned. "Jesse is . . . ." His head lolled to the side and his eyes fluttered shut.
Professional Reviews
Five-Star Review - Night Owl Romance Reviews
Keta Diablo has penned a beautiful and haunting love story full of passion, deception, danger and the epic War Between the States that will leave you breathless and longing for more! I loved this story from beginning to end! It’s a true page turner that you will hate to see end. Keta really has a knack for getting you beneath her characters skins. This is one of those rare books that you don’t want to miss out on! And I’m sure you will agree with me after you read it, that Keta Diablo is a name that we will be seeing a lot more of in the coming years to which I say bravo!Land of the Falling stars is the newest novel from up and coming author Keta Diablo.
It is set during the turbulent times of the Civil War. Sophia Whitfield has lost nearly everything to this horrible war her parents, her brother, and her entire way of life up till now. She has managed to keep Arbor Rose above water but just barely; no thanks to the raiding of Yankees that have left her and her remaining servants with very little to survive on themselves. So when she sees another dreaded Yankee meandering down the road toward her home she has had enough! She grabs her father’s rifle and shoots the approaching soldier. But when she draws near she is horrified to see that she has shot none other than Gavin Langdale (one of her closest childhood friends, who left to join the Union army when the fighting started). Desperate to save his life she takes care of him night and day with the help of Old Nap and Brister (her faithful helpers who wanted to stay with her even after the emancipation) praying that he will survive.
When Gavin awakens he sees the angel that has haunted his thoughts and dreams hovering over him. Sophia Whitfield, Jesse Grantham and he had been the very best of friends growing up together on the banks of the Rappahannock. Though Gavin always harbored feelings for Sophia he never allowed them to show or did anything about them because she was promised to marry Jesse from birth. But now looking up at her all of those feelings seem to overwhelm him. Sophia is ecstatic that he has returned and will recover from the gunshot. But he wonders if she would feel the same if she knew of the horrible secret that he is harboring indeed the very reason that he has come back to Arbor Rose. On a battlefield filled with chaos and smoke and the sounds of death all around him he fired at an approaching Rebel soldier only to find when he drew near to him that he had shot and killed Jesse Grantham, his best friend and Sophia’s intended. He is devastated by what he has done and he has come back to tell Sophia the truth.
But when she is so glad to see him he finds that he doesn’t want to ruin this time with her just yet. So he sets about helping her with much needed repairs around Arbor Rose and finds that the feelings he harbors for Sophia are stronger than ever. And when she starts to display feelings for him as well can he come clean with her about what he’s done and ruin what has been his secret dream from the time he was 13, (to have her love)?
Will their passion be enough to see them through the trials that they are about to face or will the truth and circumstances tear them apart? Or will a band of cutthroats kill them both before they ever have the chance to find out? And there is much, much more to this story but you are going to have to buy this one to find out more!
Five-Star Review - Saphire Reviews Romance
Score: 4.75
5 Star Reviewer Top Pick, One of the best I have ever read Lifetime keeper!
Reviewer Name: JennJ – SAPPHIRE Reviews BLOG,
“Keta Diablo has penned a beautiful and haunting love story full of passion, deception, danger and the epic War Between the States that will leave you breathless and longing for more! I loved this story from beginning to end! It’s a true page turner that you will hate to see end. Keta really has a knack for getting you beneath her characters skins. This is one of those rare books that you don’t want to miss out on! And I’m sure you will agree with me after you read it, that Keta Diablo is a name that we will be seeing a lot more of in the coming years to which I say bravo!”
Land of the Falling Stars is the newest novel from up and coming author Keta Diablo. It is set during the turbulent times of the Civil War. Sophia Whitfield has lost nearly everything to this horrible war her parents, her brother and her entire way of life up till now. She has managed to keep Arbor Rose above water but just barely no thanks to the raiding of Yankees that have left she and her remaining servants with very little to survive on themselves. So when she sees another dreaded Yankee meandering down the road toward her home she has had enough! She grabs her father’s rifle and shoots the approaching soldier. But when she draws near she is horrified to see that she has shot none other than Gavin Langdale (one of her closest friends since childhood friend, who left to fighting started). Desperate to save his life she takes care of him night and day with the help of Old Nap and Brister (her faithful helpers who wanted to stay with her even after the emancipation) praying that he will survive.
When Gavin awakens he sees the angel that has haunted his thoughts and dreams hovering over him. Sophia Whitfield and Jesse Grantham and he had been the very best of friends growing up together on the banks of the Rappahannock. Though Gavin always harbored feelings for Sophia he never allowed them to show or did anything about them because she was promised to marry Jesse from birth. But now looking up at her all of those feelings seem to overwhelm him. Sophia is ecstatic that he has returned and will recover from the gunshot. But he wonders if she would feel the same if she knew of the horrible secret that he is harboring indeed the very reason that he has come back to Arbor Rose.
On a battlefield filled with chaos and smoke and the sounds of death all around him he fired at an approaching Rebel soldier only to find when he drew near to him that he had shot and killed Jesse Grantham, his best friend and Sophia’s intended. He is devastated by what he has done and he has come back to tell Sophia the truth. But when she is so glad to see him he finds that he doesn’t want to ruin this time with her just yet. So he sets about helping her with much needed repairs around Arbor Rose and finds that the feelings he harbors for Sophia are stronger than ever. And when she starts to display feelings for him as well can he come clean with her about what he’s done and ruin what has been his secret dream from the time he was 13, ( to have her love)?
Will their passion be enough to see them through the trials that they are about to face or will the truth and circumstances tear them apart? Or will a band of cutthroats kill them both before they ever have the chance to find out? And there is much, much more to this story but you are going to have to buy this one to find out more!
Five-Star Review - C Waits Reviews, Amazon Reader
Okay, I have to admit, after hearing Keta Diablo's name quite a bit for erotic romance, I had to snip over to her blog, Keta's Keep, and check it out a little awhile back.
Very cool blog. I was enticed by the icons that allowed me to browse the pages of her work.
Land of Falling Stars lured me in immediately with its lyrical title, and hot cover art. I was instantly captivated by the haunting love story of Gavin and Sophie. So much so I bought it on the spot.
And, I am very glad I did. Engaging, fully realized characters, with a passionate love story that is at once steamy and tender. Gavin won me over as a intense hero fighting against his demons, and Sophie as a heroine trying to reconcile her heart and the past. Complexly layered plot and conflicts added to this poignant tale of star crossed love. Keta Diablo has created a historical romance that manages to blend all these elements with a subtle maestro's touch. I will definitely look forward to reading her work again very soon!
Crystal Reed thought she had met the perfect man. Instead she finds herself entangled in a web of obsessive love and dark secrets, a world that has become tainted by deception and treachery.
