A sneak peak at "Golden Sunrise" Part 1

Well, aren't you lucky? :) I'm going to post a little sneak peak of "Golden Sunrise" for you to read if you so desire. It is still in the rough draft stage and so I don't think that it will turn out exactly like this, but it's a start. If you read any of my other books, you will "get it" more, but I will take the time to explain that the story is told through Cheyenne, a Palomino horse who is accompanying her master Jared who is a soldier defending the famous fort Alamo in Texas. William Travis and Bowie were the commanders of the Texan army that was stationed at the Alamo, if you have any other questions or critiques feel free to post them as a comment. However, just ignore the typos, as this is a lot to type out for you and I'm not the most patient editor/rereader in the world so you'll just have to ignore any mistakes if they're not too huge. I'm going to give you about half a chapter from the middle of the book, divided into two parts.

Crraaack!

The cannon let off loudly, scattering the terrified horses into the corner of the horse pen. I laid my ears flat against my head, agitated. I looked up to the main wall of the mission to see Jared standing next to the famous Davy Crockett, his rifle to his shoulder. Davy wore fringed buckskin and a coonskin cap, his rifle popping loudly every now and then to pick of the Mexicans who were advancing closer and closer to the thick walls of the Alamo. Jared did the same.

Every once in awhile the entire mission would rumble as it took a blow from a distant cannon. I paced around the place nervously. How I wished that I could be up top to see all the action! The thousands of Mexican soldiers lined up in columns, the officers in their striking bright red and blue uniforms with shiny brass buttons, the cottonwood trees that stood silently on the Texan plains, seemingly watching the advancing troops but taking no part in the action. I knew it was dangerous, but I wanted to see what was going on, at least I didn't want to stand idle; I really wanted to be of some assistance.

My nose stung with the bitter smell of gunpowder and smoke as it became stronger and stronger, and I grew more anxious. The men, however, seemed to be quite calm given the circumstances.

Santa Anna was planning to put the Alamo under siege before he attacked the mission. Why would he bother to launch a sudden attack and waste hundreds of soldiers' lives when he could simply wait until starvation and despair overcame the defenders of the Alamo, and then they would be forced to surrender. But the one thing that the Mexican officers didnt' know about was the grit and determination of the American fighters. There would be no surrender.

Not long after the fighting had begun, James Bowie collapsed in the plaza of the Alamo. Men rushed to help him up, no one knew what had overcome the tall, strong knife-fighter but he quickly became so ill that he had to be laid in his bed because he could not stand.

Bowie was so weak that he could not even help lead the men anymore. At his bedside he turned over full command to Travis.

The day went on with little firing. No one was hurt, but the men's morale had taken a direct hit. The sun set over the horizon and nightfall was soon upon us. One of the men passed steaming coffee around to the volunteers as some of them began to make preparations to get some rest.

Some of the men were wrapped in blankets as they sipped their coffee, their eyes blankly staring off into the distance, their minds contemplating the day's events. Others made their way to the barracks. A few men were stationed at each of the four sides of the Alamo's walls, watching and waiting for Santa Anna's attack.

I lifted my head and pricked my ears, my eyes searching into the darkness. What did I just hear? It couldn't be . . .

Curse Google Accounts, Now I'm Bitter

Once again I haven't been on here very often, part of the reason is because of the fact that my google account keeps getting messed up, don't know how, but it is frustrating me terribly. So, some good news, my books are now available for sale on Amazon.com!

Here is Appaloosy

and Dusty's Trail is Here

awesome, huh? I'm so glad, now people who don't know me will be more willing to buy my books. And for those of you who have had a chance to read them and enjoyed them, pass the word on, please!

Also, I have a page on Facebook for my books. Like it if you have a facebook account! Mattie Richardson, ND's Teen Author/Appaloosy Books

So, once again, thanks for reading even though I don't post very often!

Mattie