A Kiowa
Christmas Gift
Christmas Gift
a short story in
Wolf Creek, Book 9:
Romancing The West is pleased to present a double feature: Wolf Creek, Book 9, A Wolf Creek Christmas, and Wolf Creek Book 10, O Deadly Night. Each volume contains six Christmas stories, all centering around Wolf Creek in 1871, written by award-winning western authors. Today, RTW is pleased to host the president of Western Fictioneers and the mastermind of this series, Peacemaker and Spur Award winner Troy D. Smith.
About Troy
Troy D. Smith has published several short stories and novels, and is a past winner of the Peacemaker and Spur Awards, and current president of Western Fictioneers. He is also a history professor at Tennessee Tech, specializing in American Indian history. His article “Nations Colliding: The Civil War Comes to Indian Territory” is in the current issue of Civil War History. His most recent westerns have been the two Blackwell Chronicles books from Western trail Blazer, collecting his previously published short stories about the Blackwell family (more to come!). Read about the first volume at the end of this post.
Troy's story:
A Kiowa Christmas Gift
Cavalry Captain Tom Dent and Seminole scout Charley Blackfeather find themselves conducting an important parley with Kiowa leaders on Christmas Eve. Dent hopes they can finish negotiations so he can be with his family on Christmas; Charley fears that, if antagonistic warrior Stone Knife has his way, they won't get home at all.
About Charley Blackfeather
Charley is my main character, though I’ve become fond of Captain Dent. The captain is very experienced, but relies heavily on his scout for advice. Charley is a black Seminole, who has spent his whole life at war — from his youth in the Florida swamps through the Civil War and beyond. In a lot of ways, Charley is a character that draws together many of my interests: African American history, American Indian history, and the places where they merge. Charley is a deeply honorable man, who is one of the most dangerous enemies you could have — but also the most loyal friend. He has a very wry, understated sense of humor and fun. He is also a deeply spiritual man, and this is the part of him I probably identify most with. He tries to find balance in the universe around him, and within himself. He finds a worthy adversary in Stone Knife, and we’ve not seen the last of the tension between these two.
More stories from Troy
The Blackwell Chronicles, Volume 1: The first story in Volume 1, The Blackwell Claim, introduces the four Blackwell brothers: Max, Duke, Caleb and Jake. After that, my tales about the family jump around in time – Blackwell's Run occurs in 1864 with Max in the US Calvary fighting Indians. Next, The Stealing Moon takes place in 1855 and tells of Jake, a Texas Ranger, meeting a boy struggling to become a man. Blackwell's Stand is set in 1864 where Caleb has an unfortunate meeting with a grizzly and The Windigo is about Max's son Billy, and takes place during the Klondike gold rush.
Kindle | Smashwords | B&N | Print
RTW Note: Blackwell Chronicles, Volume 2 is also currently available!
About Troy
 |
| Troy D. Smith |
Troy's story:
A Kiowa Christmas Gift
Cavalry Captain Tom Dent and Seminole scout Charley Blackfeather find themselves conducting an important parley with Kiowa leaders on Christmas Eve. Dent hopes they can finish negotiations so he can be with his family on Christmas; Charley fears that, if antagonistic warrior Stone Knife has his way, they won't get home at all.
About Charley Blackfeather
Charley is my main character, though I’ve become fond of Captain Dent. The captain is very experienced, but relies heavily on his scout for advice. Charley is a black Seminole, who has spent his whole life at war — from his youth in the Florida swamps through the Civil War and beyond. In a lot of ways, Charley is a character that draws together many of my interests: African American history, American Indian history, and the places where they merge. Charley is a deeply honorable man, who is one of the most dangerous enemies you could have — but also the most loyal friend. He has a very wry, understated sense of humor and fun. He is also a deeply spiritual man, and this is the part of him I probably identify most with. He tries to find balance in the universe around him, and within himself. He finds a worthy adversary in Stone Knife, and we’ve not seen the last of the tension between these two.
The Blackwell Chronicles, Volume 1: The first story in Volume 1, The Blackwell Claim, introduces the four Blackwell brothers: Max, Duke, Caleb and Jake. After that, my tales about the family jump around in time – Blackwell's Run occurs in 1864 with Max in the US Calvary fighting Indians. Next, The Stealing Moon takes place in 1855 and tells of Jake, a Texas Ranger, meeting a boy struggling to become a man. Blackwell's Stand is set in 1864 where Caleb has an unfortunate meeting with a grizzly and The Windigo is about Max's son Billy, and takes place during the Klondike gold rush.
Kindle | Smashwords | B&N | Print
RTW Note: Blackwell Chronicles, Volume 2 is also currently available!
Wolf Creek Book 9:
The Last Free Trapper
by Jory Sherman
A Savior is Born
by Meg Mims
That Time of Year
by Jerry Guin
‘Twas the Fight before Christmas
by Jacquie Rogers
A Kiowa Christmas Gift
by Troy D. Smith
Renewal of Faith
by James J. Griffin
Wolf Creek, Book 10:
Sarah’s Christmas Miracle
by Big Jim Williams
Irish Christmas at Wolf Creek
by Charlie Steel
A Home for Christmas
by Cheryl Pierson
The Angel Tree
by Chuck Tyrell
The Spirit of Hogmanay
by Clay More
O Deadly Night
by Troy D. Smith
Troy,
ReplyDeleteCharley Blackfeather is an awesome character.
Charlie Steel
Yeah, Charley Blackfeather is unique. Love it!
ReplyDeleteOne thing about Troy's fiction writing, it is backed up by the history of the time.
Hats off to Troy.
Jerry
Splendid story! I agree, I think Charlie Blackfeather is a great character.
ReplyDeleteTroy, can you enlighten me? I see that Duke Blackwell is named after the Duke of Cumberland. I can't seem to find when the Duke would have been to Tennessee. I thought that after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 he served in Europe before retiring in 1757 and dying from a stroke in 1765. He is not remembered fondly in Scotland, I am afraid, because of Culloden. I am intrigued by the Tennessee history.
A lot of Tennessee was first explored by English in the 1750s, a few years after Cumberland's victory at Battle if Culloden, so a lot of things were named after him: Cumberland River, Cumblerland Gap, Cumberland Plateau. I figured a mountaineer of a century later would only have a very vague idea of the history and of the duke, and would assume he had actually been there.
ReplyDeleteThanks too for the kind words, guys. I am very fond of Charley- and writing him requires no further research, as his life encapsulates the topics of my official history work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Troy. That all makes sense. After Culloden the English named a rise - Sweet Wiliam - after him. The Scots named a weed!
ReplyDeleteTroy, I love Charley too, as you know, and the odd relationship between him and on of my characters, Derrick McCain. Derrick is spiritual, too, but it takes Charley to make him realize it and start "channeling" it (for lack of a better word.) But I'm becoming fond of Tom Dent, too--and I like the interplay between him and Charley. I'm so glad to be a part of Wolf Creek, and I still marvel at your ability to come up with these storylines and move the series forward as you do with all the different characters.
ReplyDeleteCheryl