Release Day for Daughter of the Sky

DAUGHTER OF THE SKY by Michelle Diener
( Published 1 March 2013)

My latest historical novel, DAUGHTER OF THE SKY, released today in eformat. The print version will only be a week behind, two at the most. This book is special to me, because it is set in Zululand at the outbreak of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, and I grew up in KwaZulu-Natal. It was both daunting and a joy to write about the place I spent my childhood and young adulthood. The formative years of my life.

About Daughter of the Sky:

The Victorian Empire has declared war on the Zulus if they don’t accede to their outrageous demands. The clock is ticking down to the appointed hour. With no idea why the British are marching three massive columns of men and guns towards them, one Zulu general is prepared to take an impossible risk. But the life he’s gambling with isn’t his own . . .

The sole survivor of a shipwreck off the Zululand coast, 15 year-old Elizabeth Jones is taken in by the Zulus, the people of the sky. Six years later, her white skin becomes useful to the Zulu army as they try to work out why the Victorian Empire has pointed their war-machine at the Zulu nation. Elizabeth is suddenly Zululand’s most important spy.

While infiltrating the British camp, Elizabeth’s disguise as a young soldier is uncovered almost immediately by Captain Jack Burdell. However, he believes the tale she spins of searching for a missing brother and shields her from discovery, allowing her to bunk in his tent and giving her a job as his batman. Burdell is war-weary and disillusioned – no longer willing to follow regulations at all costs.

But as Elizabeth and Jack explore their growing attraction to each other, the two armies move towards their inevitable clash. Elizabeth is torn between the guilt of betrayal and her fierce loyalty to her Zulu family, and when Zulu and British meet on the battlefield, both she and Jack find their hearts and their lives caught in the crossfire.

Available for purchase:

(Some ebook stores have not loaded Daughter of the Sky yet, even though it has been submitted to them. I’ll come back and add the links to this post as they come through.)