Recently graduated in London, Sarah Harris, travels to South Africa in the hope of tracing her maternal grandparents, in a huge arid area called the Karoo. Her sudden search, is prompted by her boyfriend, Blake’s, unexpected proposal which has her confused. Her best friend, Angela, vehemently dislikes him and her father appears to favour him and she desperately wants someone neutral to talk to. Her late mom, left her with a very vague sketch, which could have been a map to the farm where she grew up. After holidaying with Angela in Cape Town, Sarah cycles the 600km from Cape Town to the Karoo, in search of her heritage. Her mom talked about “touching the stars” in the Karoo, igniting her curiosity. An unknown, handsome surfer has imprinted his face in her mind and she is in turmoil, how can she be so fickle? She reaches the region where she thinks she may find her grandparents, when she hears a clatter of hooves, sees a flurry of horns and fur and then nothing… Dazed and injured she seeks signs of greenery in the hope of finding water. When a handsome sheep farmer finds her, she has a sense of déjà vu. Has she seen him before and where?
Luan Swanepoel is an engineer, sheep farmer and surfer, who had his inner-light snuffed out, when he lost his fiancée in a tragic accident. His life is turned upside down when an injured but beautiful young woman with amnesia appears on his farm. How did she get there? She seems to have fallen from the sky. What is she doing in the Karoo? Luan takes her home for his mom to care for her, and discovers his awakening emotions to be rather confusing. He names her Bokkie, and wants to keep her, but is warring with himself as to what is right. Can she melt the ice around his heart? What if her heart is already claimed? Can Luan help Bokkie find her loved ones?
Luan gives Bokkie time for her physical injuries to recover, but then insists on taking her to Cape Town for a medical check-up, and in the hope of awakening her memory. Blake turns up looking for Sarah, but she does not recall him and he takes advantage of the situation claiming to be her fiancé. Sarah refuses to return with him to London and her father has to come out. Meantime it is discovered that Luan’s neighbours are Sarah’s grandparents, so he takes her back to the Karoo to meet them. Sarah is welcomed into the community joyously, but a jealous neighbour conspires with Blake to get Sarah to return to London by misleading her father regarding Luan’s intentions.
Can the blossoming love between Luan and Sarah survive the misunderstanding?
Targeted Age Group:: adult, young adult but would be suitable for teens
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
During hard lock-down the university where I work sent the students home and all sports stopped. As the athlete's and students are my patients I had a drastic reduction in work hours and was reading copiously as I do not sit still… My husband challenged me to write my own novel. I had just read an article about the salty shepherd, a sheep farmer who does big wave surfing. (Note, he is not the base of the story).My husband was a former surfer and my sister owned a sheep farm in the klein-karoo. So the concept was born. There is a mountain bike race called Karoo to Coast and there is a video clip on you tube of a MTB being knocked over by an antelope. Then when we were eventually allowed to exercise again I ran into a street sign and knocked myself out… Lovely concussion to add to the mix. I wanted to write a story which was quick to read, light hearted and left one feeling smug and satisfied.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
My extended family and friends have every type of engineer possible from civil and chemical to aeronautical and everything in between. With the drought many farmers have dual sources of incomes. Mrs Swanepoel's personality comes from a friend's mom. Sarah is a mixture of people I know, I wanted her to have the appeal of the girl next door. The cover photo of a quiver tree (Kokerboom in Afrikaans – her grandparents farm name, is inspired by the golden hue the tree takes on at sunset and sunrise) was taken on location in the Hantam Karoo.
******************************
Links to Purchase Print Books
Buy this book Print Edition at Amazon
Buy this book Print Edition at Barnes and Noble
Buy this book Print book for sale at Walmart
Links to Purchase eBooks – Click links for book samples and reviews
Buy this book On Amazon
Buy this book on Barnes and Noble/Nook
Buy this book on Google Play
Buy this book on Kobo
Buy this book eBook via Adlibris
All information was provided by the author and not edited by us. This is so you get to know the author better.
