Till My Last Breath

“Till My Last Breath” is a historical romance western genre. It employs a time travel element which sets it apart from usual western themed novels. It's a compelling story that keeps the reader engaged right down to the last page. It reads at a breathtaking pace and I read it in 48 hours. It was hard to stop.

The heroine of the story is Dr. Emily Sweeney. She is a twenty-first century trauma physician in Seattle with a promising career. A tragic accident seals her fate where she instantly finds herself transported back into the nineteenth century to Yuma territory, 1880. She comes upon an injured man, Caleb Young in the desert. He has been shot and left for dead. With her limited resources, and none of her twenty-first century medicines or equipment available, Emily struggles to keep Caleb alive. He fights for his next breath waiting for the men who shot him to return and finish the job. As the story develops so do Emily's feelings for Caleb. The story's action intensifies when Caleb's and Emily's lives are threatened by Vermin and Stubbs who seek to avenge their brother's death.

Author Deborah Swenson's debut novel is an impressive piece of writing. With fast-paced action, scores to be settled, and a budding romance, there's something for everyone. Carefully crafted words create an impending sense of doom immediately drawing the reader right into the story. Descriptive sentences with an abundance of details combined with striking scenes create a colorful desert backdrop to make the story line pop.

Swenson's experiences in the medical profession as a registered nurse and advanced nurse practitioner serve her well in this story. Her meticulous research on early medical practices, available medications, craftsmanship of medical instruments, treatments, and native medicines of centuries adds realism to the story line.

A fan of the time travel concept and the TV and book series Outlander, the author draws upon her love of Irish lore and develops a time-travel transition of her own with a western theme. It's a unique approach that readers will find fascinating and captivating as she seamlessly weaves two different centuries together. With a new connection in the story, Emily's great-great-great-grandfather enters the picture. He helps Emily make sense of her new life, and understand more about her family connections. Under his guidance Emily learns to find her place in life. Swenson's skillful use of “stream of consciousness” throughout the story helps the reader understand Emily's thinking. I enjoyed Emily's imaginary conversations with her Gran as the story develops. Gran becomes Emily's "voice of reason.” 

Narratives between main characters switch off within each chapter, readers get to know each character and understand their motives. We learn Emily, besides being an accomplished woman, has strong convictions, fears, doubts and vulnerabilities. In spite of challenging obstacles, she is able to maintain her capacity to preserve and survive. Caleb Young, having fled a privileged life in Boston and some personal tragedies, roams from town to town in AZ territory making a life as a gambler. Through a series of events, Caleb's headstrong macho character begins to soften. Meeting Emily becomes a turning point for him. Readers will cheer on this unlikely match on the western frontier.

Deborah Swenson is an emerging Western author and we look forward to seeing more of her work. Lucky she has two more titles planned in the Desert Hills Trilogy continuing Emily and Caleb's journey, Book 2 “Till My Last Day” and Book Three “I Can Love The Best.”

Deborah is a New England born, northwest raised author who is at home writing from an island in the Pacific Northwest where the serene views of deep blue waters and majestic mountains greet her each morning. Living and working in the city, she always dreamed of one day living the country life. Loving everything country and western from freshly plowed fields, right down to the sweet smell of a barnyard, her dream became a reality seven years ago when she traded commuting in gridlock traffic to driving by cornfields and cows grazing in green pastures. Her love of writing western fiction started fifteen years ago, spurred on by memories of watching the wonderful classic western movies with her Dad. When she began writing, the characters seemed to naturally evolve, and she fell in love with them. Eventually, she sought out writing groups, took college writing classes, and attended conferences. It is through the encouragement of a very dear friend that her dream has become a reality. 

Check out Deborah's website https://deborahswenson.com/author/deborah-swenson/ Books are available through Amazon and your local bookstores.