The Natives Are Getting Restless

I’ve been teasing you all with promises about the publication date for my next book and I promise, I really do, that it is in the works. There have been many roadblocks in this project for some reason, but I believe we’re finally over the last hurdle and just waiting for the book to go live. Hallelujah!!

But, what does that have to do with restless natives you ask? Allow me to explain. Book 2 in the Grounded Series is entitled On Hallowed Ground and is set on a fictional Indian Reservation in central Arizona. Some of the landmarks are real places in Arizona, others are purely contrived from my imagination.

Most of the characters in the book are American Indian (primarily Apache), thus “natives” and restless, because these characters have been waiting a long time to meet you. This manuscript has been cut and pasted in about a dozen different ways before I finally settled on an arrangement I liked.

For those of you who read Book 1 in the series (On Common Ground), you’ll probably remember that Trevor was always asking his boss how his partner Noah was doing. In that book, Noah had taken a bullet to the head and, while he never made an actual appearance on the scene, he was discussed a lot. Well, this book, Book 2 in the series, is Noah’s story and happens about a year after that life-changing injury.

Here’s the gist of it:

Medicine wheels, buried treasure, peyote, 2 dead bodies, and the woman of Noah’s dreams make for an exciting journey across the Arizona desert to capture a killer with a twisted agenda.

And here’s the back cover blurb:

Noah Pacheco, Tribal Liaison with the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix, witnesses a stampede on sacred Native American land that claims the life of a college student. While he watches wild horses race through the canyon below, he spies someone else watching the spectacle from the shadows of a nearby grove of trees.

Fallon Youngblood, half Indian, half Irish healer, and spiritual advisor for the Hidden Springs Apache, has just finished her medicine wheel ceremony to heal damage inflicted by treasure seekers illegally digging on tribal burial grounds. With a stampede bearing down on her, she climbs the closest mesa to safety. Entering a copse of trees, she notices someone else also watching the stampede just a few yards away.

In their brief moonlight encounter, Fallon and Noah both suspect the other of starting the stampede yet are attracted to each other at the same time.

During the ensuing homicide investigation, Noah’s attraction to Fallon grows. But, as evidence mounts against her, so does his suspicion about her involvement in the case. When another body is found— shot in the back of the head with a bullet from Fallon’s gun—Noah must decide if the woman who has captured his heart is a cold-blooded killer or an innocent pawn in someone else’s deadly game.

And here, my friends, is the latest trailer:

And let’s not forget the cover:

So there you have it, everything you need to know about the next book. Wait, what? It’s not everything you need to know? What have I missed? Oh . . . when can you buy it? I’m glad you reminded me. I’m told it will be available on July 25. It should be up for pre-order in just another week or so. Find me on Facebook or Twitter for the exact dates. And please sign up for my newsletter for the absolute latest news and insights into my crazy life. Here’s the link:  http://bit.ly/2E852XM

So there you have it. Sound good? Did I whet your appetite? I’d love to hear your thoughts about a very white woman writing a predominately American Indian book. Some people say it won’t be authentic. Others think I may offend the native people. I’m willing to take my chances. I’ve lived in close proximity to a couple of different local tribes and I know people who’ve worked inside the inner sanctum within another local tribe. Along with about a year’s worth of research I feel pretty certain I’ve depicted the life and times pretty accurately. Let me know your thoughts.

Word of the day: Quassia

Fun fact about me:  I’ve always had a fascination with Arizona. I find that part of the country just breathtaking in its beauty and I feel a spiritual connection whenever I visit.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, June 2019. Images by Unsplash and Google Images. Video by P. Rickrode (made with Lumen 5).

On Common Ground is available at fine retailers everywhere: http://bit.ly/2BBu7bb