I don't know about you, but I've been learning a lot during Paty's tour about the things these paranormal spirits get up to. I'm not so sure I'd want to be in a vulnerable position, in an isolated spot, when a skinwalker took a liking, or dislike, to me but I'm pretty sure I'd love to meet one who requests to be called Angel. (Though, meeting Wade sounds an even better proposition!)
Today Paty is going to take us on a historical tour to give us some background to her trilogy. As a history junkie, I love the information and hope you do, too!
Keep reading on, and find out how you could be the winner of her CONTEST today, or even the BIG WINNER at the end of her tour. (Details below)
PLEASE WELCOME Paty and her characters in SPIRIT OF THE SKY.
Nancy,
Thank you for having me here today.
This is my half way point on my two week blog
tour to celebrate the release of the third book of my historical paranormal
trilogy, Spirit of the Lake. This
book begins with the non-treaty Nez Perce fleeing the Army after some young
warriors retaliated against whitemen who killed their relative.
Brigadier General Oliver Otis Howard was the
commander of the Department of the Columbia.
He was in talks with the non-treaty Nez Perce bands trying to convince them if
they didn’t go peacefully onto the reservation the army would force them. The
non treaty bands: The Wallowas with Joseph and his brother Ollokt ahd 55 men,
the Lamtamas or the White Bird band had 500 men, the Alpowis lead by Looking
Glass had 40 men, the Pikunans led by Toohoolhoolzote had 30 men, and the Palouse
group included 16 men for a total of 191 men and only half of them were
warriors. The rest were either too young or too old to be called warriors. They
combined groups had around 400 women and children making the total non-treaty
Nez Perce population less than 600.
These bands met at Tolo Lake
near Camas Prairie where they dug the food staple and held foot and horses
races. It was while they were gathered here preparing to move to the
reservation that the young warriors killing a whiteman set them on their 1400
mile exodus to what they thought would be freedom.
Their hunting skills and athletic abilities kept
armies triple in size at bay for four months as the leaders moved ever forward
trying to keep their women and children safe.
Spirit of the Sky is the
chronicle of the 1400 mile trip. How it affected the Nez Perce being chased and
the men who followed the orders of a general who was out to teach the Nez Perce
a lesson and use them as a message to other tribes.
The heroine is a Nez Perce Spirit who is
following her people to help them avoid the army and the hero is a cavalry
lieutenant who is disillusioned with the chase and falls in love with the
spirit.
That's great background information, Paty, especially for one like me whose knowledge is a bit scant regarding the Nez Perce. But let's find out a bit about Paty herself before we read a tantalising little except.
Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who
cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her
husband currently ranch 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their
children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she
lives it.
She is a member of RWA, EPIC , and COWG. She’s
had eleven books and a short story published so far and is venturing into the
new world of self-publishing ebooks. Her contemporary Western, Perfectly Good Nanny won the 2008 Eppie for Best Contemporary
Romance and Spirit of the Mountain, a
historical paranormal set among the Nez Perce, garnered 1st place in
the paranormal category of the Lories Best Published Book Contest. Spirit of the Lake was a finalist in the
Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.
You can learn more about her at her blog; www.patyjager.blogspot.com her website; http://www.patyjager.net
or on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager
and twitter; @patyjag.
You've been waiting patiently for that blurb, and excerpt, so we won't disappoint!
Blurb
for Spirit of the Sky
To save her from oppression, he must save her
whole tribe. To give her his heart, he must desert his career…
When the US Army forces the Nimiipuu from their
land, Sa-qan, the eagle spirit entrusted with watching over her tribe, steps in
to save her mortal niece. Challenging the restrictions of the spirit world,
Sa-qan assumes human form and finds an unexpected ally in a handsome cavalry
officer.
Certain she is a captive, Lt. Wade Watts, a Civil
War veteran, tries to help the blonde woman he finds sheltering a Nez Perce
child. While her intelligent eyes reveal she understands his language, she
refuses his help. But when Wade is wounded, it is the beautiful Sa-qan who
tends him. Wade wishes to stop the killing—Sa-qan will do anything to save her
people.
Can their differences save her tribe? Or will
their love spell the end of the Nimiipuu?
What a choice, Paty-career or the woman? Let's read on....
Excerpt
She
smiled and his heart leapt into his throat. He thought her beautiful from the
first moment he saw her standing in the river fiercely protecting the child,
but watching her tense face relax and smile, he was smitten. A light and
pleasing calm washed over him for the first time in a very long time. He could
only bask in the moment briefly. They
were enemies.
“I am
from the sky, and I watch over the Nimiipuu.” She nodded her head and flashed
him with yet another smile. “You may call me Angel.”
“Only
if you call me Wade.”
She
nodded. “Let me check your wounds. You have moved around.”
“Why
are you taking such good care of me when your warriors left me for dead?”
Her
sunshine gaze peered straight into his eyes. “You saved my niece at the village
and the wounded from the Bannock scout. You do not have the thirst to kill like
the other soldiers.” She bowed her head and removed the blood encrusted bandage
from his shoulder. “The Nimiipuu need you.”
Her
touch warmed his body, tingling the areas around his wounds. He glanced at her
small, delicate hands hovering over his injuries. He shut his eyes, and then
opened them. Her hands shimmered as if in a fog. His pain subsided, in fact,
his body felt well rested.
A
soft lyrical chant rose from her lips as she continued to hover her hands over
his wounds. Her eyes remained closed, her light lashes resting on her
sun-kissed cheeks. He’d never seen a woman as beautiful as this. He had to
learn her true origins and return her to her family.
Buy Link:
I think Wade is in the right place, Paty! And now for those CONTEST details...
Contest! I’m giving away a $5 Amazon gift certificate
to one lucky commenter on this blog.
Blog
Tour Contest! Each blog stop has a picture of an eagle in
the post. Follow the tour and send me the number of different pictures you saw
while following the tour. To learn where I”ll be go to my blog(http://www.patyjager.blogpsot.com)
or website(http://www.patyjager.net)
If there is more than one correct entry I’ll draw a winner on May 21st to receive a $25 gift certificate to either
Barnes and Nobles or Amazon, a handmade custom ereader cover, and chocolate.
Send your entry number to: patyjag@gmail.com
by May 21st.
Paty, thanks for coming today! It's been lovely to have you visit. Best wishes for the success of your SPIRIT OF THE LAKE trilogy, and especially your latest release.
Slainthe!
Paty, thanks for coming today! It's been lovely to have you visit. Best wishes for the success of your SPIRIT OF THE LAKE trilogy, and especially your latest release.
Slainthe!
Thank you for having me here today, Nancy!
ReplyDeletePaty,
ReplyDeleteWhat I like most about this book is the fact that you are shining a light on a dark piece of our shared history that is not widely-known to people outside the Nez Perce. Having main characters who begin by viewing the conflict from opposite sides come to understand and care for one another makes for a balanced telling of the historical setting for your tale.
Your admiration for the Nez Perce and sadness at the shameful way they were treated by the whites is evident throughout the book.
Hi Paty and Sarah. Good to have you Paty, and nice to welcome you Sarah. Sounds like you've managed to read it already, Sarah! Good for you.
ReplyDeletePaty, I eagerly await reading this. I love the history of the Nez Perce. Howard greatly admired Joseph as a general, as I understand. His compassion led him to found the historic black college that bears his name.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and excerpt!
Hello Tanya, great comments. thanks for popping in.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! Thank you. I tried my best to make the books reveal the trials and tribulations of the Nez Perce and how fate was not good to them.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya! After the exodus began, Howard did dome to respect and admire Joesph. But the funny thing reading all the books I did. Joesph wasn't the military strategist of the group. It was his brother Ollokot and Lean Elk. Joesph worked at keeping the women, children, and old safe and then bringing a peaceful end.
I don't know much about the Nez Perce, but each piece I've read of yours, I find out just a little more. Your series sounds like a fascinating read. I wish you much success with it!!
ReplyDeleteHello, Karen. I agree with you there. Thanks for visiting us!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting me yesterday, Paty. Hope all is well with you today...another busy one for you!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your extensive research of the Nez Perce culture. I believe that any time a writer does this in good faith and includes it in a story it helps the rest of us to learn something new. Though I don't know much about the Nez Perce, I am related (by marriage of aunts) to other tribes, Hopi and Shoshone (Shoshone's tribal lands in Idaho were near the Nez Perce). What I have learned is that each tribe has a rich history and culture. Unfortunately, each has also suffered tremendously since the white man moved into the Americas. Keep writing and sharing. I love your mix of native culture with a powerful story of love and hope that crosses traditional boundaries.
ReplyDeleteHi Maggie. Thank you for popping in and sharing your insight. Native culture, regardless of its origination should not be forgotten. As a Scot I don't want any of my rich heritage to just fade away either
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, Thanks! I did so much researching for this trilogy that I hope if finds success as well.
ReplyDeleteHi, Nancy, Yes, we left last night to drive 130 miles so I could be ready bright and early this morning to judge a 4-H cooking contest. We're home now and as soon as the hubby gets chores done, we'll head to town for an anniversary dinner.
Maggie, Thank you! I enjoy learning more about other cultures and entertaining readers while informing them about that culture.
Sarah is the winner of the egift certificate. I'll contact you shortly.
ReplyDelete