Friday, August 29, 2014 | By: The Write Way Cafe
Write even when you don’t want to, don’t much like what you are writing, and aren’t writing particularly well. 
- Agatha Christie
Thursday, August 28, 2014 | By: The Write Way Cafe

Native American Spirit Trilogy by Paty Jager

Learn about the book of her heart, a book in a trilogy focused on a band of Nez Perce, by author Paty Jager, who The Write Way Café welcomes today.

Growing up in an area rich in Native American history has made me curious and empathetic to the band of Nez Perce who summered in Wallowa County many generations before Lewis and Clark entered their lives.

The Wallowa, or Lake Nimiipuu as they call themselves, are a band of the Nez Perce(Nimiipuu) who moved like nomads across the Pacific NW and into the plains with the seasons. They wintered along the Imnaha River in the lower warmer regions of Wallowa County, spent the early spring in the camas meadows of Idaho, and summered at Wallowa Valley, fishing the Columbia in the fall and returning to their winter home before the snows became too treacherous. The warriors and some of the women went out on hunting expeditions to the plains for buffalo.

They were nomadic, but they had a fierce love of the land in their hearts.

Spirit of the Mountain, the first book of the trilogy, shows their love of the lake area and how they came to carry it so deeply within them. The heroine, in this book, carries the mountain in her heart and when she falls for the spirit who looks after the mountain and its occupants, she loses her heart to him as well.  (I will give one lucky commenter an ebook of this book. So leave a comment to get entered in the drawing.)

Spirit of the Lake, is the second book in the trilogy. This book deals with the Whiteman encroaching on their land and the way the Nimiipuu are willing to look the other way to avoid being forcefully taken from their home.

Spirit of the Sky, is the third and final book in the saga of the sibling spirits and the freedom of the Nimiipuu. This book takes place during the exodus of the non-treaty Nez Perce.

The spirit entity in these books is all a figment of my imagination, but it felt real to me. My fascination with the Native American culture, their healing herbs, chants, legends, myths, and vision quest all primed my imagination when I came up with the spirit siblings who are the main characters in the books.


In the first book, Spirit of the Mountain, I use the vision quest as the means to bring the chief's daughter to talk with a white wolf, the hero and spirit of the mountain. In her vision quest, her weyakin (the spirit who visits her) is a white wolf. So when her life is thrown upside down by her believing her vision quest means she must marry a warrior from the enemy Blackfeet tribe, she feels talking to the wounded white wolf she encounters is natural. When he turns into a handsome warrior, doing her duty becomes harder as she must leave the mountain and spirit of her heart.

The second book, Spirit of the Lake, has Wewukiye (Bull Elk) as the hero. He is the white wolf's younger brother and a spirit as well. He lives in the lake as the antlered legend who comes out of the lake and takes bad children. Yet he is the fun loving practical joker of the three sibling spirits. In his book, he befriends a Nimiipuu maiden who has been raped by a White man and becomes pregnant, but the band believes she is not telling the truth to avoid trouble and perhaps being tossed from their land because the treaty of '68 was not signed by Old Joseph, yet the government believes the other chiefs who signed spoke for all the Nez Perce.

Sa-qan (Bald Eagle) is the youngest of the three. She soars in the sky above all the Nimiipuu land watching over them. In the third book, Spirit of the Sky, she is desperately trying to keep the Nimiipuu from annihilation as the U.S. Army chases them from their homes on a four month, 1400 mile trek where they fall short of freedom and end up on reservations far from home. During the campaign she falls in love with a cavalry officer and together they try to save the Nimiipuu.

This spirit trilogy is my proverbial book of my heart. I spent countless hours on research to make sure the Nez Perce culture is correct in the books and the historical information is accurate.


Blurb for Spirit of the Mountain
     Evil spirits, star-crossed lovers, and duty…which will prevail?
     Wren, the daughter of a Nimiipuu chief, loves the mountain and her people—the Lake Nimmipuu.  When a warrior from the enemy Blackleg tribe asks for her hand in marriage to bring peace between the tribes, she knows it is how she must fulfill her vision quest. But she is torn between duty and her breaking heart.
     Himiin, as spirit of the mountain, watches over all the creatures on his mountain, including the Nimiipuu. When Wren shows no fear of him as a white wolf, he listens to her secret fears and loses his heart to the mortal maiden. Respecting her people’s beliefs, he must watch her leave the mountain with the Blackleg warrior.
     When an evil spirit threatens Wren’s life, Himiin rushes to save her. But to leave the mountain means he’ll turn to smoke…
Buy Links:       Nook      Amazon      Apple      Windtree Press      Kobo 


Blurb for Spirit of the Lake
     Can a spirit set upon this earth to see to the good of the Nimiipuu stay true to justice when revenge burns in his heart?
     Wewukiye, the lake spirit, saves a Nimiipuu maiden from drowning and bringing shame to herself and her family. Learning her people ignored her accusations against a White man who took her body, leaving her pregnant,Wewukiye vows to help her through the birth and to prove the White man’s deceit.
     Dove slowly heals her heart and her distrust as Wewukiye, the warrior with hair the color of the sun, believes in her and helps her restore her faith in her people and herself.
     On their quest for justice, Dove reveals spiritual abilities, ensnaring Wewukiye’s respect and awe. But will these abilities seal their future or tear them apart?
Buy Links:     Nook     Amazon      Apple      Windtree Press  

Blurb for Spirit of the Sky
     Can enemies not only work for peace but find love?
     Sa-qan, a Nimiipuu eagle spirit, must take a human form to save her mortal niece when the Nimiipuu are forced from their land by the U.S. Army. Sa-qan strives to remain true to her spirit world and her people, but finding an ally in a Cavalry Officer has unraveled her beliefs.
     During battle with the Nimiipuu, Lt. Wade Watts finds a blonde woman hiding a Nez Perce child.  He believes she is a captive when her intelligent eyes reveal she understands his language. Yet she refuses his help. Their paths cross several times during the skirmishes, and he finds she is his savior when renegade warriors wound him.
Buy links are not yet available for Spirit of the Sky
please watch Paty's website for more information!


About the Author
Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon.  On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for two local newspapers and enjoyed her job with the County Extension service as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising hay and cattle, riding horses, and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Her first book was published in 2006 by Wild Rose Press since then she has published seventeen novels, two anthologies, and five novellas. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her penchant for research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story.

Learn more about Paty 
-- at her blog Writing into the Sunset
-- at her website http://www.patyjager.net
-- on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager
-- at Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1005334.Paty_Jager
-- on twitter @patyjag.


Tuesday, August 26, 2014 | By: Lynn

The Gratitude Game

I’ve noticed a lot of people are participating in the gratitude game on Facebook these days. It’s kind of nice to read what people consider things to be grateful for. I think the point in the game is to prompt all of us to see the beauty in each day, despite how bad the day.

I started about a year ago making a habit of ending each day writing a list of things that made me smile. My lists included things like, talking with my son, riding my bike, the wind, my cat sitting with me, eating a baked potato.

I tend to be an Eeyeore personality, so I can get into and enjoy a pretty good funk. But at the time I started making lists, I had entered a very difficult “bleak.” I wanted to have a more balanced outlook and experience in life. Over the course of the year or so I’ve been mindful of the pleasant elements of each day I’ve shifted, organically, to a state of near constant gratitude. Uncomfortable and undesirable things occur all the time. But I feel my awareness of the complete picture, desired and undesired, has helped me become more resilient and open.

I’ll be one of the first to give voice to the fact that life is hard. And maybe right now the world’s population is under more duress than in the past, giving rise to the popularity of a grateful attitude. It’s a way to cope and maybe even thrive in tough times. I don’t think it’s denial, at least not for me. It’s acknowledgment that there is always something there for us to grab onto and get a lift in spirits.

The Examined Existence reports on results of research on the effects of gratitude and how it may be worth the effort of reframing our days.

“In an experiment about gratefulness, participants were divided into two groups. The first group was made to list down a maximum of five reasons that make one grateful, while the other listed down five annoying or bothersome reasons once a week over a course of ten weeks. In the results, the participants in the group expressing gratitude felt more content and positive about their lives. As a matter of fact, they also showed improved health signs through a lower number of symptomatic ailments such as nausea, headaches, cough and even occurrence of acne.”

The website posts a saying that addresses the chicken or the egg aspect of gratitude bringing more happiness or the other way around. It says:


Regarding the Facebook game, another website RevGalBlogPals notes that the gratitude game can actually promote negative feelings in those reading the post. 

“First among these problems is “bragbooking”– using your gratitude posts as an excuse to throw your good luck in everyone else’s face: ‘I’m thankful I can eat as much chocolate as I want and stay a size 5.’ ‘I’m grateful that my daughter got straight A’s for the tenth semester in a row.’ ‘I’m thankful that I’m an upstanding, moral citizen and not a destitute sinner like most of my ‘friends’ who are reading this.’ “

I can’t help laughing about that situation. Facebook does stir up emotions, or rather people posting can elicit emotions.

I think sharing what we’re grateful for has the potential of helping others get a boost. It can be a reminder that although life is tough, it also has sugar cookies and chocolate and pets and birdsong and so much more. So please tell me, what are you grateful for today?
Friday, August 22, 2014 | By: The Write Way Cafe
When you have an idea, don’t be afraid to run with it. Just take one small step after another.
- Coulter Lewis

Thursday, August 21, 2014 | By: The Write Way Cafe

Never Give Up

Prolific author JoAnne Myers shares with The Write Way Café encouraging thoughts about following your passion.

For as long as I can remember, I have had an artistic flare-whether that be for writing, painting, sewing or drawing. I recall as a child how much I enjoyed drawing. The writing came later. My seventh grade English teacher was Mrs. Henderson-a young mother and wife. She gave us a writing assignment and after gifting me with an A+ told me I should consider writing as a career. She meant as a journalist. I did not take her advise and become a journalist (one of my many misgivings). My mind went toward other things as many young girls dream of-a husband, home, and family of my own. I put my love for writing and painting on hold for years.  I unfortunately married a man who like my mother never encouraged me to be artistic. It was not until my children were grown and I no longer had a husband, that I went back to my first love-art.  I got a late start, but always encouraged my children and others to partake of artistic endeavors.  I now have six books under contract with two publishing houses. So my words to you all, is that no matter what road you choose, never forget your passion, and always keep it close to heart.  Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from enjoying your natural talents.  You might need to put art on a temporary hold, but never ever give up.

Blurbs for “Twisted Love” 12 cases of love gone bad

It’s a chilling reality that homicide investigators know all too well: the last face most murder victims see is not that of a stranger, but of someone familiar.

The End of Autumn-To keep from paying child support for his three children, Rodney Williams, plots with his parents to kidnap his estranged wife, 25-year old Autumn, in broad daylight. This 2011 crime shocked the small community of Logan, Ohio.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing-In 2011, 53 year old Russell Strothers, and his teenage accomplice find their victims through Craigslist and strike with calculating and deadly force.

A Senseless Killing-This 2010 case uncovers how a 40 year old likable barmaid was lured to her death after she rejects her young admirers sexual advances.

The Death of Innocence-This 2011 murder case involved 4 year old Marcie Willis, and her evil stepmother 25 year old Cheryl, from the small bedroom community of The Plains, Ohio.

The Girl Not Forgotten-This cold case took 26 years to solve, but brought justice for 13-year-old Holly Buford, and put serial rapist, 40-year-old Stanley Snead, behind bars.

The Possession-When 29-year-old Valerie Harris severs the penis of her sexually abusive father, it makes national news in 2007.

Home Town Hero-When deaf students are murdered in the prestigious Rose Brick College of the Deaf in 2008, everyone is shocked when discovering the killer is one of their own.

The Spell Caster Murders-When 42 year old Fortune Teller Sally Vu and her 21-year-old daughter Veronica are discovered murdered and physically desecrated, in 2001, evidence points to revenge and a spell gone wrong.

All For the Family-In 2003, as a way to erase her 22-year-old husbands criminal past, 19 year old Molly Abbott devises a ghoulish and desperate strategy.

Thicker Than Water?-When 52 year old Kim Michaels is found dismembered inside her burned out home in 1996, officers find the crime more confusing than a jig saw puzzle.

Mail Order Murder-The last thing the beautiful Russian mail order bride Anna dreamed of in 2001, was being murdered by her controlling and older American husband.

Where’s Christopher?-When four year old Christopher Ellis goes missing, numerous excuses and an odd odor emanating from the backyard in 1991, raises eyebrows.



Here is an excerpt from MAIL-ORDER MURDER:

     Few women find themselves in such a bizarre relationship, as did eighteen-year-old Anna Tonkov, a Russian native. Speaking minimal and badly broken English, the family expressed high expectations for their tall, voluptuous raven-haired daughter. Anna was the only child of senior and ailing parents, and her mother said she and her husband only wanted the best for her.
     In a country where the average yearly income was three hundred dollars per person, Mr. and Mrs. Tonkov, believed that Anna’s future happiness lay with the United States.
     Mrs. Tonkov recalled how Anna did not want to leave. It was the parents’ idea for her to be a mail-order bride. According to Mrs. Tonkov, Anna said, “‘what if I don’t find a husband? What if you and papa waste your money?’”
     Mr. Tonkov recalled telling her daughter, that she was never a waste of their money. She was everything to them, and they wanted her to have everything America offered.
     Mr. and Mrs. Tonkov then took Anna‘s photograph in a dress she had made, not like many of the other women posing for the magazine-loose women, half naked. “No good man wants them,” they said.
     Anna was a lady, explained Mr. Tonkov-a good Christian girl. Hardworking and responsible. She was raised the right way, they both said.
     In the spring of 2007, Anna became number M245 in a Russian mail-order catalog with a circulation of over twenty million viewers. The magazine was bursting with dozens of glossy, full-color photographs of young hopeful women, all looking for husbands to rescue them from their poverty, stricken and unhappy lives.
     It was not long before Anna had her first letter from a perspective admirer. She returned to her small four-room home from her part-time job at a nearby bakery, and her glowing parents greeted her just inside the front door.
     Mrs. Tonkov recalled how surprised Anna was when she saw her and her husband smiling. She then handed her daughter the pink envelope with trembling hands.
     At first, Anna was afraid to open the letter, said Mr. Tonkov, but he told her it was from an American man. He said he and his wife watched as Anna read each word silently; her large dark eyes wide with anticipation. They said she was hesitant to respond to the sender. Maybe friendship would bloom. “If not you brush up on language skills,” said Mrs. Tonkov.
     That made Anna laugh, recalled Mr. Tonkov. He still remembers her pretty laugh, “as if (she were) a small child without cares.”

About JoAnne:

I have been a long-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint. When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dogs Jasmine, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill's Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams. My original canvas paintings, can be found at: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

Three fun facts about JoAnne:
 1.  What book influenced your writing?  Black Beauty and Charlotte’s Web
 2.  What would your muse say about you?  That I am quiet and shy
 3.  Do you have any other hobbies besides writing?  I canvas paint

Other Available Books:

Murder Most Foul-a detective/mystery
Wicked Intentions- a paranormal anthology
Loves, Myths, and Monsters- a fantasy anthology
The Crime of the Century- a biography true crime
Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between

Upcoming Books:  Flagitious-a crime/mystery anthology

Other places to find JoAnne and her books:


Tuesday, August 19, 2014 | By: HiDee

Creative Women

Women are the creative ones in my family.

One aunt is a published poet. Another aunt designs family calendars which she shares with all of us each year. My mom designs and makes her own Christmas cards. My sister draws and paints, and she sews unique Halloween costumes for her young son every year.

I’m a writer, a fledgling photographer and a scrapbooker. I love taking pictures, and I definitely prefer being behind the camera rather than in front of it.  Once I print the pictures, I can spend hours laying out designs until I get them just right for my scrapbook pages.

From the time we were little, my mom encouraged us to read.  By the time we started school, my brother, sister, and I were competitive readers.  We often read more books than our classmates.   By the time I was in junior high, reading ignited a desire to write my own stories and poems.  As a teenager, some of my poems were published in poetry anthologies. Between romance novels and my crushes, romance was definitely on my mind!

I wrote this poem in high school, and it remains one of my favorites.

Moments of a Kiss
Vividly remembering
the moments of a kiss,
wondering at the
urgency,
the control
that went amiss.
Aroused emotions
played a part...

Slowly descending
your lips met mine -
tentative at first,
gentle yet firm;
growing bolder -
exploring, plundering,
giving and taking -
consuming us both...

Then my heartbeats
shattered
the silence,
just as the memory
shatters
my peace of mind.

Unpublished work © 1981 HiDee (Silverwood) Ekstrom

What creative outlets are your favorites?


Friday, August 15, 2014 | By: The Write Way Cafe
You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

-Unknown