Monthly Archives: March 2010

Hi Everyone! We woke to big snowflakes falling out of the sky this morning. In total, we got about eight inches of really wet stuff. It turned our road is mud wallow, which thrills the buffalo, but isn’t such a great sight for us. For anyone interested in Writers’ conferences, we’ll be teaching the Cortez Cultural Center Writers’ Conference in September, in Cortez, Colorado. We’re really looking forward to seeing our fellow panelist and old friend, Ray Williamson. Ray is an archeoastronomer, and has done some of the finest analyses of prehistoric astronomy around. We’ll be teaching two sessions: 1. Characters from another culture: How do you make them believable? and, 2. Reconstructing Religion and the Supernatural in a Prehistoric Context. It should be a grand time. We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Mike and Kathy

Hi all: The following titles have been set in the publishers’ catalogs: CHILDREN OF THE DAWNLAND paperback: May 2010 PEOPLE OF THE LONGHOUSE hardcover: July 2010 COMING OF THE STORM paperback: September 2010 FIRES OF MABILA hardback: February 2011. So, all of you who write as ask: “When’s the next one coming out?” You Now Know! All the Best Mike and Kathy

Greetings! I am Black Shell, of the Chief Clan, of the Hickory Moiety, of the Chicaza Nation. I come under the White Arrow and bind myself under the Power of trade. Yes, Yes, I know. But here’s the thing: I’m a trader. Part of what we do is maintain an illusion of majesty, exotic arrogance, and superiority. If we announce ourselves with overinflated zeal, you are more likely to listen to us with awe and think our trade is more valuable than it is. Everything is image. Given what I hear Michael and Kathleen discussing around here, nothing much has changed–especially in this place they call Washington. If it’s anything like Coosa during it’s day, may Power help you all! COMING OF THE STORM has been on sale for a month now. Pearl Hand and I have been watching with interest. Hey, it’s the first book we’ve ever been in! Give us a break. To our dismay, however, we’ve heard Mike and Kathy discussing how the bookstores are only carrying hardbacks for four weeks before they pull them from the shelves. Four weeks, one full cycle of the moon. What that means to a trader like me is that if you haven’t obtained your copy, you’d better be about it quickly. You can’t trade after the trader’s left the village. Other news: COMING OF THE STORM will be out in paperback the first of September, 2010! I am announcing this so that various readers don’t fill the comments with questions asking when the paperback will be out. THE FIRES OF MABILA will be the title to the sequel, and it will be published in February of 2011. If you think the Kristianos gave us a tough time in COMING OF THE STORM, I’ll take that accursed lake outside of Napetuca any day compared to what we endured in Mabila! We don’t have a cover for THE FIRES OF MABILA yet, but will post it as soon as we do. Pearl Hand, me, and the dogs aren’t in this one, but PEOPLE OF THE LONGHOUSE will be published in July by Tor/Forge. This is new for the People books since it will be four books on the foundation of the Iroquois confederacy, all under the “PEOPLE OF THE LONGOUSE” title. Pearl Hand and I will get you the rest of the titles as they are approved by the publisher. Huh? What did you say? Well, you don’t think the author has final say on the title, do you? Just like deciding the cover art, the Publisher acts like he’s de Soto. You will love PEOPLE OF THE LONGHOUSE. It’s very different than COMING OF THE STORM. Pearl Hand and I have met some of the characters, and let me tell you, I’ve got a lot of respect for them. Odion, Wrass, and Zateri will steal your hearts. And war chief Koracoo? If I was really a High Minko, I’d think seriously about offering her a second wife’s job along with the duties of thlakko. That’s head war chief for those of you who don’t speak Chicaza. She and the others have a tough time ahead of them. Why is it that characters in Gear novels always get hammered like hickory nuts? Finally, much to Michael and Kathleen’s surprise, there’s a Gear fan club! To find it, go to Facebook and search for Gear Fan Club: book series First North Americans. Apparently, one of the club members emailed Mike and Kathy to tell them they’d just stumbled upon the site and wanted to know if Mike and Kathy knew they had a fan club–which, being true internet wizards (they’re much better with prehistoric technology)–they didn’t. They owe a great debt of gratitude to Theresa Hulongbayan who set up the club, and is doing a wonderful job administering it. They say they’ve been really enjoying themselves talking to everybody. May the rain Spirits bless your Spring and bring many wildflowers. Black Shell