Hi All!

We hope you are having a wonderful summer. In this newsletter we’re going to give you a preview of the scientific background behind MAZE MASTER, which will hit the shelves July 17, 2018. Though this article will be published in a couple of magazines in July, you get to see it here first.

MAZE MASTER AND ANCIENT HOMINID ‘HANKY PANKY’
By
Kathleen O’Neal Gear

A reporter once told me that our library could pass for a crime lab. Skulls detailing the history of humanity line the shelves and perch on pedestals, beginning with a diminutive acrylic cast of Australopithecus afarensis, running through a variety of Homo erectus examples, then on to the impressive skulls of Neandertals, who had larger brains than modern humans, and finally through a selection of prehistoric human skulls from cultures around the world. The neatly defined sections of books beneath the skulls are devoted to the chronology of human evolution. As anthropologists, my husband Michael and I are fascinated by the long journey of Homo sapiens. The question every anthropologist wants to answer is: What are we and how did we come to be?

A BUSY QUARTER

For all those of you who constantly urge us to “Write faster!” we think we’ve got enough new books out to keep you satisfied. Now, let’s see if you can keep up!

Since the release of MOON HUNT in November, it’s been a hectic first quarter of 2018. Call it too much of a good thing. An author always wants to keep his name out there. In the past we’ve had as many as three books come out in a year, but starting with MOON HUNT we’re seeing six books released from five different publishers in a twelve-month period.

In November, the third book in the Morning Star series was published. MOON HUNT picks up the stories of our most beloved rapscallion Seven Skull Shield, Clan Keeper Blue Heron, and the unrequited lovers: Fire Cat and Night Shadow Star. Based on Southeastern Native lore and iconography, it’s the story of how, through a botched assassination attempt, Morning Star lost his soul to a humming moth and ended up trapped in the Underworld.

As fall brings cooler days to Red Canyon Ranch, we’re seeing more elk on the high slopes. Four days of rain have restarted the grass, and if we have a warm enough Indian summer, the bison calves will grow fat and sleek.

Our biggest challenge is finding a logger who will bring us a semi-load of firewood logs. A load like that will provide us with enough wood to heat the house for the next five years.

And, speaking of challenges, in the coming year we’re going to see six novels released by five different publishers.

The second Morning Star book, SUN BORN, was released last month in paperback.

Spring is a beautiful, sometimes violent, time of year here at Red Canyon Ranch. This spring has alternated with a little of both. We’ve had several stunning rainstorms that scoured the creek in front of the house and washed our road down to bedrock. It’s one of the challenges of living in the wilderness. You need to be prepared just in case Nature decides to show you who’s really in charge.

For the past few days, we’ve been fixing the fences along the creek that were torn out by the most recent deluge. It’s hard work, but rewarding in a way that’s hard to describe. While we’re pounding posts and stringing wire, we pull fresh watercress from the crystal clear water to snack on, and watch the flocks of blue herons flying overhead. This morning we had a herd of fifty elk on the slope above us. They are a very vocal animal. They talk to each other all the time and their calls are so melodic, it’s like a symphony echoing across the mountains.

It is with great pleasure that we announce the completion of the third book in the Morning Star series!  We have delivered Morning Star: Moon Hunt to our editor at Tor/Forge Books. Once again we’ve been delighted to share our time with Blue Heron, Fire Cat, and Night Shadow Star. Seven Skull Shield, however, still insists on composing bawdy songs, and worse, shows no remorse for doing so!

One of the delights inherent in what we do comes from bringing different aspects of American archaeology to life for our readers. While much of the plot in Moon Hunt revolves around Cahokian politics and the choosing of a new Four Winds Clan Matron, most of the story was inspired by the famous “Mothra” Hightower Style shell gorget recovered from Mound C at the famous Etowah site in Georgia.

We’re nearing the end of April here at Red Canyon Ranch, and along with warmer weather, we’re getting deeply appreciated moisture. Green grass and wildflowers are appearing everywhere, which is lovely for the newborn bison calves. For those of you who are on Twitter, you can follow the life history of this year’s first calf at #CleopatraTheBison, or by visiting @GearBooks every Saturday. Cleopatra is currently a beautiful little dynamo, racing around the meadow like the wind. It’s such a joy to watch the new calves discover rain and wind, and try to play with the numerous field mice that leap through the grass. Their curiosity reminds us that the world is filled with daily miracles.

In addition to our writing schedule, we’ve been painting, grading the road, and doing ranch repairs, as time permits. Our ranch agent, Shirley Lehman, at Western Real Estate in Cody, says to expect a string of potential buyers, so it’s a constant battle to keep the house and property ready for a showing. (Normal people don’t think of these things, but writers are always messy when they’re being productive. Who wants to scrub a toilet when the bad guy is about to stick a hot poker into your hero’s navel?)