#BehindTheStory - Crow Magic

Crow Magic, is about a Native American shape shifter. I was asked how I attained my interest and knowledge of Native American legend and lore. My response became a story.

After the Civil War, my great-great grandfather, Gardner Avery, left his New York regiment to settle with his wife, Helen Greenleaf Kern, in a rural area near Grand Rapids, Michigan, named Jamestown. He kept a diary, which remains in the family, of his daily activities and expenses. On the land he purchased to farm, a tribe of Native Americans resided. The couple let the Potawatomi continue to live and hunt on the land.

Potawatomi Warrior

Over time they developed close friendships with many of the tribal folk. My great-great-grandmother became very close to the medicine woman of the tribe who taught her the use of herbs in food and healing. The Avery’s interest in the art of the tribe eventually led to them learning how to make the Native American pottery. Through stories shared around meals, they learned the spirituality of the Native Americans.

At the time, Grand Rapids was one of the first large scale trading posts used by the Ottawa, Potawatomi and the Chippewa. My ancestors learned valuable information from their relationships with these tribes, which lead them to have a successful farm and healthy family. Despite the Avery’s wishes, the government forced the tribe off the land and into a reservation. According to family legend, Helen and her dearest friend spent the last days together. After hugs and many tears, she stood in a field and watched the tribe travel until they were out of sight.

The information, stories, and traditions my ancestors learned have been passed down through the

generations. I grew up listening to the stories my grandmother told of visiting the farm and her grandparents. She also shared aspects of the Native American spirituality and showed us how similar it is to Christianity.

 In the 1950s, my grandparents purchased property and build a cottage on Coldwater Lake, not far from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. We spent many summers at the cottage, where we collected arrowheads we found in the local sand pits. A Chippewa family owned a cottage near ours and “Indian Dave” would share their stories, dances, and traditions with us while we sat around a bonfire.

I could say the knowledge of herbals and spirituality lives in me because of the ties of my family with the tribes of Michigan and beginning embraced by each generation of my family.


To add to my family history, my cousin’s father was from a Seminole tribe and my brother-in-law is a descendant of a French Trader and Blackfoot Indian woman. Funny, how a person with the Welch/Swedish/German heritage I have, can be neatly blended with Native American legend and lore. Grandmother used to tell us that our legacy isn’t only family blood but also the land we live in.



Indian Dave

Eagle Dance is Book 2 in the Legend of the Spirit series and features another Native American shifter from the Chippewa tribe who is looking for a special woman who will love him for who and what he is. Indian Dave's spirit makes an appearance.

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#HumpDay Hottie - Jamie Hawke

Meet Jamie Hawke. 

He'a a Native American hawk shifter who is on medical leave from the Marines.

Being the honorable man he is, he's kept the secret of his heart.

Despite it being broken he pushes forward.

Little does he know, his heart's desire is looking for him.

His story is

 HAWK'S HONOR

Sensual Saturday - Crow Spirit Animal

Tecumseh "Seth" Crowe is the sexy dark hero in Crow Magic.

He's a Shawnee shaman and is Keeper of the Spiritual Law, considers himself to be a carrier of souls from darkness to light and enjoys using his sensual body to accomplish his magic.

 His spirit animal is the CROW.

Celebrate Shifter Month with me. I’m giving away some great Legend of the Spirit themed prizes.

 Enter the Rafflecopter in the side bar for your chance to win! 

The Magic of the Medicine Man

Seth Crowe in Crow Magic is a Shawnee Shaman or medicine man. He was selected as a young boy to being his training and when he hit puberty, it became apparent he was a crow shfter. He trained hard every day like a Navy SEAL would. The theory was that one had to have control over not only one’s mind, but be in the most excellent physical condition, if he were to be able to connect with the spiritual realm.  Both mind and body could hold the spirit back, thus the emphasis on training.But once the boy had a master over his mind, as well as his body, he was ready to develop the other side his nature, the spiritual side. 

Medicine men were often very handsome when they were young.  Imagine, they have been trained all their life into physical alertness, they have trained to act in the best interest of their tribe, they have schooled their mind so that they us their skills only for the good of the people, and not evil, and they kept their word of honor as though their life might depend upon it.    Ritual was highly important, because a ceremony done incorrectly was believed to bring bad luck.   A medicine man was also expected to do such things as set broken bones, take care of sprains or pulled muscles and he was expected to be able to attend to deep wounds.  This they did without flinching. 

Medicine men often became solitary, spending time in meditation, connecting with the earth. Mainting a balance with nature and the spirit world is a constant battle.

Seth, finds himself falling into a black hole. If he isn't rescued soon, he won't be able to return.

Happy #HumpDay, here's your #Hottie

Since it's Shifter Month, 

I thought I'd  introduce you to Jamie Hawke.

Jamie is a Native American shifter serving in the USMC.

He's the hero of my current WIP

Hawk's Honor.

Sizzling Summer Nights Blog Hop - Meet my sexy shifters

 Welcome to the Sizzling Summer Nights Blog Hop hosted by JustRomance.Me! If you’re just happening by my post and want to slip n slide into the fun, just click on the hot man with the wet tee shirt, he’ll help you. After all, you could win a treasure from a cooler-load of prizes including a Kindle Fire!

 Hot Sizzling Summer Nights call for some Hot Reading Material so I'm giving away a free download of my crow shifter book, Crow Magic and a pair of sexy crow earrings. 

Did you know August is SHIFTER MONTH? (Be sure to enter the Shifter Month Rafflecopter GiveAWay*. Check out the prizes & enter on the sidebar.) 

*separate contest from this blog hop.

I spent my childhood summers at our family cottage on Coldwater Lake in Michigan. A friend of my uncle’s and a member of the local Chippewa tribe rented the cottage next door for several summers. Indian Dave would thrill my cousins and me with legends and dances of his people. He taught us the importance and spirituality regarding the balance of nature. My favorite stories of people who could shift from human to animal at will influenced me to write my own versions. My cousin and I would often wonder if the fox or eagle we saw where Indian Dave or one of his friends. Who knows…perhaps they were!

Little did I know, those stories heard around a campfire would become fodder for the Legend of the Spirit series.

The Legend of the Spirit series has hot Native American avian shifters who finally allow their spirit animal to give them a dose of their own “medicine”. Meet, Tecumseh “Seth” Crowe… a dark and very powerful shaman in Crow Magic. Then enjoy a dance with Dyami Schafer, a sexy Chippewa with golden eyes in Eagle Dance.

Legend of the Spirit book 1 - Crow Magic

Lucy Richards is tired of being timid around men. Hoping to overcome her fears and feel like a real woman, she turns to Madame Eve to find a man who will fulfill that goal. Eve arranges a one-night stand with a handsome Shawnee shaman who will teach Lucy to use her womanly power and take her to unimaginable heights.

Shape shifter Seth Crowe is a Keeper of the Spiritual Law who carries souls from darkness to light, and enjoys using his body to accomplish his magic.

Tucked away in the Castillo Poconos Resort, Seth helps Lucy find spiritual and sexual freedom, never dreaming he might find his own mate in the bargain.

Crow Magic Excerpt:

“I am a man who is yours tonight, Lucy.” He walked toward her with arms out from his sides, exposing his nudity. “Draw on the power within you. Look at me. Overcome your apprehension of men. Have I not shown you gentleness?”

She nodded and approached him while tugging the strap of her sundress.

“Keep your dress on. Take it off when you are ready. This night is about you. Explore my body, learn from it, and take whatever you want. You are in control.”

He led her to the center of the blanket and faced her. She stood still with her fingertips resting on his waist. Cupping her face, he lost himself in her eyes.

“I am your instrument to use tonight. Open yourself up and delve into this opportunity I offer. I am yours to command. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I think so.” She considered his offer. “What do I do?”

“Follow your feminine intuition.” He couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “Touch me, tickle me, beat me, kiss me, bite me, lick me, suck me…whatever you want. Take whatever you need from me to strengthen you.”

In the moonlight, an endearing, innocent blush spread across her face. Amazing how a woman who lived her life in fear caused by abuse could be so naive of her own sensual power. If she knew her potential, she could bring him to his knees.

Please, bring me to my knees.

Buy Now at Decadent Publishing 

Buy Now at Amazon

Buy Now at Barnes & Noble

**************.

CLICK HERE to place your vote for
Eagle Dance
in the Affaire de Coeur Cover Art Contest

Legend of the Spirit series book 2 - Eagle Dance

Dyami Schafer, a Native American from the Chippewa tribe, leads a lonely life due to his large size and unusual appearance. When his nesting instinct sets in, he turns to Madame Eve and 1Night Stand to help him find his spirit mate. Or at least a woman who accepts him as an eagle shifter.

Amanda Collins never stopped loving the Chippewa boy she knew from her childhood. Maybe a night with a Native American man will help her forget the past and let her move on with her life.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a step into the past before dancing into the future. With the help of Madame Eve, will the Spirit of the Eagle carry Dyami and Amanda?

Eagle Dance EXCERPT

She brushed the gray tips and white strands of hair that gave him such untamed nobility. With a finger, she traced his face from his temple to his jaw, across his lips, then scraping her nails along the fine hair under his chin. A man of his enormous size would be capable of great strength, and a gal could easily lose herself in his arms for more than one night. His gaze intensified under her scrutiny.

“What do you see when you look at me?” he asked and lowered his eyes. Sinfully long lashes brushed his cheeks.

She considered him to be the most gorgeous man alive. His eyes mesmerized her. Some would consider the unusual color to be eerie, but she saw a whirlwind of emotions, from pain to hope, drawing her into his soul. Did his unusual appearance cause issues and uncertainty in his life? Despite his intimidating frame, he exhibited control and gentle qualities in the tender way he’d held her when they danced and the way he’d admitted his soft spot for animals. In arms like his, a woman could find paradise in many ways.

She cupped his face and forced him to meet her gaze. “I see a handsome, mystical warrior from another world.”

“Handsome, huh? I think you need your vision checked. I am nothing more than a simple Chippewa from Michigan.” His mouth was inches from hers. “However, I can be magical and take you wherever you want to go.”

“Then dance with me,” she whispered.

Buy Now atDecadent Publishing 

Buy Now at Amazon 

Buy Now at Barnes & Noble

Celebrate Sizzling Summer Nights with me! 

Tell me what kind of animal you'd be if you could shift and you'll be entered to win 

a free download of Crow Magic and these earrings!

Be sure to enter my other contest

 the Shifter Month Raffelcopter give a way on the sidebar 

for a chance to win one of four prizes to be awarded on Aug. 17.

Enjoy the rest of the Hot, hot, hop. 

Here's a cool one to take with you.

Porch Crawler

Humpday Hottie - Shifter Techumseh Crow

Meet the hero from CROW MAGIC.

Tecumseh Crow is a Shawnee who communicates with his spirit animal in his soul and can shift at will into a large, black crow. He uses his magic and body to deliver souls to the light.

 

Be sure to enter the Crow Magic Book TOUR WIDE Contest for a chance to win one of three wonderful prizes.

Rafflecopter code:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway