When Britannia Ruled the Northwest: April Presentation at Folio

I am happy to announce that I am one of four presenters at an upcoming event at Folio: A Seattle Anthenaeum. For those who don’t know Folio, it’s part of a national community of 21 membership libraries in North America that provides a full schedule of programs and discussion groups, as well as library collections…

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Battling the Northerners: Stories that Shaped Widow Walk

During the summer of my second year in medical school, at the invitation of a classmate who also was a Pacific Northwest transplant, I had the opportunity to work with him as a salmon fisherman on a “reef net” boat.  That summer, I met several Lummi Tribe Native Americans who live in the area right on…

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How to Create an Award-Winning Book Cover

My book ‘Widow Walk’ won the USA Books News’ Best Book Cover Design Award in 2013. Widow Walk is set in mid-nineteenth century Pacific Northwest region, called the Oregon Country, which included parts of present day Washington state and Vancouver B.C. Author and publisher Kelsye Nelson interviewed me last week. We talked about the processes…

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Announcement: Full Prize List for March Land Rush Campaign

Join the Land Rush to enter a drawing for a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes: [fontawesome icon=”fa-star” circle=”yes” size=”medium” iconcolor=”#a88458″ circlecolor=”#ffffff” circlebordercolor=”#e8e8e8″ flip=”” rotate=”” spin=”no” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][title size=”6″ content_align=”left” style_type=”single solid” sep_color=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”6″ content_align=”left” style_type=”single solid” sep_color=”” class=”” id=””]THREE-DAY WRITING RETREAT[/title] “There is nothing to writing. All…

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Does Isaac Rest?

DOES ISAAC REST ? It has been rumored that spirits haunt the fertile Ebey plateau. Some have said that on moonlit nights, looking southward from the crest of the tiny cemetery where the headless body of Isaac Ebey is interred with those of many other mid-nineteenth century Whidbey Island settlers, a pale specter can be seen…

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Reader’s Guide and Book Discussion Questions for Widow Walk

At the request of our publisher, we are adding a reader’s guide with questions for discussion groups and book clubs. Ten of these have been added to the forthcoming paperback edition of Widow Walk. Widow Walk Book Guide and Discussion Questions: 1. Widow Walk has been compared to Last of the Mohicans and Cold Mountain. How is…

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Tattoos: A Long-Standing Native American Tradition

    In Widow Walk many of the First Nation Haida, Tlingit, Bella Bella, Bella Coola and Kwakiutl characters wear prominent tattoos and other body decorations. In one scene, a Makah woman, slaved to a Salish tyee (chieftain), recognizes the distinctive markings of the naked Haida warrior she encounters while retrieving water from a stream. She…

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Port Townsend: History and Role in Widow Walk

Port Townsend, was named in 1792 by explorer George Vancouver after his friend the Marquis of Townsend. Located on the  northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula, it was inhabited solely by Native Americans throughout the 1700’s and early 1800’s. The Chimakum people were the predominant group. The Klallam Indians controlled the land that encompassed the area…

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