THE BIG NEWS: PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR IN NEW EDITION!
We are often asked which of our books are our absolute favorites. We hate that question! The fact is, we never wrote a novel we didn’t love, weren’t totally immersed in, and didn’t absolutely enjoy writing. All of them were favorites and remain that way in our current estimation. We can pick up each novel, smile, and say, “Remember how surprised we were when this plot took a sudden right turn at midpoint?” or maybe “We sure had fun putting the characters through their paces on this one.” We have never published a novel we were not immensely proud of.
Now, if you were to ask which of our novels do we think are most important, or made the greatest contribution to our body of work, or which of our novels we would want to be read through the centuries, that would be another matter entirely. Kathleen’s “Rewilding” trilogy that builds up to THE ICE ORPHAN and its investigation of consciousness pops to the top of the heap. As does THIS SCORCHED EARTH, which Michael considers the capstone of his career. THE BETRAYAL may be one of our most important novels given the end notes and reliance on actual historical documents about the life of Jesus. BUFFALO JUSTICE is important because it tells the truth about bison conservation herds and the organizations making millions by scamming the public.
Our readers, of course, may disagree since each of our works speaks to our readers’ individual needs, expectations and tastes. We never tire of hearing why and how our books are important to them. That so many people find so many of our diverse works favorites remains a most humbling revelation.
PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR AND THE “CAHOKIA” SERIES
And then there is PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR and the “Cahokia” series. With PEOPLE OF THE RIVER, written in 1992, we dealt with a mostly unknown Cahokia. Over the years since, many of our speculations about Cahokia had been proven. In fact, it was more than just a state society, and in fact, an empire. By 2013, copious research conducted as part of the I-270 project around Collinsville, Illinois, and the excavations at Cahokia proper had added an incredible amount to our understanding. We wrote PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR to incorporate those new interpretations. It turned into a 5 book series with SUN BORN, MOON HUNT, STAR PATH, and LIGHTNING SHELL to follow. Why? Because of the importance of the Cahokian culture to North America’s prehistory. The city, built beginning in 1054 CE, and the empire it spawned changed the continent as complexly as Rome changed Europe.
But how do we communicate the complexity, depth, and brilliance of this metroplex of precisely surveyed mounds, monuments, and edifices with their lunar and solar alignments? How can we communicate the sophistication of this giant city spanning the banks of the Mississippi River around St. Louis? The vehicle we chose was a classic psychological thriller that wove Mississippian myth and monsters into a desperate search for a serial killer among the city’s ruling elite. Behind it all is the resurrection of the Morning Star, a mythological hero from the Creation reincarnated into a human body. Enter his sister, Night Shadow Star, a grieving woman bent on self-destruction until a drugged encounter with the Spirit Beast, Piasa in the Underworld forces her to enslave the man who killed her husband. This is Fire Cat, a heretic from the distant Red Wing Clan who believes Morning Star to be a fraud and abomination. Meanwhile, old Blue Heron, Clan Keeper for the Four Winds Clan, barely escapes assassination as one by one, her kinsmen are murdered. Then comes one of our most beloved characters: Seven Skull Shield, thief, womanizer, slippery con man, and all-around scoundrel. To Blue Heron’s disgust, she must entrust her life to the distasteful and ill-mannered lout. All the while, a twisted killer, attended by his Tula assassins, stalks the night, and it is only a matter of time before he strikes the blow that will tear Cahokia apart!
What better ensemble to weave into the incredibly complex tapestry of Cahokian culture with its political complexity, its art, and thriving multi-ethnic economy?
We are delighted to announce that PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR has just been reissued in a beautiful trade paperback format from Tor Books! As an added incentive, the edition contains the only print edition of the COPPER FALCON novella. If you have not read PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR, please do. And if you get the chance, a visit to the Cahokia Archaeological Park outside of Collinsville, Illinois, just across the river from St. Louis, will rewrite your understanding of American archaeology. You can order through your favorite bookstore or online.
BE SURE YOU USE THE CORRECT ISBN.
This is ISBN 978-1-250-85681-4.
ON THE LOCAL FRONT
The re-issue of PEOPLE OF THE MORNING STAR is our big news. Here on the local front, it’s been a busy summer. Our turn as Grand Marshals in the 4th of July Cody Stampede Parade was a blast! We got to ride in Pat and Jaylee’s Conestoga wagon with Longmire author Craig Johnson and historian Paul Hutton. This was the first and only time all four of Wyoming’s Wister Award and Western Writer Hall of Fame inductees have ever been assembled in one place! We waved, joked, and marveled at the estimated four thousand people assembled along Sheridan Avenue. A most special honor for our nation’s 250 anniversary!
Work continues, though slowly, on the new Donovan trilogy. Again, the real world has intruded on writing time. Much of the lost time can be relegated to the broken Rainbird sprinkler system. It’s been almost two weeks, and the repair company never seems to show up. That means added time moving hoses to keep the lawn and yard plants alive.
UPCOMING EVENTS
This September 12 and 13, we will be presenters at the Western Writers of America’s Erstfeld symposium to be held at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. While we will be attending all of the events, we are speaking at 11 am on Saturday the 13th. The panel will feature “Bison Today” and we’ll be presenting counter points to the usual “conservation” narrative. We’re happy to have Ken Klemm, past president of the National Bison Association joining us for the panel. Contact the Western Writers of America/James Erstfeld Symposium for details and registration. Cost is $45 for both days.
After that we’re off to the Cowby Artists of America meetings in Denver, Colorado. Not sure how, but Michael somehow got roped into driving down I-25 again. It’s his most-hated road in America. Should be a great time with some of the finest Western artists in the world.
In addition, we’ll be attending Bouchercon in Alberta this year. Michael will be presenting on a panel there, time to be announced as soon as we are given the schedule. For those of you who do not know, Bouchercon is considered to be the biggest Mystery writers’ conference in the world. It is heavily fan oriented, so if you like mysteries and thrillers, and want to share in the camaraderie, do consider a trip up north October 21-23.
From there, we fly direct to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Will Rogers Medallion Awards week. We are scheduled for events on Wednesday the 28th, through Friday, and Saturday the 31st this year. The only downer is the passing of our long-time friend, Dr. Robert Pickering. Bob has been instrumental in our writing for decades and has worked to strengthen ties between the McFarlin Library at the University of Tulsa and the Will Rogers Foundation. His passing leaves a huge gaping hole in our hearts.
UNTIL NEXT MONTH
That’s about it for this month. We sincerely hope that this finds you in excellent health, keeping a low profile in the heat, and reading all of your favorite Gear books while keeping a cool drink at hand.
We will be back next month with the latest developments in our writing world.
Until then, peace and health to you.