Mystery/Adventure Fiction for Young Readers

                  

Visit my website: www.robertlhunton.com for the latest updates and information on my adventure/mystery series for young readers, The Borderlands Trilogy, Books One and Two, available from Open Books Press Direct, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Amazon.com, and at all Independent Book stores. Book Three coming in 2014!

The final novel in the 'Borderlands Trilogy,' Coyote-meeter's Abyss, finds Danny Rivas and pal, Diego 'Digs' Ramirez, lost at the bottom of an abandoned silver mine, trapped in a maze of tunnels crawling with rattlesnakes and scorpions! While grandfather, Joseph, and reservation police search desperately for the missing boys, an illegal immigrant girl courageously comes to their rescue. Placing herself in grave danger, young Lupita del Campo defies a ruthless coyote boss, secrets in precious food and water, and braves the dark and cold passages to lead them to safety. It's an emotional story of honor and sacrifice on the dangerous road of hope for a new beginning.

 

 Joseph Estes, Danny's grandfather, is a makai (healer) among his people, the Tohono O'odham of Southern Arizona and Sonoran Mexico. Throughout the three-book series, he stands as the guiding force behind Danny Rivas' development as a young man. He is instrumental in the boy's understanding of his father, Tony's, neglectful behavior. Joseph shares his deep knowledge of O'odham custom and tradition with Danny, helping him gain appreciation for who he is within the tight-knit reservation community. Perhaps most importantly, he accompanies Danny on his journey to manhood, protecting and advising. What does the final Borderlands adventure have in store for the aged Joseph?

 

  

                                  

                     

 

 



 

 



 

 

 



 

 

Masks of the Iroquois Confederacy 'False Face Society'

 

 

 

Native Americans are traditionally very spiritual people. Perhaps none more so than members of various clans of the Five (then Six, after 1722) Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy of New York - Seneca (Keepers of the Western Door), Cayuga, Onandaga, Oneida, Tuscarora, Mohawk (Keepers of the Eastern Door).

 

Clan traditionalists continue to hold that all creatures of nature - trees, plants, animals, the moon - have spirits of their own that either help or impede a person. A spirit can be prayed to for help and guidance. For guidance, members of a village are encouraged to recall/interpret their dreams, which hold great significance to tribal elders.

If a member needs help, he/she visits a spiritual doctor, a shaman, or contacts the False Face Society. The False Face Society was a collection of healers who used special masks with spiritual properties they carved themselves. The Society has largely disappeared today, but their fascinating masks remain; part of an amazing cultural legacy.

I've never 'owned' one of these remarkable carvings, mostly because I know the Iroquois believe each mask to be a living entity, and as such, in possession of a free and roaming spirit. In addition, the masks are sacred and should be handled only by chosen healers. In recent years, Iroquois leaders have made serious attempts to retrieve these masks from collectors, non-indigenous museums, etc. Karonhia:ke - Behold, the sky world!

 

Visit me at: www.robertlhunton.com for more articles and stories of Indigenous culture.

The Borderlands Trilogy, Book Three: 'Coyote-meeter's Abyss'

The final novel in the 'Borderlands Trilogy,' 'Coyote-meeter's Abyss,' finds Danny Rivas and pal, Diego 'Digs' Ramirez, lost at the bottom of an abandoned silver mine, trapped in a maze of tunnels crawling with rattlesnakes and scorpions! While grandfather, Joseph, and reservation police search desperately for the missing boys, an illegal immigrant girl courageously comes to their rescue. Placing herself in grave danger, young Lupita del Campo defies a ruthless coyote boss, secrets in precious food and water, and braves the dark and cold passages to lead them to safety. It's an emotional story of honor and sacrifice on the dangerous road of hope for a new beginning. Coming soon!

 

Johnny Depp and the Wounded Knee Land Sale



Is the star of 'The Lone Ranger' really planning to buy the property (and return it to tribal ownership) where 300 Native American men, women, and children were killed by the 7th U.S. Cavalry in the 1890 massacre? Or is it all little more than a rumor? Here are some details that we know to be true:

 



• To a recent interview question posed by the London Daily Mail newspaper about the purchase of reservation land, Depp responded, 'I am doing my best to make that happen.' Yes, he did say this, but its exact meaning is still being discussed. 
• Landowner James Czywczynski, who has owned the two 40-acre parcels since 1968 (and is now trying to sell them), has publicly stated that his only goal is to 'get the land back to the tribe.' 
• The two parcels of land have been assessed at $14,000.00.
• Mr. Czywczynski's asking price is $4.9 million.
• Tribal leadership feels strongly that Mr. Czywczynski is trying to profit from their ancestor's killings.
• Besides its proximity to the Indian burial grounds, the land includes the site of a previous trading post burned during the 1973 Wounded Knee uprising, where hundreds of American Indian Movement protestors occupied the town built on the massacre location.
• That 71-day Wounded Knee standoff left two tribal members dead and a federal agent seriously wounded.

Joseph Brings Plenty, a spokesman for the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation, and who had several ancestors killed in the 1890 massacre, says: 'Honestly, I don't think it would be a bad thing if Johnny Depp would purchase the land with the cooperation of the various tribes. What is most important is that the land is preserved and an accurate account of what happened is shared with the public through a monument, a memorial.'

 

 

Time will be the determiner, as to whether or not Mr. Depp is serious about resolving this dilemma for the Sioux Nation. My feeling, which would be of little surprise to most, is that James Czywczynski is indeed greedy - greedy beyond all sense of reason and reality. If he truly cared about the people, history, and land, he would reconsider his outlandish price, drastically reduce it, and work with the Sioux Nation to transfer ownership in a dispatchful manner. Shame on you, Mr. Czywczynski, for not allowing this to happen. A day will come when you will reap reward for your action.

 

As for how Johnny Depp decides to spend his money: There are many world causes he could contribute to, and this cause is a noble one. It really is all about the time you are given to live on this earth, and what you choose to do with that time. Giving thanks for gifts received includes the act of sharing those gifts. Giving back is what really matters, not taking. God bless you, Johnny Depp, if this is the choice you make.

 

 

Source information: The Arizona Daily Star, Saturday, July 13, 2013.

 

 

     

Zero Tolerance drug testing/profanity/verbal threats/violence in schools

Here is a reasonable comparison:

Frank Schleck, Luxembourg pro cyclist, will not have his contract renewed by RadioShack-Leopard following his one-year suspension from the sport for doping (his illegal use of a restricted diuretic). Simply put: The International Cycling Federation, along with the athletes themselves, MUST do this if they want the sport to survive. How can the accomplishments/legitimate title of any team or individual cyclist in any competition be upheld without the sure knowledge that cheating did not occur? It can't. And so, zero tolerance. Zero tolerance for cheating.
 

As a professional educator, I understand zero tolerance for profanity, verbal threats or any act of violence, and I accept it unconditionally. In public schools zero tolerance means an unwillingness on the part of students, parents, teachers, administrators, and boards to accept, condone, or tolerate bullying and/or intimidation on the part of a student(s) toward another student(s). Schools MUST do this if they want legitimate learning to take place, and to ensure that every child experiences maximum success socially and academically. How can a student be expected to perform at maximum efficiency if they feel unsafe or inferior? They can't. And so, zero tolerance for the actions mentioned above. Zero tolerance for anyone who, through their actions or words, prevents another from succeeding. Why must public schools do this? Because by law, public schools will accept ALL students, inclusively. None will be turned away for any reason. And, as professionals, we are charged with maximizing student academic performance. The American public, rightfully, wants and expects academic results.
 

This comparison between the actions of/consequences for athletes who cheat and students who bully or intimidate serves us well, I feel. When the public is witness to such rules being implemented and enforced, though they may not be familiar with current public school, classroom social/academic practice, they nevertheless develop an understanding of why the rules are in place.

 



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Have You Committed an Offense(s) Against the Laws of Writing?

If your story is good enough (I don't necessarily mean the writing, I mean the STORY), then it will eventually find a home in the heart of an agent and/or publisher. And that is because it is ALWAYS about story. Simple: Good stories sell. But your proposal (ms.) is also about the writing. You must exhibit enough writing talent and skill to convince those same agents and editors that you are capable of both constructing a novel and revising, the latter a very likely requirement.

I've heard so much in workshops and author presentations about the "do's and don'ts" of writing for publication, that it's often hard to focus on the most serious 'red flags' in a body of work. Let's take a look at five (5) examples of writing offenses/violations that are sure to relegate your project to the dust bin. They aren't in any order of importance. If you have a penchant for one, you might as well commit them all.

I have such a cheery manner, don't I? Hey, it was born in the pile of rejection letters and slips I received for my writing, particularly in the early stages of submitting to agents. That's right, to agents. I was determined to follow the time-honored path: Get an agent, then let that individual (agency) find me a publisher. Well, that's another story...So, back to the big (worst) five, based on my experience. Oh, and I'd love your comments and other feedback. Keep it clean!

1. Telling, not showing. Here's an example: Shawn walked around the park a few times and decided to sit on the bench to rest.
It sounds fine? Might I suggest this as stronger writing: Shawn paced about the park's magnolia-lined pathways. He spotted a bench in the shade of an elm, back in the quiet. It looked so comfortable after all the walking. A few more trudges and he was there.

2. Shifting POV without signaling. This is sometimes called head hopping. Incorporating multiple POV can be unsettling to the reader. There are two things to consider: Transition and intimacy. Transition; referring to hints or proper setup, i.e. warning the reader that a major shift in POV is about to occur. Without handling this deftly, the writer forces the reader to re-read paragraphs for clarification. This is very distracting, if not downright jarring! Intimacy; referring to a reader's need to know and empathize with characters, and a writer's mistake in spending just brief periods of time with several different characters, rather than long periods of time with one character. Result: Readers knowing several characters slightly, rather than one character intimately.

3. Overuse of adverbs, adjectives. Use just enough to let readers get a picture of your scene. Too many, and you insult their intelligence, as well as, rob them of the imagination factor that adds necessary freedom and satisfaction to the act of reading. Read some Hemingway or Twain for sparseness of both. Read P. G. Wodehouse for adjectives used masterfully.

4. Starting a novel/chapter/scene with anything other than action. That's action, action, action. Begin the above in the middle of the action. Don't tell the reader what's about to happen, surprise them! Immerse them in it! Make them feel like they're in the scene with the character(s). An example: Whuuump. The hay bale struck Tom squarely on the head. His neck snapped and he collapsed under the weight of it, face down onto the concrete floor. Blood spurted crimson red, awash with fragments of tooth and bits of chewing tobacco. A deep-throated cackle came from the shadowy loft above.
See what I mean? :-)

5. Disregarding your protagonist's journey in structuring your plot. You cannot lose sight of the underlying reasons for what drives your character. Fears, joys, resentments, jealousies, needs, flaws, etc. It is important to come back to these within the context of your story scenes, as reminders (I call them justifiers). Like everything else in writing though, don't overdo it. More in the beginning, fewer as the story progresses. Your novel's main character requires arc--Take him/her to the depths, before bringing them back. Build empathy in this way, remembering to maintain consistency. Keep the journey real!

Okay, there you have five that really matter. Tell me about others that are critical to writing success. Bring examples, too. I like to be able to visualize what you see as important. And above all else, never stop writing. Not for a second. Well, um, that's probably not feasible...So, how about an hour a day? Thanks for stopping by!