Beta Reviews are coming IN!!!

Getting excited to start the final reviews of Book 2, Here and Now as the Beta Reviews are starting to come in.  So excited to see this book moving along!  I have had some great feedback so far [no not stellar reviews but feedback telling me where things need work and what is missing].  It is hard, as reading critiques usually are, but I am still excited to see how others see the book and where they don't understand.  It is very easy for me to think that it is perfect since I have spent months in it and know exactly where statements and ideas go but the words may not convey those correctly.

One initial review has said that it doesn't stand on its own from Book 1, Memories of a Distant Future.  But as we chatted, they were helpful in giving me some ideas of where things could be built to make it more stand alone-ish while still making it feel akin to the original.

I have come to enjoy discussing the story with others that have a critical mind and love to read because I can get down into the mechanics of why it did or did not work and how they thought it could be better.  It is lots of fun.

Although diving back into the story again will be heart wrenching, I like this stage because as I find things that they have commented on, I can skip around in the book, fixing issues and problems and not really have to slog through it from beginning to end.

Thanks to those that have or are Beta Reading.  If anyone else is interested in being involved in the Beta reading for Book 3, Suspicions of a Distant Future, leave me a comment below or use Twitter or Facebook messaging to contact me.

Series Cover for Way of the Horse Series

So excited that DigitalDonna.com has designed my series cover.

Check it out at:
Way of the Horse Series

Or here:

Book 2, Here and Now Cover Reveal.

HOT OFF THE PRESSES...

Actually because this is an e-book, not really but I am excited to take this next step in getting Book 2 out.

So here it is!!!

Here and Now, Book 2, Chapter REVEAL!!

TADA!!!  Here is a Chapter from my upcoming book.  It is in Beta Review right now and I am hoping for a February release if all goes well.  
Check out Book 1, Memories of a Distant Future in time for this one's new release...the links to the other retailers are below the link to my publisher to the right.
Note, this is still a draft version of the book so I noticed a few errors that will not be in the upcoming one.  Proofreading comes right before it publishes.

Chapter Five

The Way of the Horse

The whole camp seemed to be holding their breath as they waited for news of the buffalo herd returning to the area. Black Moose had told no one about his dream except Old Crow and Blue Jay and they had not let on that anything more need be done. He wanted to ask but knew that they had heard his story and would answer him in their own due time. Still the camp seemed to get more and more edgy as the summer wore on with tempers flaring over petty things and even the children wondering at the feeling. When Black Moose would walk out to the horse herd to visit his horses and give them tasty morsels he would ponder on his dream and the two's reaction.

One afternoon he felt he could sit still no more and he set to readying himself.

Then he went to his friend, Flying Hawk and spoke to him, "The buffalo are not coming and we must prepare for another winter without their bounty."

The young man jerked as his friend spoke as if he had been dreaming. "HO! I will gather my things and we shall meet at the horse herd."

Black Moose smiled at his friend and his willingness to be off on a hunt. "Where is Rising Star and Sacred Bear?"

Flying Hawk smiled turning and pointing across the camp at the far ridge to the south saying, "Chasing Lovely Rose's charms..."

Black Moose looked across the valley and saw two young men following a young woman as she walked west up the slope searching for tubers for the evening meal. Black Moose shook his head and said, "After you, Flying Eagle and Little Antelope pack and are ready, ride by them on your way out south and laugh at them! The fools need to see that we are going and they can choose to stay here with the long dresses or come with the men!" Flying Hawk laughed heartily at the joke and set to quickly gathering his things.

At this he turned to see another set of eyes on him, a set that he hoped would be on him for the rest of his life. Those dark eyes shone with that little something some called love. Black Moose smiled at her and signed that he was going hunting. She winked at him and smiled as she turned to enter the tipi. I know I break her heart when I leave, he thought, but she says she is proud of me. I must talk with her to see if that is real or not. Then he looked at the scrambling Flying Hawk, maybe he could tell me.

With a shrug, Black Moose set off for the other brother's family tipi, "I will get the other two brothers."

"Where shall we meet, brother?" came the question at his back.

Black Moose turned and signed, if you can't find me, you will sleep with the coyotes.

Flying Hawk laughed louder and set off for the horse herd.

Black Moose smiled again, feeling the familiar Flying Hawk returning. He had not been the same since the attack on the camp. He had been badly beaten and his ego crushed as the result. Black Moose had become a sour memory of this failure but as friends usually do, they had gotten over it, mainly by returning to the things that they like to do together.

As he approached Flying Eagle and Little Antelope's family tipi he yipped like a coyote and they tore through the flap in excited anticipation.

"Brothers, we hunt until the snow flies!"

They both yelled out, "HO!" and began scrambling for their belongings. The father, Summer Badger, strode out of the shade from the behind their tipi and stood watching them quietly. Both boys were almost exact copies of him, short and stout with high brows and round noses.

Black Moose signed with respect to their father. His nod was enough to let Black Moose know that he approved.

"Meet Flying Hawk at the horse herd."

"Ho!" came the dual reply.

Black Moose turned and set off for his own horses hobbled near Old Crow's tipi.

He leaped onto Red and set off for to the south with a train of his horses.

On this outing, as Black Moose had left before the rest, he found himself alone with his thoughts. He wrestled with the idea that the band did not trade horses with the Dog People. It would seem that a horse would be able to command a better price than some of the skins and food stuffs that they had traded. He wondered what the People had missed by not offering to trade horses.

Several nights later, after returning to the camp, Black Moose quietly hung his endeavors on the drying racks by the light of the dying fire outside his old friend’s tipi. Before Black Moose touched the tipi flap, an old gnarled voice spoke from within, “Come in young brother.”

Black Moose shook his head thinking to himself, how does he do that? He opened the flap and slid into the interior space. His nose was immediately assaulted with all the varied herbs and medicines that hung from the poles and ropes within. The assault always carried a welcoming feel to it and his body immediately relaxed.

“Old brother, why do you not sleep. It is late.”

“Young brother, when you get to my age, you will s' that sleep is like the thunderstorms on the prairie, it comes when it wants, not when you want it,” at which the old man chuckled to himself at his wit.

Black Moose stood smiling at his old friend, then he noticed that they were not alone. Blue Jay sat next to Old Crow with her eyes closed and humming a chant. Black Moose made to leave saying, “Sorry to interrupt…”

Blue Jay’s eyes opened and engulfed him in their warmth and love, “Hold son, do not go," her singsong voice advised, "We both have been in discussions concerning you.”

Black Moose paused and sat back down with a curious look on his face. “You were waiting for me?”

The old man huddled deeper into his robes and nodded while Blue Jay continued in her high singsong voice, “The spirits whispered to us that you were coming…” her voice trailing off.

Black Moose sat back and waited as was the custom of the People. He knew that to ask questions would rush them and put a damper on whatever they wanted to talk of. He had learned much of patience since being adopted by the People, especially as he lived with the old medicine man.

The silence spanned on for what felt like half the night although Black Moose was sure it was only half of what would be called an hour in the future. Finally, Blue Jay began looking up into the poles above their heads, “Something troubles your spirit. You have questions concerning the People and our ways. Your ways are as strange to us as we are to you. But we as the People have adopted you and you have taken well to being a part of our band”.

She paused and then went on more humbly, “I and my family have directly benefitted from your strength and skill. Your sacrifice on our behalf has caused me to become more of your kin than many of my own.” Her voice changed again, more humble if that could be accomplished, “I am proud that you have chosen my daughter as your lifelong companion.”

Black Moose sat listening to this introduction, remembering every part, knowing what each word meant and how much feeling she put behind each statement. His heart was once again full of the love for the People, but still doubt crept in.

“Yet, having been through all that, you are still troubled…” Black Moose looked up startled that she knew something about how he felt. Her gaze was fixed on him now and her eyes bore into his soul. He felt that familiar passing of spirits as his spirit shared his memories and hers with him. He felt her fear of being a medicine woman, the fear of being called a…witch was the only word that he could describe it as although the translation wasn't right. He could feel the fear of losing her family and of them losing everything, of them being cast out. But there was something else lurking in the background…a gift that she had, a gift to be able to discern the spirits and to see into a living spirit's soul and hear what they said. He marveled at such a gift…Then it was all gone.

Black Moose blinked as did Blue Jay but her sly smile told him that his secret questions were known to her. He looked down into the fire ashamed of having doubts and questions.

“Old Crow,” at which the old man almost jumped out of his robes, “the young man is ready to learn of the Way of the Horse.”

The old man eyed her closely then looked back to Black Moose. “THAT is reserved for only the one or two in the band to learn and guide us. H' has not been selected."

The silence stretched on as the old man finally filled it with, "H' is young. H' will not b' able to retain what h' is taught."

Her look told the old man her answer as he looked back at Black Moose, “It is like I am married to her, not her to Brave Elk,” he grumbled as he retreated back into his robes.

Black Moose’s interest stirred and he felt his attention hone in on this new concept, “What is this Way of the Horse?”

Blue Jay looked to the old medicine man who seemed to be hiding in his robes now. “If you do not tell him, I will.”

The old man grumbled something intelligible about only men knowing of such things. She looked at him kindly as a knowing smirk crept across her face. As it lit up her face, the wrinkled old face changed to a question, then doubt, then disbelief and finally to astonishment.

“You don’t…