How I Developed My Characters in Cedar Woman - Part IV

Now, the final three of the main characters: in many ways, character construction and development is one of the most fun parts of writing a novel for me.  I think about my characters a lot, as if they really live and breathe.  I think to myself, would he really do that? Or, how would she react to this?  To me they are real, and I find myself, even after a book is completed, thinking about them as if they were friends who I haven’t seen in a while.

That said, here we go.

Boy Lad: I modeled him after a man named Ruben.  I wanted someone who is serious, deep and somewhat shy; a man who, when he speaks, you listen.  Boy Lad’s feelings run deep and true. This is a man who finds his footing and never stumbles.

Logan Singing Grass Young Bear:   sweet Logan is a composite of my son Christopher and Jules’ son Logan who, since Hunkapi, is also my son. Like my son Christopher, he is born with a special problem, and like both of the boys, he is a creative soul.  Logan brings lightness to the book, and there are instances where, I promise, you will laugh out loud. 

Grandmother Nancy is not a main character.  In fact, she is mentioned only once in chapter one.  I remember when I gave her Cedar Woman, gifting it with my left hand, the hand closest to my heart.  Her eyes welled up, she smiled that sweet smile of hers, and was so very happy that I thought to include her.

Since that time, Grandmother Nancy has made the journey.  I will miss her at powwow. I’ll miss the way she would tear up at the site of a child, of a couple in love, or of something beautiful.  She was a dear, sweet soul, who will leave and open space where her smile, her heart, once lived.  Therefore, I had to include her in this list.

Next week, I will talk about how I chose the locations used in Cedar Woman.  I hope you are enjoying this insight into Cedar Woman as much as I am enjoying sharing it with you.

Toksa Ake Wakan Tanka Nici Un - Walk With God

Excerpt from "Cedar Woman"

Chapter One

Hear Me

Hear me, four quarters of the world – a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth. Give me the eyes to see, and the strength to understand that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds. Great Spirit, all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike. With tenderness have these come up out of the ground. Look upon these faces of children without number, and with children in their arms, that they may face the winds, and walk the good road to the day of quiet. This is my prayer. Hear me!

Black Elk

Slowly, slowly, Grandfather Sun began his ascent. Gliding, floating, he moved above the horizon as blue and lavender and mauve filled the sky.

Birdsong married with fragrant air, as Wakan Tanka stretched His fingers across the sky, pushing back the night, heralding the dawning of a new day. (Wah-kah Than-kah – Mysterious Creator)

July 18, 2010

6:00 a.m.

Sonny Glass walked briskly along the slowly awakening street. He enjoyed the sound of the heels of his cowboy boots against the hard concrete of Uptown Westerville’s sidewalks. Soon the area would be busy, as the small but vibrant Central-Ohio city came to life.

     Home to just over 35,000 citizens and the birthplace of the Anti- Saloon League, Westerville was a charming family oriented town with several parks, the Inniswood Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve, and Otterbein, the private liberal arts college founded in 1847.

     Continuing his walk along State Street, Sonny admired the warm, historical feel of the main thoroughfare of Uptown Westerville. The storefronts were comprised mostly of the original structures built since the incorporation of the city in 1858. The pride of her citizens was apparent in the spanking clean look of the 19th Century, picturesque suburb of Columbus.

     Sonny reached the corner of Main and State, and gazed across the street at the new restaurant, the grand opening of which would be celebrated this evening. Three stories tall, the large, stately building stood solid and imposing as new-morning sun kissed her ancient, red bricks.

     A red canopy shaded the entrance with its centered blue stripe and eight-sided star, each point formed by a tipi and representing the flag of the Lakota Sioux. From its frame, hanging pots of Impatiens danced in a slight breeze. Soon pedestrians, busy with their early morning errands, would walk briskly by, some going to Schneider’s bakery, others to Talbot’s Florists, some intent on visiting Heavenly Espresso, the coffee shop across the street.

     Sonny leaned against the corner lamppost and gazed in admiration at Lena Young Bear’s labor of love, Cedar Woman, the first upscale American Indian restaurant in Central, Ohio.

Studying the restaurant from across the street, Sonny tried to imagine how it would look to someone who had never seen it before. Pretending to be a new patron, Sonny contemplated the impressive building. As guests approached the large, cedar double doors leading into the small entrance foyer of the establishment, they would first notice the top of the door frame. Hanging above the striking entrance were four corncobs: one of white, one of red, one of yellow and one of blue, an ancient symbol proclaiming that all who entered the dwelling would be fed. Now where on earth did she manage to find blue corn? Sonny mused as he straightened and prepared to cross the street. I’ll bet she had Grandmother Nancy send it to her from Colorado. She would do that, seeing how sacred corn is. And of course there would be four, he continued to ponder. Lena Young Bear would use the sacred number representing the four winds, four seasons, and four directions of the earth.

     Beneath the corncobs was a simple carving. Engraved upon a cedar plank, and painted in the same deep blue of the awning stripe and star, were the words Mitakuye Oyasin, (Me-tdah-coo-yey oh-yah-seen) which translated from the Lakota Sioux language simply meant, “We Are All Related.” I cannot believe what she has accomplished, he reflected, stepping down from the curb and crossing the still silent street. 

     Sonny recalled that Lena chose the building, which was later to bear her American Indian name, partly because of the location of the doors. The main entrance faced west where lived the Thunder Beings. From here came rain and nourishment so all may live.

     The second door faced the north where the Great White Giant lives. From here came the cleansing white snows and the power of healing.

     Sonny took a deep breath. He could still smell sage. The night before the grand opening, Lena performed a smudging ceremony to cleanse herself and the new restaurant.

     Carrying a smoldering bowl filled with sacred grasses, Lena walked to the center of the first floor of the building.

     The white ceramic bowl, which she had thrown herself, its rim painted with red ochre to symbolize the blood of The People, contained cedar needles, to cleanse the area, its sweet smell attracting the good spirits. In addition, there was wild sage, for purifying the soul and the air, enhancing balance within one’s self and the spirit world. Wild sweet grass, to cleanse the mind and body and to attract good spirits and energies with its fragrance, along with tobacco, to carry her prayers to Creator was also included.

     Lena “bathed” herself with the fragrant fumes. Cupping her hand, and capturing the floating ribbons of smoke, she passed them over her head, shoulders, torso, and under each foot.

Facing the west, she extended the smoking bowl and intoned:

     “Grandfather of the West, this is Cedar Woman, I ask that you keep my feet true and on the Good Red Road. (To walk in balance, to walk with the earth and not just on it. To follow the rules of Creator.)

      I ask that you guide me on this day, and all days, so that I may continue on this path. I ask that you help in my daily life. Mitakuye oyasin, we are all related. She next turned to the north and offered the same prayer to Grandfather of the North, Grandfather of the East and then of the South. Lifting the bowl to the heavens, she repeated her prayer to Father Sky.

     Kneeling, the bowl in front of her, her hands on the floor on each side of her body, she sent her prayer to Mother Earth.

     Finally, she again raised the still smoking bowl to the sky and added a personal plea,“Creator, this is Cedar Woman. I ask that you keep my feet true and on the Good Red Road. I ask that you guide me on this day and all days so that I may continue on this path. I ask that you help in my daily life. I ask you that I may feed all people and that my venture here will be successful.” Lena placed the still smoldering bowl on a table and sat, slowly relaxing, her mind, body, and spirit in harmony.

Sonny pressed upon the heavy doors and entered the foyer. Fairly small in size, it served as a buffer between the changeable Ohio weather and the dining room within.  Five paces across the vestibule stood a single door, also made of cedar. Entering the restaurant, he let his eyes move slowly around the first floor dining room. It was on this level of the three-story building where casual Contemporary American Indian foods would be served.

     Built in 1881 in the Italianate style by M.S. Wyant, the structure had known many incarnations. From bookstore to telephone company, from grocery store to clothing emporium, from gathering place to thriving gift shop, the uptown site had been a popular landmark for Westerville’s citizens.

     In 1886, during a performance of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the opera house, located on the third floor of the building, experienced a tragic fire. An actor, swinging an umbrella, accidentally hit one of the gas foot lights. Panicking, fleeing patrons ran, and the exit was blocked. Trying to find a window to throw the gas light out onto the street, the actor accidentally ran into a small hallway, discovering a woman and two children seeking refuge. None of them died immediately, but lingered through an agonizing death.

     Remembering the heartbreaking story, Sonny took a deep breath, glancing toward the stairs which led to the spacious third floor, now allocated to teachers and students for the study of pottery, dance and music. There was no sign of the little girl and boy rumored to haunt the third floor, their laughter and running feet echoing throughout the three-story building, but Sonny was nervous nonetheless. Lena assured him that she had sent the children “home” the day she smudged the restaurant, but Sonny remained skeptical.

     Sonny glanced away from the staircase. Relieved that no sounds echoed down the flight of stairs from the region above, he relaxed and allowed his mind’s eye to take a mental tour of the beautiful restaurant. Tonight would be a special night, the middle floor, the fine dining area, filled to capacity with friends and relatives eager to celebrate this special day, to celebrate the happiness of Lena Cedar Woman Young Bear.

Lena appeared in Sonny’s mind’s eye. He constantly experienced a queer shock when he first saw her, even after seventeen years. In his mind, when picturing her, she always seemed larger than life, towering above all with whom she came into contact. In reality, she was quite diminutive in stature, barely reaching 4'11" and maxing out, he would guess, at 90 pounds. It was as if Wakan Tanka, in His infinite wisdom, created her body as an afterthought, concentrating on the immenseness of her soul instead.

     But, it was her eyes that startled the most. Almond in shape and slightly tip-tilted, they sparkled as if lit from within. Her left eye was a luminous, deep brown, so dark that the pupil at times appeared to be the same color. Her right eye was the same unfathomable brown, but only on the inside half of the iris. The outside half was vivid amber.

     Wakan Tanka must have drawn the line Himself, Sonny mused. How else could her iris be so divided precisely in two, the outside half the exact same color of the eye of Wambli (Wahn-blee) the sacred golden eagle of the Lakota?

Copyright 2010 Debra Shiveley Welch; Library of Congress Copyright 2014

Cedar Woman can be purchased here: 

These Feelings Within My Heart

“Waste (wash-tey), lila waste! Good, very good! Wopila, thank you, for giving your life that I may live.”  Slightly stunned, I lowered my fork and turned slowly to look at you, my thirteen-year-old son.  We sat in the dining room of a Mexican restaurant where you had ordered a large burrito.  You were eating slowly, enjoying your meal, commenting on how good it was.

Never before had I heard you thank the animals and plants that had given their lives so that you may eat.  Today, however, you bent your head, closed your eyes, and offered your thanks without my telling you to do so.

Can I tell you what my heart is telling me tonight?  My heart is telling me that my son’s own heart has grown from that of a child into the heart of a man.

Waste lila waste Ciksi (chee-kshee), Son!  Waste!
Ina (mother) Wambli hupahu kici naji (Stands With Eagle Wings)

Copyright 2010 Debra Shiveley Welch
Excerpt from Son of My Soul - The Adoption of Christopher
Library of Congress Copyright 2014 Debra Shiveley Welch

Cedar Woman

Announcing the release of the second edition of Cedar Woman in Kindle.

Newly formatted and easier to read and learn the language of the Lakota, while still enjoying a story of a Lakota woman who finds success outside of the reservation, Cedar Woman is available from now and through next week only for $2.99.

Winner of Books and Authors Best Native American Fiction 2011, Cedar Woman has continued to entertain and inspire readers.  The new format allows the Kindle reader to easily access any part of the book, including the cookbook and dictionary.

And now, a word from my sister Spotted Eagle Horse:

When Tankse (elder sister) approached me about writing a novel from a Native American woman's point of view, I had serious reservations. Too often we, as Native people, are romanticized or stereotyped into the same tired versions of what people think we are, the "forgotten people" or "forgotten race", because so many fall for the stereotypes of us often portrayed in Hollywood movies, sports team mascots, and history books, not realizing that we are still here. We are over 500 culturally and linguistically distinct nations strong. We are still here - and still dancing.

So when asked if I was okay with her writing the book, and if I would act as a consultant, I had to pray to decide if such a project should go forward and if I felt worthy of adding my voice to such a project. Finally I talked over my fears with Debra, my brother and "Spiritual Advisor" Joe Red Bear, ultimately deciding to participate.

In Cedar Woman, Debra has bypassed a lot of the usual hype and BS often associated with Native culture, producing an honest, clear eyed look at who we really are, albeit through a fictional character. She deliberately decided to not show the darker side of our culture: something I appreciate!

I especially love how thorough she was in researching the subject matter, and I deeply admire her dedication to giving a more realistic look into our culture, including much of our Lakota language and several of our favorite recipes!

While I realize that, unless you have lived as a Native, either on or off the rez, you will never completely understand what it is to be Native. I think that Debra has a pretty good handle on who and what we as Native people are really about. And, thankfully, she did not rely on just my voice alone. The resulting story is one I am proud to say I was a part of, and I am proud to call her my "Sister By Choice".

Hecetu welo, mitakuye oyapi.
I have spoken, it is so. I am finished.

Mitakuye oyasin, all my relations.
Julie Spotted Eagle Horse Martineau

Cedar Woman can be purchased on Amazon here:Kindle
 and on Barnes and Noble Nook

Interview With Julie Spotted Eagle Horse

I'm so happy that we can do this together.

First of all, tell us a little about yourself: where you were born, and your life now.

Julie: I was born in South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge reservation; I now live in South East Iowa, in a small, rural community called Mediapolis, where I live with my husband Matthew, and my youngest son, Logan.

DSW: Where did you get your Native American names?

Julie: Good question! It is not something that you can just decide for yourself, nor can you approach anyone and ask for a name. A name has to be earned.

A part of the process is that you have to go to Ceremony, and have the person who is naming you, pray about it for a long while before a name is given, because when someone gives you a name, that gives them power over you. It also creates an obligation. When you are asked to name someone, you take on almost a familial responsibility for that person, because you are going to the Spirits on their behalf.

My "ordinary" name is TaSunka Wakan Wambli Gleska, which means "Spotted Eagle Horse," which is actually a man's name.... it was given to me in ceremony, and is partially based on a vision, and partially on my familial names.

My father calls me "Pisko" or "Pisko Onwaste" which means "Night Hawk" or "Gentle Night Hawk," which is his pet name for me, and I have no idea where that came from.

I am not comfortable talking about my medicine name in this format, I hope you will forgive me... to me it is a very sacred thing, and the circumstances behind it are also special, and I would rather not go into detail about it.

DSW: That is understandable, and as always, I respect your wishes.

You were my consultant on Cedar Woman. Why, aside from being my sister, did you want to take on such a big project?

Julie: As a Native woman, I wanted to address and dispel some of the more common misconceptions and stereotypes about Native peoples, and to let people know that we are still living within viable and vibrant cultures.

DSW: While writing Cedar Woman, I learned that the sweat lodge is sacred. Why is this so, and what are the taboos about sweat lodge regarding publishing?

This is what I was taught: these things are sacred; they are not to be shared via the written word. They are to be passed on, either verbally or through practical application of the ceremony with The People. And, as parochial or strange as it may sound, we do feel that there are those who will want to use these things to harm others, or for their own financial gain, and that is not the way these things should be used.

A good example is the tragedy that happened in Arizona, where all of those whites died in the so called "sweat lodge" that some white guy was charging upwards of $2,000 per person for! He was twisting our sacred ways and mixing them with New Age philosophies that have nothing to do with our Native ways, and as a result, others paid the price.

It is not that I feel that you are unworthy of this knowledge, but rather it is more of a way of protecting our traditions, while sharing as much as I can with them.

There ARE books out there that purport to "share" our secrets, but a lot of them are slanted, and are intended not for education, but rather for the writers own financial gain. The exception to this would be the books by Black Elk, as he gives basic knowledge, but also protects our traditions.

And something very important for your readers to know, you should NEVER pay for ceremony!

DSW: What else in Cedar Woman is sacred that had to be "managed" by you before publication?
Julie: There were a lot of references to sacred things, that for Native peoples, in a lot of ways, are a part of daily life, and yet it is not appropriate to share them through this medium. A good example is the Wiping of the Tears Ceremony, another is a Healing Ceremony. Again, it is not that I think that you are unworthy of this knowledge, but rather it is straddling that fine line between sharing just enough, but still protecting our ways.

DSW: Julie, I understand that the ceremonies of the people are very sacred. Tell us then, why you gave your permission for me to represent them in Cedar Woman.

Julie: I felt that you could present our beliefs and ceremonies in such a way that your readers could get the gist of what happens, without crossing over the boundaries of what CAN be shared.

If I did not trust you, or think that you could do this, I would not have allowed you to print anything about our ceremonies.

DSW: Thank you again, Julie. It has been such an incredible honor, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

Are you pleased to educate the public about the Lakota way of life? If so, why?

Julie: I am very proud of who I am, and where I come from. I am very humbled and honored to be able to share these ways with non-native peoples.

DSW: Are you finding people receptive to your efforts?
Julie: Most people do not take me too seriously when they first meet me, because even though I am Native, I have just enough white blood to make you doubt my honesty,  Once we get passed the initial skepticism, then most people are willing to listen.

DSW: Are The People growing more or less interested in preserving the old ways? If more, why?

Julie: I have been seeing a growing trend among Native Nations to hold on to our old ways, and to share them with the next generation. This is a good thing! A lot of schools have classes where the children are only allowed to speak their Native languages. Some of the colleges now offer courses in Native culture and language.

DSW: Are your children interested in their traditions?

Julie: Yes and no. They are interested in some of the traditions, and my son has started to attend powwows and Ceremony with me, but they do not take it as seriously as I wish they would.

DSW: What is the most important thing about your life/culture that you want others to know?

Julie: That we are still here: that we, as Native peoples, are still living, viable, and enjoy rich cultures that exist outside of history books or bad westerns .

DSW: How have things improved / regressed in the past few years?

Julie: Right now, our worst problems are alcoholism, gangs, drugs, lack of infrastructure, financial shortages, and chronic unemployment. I don't know how many well meaning groups I have seen come in with the intention of trying to improve things on the rez, then they run out of money or loose interest, and they are gone. They are trying to work against our culture, and they could do better by working with our culture, and investing in us for the long term.

DSW: What would you like to see happen in the near future?

I would like to see alcoholism, gangs, and drug addiction treatment and prevention programs be instituted, as well as our health care industry improved on the rez.

DSW: What do you believe the future of your people to be in your neck of the woods / in the country as a whole?

Julie: I think that we, as Native peoples, will continue to thrive, and flourish, despite all obstacles.

DSW: Do you have any projects in the near future?

Julie: Right now I am chairing and actively fundraising/writing grants for two powwows that are held in Farmington, Iowa

DSW: Julie, in Cedar Woman, I mention that you make jewelry. Tell us about your work, and what participants in the upcoming raffle can hope to win.

Julie: Per your request, I made up some one of a kind pieces of jewelry that are based on traditional designs, and made using traditional materials. These items include a one of a kind loop necklace that is made using dentalium shells, and pony beads that was based on an old design that is still in use today! Other items include a macaw feather scalp drop, and various styles of earrings.

I am also working on a t-shirt line, based on my frybread company, called "The Darkside Frybread Company."

For my jewelry, I love to use materials that have interesting shapes and textures, such as amber, magnesite, turquoise, bone, porcupine quills, seed beads, dentalium and cowrie shells, and howlite.

One of my favorite things is to see a piece at a powwow, study it, and then copy it at home for myself. I have saved myself a LOT of money that way,

I also try to honor my ancestors by recreating traditional designs, and using traditional materials. For me, it is a way to connect with my past, and to express my Native side.

Living in the "white world," there is so much pressure to conform to societal norms, and for me at least, this is a way to express myself.

I do not limit myself to just jewelry though. I also do bead work using traditional materials such as brain tanned leather, and seed beads in old style colors, as well as working in rawhide, earth pigments, hide glue, and feathers.

DSW: Thank you, Julie.  This has been fascinating.  I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to help those of us outside of your culture to understand the ways of our first settlers.

Julie's beautiful and one-of-a-kind jewelry can be seen at the following web address:

http://eaglewingspowwowdesigns.angelfire.com

Cedar Woman

Cedar Woman is finally out after two years of intensive research, and a lot of fun in the writing. Launching a book is like raising a child in many ways: you have great hopes, are very proud, and worry about how it will survive out there in the big, wide world.

Paramount in my creating Cedar Woman was the wish to, not only write a book that my readers will enjoy reading again and again, but the desire to represent The People, the Lakota Sioux, with all respect, and with absolute truth to the best of my ability. I also wanted to show that their customs, beliefs and desires are universal in many ways, and deserve the respect any people deserve. To be able to write about these things intelligently, and with honor, I had to immerse myself into their culture as much as possible.

My sister, Julie Spotted Eagle Horse Martineau, was invaluable in the process of researching and understanding The People as far as their culture, beliefs and ceremonies were concerned. She spent endless hours on the phone with me and wrote many emails explaining everything from, what it is like to be struck by lightning, to how to build a sweat lodge.

With Julie’s help, I also learned a lot of the Lakota language. I’ve always loved listening to and learning new languages, and speak some Spanish and read a little French. Now I was learning yet another, word-by-word, and enjoying the flavor of the words of the Lakota Plains Native American, or NdN as The People prefer.

I had personally been through an Hunkapi, or Making of Relatives Ceremony, a Naming Ceremony, Sweat Lodge and Wopila or Thank You ceremony, and could draw from those experiences, but living in Central Ohio as I do, I needed to get to know my heroine, Lena Cedar Woman as well as I knew myself.

To get started, I set up character sheets. To make them come alive to my readers, my characters had to be living, breathing people to me.

On each sheet I wrote the character's name, appearance (hair, eye color, height, build), when and where they were born and when key things happened to them. Also included were likes, dislikes, any hobbies, quirks, basic personality, etc. They were ongoing reference sheets. That is, when something key happened to them, I added what it was, and when, and any other information I would need to be able to refer back to it.

I based my characters on people I knew or knew of. For instance, Michael Young Bear was based, physically, on Christopher Reeve, and Lena Cedar Woman on my cousin Vicki. I described Vicki to a tee when describing Lena, except for her anomaly, which I can’t divulge here. :-)

Logan was based on my sister Julie’s son Logan and my son Chris, rolled in to one, and Sonny Glass was based on the wonderful actor, whom I’ve had a crush on most of my life, Clint Walker.

Locations were taken from places I’d been. For instance, Lena’s condo is the condo I lived in before I married. Her house in Westerville is my house. Restaurants and apartments are all from buildings that I am familiar with from my childhood until now.

Then came the outline. It wasn’t carved in stone, but it gave me a road map. I also inserted dates on the outline because it can be so easy to get lost and mess up your dates, ages, etc.

Once the book began to take shape, I got a writing partner – a woman who was willing to invest a lot of time with me discussing the project: the characters, for instance, what they would wear, how they felt, how they would react to something or someone: like gossip, without consequences. Since I help her with her projects, this makes for a very comfortable relationship since we know each other’s writing styles intimately.

Research begun, characters created and documented, a few hours on the phone with my writing partner, outline written, I began to write. (I write sequentially as a general rule.)

As I finished each chapter, my partner read it, looking for typos, punctuation, spelling, grammatical errors, and as the story progressed, continuity. Did I forget to check one of my references pages and mess up a date? Did I decide to change the age of a character in chapter four and forget to go back and change it in chapters one - three? That sort of thing.

I remember the first time I read Barbara Taylor Bradford's Hold The Dream, the sequel to A Woman of Substance - one of my favorite books. I was a little disappointed when I read, "being identical twins," when referring to Paula's babies. Either this was a major brain burp, or at one point in writing the book, Ms. Bradford had the children as both boys or both girls. Somewhere she apparently changed her mind, making one a boy and one a girl, and forgot to change the identical twin reference. It taught me a valuable lesson and it is one of the reasons I have a writing partner. Had I been Ms. Bradford's, the mistake would have been caught. Okay, well one can dream, can't they!

Once the book was completed, I again edited, and then I edited, and then I....edited. When that was completed, I found three volunteers to read the book. Their reward being that they don't have to buy the book to enter the raffle and win prizes which is coming up in March.

One looks simply for punctuation, one for spelling and grammar and one for continuity and ambiguity. (I know what I was saying, does the reader?)

Before I began writing, and then half way through the book, I traveled to powwows, where Native Americans of different tribes gather to celebrate their culture, dance and beliefs, with my sister, Julie Spotted Eagle Horse, or Spot as her friends call her. Stepping into the arena to dance was very intimidating. I don’t like being the center of attention, yet there I was, dancing unfamiliar steps, while at the same time, trying to show deep respect. It was a good time, and I learned a lot. I made many new friends with whom I remain in touch, experienced new foods, admired endless adorable babies, and witnessed the devotion the dancers have, not only for the style of dance they have chosen, such as hoop, jingle and traditional, for instance, but their regalia as well, which includes patterns and beading handed down for generations.

When finished, I was proud of my creation. I truly believe that I wrote something which is good and true, respectful and admiring. It is truly a good representation of a people whom I admire with all of my heart.

Still, the heart of Cedar Woman is about Lena Cedar Woman, her trials and sorrows, her triumphs and joys, and her ability to stand up to tragedy, move forward, and change the lives and fortunes of the people she loves.

It is, at heart, a romance: Cedar Woman’s love for her parents, her mentor, her career and her half-side – her true love. I believe that I have instilled some sweetness, along with the strength that Cedar Woman possesses, and I know that I have proven that Mitakuye Oyasin: We Are All Related.

Cedar Woman Released

Best Selling Author Releases Her New Novel, Cedar Woman

Cedar Woman by Debra Shiveley Welch takes readers into the heart of a modern day heroine.

January 13, 2011 - Readers should proceed with caution if they plan to read at a leisurely pace. The newly released novel, Cedar Woman, by Debra Shiveley Welch is a page-turner that grabs the reader and keeps them there until the last satisfying word is finished.

In a review of the book, Janet Huderski, Queens, New York states “Although we share this nation with a people who lived here long before we arrived, few of us get to experience the beauty and reverence of the beliefs and customs of the original settlers in the up close Debra Shiveley Welch presents this for us in this, her newest novel…the highly entertaining, heart-warming tale of the fascinating, Lena "Cedar Woman" Young Bear and her family, makes this a book that's an experience as well as a story.”

Lena travels to Columbus, Ohio at age 12 after tragedy befalls her family. It is here, in the capital city, that a chance encounter leads her to her destiny and allows her to change the lives and fortunes of those she loves. A true romance, Cedar Woman combines all the elements of an endearing and powerful women’s fiction novel with the traditions and language of the Lakota Sioux.

For those readers who enjoy an intelligent, strong and insightful heroine, Cedar Woman does not disappoint. From the first page to the last word of Debra’s newest offering, Cedar Woman, the reader is immersed in the story as if they are walking within the pages themselves.

A master storyteller and bestselling author, Debra Shiveley Welch has won numerous awards for her previous works, including Allbooks Review’s Editor’s Choice 2010 for her nonfiction book Son of My Soul – The Adoption of Christopher.

Ms. Welch resides on a beautiful private lake in Westerville, Ohio with her husband Mark of 24 years and their son Christopher. She is at present working on her next novel, Ista Numpa, the sequel to Cedar Woman.

You can join her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/debra.s.welch#!/debra.s.welch or visit her website at www.DebraShiveleyWelch.net

Publicist - Kim Emerson – 435-327-2331

Debra Shiveley Welch – 614-882-6683

Saga Books
sagabooks@wildroseinternet.ca

ISBN- 1897512376

Price: $15.95

Sold at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and your corner book store

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