Dear Readers:

After a long hiatus in my writing…I am once again channeling my efforts back to the media that I love. I am trying to look at my professional life of being downsized as a good thing and attempting to reignite my creative juices that were stalled by the stress of my former employer that sent me home often to tired to think. The Café of No Return is nearing a completion and I am very pleased and optimistic about it. Also I have begun to put all those long hand notes of mine to computer for Valley of the Skinwalker. Thanks to all of my readers for being so patient while I straightened out my priorities in life! You are all wonderful. Welcome also to my upgraded Happy Pet Caretaker that I have done part-time for over 14 years…I am making that my full-time job and it has brought much joy into my life and enabled me to once again be happy and creative. I will be posting a few selections from CONR soon.

Recently it has come to my attention that a lot of younger people and people my own age are not watching black and white films because they are “old”! OMG! Shame on you folks! I love special effects as much as the next guy, but you are missing out on an entire world of film that is wonderful. Some of my favorite films are black and white. I can’t even imagine never seeing them! Explore the older films, you are missing out on many “gems” that you consider old.

I have been intrigued with Musical Freestyle for a long time now. It is fascinating to me to put movements to music and have it ‘snap’. I am looking forward to trying to put something together in the future. If anyone out there has advice on picking music or choreography, I’d love to hear from you.

Leaving the world of fiction, I would like to blog about a subject that is important to me. The subject is horse slaughter. It appears that many are divided on this issue, but my feelings are firm. THERE SHOULD NOT BE HORSE SLAUGHTER! Period! End of story! We built our country thanks to these wonderful animals. They have been there for us through every turn in our history and this is how we repay them? Sorry, I’m not buying it! Illinois is trying to reinstate horse slaughter. They are now calling it horse harvesting, making it sound like we want to use our horses for farming, ha! Don’t be uneducated people. Horse harvesting means they will reopen the packing plant in DeKalb!

The economy is to blame for the horse industry, not the lack of slaughter. We need to reeducate people to be more selective about breeding more animals when the market is overflowing…and no one is looking at the other end of slaughter. How about those double decker trailers and accidents? These should be illegal across the country. How about all those people whose horses are stolen and sold to the slaughter houses before they have a chance to find them. The slaughter houses themselves do not scan for a chipped horse until AFTER they are dead! What good does that do the rightful owners!?! Don’t be fooled by the politicians lining their pockets by the people that want these plants reopened. They are not humane!

We have a park dedicated to these wonderful animals in Kentucky, how is it possible that we make them so disposable? I thank all three of my horses that I’ve had through my life for all the wonderful gifts they have given me. When their times have/will come…they will be put down in the correct fashion and be allowed to die with dignity and surrounded by someone who loved them their entire life. Write your Senators – all of them. Let them know that you think there should be alternatives. JUST SAY NEIGH TO HORSE SLAUGHTER!

KEEP AMERICAS HORSES IN THE STABLE AND OFF THE TABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex Markum is about to face her biggest challenge yet. A Skinwalker. What is a Skinwalker you ask? Read on if you dare…

A Skinwalker is a Native American shaman that has turned rogue, or for the Star Wars fan, turned to the dark side of their power. The Skinwalkers are human beings who have gained supernatural power by breaking a cultural taboo. Frequently they have a supernatural talent to turn into a certain creature(s).

The Skinwalker legend is covered in many cultures. Mohawk Indians call them ‘limikkin’ Navajo call them yee nadlooshii also referred to as a Navajo witch. Cherokee call them Stigginni, the Norse folklore calls a Skinwalker a person who can travel in the shape of an animal and learn secrets, or take on certain characteristics of an animal. The use of an animal shape is considered unholy and people accused of having such abilities were frequently cast out or summarily executed. Both Apache and Hopi have their own folklore interpretation of the Skinwalkers capabilities.

Skinwalker activity can be like Trickster or Poltergeists. Doors open and slam shut, materials like salt and pepper are switched in their containers. Objects disappear and reappear later in strange places. Skinwalkers are fast, agile, and impossible to catch. They cannot be shot.

While it is virtually impossible to kill a Skinwalker in human form, there are magical ways to kill a Skinwalker.

We all wish Alex good luck with this one! If you’re a fan, write and let me know what you think. Alex’s next adventure should be a doozy!

September 26 & September 27 2009, Rebecca attended the Holistic Horse Fair hosted at the Horse First Farm in Brooklyn, WI. It was a fascinating fair filled with informative information for the horse owner. I met many fine attendees and sold multiple copies of both The Ghosts of Grand Detour and Guardians of Cahokia. I would look forward to hearing from any of you that I met there.

For those of you that know me well, you know that I am always on the run and my website has been the poor orphan that has taken a backseat for way too long! Enter Dave Lewis…thankfully also my neighbor who is a WIZ at the WEB! Thanks to him, I can now have an up to date site that I can more easily maintain and look forward to changes instead of dreading a complete overhaul which would take me forever. So many thanks to him and making my life as an author much easier! Now I can write more and hopefully get notes quickly from any readers out there who want to share. GREAT! Now I look forward to hearing from all of you. Please use the contact page and give me a note! – Rebecca