THE SAGA BEGINS. . .

The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits (Book I)

An Air Force veteran pays the ultimate price when he discovers a scandal-ridden Top-Secret facility built beneath sacred land, forcing his grieving widow and Cheyenne best friend into a deadly conspiracy where corporate power, ancient prophecy, and government corruption collide.

U.S. Air Force veteran, Bryan Reynolds, is an IT guru. Thus, when he hears a rumor that a massive U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project is under construction, not far from his vacation cabin in the Colorado Rockies, he sets out to see what he can find online.

What he discovers blows his mind–a massive, underground facility dubbed “PURF.” The Pearson Underground Residential Facility. Built at taxpayer expense to protect lobbyists in the event of an apocalypse.

Outraged, he and his wife, Sara, head out on cross-country skis to PURF’s location seeking physical evidence. They are not disappointed. A gigantic boring machine, drilling equipment, and other construction machinery repose in the snow-covered landscape. They take a multitude of photos, then head back to their cabin, his plan to release everything to WikiLeaks.

They never arrive.

A black ops site security team ambushes them at a treacherous curve rimming Dead Horse Canyon. They T-bone Bryan’s Silverado with their military-grade SUV, sending it over the edge.

Both Bryan and Sara die. As they hover as souls freed from their bodies above the wreckage, he knows he’d done-for. But she’s not. He pleads with her to go back. The people must know how corrupt the government has become.

Sara returns, albeit reluctantly, but has a problem. All she remembers is Bryan’s plea, “Don’t let them get away with this!”

Nothing about PURF. Nothing about what they saw. Nothing about the damning files her husband hacked. Yet, Bryan’s plea smolders in the empty place in her heart since losing the love of her life.

Bryan’s Cheyenne best friend for over two decades, Charlie Littlewolf, is devastated by the suspicious death of his white brother. Avenging his death is not an option. Even though it requires him to return to the teachings of his medicine man grandfather that he shunned years before.

And thus this cross-cultural mystery thriller begins.

Book Trailer

Pre-Release Review

A thriller that focuses on corporate crime and ecological issues while enlightening us on the state of the Indian community in Colorado and its relevance in the modern world. . . The author’s signature style is evident as she combines expert storytelling with carefully-researched subplots that weave character-driven pacing alongside a fact-filled backdrop. Fox, a NASA veteran and science scholar, gives us an informative overview of the mining industry and fracking issues that have compromised the environment in Colorado.

–Reviewed by John Reinhard Dizon

5-Star Editorial Review from The Book Commentary

Authors Marcha Fox and Pete Risingsun have crafted a fascinating blend of historical mystery and the supernatural that is as suspenseful as it is entertaining. The characters are elaborately written and lovable. How the past affects the present is a cleverly handled theme, and the narrative highlights the enduring consequences of greed and disrespect for the land. Exploring Cheyenne culture and spirituality through Charlie’s quest is particularly engaging. While the plot is intricate, the authors keep the reader invested in Sara and Charlie’s pursuit of the truth. While providing some answers, the ending leaves enough threads for the next book in the series. This is a thought-provoking start to a saga that promises to delve deeper into the land’s mysteries and the power of ancestral connections. The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits is boldly written, tautly plotted, and expertly delivered.

Reviewed by George Buehlman

5-Star Readers’ Favorite Review

Reviewed By Susan Sewell for Readers’ Favorite

Conspiracy and murder have taken place in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the chilling thriller, The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon (Cheyenne Spirits) by Marcha Fox and Pete Risingsun. Both of them dying at the scene of a car wreck, Sara Reynolds watches her husband Bryan go into the light just before returning to her body. Before he moves into the light, Bryan requests that Sara expose those who murdered him. However, when Sara awakens in the hospital, she has no memories relating to the day their pickup plummeted down the side of the mountain. As her health improves, the feeling that the wreck wasn’t an accident persists. When she is once again the victim of another near-fatal accident, Sara realizes someone wants her dead. Why is Sara being targeted? Had Bryan’s computer hacking skills unearthed a deadly secret that someone thinks Sara knows?

Brimming with drama and suspense, The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon (Cheyenne Spirits) by Marcha Fox and Pete Risingsun is the first book in an exciting new series. Opening with a heart-rending scene, the story captured my interest from the outset. Infused with a sense of danger, the intricate plot and dramatic storyline create a breathtaking and intense story. Containing a fascinating combination of Cheyenne and Dine spiritual practices seasoned with astrology, the novel is educational as well as entertaining. The Cheyenne fasting vigil, spirit animals, and the medicine wheel combined with astrology readings are intriguing aspects of the story that are genuine and authentic. It is an exceptional novel complete with conspiracy, intrigue, and murder that will enthrall everyone who has an affinity for suspenseful thrillers with just a smidgen of the paranormal.

Book Excellence Award

The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits received an additional honor when it was judged a finalist in the prestigious Book Excellence Award competition. Founded in Toronto, Canada, the Book Excellence Awards comprises an international book awards competition dedicated to recognizing both independent and traditionally published authors for excellence in writing, design, and overall market appeal. Previous Winners and Finalists of the Book Excellence Awards have been New York Times’ best-sellers, spoken at the United Nations and TEDx, and have had their books optioned by movie studios. It’s an honor to be numbered among them.

Page Turner Award Winner!

The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits was a winner in the international Page Turner Award competition! The Page Turner Awards, sponsored by ProWritingAid and Campfire, offers authors, writers, and screenwriters the chance to enter the first 10 pages of their writing project, where a judging panel of literary experts and film producers will read the work. Thousands of books are submitted, so it is a huge honor to be among the few chosen winners. It was exciting to progress from being a finalist, to the Long List, to the Short List, and finally the winners’ circle.

PINNACLE AWARD WINNER!

It is truly humbling that this story has garnered so much recognition. Pete and I knew we had a great story, but this outside validation is very gratifying. It was chosen as the Fall 2021 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for cross-cultural thrillers from the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs (NABE). Each year, for the past 40 years, NABE has selected some of the finest books published by their members for this honor. The award draws attention to high quality stories to assist libraries and bookstores in their selections.

Silver Medal Global Book Awards

The Global Awards aim to discover new talent as well as recognize fine examples of self-published books. As such, we hope they will give self-published authors the recognition they deserve, whether that is in their writing creativity, or in the way they have marketed their books to attract new readers.

In this modern age of self-publishing, books need to be appraised not only by their content and writing style, but also by the way they present and market themselves to the prospective buyer, whether that is in the good ratings it has on important stores like Amazon, its book cover and description, or the number of reviews it has collected. They must also appeal to new readers so part of the evaluation included a survey asking avid readers to select the top 5 books they enjoyed the most. The awards are grouped by category (or genre) and divided into Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Award Finalists. “The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits” received the Silver Medal in the Westerns category.

As seen on: