Tag: books

Did I Channel this Trilogy?

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, conspiracies, Government Policies, Indian Reservations, Medicine Wheel, mining, Native American history, Native American Prophecy, Native American Wisdom, Native Americans, Northern Cheyenne culture, Spirit Medicine, Story excerpts

Okay, folks. Here’s the deal.

Pete Risingsun, my coauthor, and I did a vast amount of research when we wrote “The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon” trilogy. The depiction of the Cheyenne culture is accurate. The history referred to in the stories really happened, save that which was clearly made-up, though even that was feasible. Abandoned mines definitely are a pollution issue. The astrology is actual for the time and place and characters involved, which is weird and another blog in itself.

But if there was one thing that was made up it was the source of the conspiracy, i.e., the Pearson Underground Residence Facility (PURF).

Or was it?

My jaw dropped when a friend sent me this article about just that, such a facility on an even grander scale than I have in our novel! Check it out here.

The article in The New York Post linked above opens with the following paragraph, “The federal government has secretly spent trillions building an elaborate network of subterranean ‘cities’ where the rich and powerful can shelter during a ‘near-extinction event,’ a former Bush White House official sensationally claimed.”

Much of its source and, if you’ll excuse the expression “from the horse’s mouth,” can be found in this short video (12 minutes) where Elizabeth Austin Fitts, who served as the assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Housing between 1989 and 1990, talks about it on Tucker Carson’s podcast.

While I knew there were plenty of underground bases (because the History Channel says so, right?) which made PURF credible, I had no idea it was even worse than I imagined!

So if anyone out there thinks that part of the story is a stretch, bear in mind that they have actually spent even more, by several orders of magnitude, than I have noted in the books. We’re talking TRILLIONS whereas in the story it was BILLIONS.

The money probably came from those “magic money machines” the DOGE team found, right? The actual corruption coming out these days makes my fictitious situation pale by comparison.

While Pete and I were writing these books I was amazed by how many actual situations–historical and otherwise–fit perfectly. Particularly, as we researched Cheyenne ceremonies, much came out that drove and further defined the storyline. I didn’t know anything about the Massaum as the Earth Giving Ceremony, the meeting of Indigenous leaders at Walker Lake, Nevada, or any number of other things when I conceived this story. I knew how it would end but I had no idea how.

As I look back, I can’t help but wonder where this story came from? Mine and Pete’s imagination? I may have mentioned this before, but I’m what they call a “pantser,” not a “plotter.” In other words, I write “by the seat of my pants.”

I start with a very general idea/theme in mind. I populate it with characters and turn them loose. I’m more of a scribe than an author making the story up. I simply watch what they do and write it down. My characters repeatedly get themselves into scrapes where I have absolutely no idea how they’ll get out.

But they do. Usually in some way I never dreamed of.

Did I channel these books rather than make them up?

I think most of us can agree there are other dimensions out there. Psychic phenomena are very real and no doubt operate in some other reality beyond what we can currently detect. Did these stories actually take place in one of them?

I had much the same experience while writing the Star Trails Tetralogy, especially in “The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51″ in developing the science behind a telepathic walking plant.

One of the reasons I love research is all the amazing, serendipitous factoids I uncover that fit and often drive the plot and action. It’s as if the story is already out there, just waiting for some writer’s muse to whisper it in their ear.

I must say, not knowing what will happen makes writing as much fun as reading. I like to think that if it has me in suspense that such will be conveyed to my readers as well.

Here’s one teaser from “Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose” where I had absolutely no idea what would happen. The character in question popped up quite late in the book, but she fit perfectly.

If you’d like to get the entire trilogy in a single mega-ebook that also includes some bonus material about that Earth Giving Ceremony, you can pick one up on Amazon here.

Let me know in the comments what you think regarding where stories come from as well as whether you find my stories predictable. Like I say, I know how they’ll end, but rarely if ever know how it comes about.

Navigating the Review from Hell

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, Book Status, Indigenous wisdom, Northern Cheyenne culture

I believe that most artists, like myself, are basically insecure. Especially those of us who are perfectionists. We’re acutely aware of any flaws in our work and cringe at their discovery. Nonetheless, authors look forward to readers’ reviews, albeit with fingers crossed, that they’ll be good.

Imagine my horror when my latest release got an abysmal 2-star nasty review! Not only had I made a mistake that she gleefully pointed out, but said it was “long and boring.”

OMG!

Part of what she criticized actually was a mistake (and perfectionist that I am, immediately corrected), but clearly she didn’t have the same experience I had with how some Texans butcher English grammar.

It’s been said that a book doesn’t have true credibility until it has a few “bad” reviews. True as that may be, it’s not much consolation when it’s your book. Especially when it was only the second review posted, so it dragged the rating down significantly, as you can see above.

I immediately turned to people I know who’d read it as well as the previous two books and asked for their honest opinion. I really wanted to know if it was that bad, not fishing for unworthy praise. If it was truly that awful I was ready to unpublish it and do some serious editing. I was told that it was just fine, there was nothing wrong with it, the person simply didn’t “get it.”

Only slightly consoled, I decided to follow the advice of a fellow author’s blog which stated to check out the bad reviews given to some of the classics.

Such as this 1-star review of Hemingway’s “Farewell to Arms” that states, “This is, according to critics, one of Hemingway’s best books. If so, I really cannot fathom his greatness. Really boring book that feels neither exciting nor, for that matter, educational. Just dry…”

That helped.

Then I found this 3-star review for Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Tale of Two Cities:” It’s dense, wordy, and often confusing, making the story tough to follow and, at times, flat-out boring. The writing felt clunky, not lyrical, bogging down the epic scope with unclear details and slow pacing.

By then I was starting to see my reader friends were right. It’s all a matter of “getting” the story’s meaning. Having the mental and emotional depth to comprehend something that’s not the usual straight-line plot loaded with continual action is not every reader’s superpower.

Did being described as “boring” rank me with other great misunderstood authors?

Probably not, but it was a pleasant, albeit fleeting, thought. 😉

The reviewer admitted she’d “skipped” several parts and hated the ending. No doubt by skipping certain parts she missed the context leading up to the finale, detracting from its impact and meaning.

As I write this, I know of at least one reader who is already reading it for the second time. Her first read was a marathon race to whiz through it, just wanting to know what happened. Now she’s reading it to savor and absorb all that it contains.

The book has 569 pages. That is definitely long.

Why?


Let’s just say I have more than one shelf filled with books used researching this story along with my co-author, Pete Risingsun.

We read thousands of pages. More time was spent researching and crafting the story than writing it. Our idea of “perfection” was to present an accurate representation of Cheyenne culture, ancient and modern, as well as all they suffered at the hands of the U.S. Government. Their ceremonies have deep spiritual meaning, often beyond the comprehension of readers whose view of Native Americans hails from watching old TV shows like Gunsmoke depicting the “Old West” with its “cowboys and Indians.”

A 5-star review I found for Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” helps explain this syndrome. This wise reviewer states, “I feel that this book is not viewed as being one of the top tier of Dickens works due to the fact that it is thrust upon grade 9 students as an introduction to literary classics and, being so, its impact and overall cultural power has become diluted due to the audience that initially received it. It is not in regards to the content of the work itself. The intellectual abilities of students of this educational level are not able to understand the historical era, appreciate the fluent descriptive nature of the writing nor to comprehend the literary nuances that the author presents.”

And there you have it.

Readers may consider a story “boring” when they can’t grasp its depth, context, and meaning.

Granted, many books lack all three and are the ones I’d be likely to give a 2-star review along with those riddled with typos, poor formatting, grammatical errors, plot holes, and so forth.

Reviews say as much about the reviewer as they do about the book. If they scare away readers like themselves that’s a good thing if it precludes more unfavorable reviews, right?

Forgive me for sounding defensive, but the fact the book earned both a Book Excellence Award and 5-stars from Readers’ Favorite since that horrific review helped restore my confidence. Hopefully, those awards also restore enough credibility for the story to highlight that bad review for what it is.

In the aftermath of that 2-star slam, truly the worst I’ve ever had, I cherish the Readers’ Favorite reviewer’s statement.

“This finale succeeds with a perfect 10 landing. Very, very highly recommended.”

It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Needless to say, I’m beyond grateful that she “got it.”

Following the Same Path

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, Book Status, conspiracies, Indigenous wisdom, Native American Prophecy, Native Americans, Northern Cheyenne culture, Spirit Medicine, spirituality

I am very pleased to report that “The Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose” has received both a Book Excellence Award and a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite. I give tremendous credit to the reviewer, Jamie Michele, who had a heavy task, dealing with the final book in this long, complex saga. I’m beyond grateful she was clearly up to it, however, and comprehended the significance and import of the events. Here is what she had to say:

“The Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose by Marcha Fox and Pete Risingsun is the finale to the Dead Horse Canyon Saga. In books one and two, Sara Reynolds recalls only her husband Bryan’s dying plea to discover his killers after a deadly crash. With the help of Bryan’s friend, Charlie Littlewolf, and ancient ceremonies, they uncover the truth behind Bryan’s murder, sending their lives into turmoil.

“As Charlie roils with conflict over his oil drilling job, he also faces his true destiny on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. Meanwhile, Sara risked her life to expose a government conspiracy that was ready to silence her permanently. Now, Sara fights for survival after the attack that left her paralyzed, and Charlie vows to help her heal. His journey to Bear Butte reveals a destiny tied to restoring the ancient Massaum ceremony. As corrupt officials celebrate a secret facility’s opening, Indigenous leaders gather, fulfilling long-held prophecies that could change the fate of Dead Horse Canyon forever.

“’Do not become afraid when the Sweet Medicine Spirits come to you. Do not disobey them. Be humble and do what you are told.’

“The Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon by Marcha Fox and Pete Risingsun stands out for its sharp writing and complete ability to immerse readers, especially in Charlie’s spiritual transformation. Poor Sara just cannot get a break. Attacked, paralyzed, kidnapped, and then labeled a domestic terrorist and sanctioned! This isn’t just a fight for survival; this is about the power of truth in the face of overwhelming opposition.

“Charlie fits into this description, with a spectacular ceremony for Sara’s healing, but also as a powerful catalyst when he is in the presence of Grandmother Earth and the consequences of his actions. Fox and Risingsun are a dream writing team in every way, and, culturally, this portrayal of Charlie’s heritage is painted from the sky to the smallest pebble and the fire burning in between. The pacing is elevated by point of view shifts and all the drama, but also a surprising relationship transformation as well. Ultimately, this finale succeeds with a perfect 10 landing.

“Very, very highly recommended.”

Every author believes in their work but receiving validation from an objective reviewer who doesn’t know you from Adam is worth its weight in gold. Self-promotion is not my superpower, making me appreciate the kudos even more.

If you haven’t yet read the trilogy, all three volumes are coming out April 18 as a box set ebook on Amazon. You can preorder your copy here.

Do You Hate Cliffhangers?

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Status, Native American history, Native American Prophecy, Native Americans, Northern Cheyenne culture, Uncategorized

Are you a reader like my daughter who avoids serials* until all volumes have been released?

Like the Curse of Dead Horse Canyon trilogy?

Sorry about the wait, folks. Two factors slowed down the saga’s completion: Disruptions to both authors’ lives and research.

Especially research!

If you’ve been waiting, (even though book 3 came out awhile back), your patience is about to pay off.

All three novels will be released as a single mega boxset ebook on April 18!

Preorder now to reserve your copy at a bargain price of $9.99 with the ebook delivered electronically as soon as its released. All three books are complete and unabridged, 2266 pages worth plus an addendum not found anywhere else.

See? Good things come to those who wait.

Assuming you haven’t read book 3, “The Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose,” you’ll find it has a different pace than the others, especially once Charlie embarks on his ceremonial four-day fast.

Be prepared for a deep dive into Cheyenne history, culture, and ceremonies seldom represented in fiction! Those of you who relish immersion in anthropology through fictitious characters and situations imbued with historical truth will treasure these chapters.

Not so much if you’re looking for wham-bang suspense with no other substance.

I must warn you, however, if you’re tempted to skip the fasting sequence, be aware it’s the most consequential part, not only of the third book, but the entire saga. Consider that it drove the title as well as the picture of the Sacred Mountain on the original cover. The ending has far less meaning without that context, as one disgruntled reader expressed in a very nasty review.

Readers’ Favorite, however, gave it 5-stars and a glowing review that among other complimentary things states, “Stands out for its sharp writing and complete ability to immerse readers, especially in Charlie’s spiritual transformation. [His] heritage is painted from the sky to the smallest pebble and the fire burning in between. This finale succeeds with a perfect 10 landing. Very, very highly recommended.”

The cover for the ebook trilogy is a bit different than the others. Not only does it feature “AI Charlie,” whom you may have already met in the trailer video, but blatantly captures the saga’s overall theme. The trilogy’s description has a different spin when viewed from the ten-thousand foot level. Same novels, but the collective vibe is slightly different. Furthermore, upon request, a glossary of Native American words and phrases has been added along with a closer look at the Earth Giving Ceremony too detailed to include in the story.

 Its online description states:

The Curse of Dead Horse Trilogy ebook includes all three books of this multi-award winning saga! If you hate cliffhangers and waited until it was complete, this is what you’ve been waiting for. Furthermore, the addendum includes a glossary as well as additional information on Cheyenne practices with a comprehensive look at their Earth Giving Ceremony.

Order your copy now and prepare to be consumed by a story that brings a vast government conspiracy face-to-face with Cheyenne history, prophesy, and ceremony. After centuries of lies, oppression and broken treaties will justice be served at last?

You can preorder your copy here.

I hope you enjoy the completion of this saga. I must admit that I knew exactly how it was going to end from the first book, but didn’t know how it would transpire until Charlie’s fast. The research was worth its weight in gold showing how the ending was not so much of a stretch after all. Prophesy tends to be fulfilled, sooner or later.

*Per Google AI, “While both “serial” and “series” refer to a sequence of things, “series” generally describes a collection of related items or events, while “serial” specifically implies a story or narrative told in installments, often with an ongoing plot.”

THE WORLD OF THE MAIYUN

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, conspiracies, Indigenous wisdom, Native American history, Native American Wisdom, Native Americans, Northern Cheyenne culture, Spirit Animals, Spirit Medicine, spirituality

My method of writing is generally referred to as a “pantser,” i.e., I write by the seat of my pants. The other prevalent writing style that of a “plotter,” where the author determines the entire story, scene by scene, in an outline. I tried plotting, but my characters persistently got out of hand. They’d refuse to follow my plan and do their own thing. It didn’t take long to discover they had a better grip on the story than I did. Thus, I became a “pantser.” I populate my story idea with characters, then sit back to watch what they do as would a dutiful scribe.

I began work on this saga before connecting with my co-author, Pete Risingsun. I had a handle on the story’s government conspiracy angle, but lacked cultural knowledge of my main character, Cheyenne Charlie Littlewolf. I wrote what he told me to, but didn’t know whether it was feasible.

As a science fiction author, I wondered.

Was my imagination getting carried away?

I tend to obsess over accuracy and can get carried away with research. I started reading books on Native American cultures, but I needed to find a Cheyenne elder who could let me know if what I had written from Charlie’s point of view was accurate or too off-the-wall.

When Pete got involved he assured me that the various incidents I’d included were indeed realistic in the Cheyenne world. I smiled, relieved to learn Charlie was not leading me astray.

One incident that I wondered about is depicted in chapter six, “The Aspen,” of the first book, “The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits.” It’s there that Charlie receives a message from the aspen tree that witnessed the wreck that killed his best friend. Besides numerous others, another one of my favorites is in the second book, “Return to Dead Horse Canyon: Grandfather Spirits,” where in chapter thirty-nine, “Trail Ride,” Charlie finds an ancient arrowhead that tells him and his brother, Winter Hawk, (cousin in western culture), that their prayer regarding the fate of the murderer had been heard.

As work on the saga continued, more and more research came into play. The works of George Bird Grinnell as well as Peter John Powell were excellent sources, but had limitations. I find it ironic that some of the most detailed information on ancient Cheyenne (Tsistsistas) beliefs and ceremonies is conveyed by German anthropologist, Karl H. Schlesier. His book “The Wolves of Heaven” was priceless while writing this trilogy, especially his detailed description of the Massaum, the Earth Giving Ceremony, that plays a key role in the final volume. In a typical episode of serendipity, I found Schlesier’s book on Amazon, attracted by its subtitle, “Cheyenne Shamanism, Ceremonies, and Prehistoric Origins.”

Or was it a maiyun who brought it to my attention?

What is a maiyun?

Schlesier tells us they are powerful spirits that associate with human beings. There are also the hematasoomaeo, which he describes as “the immortal spiritual forms of plants, animals, and human beings. . . .The maiyun most responsible for physical life on earth belong either to the deep earth or to the sky places. In Tsistsistas ceremonies they are celebrated especially and represented through plant and animal forms.”

The lodge of the maiyun is the Sacred Mountain, i.e., Novavose. (You’ll meet plenty of them in “Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose.”)

Why have western religions denied the existence of such things? Claim that animals do not have souls, a belief with which any pet owner, farmer, or rancher will disagree? Slowly the world is awakening to the reality of other dimensions; recognizing the thin veil between life and death and the elusive nature of time.

Things ancient peoples took for granted.

Speaking of animals, a few months ago, my precious 18 year old feline fur baby, Ophelia, crossed over. I hoped that when she did, that she was reunited with her half-brother, Hamlet, who’d left this life four years before. Thus, I was drawn to the “Pets and the Afterlife” book series by Rob Gutro. He’s a medium who specializes in connecting with pets in the spirit world. These books contain dozens of stories of such experiences. The truth of what he envisions is validated by multitudes of grieving pet owners when he provides details of the encounter that he couldn’t possibly have known.

As I read Gutro’s books I couldn’t help but think of the maiyun–spirit helpers that indigenous people have relied on for millennia. What are “civilized” people missing by tuning out these messages and connections?

I am beyond grateful for my introduction to this marvelous world while writing these three tomes with Pete. My heart and mind lived there from July 2018 when this story was conceived until the final book was published in January 2025. My life is enriched beyond measure for the experience.

Two of my favorite quotes related to this lost wisdom were spoken by Tȟašúŋke Witkó (Crazy Horse), the Oglala Lakota Leader who said:

The red nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing for a sick world; a world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separations; a world longing for light again. I see a time of seven generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred tree of life and the whole earth will become one circle again. . . In that day, there will be those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things and the young white ones will come to those of my people and ask for this wisdom.

The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon Trilogy is a lengthy saga that is more than a juxtaposition of a corrupt government’s clash with Cheyenne spirituality. It’s an introduction to a world too many don’t yet see.

But as Crazy Horse declared, they will.

You can find the trilogy on Amazon and other online vendors.

Review of “Memories of MK-ULTRA: Journey of Discovery from Darkness to Deliverance” by Bill Yarborough

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, conspiracies, Genocide, Uncategorized, US History

This book deserves to be a Best Seller for more reasons than I can count. For one thing, it’s informative. If you’ve never heard of MK-ULTRA, this will give you a close-up-and-personal view of what it was about.  If you’re naive or unaware of some of the things that the U.S. Government has done, then it’s going to enlighten you in that area, also.

Indigenous people were not the only people the government lied to and abused. Many of their own natural-born citizens were used in experiments, often without their knowledge, much less consent.

Previous to reading this story I knew the basics of this program, specifically that it involved the CIA following up on work in mind-control techniques conducted by the Nazis during WWII. That alone, much less being highly classified, should be enough to demonstrate it was nothing short of evil.  

I happened upon this book at an opportune time. Based on what I knew, I used MK-ULTRA as a backstory for a character in my latest book, “Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose.”

Oddly enough, while writing the story, MK-ULTRA arrived at my muse’s bidding and I wondered if it was a credible explanation for one of the character’s idiosyncrasies. My research seemed to validate it, but it was gratifying when nothing in this story contradicted what I’d assumed. Numerous scenarios in this book fit my character’s odd traits perfectly.  Synchronicity, perhaps?

Actually, I have some very sharp muses who lead me to all sorts of things that turn out to be accurate and a perfect fit for the plot. Which is what I love about writing fiction.

The fact that the author is an MK-ULTRA survivor says it all. While written as a novel, the level of detail is such that its reality is inescapable. It pulls you right in, moving along at a fast pace and alternating between Tommy Matthews’ life after being subject to their experiments and flashbacks indicating what was done to him to motivate it.

While all the antagonists in the story are certainly evil, some are darker than others. From the purely scientific side, understanding how the brain and memory work is fascinating, useful data. It helps psychiatrists understand and help their patients. But when it turns to controlling another person’s life by programming them as an innocent child to pursue a malevolent destiny it’s another story. Using torture such as isolation, hallucinatory drugs, electric shock, and ritual sexual abuse to achieve it definitely treads on criminal as well as unethical ground.

Preventing this sort of thing is what the post-WWII Nuremburg Trials were all about!

It was fascinating to read of Tommy’s perceptions, then learn how that particular impression was programmed into him in the next chapter. One question that ran in the back of my mind was how on earth could responsible parents subject their children to such experiments? This was clarified by the end, which made it even more tragic. Some people simply should not be allowed to have children.

Yet who is qualified to define the criteria? Years ago, Indigenous people were subjected to forced sterilization as a means of genocide. Again, by the U.S. Government. See what I mean? Who decides who’s qualified to be a proper parent? Certainly not the government!

If brain research tell us anything, it’s that there are other realities outside the corporeal world and that “consciousness” goes beyond what is visible with our natural eyes. Aliens, UFOs, remote viewing, prophecy, shamanism, near-death experiences (NDEs), and everything else defined as “paranormal” are elusive when it comes to scientific investigation. Thus, closed-minded people dismiss them as hoaxes, imagination, superstitions, and so forth.

While this story did not emphasize the paranormal, there were enough references to sense its presence, which gave it all the more interest. My jaw literally dropped when I read the last sentence in Chapter 76.

When the three children grow up and start to remember and compare notes, it’s impossible to put the book down. I’m not a fan of “horror stories” and elements in this story fall into that realm, some downright gruesome, cruel, and heartbreaking. While it’s shocking that these innocent children and numerous others were subjected to these horrific experiments, the author presented them in an objective, journalistic way rather than exploit them in a graphic, gratuitous manner. Nonetheless, you cannot “unsee” what was revealed.

Anyone who doesn’t believe that a battle for the minds and souls of men has existed for millennia  needs to read this book. If you know nothing about MK-ULTRA you are likely to be shocked. But being blind to unpleasant realities is what allows evil to persist, often right beneath our noses.

You can get a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-MK-Ultra-Discovery-Darkness-Deliverance/dp/1963844262/