Growing up in an area rich in Native American history made me curious and empathetic to the band of Nez Perce who summered in Wallowa County many generations before Lewis and Clark entered their lives.

The Wallowa, or Lake Nimiipuu as they call themselves, are a band of the Nez Perce(Nimiipuu) who moved like nomads across the Pacific NW and into the plains with the seasons. They wintered along the Imnaha River in the lower warmer regions of Wallowa County, spent the early spring in the camas meadows of Idaho, and summered at Wallowa Lake, fishing the Columbia in the fall and returning to their winter home before the snows became too treacherous. The warriors and some of the women went out on hunting expeditions to the plains for buffalo. This expeditions could take them away from the band for a year.

While the Nimiipuu were nomadic, they had a fierce love of the land in their hearts. Their ancestors were b

uried in the earth of their summer and winter homes.

The Lake Nimiipuu under the leadership of Old Chief Joseph signed the first treaty of 1855. This treaty was accepted by the Nez Perce because it encompassed nearly all of the land that they considered home. But in 1861 the government opened up some of the Nez Perce’s land “to whites in common with the Indians for mining purposes.”  The miners moved into the Nez Perce land ignoring treaty regulations. Towns went up and behind the prospectors came business and families.

With this influx of whites into the Indian land there was more and more trouble between the two factions. A new treaty was drawn up by the government in 1863. This removed extensive land from the Nez Perce that had been given to them eight years before. Specifically the areas of the bands from the Wallowa and Salmon River regions. The bands that lost their land in this treaty refused to sign and became known as the non-treaty Nez Perce.

The non-treaties worked at keeping in the good graces of the whites to remain on their land. It wasn’t until 1871 after  Old Joseph died and Heinmot Tooyalakekt(Thunder Traveling Over Mountains) or as the whites called him, Young  Joseph, became the new leader that the whites began to move into the Wallowa Valley with  greater frequency.

Spirit of the Sky is the third book in the Spirit Trilogy and focuses on the flight of the non-treaty Nez Perce as they seek a place to remain free.

Sa-qan, the heroine in the book, is the third spirit sibling. Her name means Bald Eagle and she takes this form when soaring through the sky trying to help the Nimiipuu stay ahead of the army determined to put them on a reservation.

Blurb for Spirit of the Sky

To save her from oppression, he must save her whole tribe. To give her his heart, he must desert his career…

When the US Army forces the Nimiipuu from their land, Sa-qan, the eagle spirit entrusted with watching over her tribe, steps in to save her mortal niece. Challenging the restrictions of the spirit world, Sa-qan assumes human form and finds an unexpected ally in a handsome cav

alry officer.

Certain she is a captive, Lt. Wade Watts, a Civil War veteran, tries to help the blonde woman he finds sheltering a Nez Perce child. While her intelligent eyes reveal she understands his language, she refuses his help. But when Wade is wounded, it is the beautiful Sa-qan who tends him. Wade wishes to stop the killing—Sa-qan will do anything to save her people.

Can their differences save her tribe? Or will their love spell the end of the Nimiipuu?

Excerpt

She smiled and his heart leapt into his throat. He thought her beautiful from the first moment he saw her standing in the river fiercely protecting the child, but watching her tense face relax and smile, he was smitten. A light and pleasing calm washed over him for the first time in a very long time. He could only bask in the moment briefly. They were enemies.

“I am from the sky, and I watch over the Nimiipuu.” She nodded her head and flashed him with yet another smile. “You may call me Angel.”

“Only if you call me Wade.”

She nodded. “Let me check your wounds. You have moved around.”

“Why are you taking such good care of me when your warriors left me for dead?”

Her sunshine gaze peered straight into his eyes. “You saved my niece at the village and the wounded from the Bannock scout. You do not have the thirst to kill like the other soldiers.” She bowed her head and removed the blood encrusted bandage from his shoulder. “The Nimiipuu need you.”

Her touch warmed his body, tingling the areas around his wounds. He glanced at her small, delicate hands hovering over his injuries. He shut his eyes, and then opened them. Her hands shimmered as if in a fog. His pain subsided, in fact, his body felt well rested.

A soft lyrical chant rose from her lips as she continued to hover her hands over his wounds. Her eyes remained closed, her light lashes resting on her sun-kissed cheeks. He’d never seen a woman as beautiful as this. He had to learn her true origins and return her to her family.

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* * *

Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently ranch 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

She is a member of RWA, EPIC , and COWG. She’s had eleven books and a short story published so far and is venturing into the new world of self-publishing ebooks.

Her contemporary Western, Perfectly Good Nanny won the 2008 Eppie for Best Contemporary Romance and Spirit of the Mountain, a historical paranormal set among the Nez Perce, garnered 1^st place in the paranormal category of the Lories Best Published Book Contest. Spirit of the Lake was a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.

You can learn more about her at:

Blog: www.patyjager.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.patyjager.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager
twitter:  @patyjag.

Contest!  I’m giving away a $5 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky commenter on this blog stop.

Follow the Tour and Win!

Each blog stop has a picture of an eagle in the post. Follow the tour and send me the number of different pictures you saw while following the tour. If there is more than one correct entry I’ll draw a winner on May 21^st  to receive a $25 gift certificate to either Barnes and Nobles or Amazon, a handmade custom ereader cover, and chocolate.  Find the tour schedule on my blog (http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com) or website(http://www.patyjager.net)  and send the answer to: patyjag@gmail.com

Now on to the important stuff. The winners! All winners were chosen at random and have been sent an email with directions on how to claim his/her prize.

Winner of Carolyn Brown’s ONE HOT COWBOY
Comment #18 – Cheryl

Winner of Vanessa Kelly’s MY FAVORITE COUNTESS
Comment #22 – Shannon

Winner of Katharine Ashe’s WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY
Comment #39 – New An

Winner of Darcy Burke’s HER WICKED WAYS ARC
Comment #4 – Kristin Nelson

Winner of Monica Burns’s KISMET
Comment #11 - Lindsey Hutchison

Winner(s) of book from Alexandra Hawkins’s Lords of Vice series
(two winners–winners’ choice)
Comment #14 – Savannah Miller
Comment #28 – Maria

Winner of Mia Marlowe’s TOUCH OF A THIEF
Comment #13 – Aretha Zhen

Winner of Zoe Archer’s SKIES OF FIRE: THE ETHER CHRONICLES
Comment # 30 – Ren Puspita

Winner of Joan Swan’s FEVER
Comment #19 – Fedora

Winner of Kris Kennedy’s THE IRISH WARRIOR
Comment #12 – Marianne

Winner of Kris Kennedy’s DEFIANT
Comment #23 – Kanya Chhet

Winner of Marie Force’s HOPING FOR LOVE
Comment #1 – Raonaid Luckwell

Winner of Tracey Devlyn’s A LADY’S REVENGE
Comment #33 – Kristy

Winner of Joyce Lamb’s TRUE SHOT
Comment #20 – Melissa Poe

Winner of Julie James’s ABOUT LAST NIGHT
Comment #11 – Viki S.

Winner of Lila DiPasqua’s A MIDNIGHT DANCE
Comment #46 – Froggy

Winner of Cheryl Brooks’s STUD
Comment #31 – Elf

Winner of Juliana Stone’s WRONG SIDE OF HELL
Comment #28 – Eli Yanti

Winner of Kristina McMorris’s BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES
Comment #3 – Jenyfer

Winner of Shana Galen’s – THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE
Comment #16 – Tammy Henderson

Winner of Cynthia Eden’s ANGEL BETRAYED ARC
Comment #42 – Danny

Winner of Heather Snow’s SWEET ENEMY
Comment #12 – Kiki W.

Winner of Emma Wildes’s TWICE FALLEN
Comment #20 – Jane

Winner of C.H. Admirand’s TYLER
Comment #15 – Betty Hamilton

Winner of Tina Folsom’s EDGE OF PASSION
Comment #8 – Tina B.

and finally…

The winner of the autographed set of all four Eternal Guardians books
(MARKED, ENTWINED, TEMPTED and ENRAPTURED)
plus an Eternal Guardians mug, set of EG trading cards and other assorted goodies is…
MARLENE BREAKFIELD!!

Congrats to all the winners and big thanks to everyone who participated! And ENORMOUS thanks to all my readers who have bought ENRAPTURED so far! For the rest of you…if you haven’t gotten your copy yet…what are you waiting for???

New York Times Bestselling Author Cheryl Holt!

Cheryl Holt is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-seven novels. Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year,” by the trade magazine RT Book Reviews.

Cheryl’s latest book is NICHOLAS:

CAN A ROGUE AND REBEL

Captain Nicholas Price has dedicated his life to the army. He never dreamed he’d someday become Earl of Stafford, a title and position he neither sought nor expected. Although he has no interest in the estate, and is intent on being an absentee landlord, he’s determined to do his duty to the land and its people. He hires a land agent to manage the property, not realizing that — as the man implements draconian policies that negatively impact the local citizenry — Nicholas will be pushed into the path of meddling reformer, Emeline Wilson.

BECOME THE MAN OF HER DREAMS?

Emeline is an over-educated spinster who believes in justice and fairness and is determined to make the world a better place. She would have liked to wed and had a family of her own, but she had to stay at home and care for her widowed father and two young sisters. With her father’s death, she’s lost his house and income and is about to be evicted by the cruel land agent running Stafford Manor. As one of many who are suffering, she’s elected by her neighbors to serve as spokeswoman for the town as they demand just treatment from the new Lord Stafford.

Emeline is determined that Nicholas behave better, that he become a better man. As they clash, tempers flare and passion sizzles. But as love begins to blossom, so does danger from those resolved to keep them apart. Can love survive the most wicked enemy of all?

Read an Excerpt

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“Cheryl Holt is magnificent…”
— Reader to Reader Reviews

Tina Folsom!

Tina Folsom writes paranormal romance from her home in San Francisco, California.

Tina’s latest release is EDGE OF PASSION:

From the International Bestselling Author of the Scanguards Vampires Series:

Able to render themselves invisible, immortal Cloak Warriors like Aiden have been protecting humans from the dark power of the Demons of Fear for centuries. But the demons might soon have a powerful tool in their hands to seduce humans to the dark side. And the person to provide them with this elixir is the human scientist Leila. Unbeknownst to her, the drug she’s developing to cure Alzheimer’s Disease has the unexpected side effect of weakening the mind’s resistance to the influence of demons.

The Council of Cloak Warriors is divided, some of them believing the only safe way to eradicate this threat is to eliminate its inventor; others are bent on protecting the human scientist. Aiden is a loyal Cloak Warrior who accepts the assignment to protect her, despite his own beliefs that humans can’t be trusted. However, when her life is endangered, his beliefs shift, and he’s drawn into a battle whose participants are unknown: is he fighting the demons or his fellow Cloak Warriors?

Forbidden desire flares between Aiden and Leila as they are forced to rely on the only people they can trust: each other. And even if he can save her and defeat their enemies, a union between them might be the most dangerous undertaking of all.

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To enter to win a copy of Edge of Passion, simply tell me…

What’s your favorite paranormal subgenre to read…vampires, werewolves, demons, etc.

(This drawing is open to US Residents only.)

C.H. Admirand!

C.H. Admirand was born in Aiken, South Carolina. She always had her nose in a book, has traveled the world over, and even tested the time-space continuum, thanks to the awesome power of the written word.

Her love for the written word is a gift from her parents, but the need to write was instilled by her 7th Grade English teacher. One of her writing quirks is that she loves to include bits and pieces of her ancestors and ancestry in all of her books.

Fate, destiny and love at first sight will always play a large part in her stories because they played a major role in her life. When she saw her husband for the first time, she knew he was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

C.H.’s latest release is TYLER:

Desperate times call for desperate measures…
When Tyler Garahan said he’d do anything to save his family’s ranch, he never thought that would include taking a job as a stripper at a local ladies’ club. But the club’s fiery redheaded bookkeeper captures Tyler’s attention, and for her, he’ll swallow his pride…

And one good turn deserves another…
Emily Langley feels for the gorgeous cowboy. It’s obvious that he’s the real deal and wouldn’t be caught dead in a ladies’ revue if he wasn’t in big trouble. And when he looks at her like that, she’ll do anything to help…
Working days on the ranch and nights at the ladies’ club, Tyler is plumb exhausted. But could it be that his beautiful boss needs him just as much as he needs her…

Read an Excerpt

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“Admirand’s second frontier romance features clever and well-crafted plot lines.”
-Publishers Weekly

To enter to win a copy of TYLER, tell me…

What’s one job you would never do, no matter what?

(This drawing is open to US Residents only.)

Emma Wildes!

Award-winning author Emma Wildes writes for NAL’s Signet Eclipse line but she started in e-publishing where she has garnered an Eppie, a Lories Best Published, and a WisRWA Reader’s Choice Award. She has been a # 1 bestselling author at Fictionwise, Capa nominee, and received several gold star awards from JERR. Recently, Publisher’s Weekly said of An Indecent Proposition (Signet, April 2009) that it provides a spectacular and skillfully handled story that stands head and shoulders above the average historical.

Emma was born in Minnesota and she lives in the Midwest, though she grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She attended Illinois State University where she majored in geology, and there she met her husband, Chris. They have three children, a temperamental cat named Poot, and are lucky enough to live on a beautiful lake. On warm days, she does enjoy a glass of wine on the dock now and then, and always loves to sit at her desk, winter or summer, and tap at her keyboard.

Emma’s latest release is TWICE FALLEN:

Women in Regency society are expected to wed young, run a household, and be seen, not heard. But then, these ladies hardly ever do what’s expected….

Lady Lillian Bourne can’t afford another scandal. Re-entering society after her disastrous elopement four years ago, she has no choice but to be the very picture of propriety. But she’s convinced fate is conspiring against her when she finds herself locked in a library with a handsome ex-spy during a party. It would ruin everything if she were to fall from grace a second time…

After the years he spent in Spain as a spy, Lord Damien Northfield finds London a bit tedious—until his unexpected encounter with the lovely but notorious Lily. Even after their misadventure in the library, he can’t stop wishing their interlude had been less than innocent. And when he’s enlisted to investigate a scheme of blackmail and murder involving some of England’s most prominent families, he’s thrilled to discover that fate has put her in his path again—and that she might be the key to catching a ruthless killer…

Read an Excerpt

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“Emma Wildes is a rising star who writes incredible historical romance.”
–Fallen Angel Reviews

To enter to win a copy of TWICE FALLEN, answer this question:

Authors write about all kinds of scandals in every genre. What’s the biggest scandal you’ve ever read about?

(This drawing is open internationally.)

Heather Snow!

Heather Snow is a historical romance writer with a degree in Chemistry who found she much preferred creating chemistry on the page, rather than in the lab! She is forever trying to wrangle her left and right brain to work together (some days with more success than others!), but if her two sides had to duke it out, left would win every time–which can be a creative challenge. Luckily, she loves challenges…she just goes about solving them analytically.

She lives with her husband and two sons in the Midwest and truly hopes you find her stories have just the right chemistry

Heather’s latest release is SWEET ENEMY:

Geoffrey Wentworth, a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates.  His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs.  When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford.  But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting houseguest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.

Liliana Claremont, a brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a Countess.  If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge.  However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father.

Read an Excerpt

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“Not often do I pick up something that sucks me in so thoroughly that I have no concept of anything else but the world in the book I am reading.  Thank you, Heather Snow, for transporting me somewhere else for a much needed escape!”
 ~ Book Reading Gals, A+

I love that Heather’s heroine is a chemist! Since I used to teach science, to enter to win a copy of SWEET ENEMY, simply tell me…

What was your favorite science sub-discipline (geology, chemistry, physics, etc) when you were in school? (Or, if you hated science, why?)

(This drawing is open to US/Canada residents only.)

Cynthia Eden!

Cynthia Eden is a national best-selling author of paranormal romance and romantic suspense novels. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, and her novel, DEADLY FEAR, was named a RITA® finalist for best romantic suspense.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters-vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters who populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s upcoming release is ANGEL BETRAYED, book two in The Fallen series, coming June 26, 2012:

A Little Bit of Angel Lust…

Sammael–call him Sam–was an angel once. An Angel of Death. But the dispassionate, watch-from-above thing just wasn’t working for him when it meant watching evil torture innocent souls day in and day out. It might have cost him his wings, but these days he gets to apply the direct method on the bad guys. Problem is, what’s making his life difficult is a bad girl…

Seline O’Shaw needs protection, and with the hounds of hell on her tail, she’s not going to quibble too hard about where she gets it. Sam’s virtue is questionable, but he’s smoking hot, massively powerful, and owes her a favor. So what if she’s getting a little case of angel lust? There are some damn deadly sins after her hide…

Preorder a Copy

“Cynthia Eden’s Angel of Darkness is the perfect blend of red-hot sex and supernatural suspense driven by a rockin’ plot. Pick up Ms. Eden’s book today and be just like me—waiting in breathless anticipation for another story in her highly innovative Other universe.”–Victoria of TwoLips Reviews on Angel of Darkness, Book 1 in The Fallen series

To enter to win an ARC (advanced reader copy) of ANGEL BETRAYED, answer this question:

What would be the best thing about being an angel? The worst?

(This drawing is open internationally.)

Shana Galen!

Shana’s latest release is THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE

Revenge should be sweet, but it may cost him everything…

The Marquis de Valère escaped certain death in the French Revolution and is now an infamous privateer. Out to avenge the death of his mentor, Bastien discovers himself astonishingly out of his depth when confronted with a beautiful, daring young woman who is out for his blood…

Forgiveness is unthinkable, but it may be her only hope…

British Admiral’s daughter Raeven Russell believes Bastien responsible for her fiancé’s death. But once the fiery beauty crosses swords with Bastien, she’s not so sure she really wants him to change his wicked ways…

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“Readers seeking wildly exciting escapades, nonstop action, rapier-sharp repartee and a heated romance need look no further.”
—Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars, Top Pick!

To win a copy of THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE, answer the following question:

 Who’s your favorite pirate hero?

(This drawing is open to US residents only.)

Kristina McMorris!

Kristina McMorris is a graduate of Pepperdine University and the recipient of nearly twenty national literary awards. A host of weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, she penned her debut novel, Letters from Home (Kensington Books, Avon/HarperCollins UK), based on inspiration from her grandparents’ wartime courtship. This critically praised book was declared a must-read by Woman’s Day magazine and achieved additional acclaim as a Reader’s Digest Select Editions feature, a Doubleday/Literary Guild selection, and a 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Historical Fiction. Her second novel, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves (March 2012), has already received glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, among many others. Named one of Portland’s “40 Under 40″ by The Business Journal, Kristina lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she refuses to own an umbrella.

Kristina’s latest book is BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES:

In this poignant and evocative novel by acclaimed author Kristina McMorris, a country is plunged into conflict and suspicion—forcing a young woman to find her place in a volatile world.

Los Angeles, 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern’s life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother’s best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy.

When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.

Skillfully capturing one of the most controversial episodes in recent American history, Kristina McMorris draws readers into a novel filled with triumphs and heartbreaking loss—an authentic, moving testament to love, forgiveness, and the enduring music of the human spirit.

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“A sweeping yet intimate novel that will please both romantics and lovers of American history.”
–Kirkus Reviews

To win a copy of BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES, answer the following question:

What’s your favorite WWII themed book or movie?

(This drawing is open to residents of US and Canada only.)