Thanks to Kat for hosting me on her gorgeous blog. To show
my appreciation to her readers, I’ll be giving away an e-book of PASSION’S
VISION, book one of my Passion series.
When I decided to try my hand at writing historical romance,
I looked back at my family history for a story to tell. I was not able to learn
much about my own family’s history. Actually, I was not able to find out much
at all. I am still trying to get to know my ancestors, but that is another
story.
One day my husband
casually mentioned his ancestor, James Adair. When he told me the story, I
could not believe he had been sitting on this! James Adair was bigger than life
and lived in the time in history that had always fascinated me. This man
inspired the entire Passion series. I wrote PASSION'S VISION several years ago.
Doing so required quite a bit of research—a great deal of time in the library
and talking to my husband’s relatives who were willing to relate the stories
they had heard.
This ancestor, James Adair, wrote the definitive book
outlining the lives of several Native American tribes. At the time I was
researching this book, Adair's HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS, was difficult
to find but I located an old copy. There are several versions available now in
which the book is explained and rewritten so it is easier to understand. One
such version is by Kathryn E. Holland Braund, Auburn University.
Mrs. Braund’s book was not available while I was
researching. I struggled through the sometimes difficult to understand original
version and enjoyed every moment. I used James Adair’s as one of my sources for
research on the time as well as research on the man himself. I must add, much
of my own romantic imagination went into creating James Fitz-Gerald. PASSION'S
VISION is a fictional story about the love that grew between an agent of King
George II and a woman warrior of the Cherokee tribe. Thanks to Adair's book, I
feel I was able to bring to life a time in history filled with adversity, pain,
and adventure as well as pride, justice, and a love for community and nature
that sometimes feels lost in the world today.
Here’s the blurb for the first in the series, PASSION’S VISION:
Passion's Vision takes place in the mid 1700's
in the Carolina Cherokee villages. James Fitz-Gerald is an agent for the Court
of King George II. James is on an undercover mission from the King when he
arrives in the Cherokee village, Chota Town. He knows this mission will be his
most difficult with the lives of both white families and Native Americans in
the balance. With this responsibility weighing heavily on him, the furthest
thought from his mind is a romantic entanglement. That is, until his life is
saved by a proud and beautiful Cherokee woman.
New Moon, sister to Chief Dancing Cloud, is a warrior in her own right. She hardly notices the white man whose life she saves in battle. But when James arrives in her village, she is reminded of the troubling visions sent to her by the Great Spirit. She determines within her heart, even after a vision from the Great Spirit telling her otherwise, she will never belong to a white man, and most assuredly not to this one her villagers call Red Panther.
PASSION’S VISION is the story of the love and respect that grows between an agent for the Court of King George II and a Cherokee Princess. Their lives are destined to be filled with adventure and triumph, sometimes with loss and pain, but always with passion.
New Moon, sister to Chief Dancing Cloud, is a warrior in her own right. She hardly notices the white man whose life she saves in battle. But when James arrives in her village, she is reminded of the troubling visions sent to her by the Great Spirit. She determines within her heart, even after a vision from the Great Spirit telling her otherwise, she will never belong to a white man, and most assuredly not to this one her villagers call Red Panther.
PASSION’S VISION is the story of the love and respect that grows between an agent for the Court of King George II and a Cherokee Princess. Their lives are destined to be filled with adventure and triumph, sometimes with loss and pain, but always with passion.
Here’s an excerpt from PASSION’S VISION:
New
Moon sat back on her haunches and rubbed the small of her back with one hand as
she wiped the other arm across her sweaty brow. Breathing a soft moan, she
arched backward in an attempt to ease the persistent ache. There were other
chores that needed her attention, but she felt safe here in the garden. She was
sure she would not run into him here
among the vegetables.
Her
heart was not happy to think the spirits might actually send such a man to her.
Not when the good man that was her husband had been killed by one of his kind.
A
shiver of apprehension ran down her spine and she glanced over her shoulder.
Her gaze landed on the very one she tried to avoid. She knew she should turn
her back and continue with her work. Instead, she twisted herself around so she
could watch him better.
He
leaned against a nearby tree lazily watching the clouds float above his head.
He no longer wore the buckskins he had arrived in, but instead wore the narrow
loincloth and short moccasins of the Ani-Yunnuiya, the Principal People.
She
grunted in disapproval. Does he think dressing as a warrior will make him a
warrior? If that is what he thinks, then he is wrong. She shifted her position
slightly as she watched him closely. He didn’t even sense her scrutiny. No
wonder his party walked into an ambush, she mused with disgust. This man was no
warrior. Surely her vision had come from the prankster!
Against
her will, New Moon’s gaze was drawn to his hair, which hung long and straight
to just below his shoulders. She had never seen hair of that color. It shone
with the deep rich color of the river clay, just as her dream had shown her.
So
his hair is an unusual color, she scolded her inner voice. It was probably
common where he came from. Maybe hair of such a color was a bad omen.
He
turned in her direction and raised his arms to rest them on a branch that
stretched just above his head. She observed the way his muscles rippled along
his large frame when he moved.
Something
caught his eye and he turned his face away. Grinning, he propped his temple on
his forearm.
New
Moon tore her gaze to look toward the playing field. He watched Buffalo, the
young half-breed from the trading post. Her attention returned to the white man
and her heartbeat quickened. His new position gave her an excellent view of his
firmly muscled chest and upper arms.
An
unwelcome tingling erupted in her belly. A trembling breath filled her lungs
and she allowed her gaze to wander lower along the rippled length of his narrow
waist.
Why
shouldn’t she look? She excused herself and relaxed. Her eyes were drawn lower
still to his powerfully built legs that looked as if they could run forever,
and she wondered how it would feel to run at his side. Her senses reeled with
the eerie feeling of dream walking. Someday she would know.
She
steeled herself against the flood of anticipation that washed over her body and
sent her every fiber of being into chaotic response.
Her
vision began a slow return trip upward, lingering over the rounded muscles of
his calves. Her fingers tightly gripped her bent knees as her gaze continued
upward to the sleek strength of his thigh and hip that showed on each side of
his loincloth…which, she realized with a start, was draped in the most peculiar
angle.
Great Spirit!
Her
gaze flew to his and then quickly away, but not before she saw an auburn brow
arch and his lips quirk in amusement.
The buy links for PASSION’S
VISION are
About
the author:
Mary A. Adair is an Amazon bestselling author of Native American romance, including the poignant PASSION’S VISION, recipient of the Betty Hendricks Award. Mary did extensive research on several Native American tribes for the 18th century setting of her books. One of her many sources for learning about the rich Cherokee culture of that period was a book written in the mid 1700s by James Adair, an ancestor of her husband.
Mary
is also the author of CAPTIVE SPIRITS, a young adult fantasy. In addition to
being an author, she is a registered laboratory technician in radiology and
phlebotomy. After spending most of her life as a Texan, she now lives in
Souteastern Oklahoma with her husband and their menagerie of animals.
Links:
Twitter
@MaryAdairdotcom
Thanks
again to Kat Flannery for hosting me.
Kat I am so excited about being on your beautiful blog. I am looking forward to many readers joining us today.
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming on! Happy Saturday to you! :)
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