Peeking Between the Pages

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Guest Post with Liz Fichera, author of Captive Spirit & eBook Giveaway

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I’m pleased to welcome Liz Fichera to Peeking Between the Pages today. Her debut novel, Captive Spirit, was released digitally through Carina Press on June 28, 2010. I had hoped to have my review up yesterday before the guest post but everyone will just have to tune in tomorrow for it instead. I wasn’t feeling well and just didn’t get it done in time. I will say though that I enjoyed the book – it was a little different from anything I’ve been reading so it was a nice change for me. Today Liz is joining us with a guest post entitled…Finding Inspiration…

When I first moved to Phoenix, Arizona, from Chicago, Illinois, I never expected to live in the Sonoran Desert for more than a year. Tops. I mean, how could I live around cactus and people who’d never seen snow? Or a deep-dish Chicago-style pizza? But my shock wore off and I very quickly came to love and appreciate not only the unique beauty of the desert but also the rich history behind it.

Early on, I remember learning about the Hohokam Indians, Phoenix’s first inhabitants. Originally from the ancient Mayan and Aztec culture, the Hohokam traveled to what is now known as Arizona around 300 BC. They existed peacefully as farmers and master canal builders until around 1500 AD when they vanished for reasons unknown. It was the Pima Indians who called them Hohokam, which means “Those Who Have Gone.”

Now, color me crazy but that just begs for a story.

And that little known bit of history is also the inspiration behind my debut historical romance novel, CAPTIVE SPIRIT.

There are lots of theories as to why the Hohokam vanished from the desert—war, fire, drought, famine, migration—but no one really knows why. Why would a thriving population, which reached 50,000 people in its peak, simply up and leave? And, strangely, where did they go? They left behind cultivated fields, canals (some of which still exist today), burial grounds, pit houses, and ball courts. They left behind their whole lives.

If you’re ever in Phoenix, put the Phoenix Heard Museum on your list of “must-see” attractions. The Heard has one of the most comprehensive collections of Native American history in the world, and it’s where I learned a lot about the Hohokam—what they wore, ate, how they lived. Their petroglyphs are still visible throughout the Sonoran Desert too. I included a couple of photos in my book trailer on my web site. It’s fascinating to me that these people lived on the very ground where my Phoenix neighborhood now sits. Given their unusual history, I’m even more dumbfounded that more writers haven’t written stories that included Hohokam Indians.

Even though Aiyana in CAPTIVE SPIRIT is fictional, I have to wonder what a young Hohokam woman like her would have dreamed about when she gazed past the mountains that surround Phoenix and what her life must have been like over 500 years ago. CAPTIVE SPIRIT is her story.

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About CAPTIVE SPIRIT:

Sonoran Desert. Dawn of the sixteenth century.

Aiyana isn’t like the other girls of the White Ant Clan. Instead of keeping house, she longs to compete on the Ball Court with her best friend Honovi and the other boys. Instead of marriage, she daydreams of traveling beyond the mountains that surround her small village. Only Honovi knows and shares her forbidden wish, though Aiyana doesn’t realize her friend has a secret wish of his own…

When Aiyana’s father arranges her marriage to a man she hardly knows, she takes the advice of a tribal elder: Run! In fleeing, she falls into the hands of Spanish raiders and finds herself being taken over the mountains against her will. Now Aiyana’s on a quest to return to the very place she once dreamed of escaping. And she’ll do whatever it takes to survive and find her way back to the people she loves.

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Thanks, Darlene, for hosting me!

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Thanks so much for joining us at Peeking Between the Pages today Liz with this great guest post! I enjoyed Captive Spirit and look forward to your next novel!

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About the author:


Liz Fichera likes to write stories about ordinary people who do extraordinary things, oftentimes against the backdrop of Native American legends. Her debut historical romance novel CAPTIVE SPIRIT is available from Carina Press and wherever e-books are sold. Please visit her web site at http://www.lizfichera.com/.

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Liz is giving away a free digital copy of CAPTIVE SPIRIT to one lucky person who leaves a comment or asks a question on today’s guest post.

That’s it – that’s all you have to do along with making sure you leave me an email address so I can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. This giveaway is open to anyone with an eReader to read the book on. I will draw for the winner on Saturday, July 24, 2010. Good luck to all!

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Comments

  2. Thanks, Mystica! I take it you like western historicals like me?

    Appreciate your kind words!

  3. I love the advice the tribal elder gives her. Run! 🙂

    A really interesting article, Liz.

  4. Thanks, Shirley! Aiyana has to run from a lot of danger in this book. But, then again, there was a lot of it going on in the Sonoran Desert at that time 🙂

  5. That's for sure Liz! My heart was in my throat a few times with the danger she was in. It's hard to imagine a life where you're so secluded that you wonder what's in the beyond world but then again it might not be so bad. lol.

    Aiyana was a great character. I love seeing a strong female especially back in those times!

    Thanks for visiting everyone!

  6. Darlene,

    I agree totally on strong heroines. You couldn't dial 911 when things got rough in the 16th century. And thanks so much for hosting me today, Darlene. It's a pleasure being here.

  7. I love the cover!
    The story sounds really interesting and intriguing. With that location and the history it does seem odd that more people haven't picked up on it.

    I don't have an ereader but Aiyana and Honovi sound like really neat characters to get involved with!

    Are the Kindles and Nooks etc the only way to read these books from Carina Press?

  8. Hi Carla,

    I'm with you: Can't understand why there aren't boatloads more stories. The Native American legends alone are fascinating.

    Regarding e-books, you can read an e-book on any computer device, actually, even a laptop because they can be downloaded as .pdf files. As an extreme example, I have a friend who only reads books on her iPhone though I haven't progressed to that level of book reading, however. 🙂

    Anyway, it's just a little easier reading them on an e-reader but you can read e-books on just about anything. I only recently bought a NOOK and I love it.

  9. I've heard good comments about the NOOK, Liz. I've got my iPad and I love that too.

    Regarding reading the books on the computer/laptop, they look very good if you have 'Adobe Digital Editions' downloaded. (It's free!) The 'epub' versions look terrific.

  10. Shirley,

    If I hadn't only recently bought my Netbook, I might have splurged for the iPad. Maybe next year? Let's hope the prices continue to plummet! 🙂

  11. I really like historical fiction, but haven't read a lot with this setting or place. It sounds like a really interesting read and one that I would probably like a lot. I also like that Liz took a "what if" approach to the novel. Sounds like a great read, Dar, so please do count me in!!

    zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net

  12. Hi Zibilee,

    Thanks so much for your kind comment. I must say, this was one of those books where I had as much fun writing it as I did doing the research.

  13. The cover looks nice, and the story, intriguing. It sounds great! I'd love to read it. 🙂

    Cass
    cc932005[at]hotmail[dot]com

  14. Thanks, Cass!

    The Carina Press designers really are talented with their book cover art. When I described Aiyana to them, they got her down perfectly on the cover, right down to her unusual green eyes.

  15. Hi, ladies! Just me, dropping in to let Dar know I've got this posted at Win a Book for you. Liz, if we can help publicize anything, come on by and check us out!

    No need to enter me. Not until I've got my TBR problem under a bit more control.

  19. Enjoyed reading the comments. I live in the valley and have been to the Heard many times. Love the dry desert.
    Can't wait to read the book since I can relate to the setting.
    JOYE
    JWIsley(at)aol(dot)com

  20. Hi Joye,

    The Heard is such a cool place. I'd go there every week, if I could. Last time we were there, we brought my niece and nephew and let them loose in the children's wing–lots of interactive exhibits with things like basket weaving, painting, dreamcatchers. They also got to listen to exhibits narrated by Native American children from the various tribes in Arizona. They were totally into it. We had a ball.