MEDICINE AND MIRACLES IN THE HIGH DESERT

WOW! Women on Writing Presents

A Book Blog Tour for:

Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert: 

My Life Among the Navajo People

This is the true story of a young white woman, Erica Elliott, who comes to the Navajo Reservation in 1971 as a newly minted schoolteacher, knowing nothing about her students or their culture. After several blunders and misunderstandings, and beset by loneliness and despair, Erica makes a determined effort to overcome the barriers of language and culture. From the moment she begins learning the Navajo language, the people open their hearts and homes to her, inviting her into a world that will profoundly impact the rest of her life.

Erica falls in love with her Navajo students—along with their enchanting land, healing ceremonies, and rich traditions. She witnesses many miracles during this time, and experiences her own miracle when the elders pray for her healing. She survives fearsome encounters with a mountain lion and a shapeshifting “skin walker.” She learns how to herd and butcher sheep, make fry bread, weave traditional rugs, and more.

Erica returns years later to serve the Navajo people as a medical doctor in an under-funded and under-staffed clinic, where she treats myriad ailments, delivers countless babies, and performs emergency procedures. When a medicine man offers to thank her with a ceremony, more miracles unfold.

Print Length: 202 Pages

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Balboa Press

Read more about the book at GoodReads.com and at 

https://www.medicineandmiraclesinthehighdesert.com/.

Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/Medicine-Miracles-High-Desert-Navajo-ebook/dp/B07PGSTYWS/

Erica Elliott, Author and M.D.

Erica Elliott is a medical doctor with a busy private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A true adventurer, she has lived and worked around the world. She served as a teacher for Indigenous children on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and in the mountains of Ecuador.

In 1976, she was one of the first American women to climb Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere. She taught rock climbing and mountaineering for Outward Bound and, after her first year of medical school, she led an all-women’s expedition to the top of Denali in Alaska.

In 1993, Erica helped found The Commons, a cohousing community in Santa Fe where she continues to live. She gave a TEDx talk about living in cohousing. Referred to affectionately as “the Health Detective,” she treats patients who come to her from all parts of the country with mysterious and difficult-to-diagnose illnesses. Erica is a frequent radio guest and has given workshops at various venues, including Esalen and Omega Institute.

By Caroline Clemmons

I don’t often review books personally. For full-time authors, reading time is precious. I agreed to review this book because my family and I have for years been interested in the Navajo people in fiction and fact. I’m so glad I read this book!

Erica Elliott relates a fascinating story of her time with the Navajo people, first as a teacher at Chinle and then as a doctor at the Cuba Medical Center. What intriguing vignettes she relates in this book.

Erica Elliott and her 4th grade class

Beginning as a fourth grade teacher at the boarding school in Chinle near Canyon de Chelly, she learned to speak Navajo to communicate with her students. Soon she was in turn taking each of her students home for a weekend with their family. Because of her efforts to understand their culture and learn their language, she was accepted by them. If you remember hearing about the Navajo Code Talkers in WWII, then you understand the Navajo language is quite difficult.

Erica Elliott herding sheep on Jimmy the horse

In a desire to learn more, she spent one summer with the parents of a friend. While there, she worked as a sheepherder. She even learned to butcher a sheep—a skill she had never wanted to acquire.

Erica far right before a ceremony

Dr. Elliott was one of the few whites allowed to participate in native rituals. She describes several of the miracles she witnessed. The Road Man, the man conducting the ceremony, warned her whites would not believe her if she told what went on. While in medical school, she learned this was true.

Later, at a Blessing Way ceremony, the leader prayed for her future. As time passed, the prayer came true exactly in the order of the prayer. You’ll have to read the book to learn what that way was.

A hogan in winter

The book has been optioned for a TV series. In addition, the book was named one of the best indie books of 2020 by the Independent Book Publishers Professionals Group. It was a Finalist in the 2020 Next Generation Independent Book Awards. She has promised more books and I'll eagerly look forward to them.

I highly recommend MEDICINE AND MIRACLES to anyone who enjoys learning about other cultures and/or the Navajo people and/or adventurous women. 

Here is a short video of a PBS interview about the book.

DISHARMONY OF SILENCE

WOW! Women on Writing Presents

A Book Blog Tour for:

One person who comments will be awarded a copy of DISHARMONY OF SILENCE! If the winner lives outside the U.S., the copy will be an e-book. Inside the U.S., the copy will be a print book.

The Disharmony of Silence

 By

Linda Rosen

Tour Starts March 2nd

Ends April 5th

About the Book

In her desperate quest for family, Carolyn Lee is determined, against all advice, to reveal the shocking eighty-four-year-old secret she uncovered…until she realizes that "family" means more than blood.

In 1915, jealous, bitter Rebecca Roth cuts all ties with her life-long friends, the Pearls. Eight years later, Rebecca’s son and young Lena Pearl begin keeping company in secret. Rebecca agrees to a truce when the couple marries. But the truce is fragile. Rebecca’s resentments run deep.

In 2010, Carolyn Lee, fitness instructor and amateur photographer, must come to grips with the fact that her mother’s imminent death will leave her alone in the world. While preparing her childhood home for sale, she realizes for the first time that her mother’s antique brooch is identical to the one pinned to the lady's dress in the painting hanging above the fireplace. Coincidence or connection?  Carolyn is determined to find out. What she discovers has the potential to tear lives apart or to bring her the closeness and comfort she longs for. It all depends on how she handles her newfound knowledge.

Praise for The Disharmony of Silence

“Linda Rosen spins an intriguing tale of long-held family secrets, an emotional search for identity, and a painting that may just be the key to untangling the complicated past. The bittersweet mystery kept me reading rapidly until the last page!” —Kristin Harmel, bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife

Rosen paints a vivid picture of a family torn apart then shows us what true family means.  – Pamela Taylor, author of the Second Son Chronicles   

A wonderful novelist . . .  Ms. Rosen's writing is both tender and inspiring. The Disharmony of Silence unfolds with emotional and wise insights. – Bunny Shulman, author of After Aida

"A family torn apart by jealousy and reunited by love is devastated again when tragedy strikes. A poignant and moving debut novel about the fragility of life, the power of love, and the cost of keeping a secret." Gina Sorell author of Mothers and Other Strangers

About the Author

Linda Rosen, fitness professional turned writer, lives with her husband splitting their time between New Jersey and Florida. She was a contributor to Women in the Literary Landscape: A WNBA Centennial Publication for the Women's National Book Association and has had stories published in Foliate Oak and Crack the Spine, both in their online magazine and print anthology. Follow her at www.linda-rosen.com.

Guest post by Linda Rosen

Does it Matter Where the Novel is Set?

 When Barbara Kingsolver was pondering themes for her latest novel, Unsheltered, she “had a vague feeling the world as we knew it was ending.” This thought brought her to another “dangerously uncertain” time in our history – the 1870s. As she explained, “The country was wrecked by war and a book by Charles Darwin was shaking the very notion of what it meant to be human.” So, Kingsolver “went looking for an American scientist involved in that radical debate.” She found her living in Vineland, New Jersey and had her setting.

There are books where the setting is obvious, though there are also some where readers might wonder why, that there is nothing in the setting germane to the story or theme. It’s simply where the characters live.

In The Disharmony of Silence my protagonist, Carolyn, lives in Tarrytown, NY. Why? The story isn’t set around the town’s history and has absolutely nothing to do with Ichabod Crane or Sleepy Hollow. Simply, it’s because I have always been attracted to a housing complex I see as I drive across the Tappan Zee Bridge, now named the Mario M. Cuomo. (It bothers me when names are changed!) Therefore, I decided Tarrytown would be Carolyn’s home. It’s close to her mother in New Rochelle. Also, there is no major reason for using that town. It’s just that I once worked in New Rochelle and it was sexier than using my own home town, and a short train ride from New York City which is important in the novel.

Another character in my book, Kate, lives in Venice Beach, California. I could have chosen any town 3,000 miles from Carolyn’s home, but Venice, with its narrow streets surrounded by canals and purple and orange Birds of Paradise, enchants me.

Thinking of settings in some novels I’ve recently read, the towns or countries are pertinent to the story, as in Unsheltered. Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, set in Alaska, is perfect for the theme and will make you want to bundle up in a warm blanket as you read. On the other hand The Moon Sisters by Therese Walsh, which takes place in the wilds of West Virginia, could have been set in any wilderness as long as it had bogs and humidity. And in the novel, The Girls of 17 Swann Street, the town does not matter at all. It’s the unforgettable characters in a house on a street which can be anywhere.

Settings, with sounds, scents and textures, whether a town or country, a coffee shop or even a front porch with a swing, bring the reader in close, just as a camera does when using a zoom lens. Will you now wonder about the setting in the novel you are reading, if it’s not obvious? I hope so. It definitely makes discussing a book, as well as what the author’s intentions might have been, fun.

  

Remember to leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of the book! 

GEORGIA STORIES ON MY MIND

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

Don't miss the giveaway at the end of the post!

Georgia Stories on My Mind

By

Jackie Rod

Tour Begins January 13th

Come visit Georgia within these pages as you read heartwarming stories shaped by local traditions and legends. The characters live life to the fullest through joys and hardships. Inhale the essence of Georgia’s revitalized small town squares while eating hand- scooped ice cream on a park bench. Each town has its own magic. Sometimes the most real things in life are things we cannot see but those that deeply touch us, as the folks in these tales learn. Share smiles and shed tears as you travel the curving road of life with these Georgia characters. Are you ready for an unforgettable experience of hope, faith, trust, reconciliation, and love?

Print Length: 259 Pages

Genre: Short Story Anthologies

Publisher: Touch Not the Cat Books

ASIN: B07FXVRZGG

Georgia Stories on My Mind is available to purchase on Amazon.com.

Jackie Rod, Author

“A good book transports me to another time and place. It lets me feel the sensation of heroes and heroines— dark loneliness, deep passion, a father’s pride and a mother’s grief.” Jackie Rod is a fiction writer, loving wife of a legal beagle, and mother of three children who has blessed her with seven fantastic grandchildren. After Jackie retired from teaching, her love of words and stories led her to begin writing fiction. Reading and traveling enrich her life and she jumps at the opportunity to teach a workshop or attend a writing conference. She belongs to five writing chapters/groups. Jackie’s work can be found in twelve published books on Amazon, in several Metro Atlanta libraries, and independent bookstores.

You can find Jackie at: 

www.facebook.com/JackieRod

www.Twitter.com/Softnsilk 

www.LinkedIn/com/in/jackie-rod-32bba255 www.Pinterest.com/JackieRod

www.JackieRod.blogspot.com 

www.Instagram.com/jackierod039

Interview With Jackie Rod

Tell us about Jackie growing up:

I wasn’t shy as a child. I still talk to people in the grocery line and speak to folks on an elevator. I always woke up happy and still do. Each day is filled with joy. 

When I was little I liked to sing in the morning but was discouraged from doing so before breakfast. My neighbors and school friends called me “goody-two-shoes,” because I wanted to do the right thing. My brother is older than I am. 

Once Mother had him helping her weed the garden. I kept pestering him to play with me or to get attention. He swung around and hit me in the head with the hoe. Blood gushed and Mom screamed for him to run get a neighbor. He dashed like his feet were wings. They got me to the doctor who took care of the wound and took a few stitches. When painted Pet Rocks became popular I gave him one with a kid in overalls standing in the garden with a hoe in his hands. He has kept the painted rock on an easel on his desk for half a century.

Anthology in which
Jackie Rod's story appears

Tell readers about your family:

My prince is my greatest fan, and I would marry him again today. I have three adult children and seven grandchildren. They are my legacy. The word pride is inadequate to describe my feelings about my family. They are good, kind people. Kindness is always in season.

What are your hobbies?

My favorite way to relax is reading, inside in the winter and summer and outside on the covered patio in the spring and fall. My favorite authors are Anna Quindlen, Lisa Wingate, and Laura Drake. My other hobbies are traveling and antiquing. We have traveled out of the country almost every year we’ve been married. I prefer formal antiques rather than rustic primitives.

Tell us about your writing space:

I like to write essays or poems at the kitchen table. Writing long-hand is good therapy for me. I write lengthy stories and novels in my office on a large screen PC. Some people like to listen to music while they write. My preference is peace and quiet when I write. I can concentrate better.

Are you a Pantser or Plotter?

I’m a cross between a pantser and plotter. I like to outline a story to determine the goal and flesh out my hero and heroine. However, I don’t create a story board or roll out a long paper to chart events.

What is your writing schedule?

My writing schedule is flexible, because I’m involved in many activities. Some weeks I write over an hour a day for three or four days. Other weeks I may have only two days to work on a project. I rarely write every day. I set goals if there is an absolute timeline for the completion of a project.

Tell us something that would surprise readers:

Something that may surprise readers is that I never thought about writing, until I retired from teaching. My husband’s job took us out of state for four years. I didn’t know anyone in Louisiana and didn’t want to be bored. I entered LSUS and took fiction writing from Sarah Hamer. After two classes, I was hooked. She became my best friend and often comes to visit us in Georgia.

What is your advice to unpublished writers?

You are unique and have a story in you that only you can tell. Join a writing group. I belong to five writing groups: RWA, Atlanta Writers Club, Georgia Romance Writers, Walton Writers, and NOLASTARS in LA. There are advantages and drawbacks to large and small writing groups. You will quickly become friends with a small group, but you may find more advanced writers in a large group. Learn the writing craft—take classes, attend workshops, and go to conferences. Take advantage of the free videos and seminars online. Invest in quality online classes. You can never learn enough about writing.

Jackie Rod and an
author friend at
her booksigning

Who are your greatest supporters of your writing?

My family and friends have encouraged me each step on this journey. They are my cheerleaders. My critique members have been kind enough to read my work and show me where it can be improved. I have three special cheerleaders who read everything I write. Early in my writing years, I was invited by a fledgling publishing company to write with newly published authors. We put together six anthologies. Then other groups asked me to write stories for anthologies. I wrote lengthy short stories for three other groups before I decided to publish a book of short stories about small towns in Georgia.

What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

My wish is that my readers will find a thread of connection to the wonderful characters inhabiting the pages in my stories. These are heartwarming stories of relationships: mother-daughter, father-daughter, grandmother-granddaughter, twin sisters, and lovers. In the end, love is the glue that holds them together, heart to heart. Love is the glue that holds all of us together.

Blog Tour Dates

January 13^th @ The Muffin

What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Grab your coffee and join us as we celebrate the launch of Jackie Rod's blog tour of her book Georgia Stories on My Mind. You can read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

January 14th @ Lori's Reading Corner

Visit Lori's blog today and read author Jackie Rod's guest post about editing. You can also enter to win a copy of her book Georgia Stories on My Mind.

http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com

January 15th @ Cathy C. Hall's Blog

Visit Cathy C. Hall's blog today and read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind.

https://c-c-hall.com/

January 16th @ Caroline Clemmons Blog

Stop by Caroline's blog today and you can see a spotlight of the book and an interview with author Jackie Rod. Also win a copy of the book!

http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/

January 18th @ A Day in the Life of Mom

Visit Ashley's blog today and you can read Jackie Rod's guest post about how time is limited and precious. Plus, you can enter to win a copy of the book!

https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/

January 20th @ Memoir Writer's Journey

Make sure you stop by Kathleen's blog today and read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind. You can also win a copy of the book!

https://krpooler.com/

January 21st @ Amanda Diaries

Visit Amanda's blog today and you can read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind.

https://amandadiaries.com/

January 22nd @ Look to the Western Sky

Stop by Margo's blog where you can read Jackie Rod's guest post about being a cheerleader for others. You can also win a copy of the book Georgia Stories on My Mind. Don't miss it!

https://www.margoldill.com

January 22nd @ Cathy C. Hall's Blog

Visit Cathy's blog today and reading Jackie Rod's guest post about being a homegrown Georgia peach.

https://c-c-hall.com/

January 23rd @ And So She Thinks

Visit Francesca's blog today where you can read Jackie Rod's guest post about the value of critique groups and writing groups.

https://andsoshethinks.wordpress.com/

January 24th @ Coffee with Lacey

Come by Lacey's blog today and read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind.

http://www.coffeewithlacey.com

January 25th @ Bookworm Blog

Stop by Anjanette's blog today and you can read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind. Enter to win a copy of the book as well!

http://bookworm66.wordpress.com

January 26th @ The Frugalista Mom

Visit Rozelyn's blog today and read Jackie Rod's guest post about precious moments.

https://thefrugalistamom.com

January 27th @ 12 Books

Visit Louise's blog and read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind.

http://www.12books.co.uk/

January 28th @ A Storybook World

Join Deirdra at her blog today where you can read Jackie Rod's guest post about the importance of conferences.

http://www.astorybookworld.com/

January 30th @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog

Visit Anthony's blog today where he will be spotlighting Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories On My Mind.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

January 31st @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog

Visit Anthony's blog again where you can read his review of the book Georgia Stories On My Mind and you can win a copy of the book!

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

February 1st @ Ali's Bookshelf Reviews

Come by Ali's blog today and you can read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind. Plus you can win a copy of the book!

http://alisbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/

February 3rd @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog

Visit Anthony's blog where you can read an interview with author Jackie Rod and read her guest post about family and friends.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

February 4th @ Ali's Bookshelf Reviews

Visit Ali's blog today and read author Jackie Rod's guest post about how reading changes your life.

http://alisbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/

February 6th @ Memoir Writer's Journey

Stop by Kathleen's blog today and read Jackie Rod's guest post about the joys of life. Don't miss this one!

https://krpooler.com/

February 7th @ The Frugalista Mom

Stop by Rozelyn's blog today and you can read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind. You can also enter to win a copy of the book!

https://thefrugalistamom.com

February 8th @ Bookworm Blog

Stop by Anjanette's blog again and you can read an interview with author Jackie Rod and read the author's guest post featuring writing tips. Don't miss!

http://bookworm66.wordpress.com

February 9th @ Leonard Tillman's Blog

Visit Leonard's blog and read his review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind.

http://leonardtillerman.com/

February 10th @ Madeline Sharples Blog

Visit Madeline's blog and read Jackie Rod's guest post about marketing on social media.

http://madelinesharples.com/

February 11th @ 12 Books

Visit Louise's blog again and you can read Jackie Rod's touching guest post about wisdom. Don't miss it!

http://www.12books.co.uk/

February 12th @ It's Alanna Jean

Visit Alanna's blog where you can read a guest post by the author about faith, hope, and love.

https://itsalannajean.wordpress.com/

February 16th @ Joyful Antidotes

Visit Joy's blog today and you can read her review of Jackie Rod's book Georgia Stories on My Mind.

https://www.joyfulantidotes.com

Jackie Rod will award a book to one person who leaves a comment today!