
It is a privilege to get this opportunity to contribute my humble ramblings on your blog today, Audra. I’ll try my best not to embarrass you!
Why do you write in this genre?
By way of an interest I developed growing up with a Nez Perce high school friend, I noticed that there were darned few stories about Native Americans in contemporary literature. The only thing I ever saw was historical in nature and sometimes the accuracy of the content was questionable. Heck, if non-fiction writers were going to mangle stories, I could at least write fictional stories of interest with some basic truths I learned along the way.
Ergo, I began to fire up the keyboard and have written four published works; Song of the Unsung, Heart of the Unsung (self-published), Buffalo Hump and now Hollow Point (through Champagne Book Group), a manuscript in the wings, The Sheep Eater, and another one in the research phase, The Backbone of the World.
What type of research do you do for your novels?
My research for these books all started with reading as much as possible about the different cultures online, plus trying to visit places they live and events they participate in and learning some basic etiquette for attending things like Pow Wows.
In my latest book Hollow Point, the Port Madison Indian Reservation is under siege by men manufacturing high-grade methamphetamine for export by a unique means around Puget Sound. A lone Tribal Police Officer who is already struggling with his belief system stumbles into a web of suspicious activity that could lead to the top of the Tribal Council. Everyone he knows and cares about is placed in danger. The druggers want him dead. A bit of tribal lore inserts itself when things seem hopeless and the personal losses mount.
Is there a character in your latest novel that you relate to? How so?
The character I most relate to in this story is a man named Grandfather Hawk and his guide dog, Sadie. He is severely vision-impaired, but knows most of the goings on around the Rez. He and his dog are symbiotic. He is aware of things he cannot see. He just shows up when he’s most needed and he usually brings his other friend, the Old Man with him. Grandfather Hawk is someone who has learned to use his disability as an advantage.
Tell us about your latest novel in 25 words or less.
Hollow Point takes place on the Port Madison Indian Reservation in Kitsap County, Washington across the Puget Sound from Seattle, home of the Suquamish Tribe. It just happens to be fifteen minutes from my own front door.
Where can we learn more about your books?
Feel free to visit my website to learn more! http://www.garyeddings.weebly.com