Cultural myths and superstition...Indigo by Karen Hulene Bartell

MUSE MONDAY

Please join me in welcoming Karen Hulene Bartell to Muse Monday on Discover... Her post is so intriguing, I'm sure you'll enjoy it and want to check out her book. Read on!

In the no man’s land between cultural myths and emotional vulnerabilities, superstition can devolve into delusion, and where does that lead?

INDIGO Blurb:

Reeling after her fiancé dumps her, she  inherits a rustic cabin from an unknown relative. Eerie incidents and rumors of a mythical windigo alarm her, but she’s determined to learn the truth about her dysfunctional family before she flips the property.

Despite unscrupulous realtors, bloodthirsty prowlers, and a devious ex, her life improves with a rescued puppy, and passion ignites when she meets Dylan McCoombs, but…

What does a demonic half-beast share with a psychosis and porphyria? Are monsters born or formed? Nature or nurture? Is a windigo spirit genetic? More importantly, does she carry the gene?

The deeper Raluca Olson digs, the more questions emerge. Is the darkness outside OR within her?

What is a windigo? Is it folklore, a legendary beast, OR something more personal?

The windigo is a moral warning from Indigenous and French traditions—OR it’s a manifesting evil spirit.

Origin: Algonquian folklore, especially Ojibwe, Cree, French, and other northern Indigenous peoples.

Nature: A malevolent, cannibalistic spirit OR a transformed human, often described as emaciated, with a heart of ice, glowing eyes, and a foul odor.

Cause of Transformation: Insatiable hunger, greed, or any excess, often originating with famine or starvation.

Symbolism: A cautionary tale about greed, the loss of humanity, and moral decay.

Appearance: Humanoid with monstrous features, up to 15 feet tall, with a skeletal frame.

INDIGO Excerpt:

I followed the road as it dipped and twisted through the wetlands, rose again between bordering alfalfa fields speckled with blue gypsyweed stalks, then dead ended at a railroad track. About-facing, I backtracked.

Though the sun shone brightly, a cold shiver ran down my spine when I passed the cemetery. The hair rose on the back of my neck, and I turned, looking behind me. Instinct told me I was being watched. No cars or other hikers on the road…no houses nearby. I surveyed the wooded graveyard, peering through the trees’ long shadows until a pair of glowering eyes met mine.

Sitting on the stone chair was a man with a lean, lupine face, heavy beard, slanted, almond-shaped eyes, and a thick head of hair.

Fight or flight? My thoughts spiraling, I tensed as I played out one stressful scenario after another. My mouth dry, I swallowed hard, checking the country road for traffic. Nothing. No cars and no one except this skulker lurking in the cemetery.

But he stayed motionless, not waving or acknowledging me in any way. He just stared through hooded eyes.

Creepy…I kept him in my peripheral vision as I strode past, then sprinted to the cabin, checking behind me before punching in the entry code. Not until I slammed the door did I breathe deeply. What a weirdo.

I eyed my laptop on the kitchen table, debating whether to finish editing the latest manuscript but was too keyed up to concentrate. Instead, I unpacked one of the moving boxes stacked against the breakfast bar. Who knows how long it’ll take to flip this place?

I glanced about the cabin. A collection of fly-fishing lures and vintage fishing signs decorated the knotty pine paneling: Cast away your troubles. Support your local hookers. Wake and lake. Even the dinnerware featured a rainbow-trout motif.

Bordered by two windows, a fieldstone fireplace filled the front wall, floor to ceiling. Flanked by rustic end tables, a fold-out sofa lined the adjoining wall. The backdoor led to a covered porch, overlooking the lake. The kitchenette filled the back wall and part of the fourth wall, which opened to the bedroom and bath.

As I found homes for my clothes, books, and personal effects, I debated whether to redecorate or flip the cabin as is. Then the change of pace hit me.

How did I end up here? My thoughts slipped back to two weeks before, when I was in Chicago, ticking details off my wedding checklist. And why would Winifred Nelson leave me this place?

****

Contact Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell

X: @HuleneKaren

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell  

Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/ 

Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhulenebartell/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/

AUTHORSdb: https://authorsdb.com/community/17847-karen-hulene-bartell

 

Buy Links:

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3kRlWn

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Indigo-Cryptid-Charisma-Hulene-Bartell-ebook/dp/B0GHZHM1WQ

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indigo-karen-hulene-bartell/1149708480

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/indigo-by-karen-hulene-bartell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249818067-indigo

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=9781509265251

BooksAMillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509265251

Indie Bound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/indigo-karen-hulene-bartell/d36bdd344e121211

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/indigo/id6760712664

The author of 30 published books and Indigo, Karen Hulene Bartell was born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually. Her earliest playmates were fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night--reading feverishly. Novels offered an imaginative escape, and she began her first novel at nine, learning the joys of creating her own HEAs. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, she lives in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband and *mews*--three rescued cats and a rescued CATahoula Leopard dog.

Drawing, Followers, and Romantic Suspense

This month, my followers on Facebook can enter a drawing to receive an eBook of Southwest of Love and Murder, the second book in the Wild Horse Peaks Books. This is an award winning series, and you do not need to read the books in order to enjoy these Romantic Suspense stories.

Writing murder mysteries is all in a day's work until an obsessed fan brings Phoebe’s stories to life. 

Mystery writer, Phoebe Anderson, owes her success to killing her first husband on paper seventeen years earlier. Now, someone has actually done it. Taking a few days to re-group on an isolated ranch outside a small town, she doesn’t expect romance…or murder…to find her. 

Mason Meadowlark is happy with his wild cowboy ways, avoiding love since the death of his baby and the end of his marriage twenty years before. When Phoebe shakes up his routine, he fights to control his emotions, fearing the pain of opening his heart again to a second chance romance. 

With an obsessed stalker fan close on her heels, Phoebe is thrown into her own murder mystery…and the next target on the psychopath’s list is Mason.

If your haven't visited my Facebook page, or if you have but not followed, I encourage you to do so. I have drawings nearly every month. You can keep up with my book news as well as other fun posts.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FACEBOOK PAGE

4 Lessons Learned from 483 Pieces of “Desk” by Susan Harris Howell

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Oh my do I feel the pain of my guest blogger. We just purchased a put-together desk recently...but I stepped back and let FDW fight with it. Ah, the language! Enjoy this post from Susan Harris Howell. She is fearless for tackling such a project. And then check our her book which sounds like a fun read.

My new desk came to me in 483 pieces—slats, panels, and hardware wrapped in plastic bags for “easy delivery and assembly.” My daughter commented that the company might have just sent me a tree and an ice pick for the work it would require.

I sat on the floor, surrounded by debris that looked nothing like the desk I had ordered. I wanted to lie down and cry. I would have too if I would’ve had enough floor space to lie down. This was an impossible task. 

I wanted to send it back, but I could no more repack that box than I could unring a bell. So, I picked up the forty-eight-page instruction booklet, turned to page one, and put the “twist-lock fasteners into outer ends A and C.” 

That first step was the beginning of a three-day process which led to the beautiful desk I now adore. It also taught me a few things about another “impossible” task I would soon face – writing my first novel. 

Here’s what I learned. 

Lesson One: Just do today’s work. 

As I thumbed through the encyclopedic-sized instruction manual, I knew I’d have to narrow my focus. So, I concentrated on step one without mentally moving on to steps two or three. This helped me begin and kept me moving forward.

Likewise, when writing a book, we often work best by tackling one manageable task at a time without mentally wandering into steps two, three, or beyond. Narrowing our focus can move us forward.

Lesson Two: Be confident. 

That first day, colleagues dropped by to offer condolences. I assumed they would know more than I and would have secrets to share on furniture assembly. Sadly, none of them did; evidently, there were no secrets.   

Similarly, when we have a story to tell, we can’t assume someone else will tell it better. They have their own stories to write, their own desks to assemble. My story is my story; your story is yours. Be confident in the telling.

Lesson Three: Use available resources.

On the first day when my husband offered our power drill, I declined since the instructions clearly said power tools weren’t necessary. On day two, I grabbed that power drill and didn’t let go. Using the right tool made the task easier.

Likewise, when writing, we can avail ourselves of quality resources. Books, conferences, blogs and podcasts – a lot of information is out there. Find it and use it. 

Lesson Four: Let others participate.

When one of my students (now a friend) offered to help, I gratefully accepted. Not only was Bethany’s help priceless, she and I bonded through our desk-a-thon experience. For several days, we posted pictures and progress reports on social media. Friends across several states watched with interest and celebrated the finished product.

In the same way, writing is richer when others walk alongside us. Whether they read each draft, encourage our persistence, or subscribe to our newsletter, many will participate if we invite them. Don’t go it alone.

The take-away?

My desk now serves as a daily reminder of what can be accomplished when we focus on today’s work, remain confident, use available resources, and invite others to join us. 

I hope these lessons encourage you in your next “impossible” endeavor.

Book Blurb:

When Samantha and her students uncover a campus death, they must draw on everything from science to seances, to learn what happened before Samantha gets fired for “dabbling in the paranormal.”

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Vanderlaan-Samantha-Hayes-Book-ebook/dp/B0DHV65RM4?ref_=ast_author_dp

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spirit-of-vanderlaan-susan-howell/1146282868?ean=9781509258888

Author Bio:

Susan Harris Howell is a psychologist and retired university professor. The Spirit of Vanderlaan, draws on her career to capture the warmth between a teacher and the students who inhabit her office. Susan is also the author of Buried Talents. She and her husband have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc. 

My Social Media Links:

Website: https://susanharrishowell.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/susan_h_howell/

Email List & Monthly Blog:  https://susanharrishowell.substack.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/susanhowellwriter