While I was researching Mount Graham, known to the Apaches as dzil nchaa si’an, I discovered it was a sacred sight with much legal, political, local, national and international intrigue. The controversies boil down to an age old debate of religion vs. science and in a much larger sense, the destruction of a traditional Native American site for the so-called greater good of man.
If you have been in the area you know that the sky is not polluted by light and therefore millions of stars are readily seen from Mount Graham. It is the perfect place for an observatory. Being that it is an international observatory funded by the University of Arizona, the Vatican, the Max Planck Institute and others, the Apache people are fighting an ongoing and uphill battle to maintain and regain what they consider sacred ground.
Because of the Vatican's involvement the telescope has been called "the Pope scope” and is part of the Vatican Observatory, one of the oldest astronomical establishments. To add insult to injury to the Apache, the project of building the observatories was originally called the Columbus Project.
All of these reasons gave me pause and easily gave me a political, religious and international tale of intrigue. HOLES IN THE SKY was born out of necessity to tell the world of what I and many others perceive as a wrong to the Apache nation.
If you want the details of what is going on in the long, ongoing court fight just google Mount Graham Observatory. While I advocate for knowledge, in this case I feel a sacred place has been stolen from the Apaches and all Indian nations.
Author interview with Written Word Media
What can you tell us about your new release, NATIVE DREAMS?
NATIVE DREAMS is the 11th book in the ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble series. For new readers to the series, this story centers around Sheriff Zeb Hanks' wife, Echo Skysong, Apache, mystical Knowledge Keeper, Afghanistan war veteran, mother, wife and much more.
While Sheriff Zeb Hanks is integral to solving the mystery and its multiple component parts you will see how they truly are a team in the best possible ways. While the book covers branches of Native American mysticism it also covers the day to day issue of crime solving and takes a deep dive into PTSD and its long term affects.
New readers can pick up at this book and not be lost to many of the interrelationships that have been developed over the first ten books. If you've read the first ten, you will know more of the inside information on how the interpersonal relationships between all the characters work. This book was particularly fun to write as the more novels I write in the series, the more I know the depths of each character and how I can portray them for the reader. Writing the series has grown from mystery writing to character development in a wonderful way for myself and the readers. It has become a way to connect with thousands of fans in a very fun way. Because of their love for the stories I will continue joyfully to write them and with each tell of every new tale hopefully educate readers about not only the Apache way of life, past and present ways of being but allow some insight into the modern relationships between the old west and the new west.
What books are currently on your night stand?
I am currently reading The Last Hundred by Jim Ellis, Three Wise Men by Beau Wise and The National Baseball Hall of Fame Almanac. I'm also a big fan of Henning Mankell and the Kurt Wallander Series. He knows how to write a mystery well.
What advice would you give your teenage self?
I had an idyllic teenage life. The best advice I could give myself would be to do it again and this time take a little more time to learn things that I know now interest me.
If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it
My days go by fast as most people's do, even in Covid19 times. I guess I would study more acupuncture as I am a Chiropractor and and Acupuncturist. There are 5000 years of acupuncture studies and books that I could learn from.
What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?
My day to day life including family, writing, working, playing, thinking, listening to music, dreaming (both day and night dreaming) and just enjoying life itself. Life is like a dream as it presents us with infinite options.
Living, helping others, writing, being myself, evolving, laughing, playing pool, thinking, creating, eating, just about all things in life have a joyful side as far as I can tell.
What scene in NATIVE DREAMS was your favorite to write?
Most definitely the opening dream sequence when we see inside Echo and understand her thoughts and realize something big is about to happen to her. It came to me in a thought. I wrote and rewrote it until I had the whole story inside her dream. It was great fun to write. I have had great positive feedback on that chapter as well, probably more so than in any other chapter in any of my books.
The Story Behind Native Dreams
Readers have asked me about my inspiration for Native Dreams. In my clinical practice i treat a lot of PTSD and have done a fair amount of research on it. I found it fascinating and wondered how i could work it into a ZEB HANKS story. Since Echo Skysong served in Afghanistan she seemed like the right person to focus on. I wanted to give a new twist. PTSD has existed at least since the ancient Greeks under various names, but I became familiar with it after the Vietnam War. I wanted to tell a story that related how war follows soldiers home. I chose this subject, subconsciously, because my son just began his second tour of duty in Afghanistan and I pay close attention to what is happening there and have learned lots from him about how things operate over there. While, this of course, is a fictional story, some of the facts and how things operate are based loosely on reality. This book, while a mystery in the ZEB HANKS sage, is an homage to the men and women who served in war time.
Writing the book came quite easily. I had the background for the story, the general background, of the tale then i was lucky enough to wind in Zeb/Echo/Echo's military unit/ the cartel/some witchcraft and other things that will hold the readers interest and educate them or at least make them wonder and ask questions. As with all the books there is a starting point, which can be at the middle, the end or the beginning and I build the story forward, backward or inside out based on that. This one just happened to be about dreams because I was reading a book about dreams/dreaming. Everything else evolved out of that.
In NATIVE DREAMS we see the continual evolution of many of the main characters and even introduce some new ones. Zeb and Echo have a growing set of twins, Elan and Onawa, who are at the center of their lives. Echo is teaching them the ways of the Apache and during that process some trouble also occurs, drawing the children into the story conflict. Song Bird is his steadfast self, always there, always knowing how to handle things. A half dozen of the soldiers who served in Afghanistan with Echo enter the story. The Town Talk continues to be the center of gossip along with Helen Nazelrod the ever present office manager at the Sheriff's Office. Together they work to solve the crime which in this case begins with a dream and a dead man and a dead horse.
I really love writing this series. I know the characters now and how they feel and will often react, although, all of them have yet-to-be-discovered sides of their personalities. I am on the constant hunt for little things that make a good mystery. I find them in old books, my 1000s of AZ photos, TV shows, music, my dreams, talking to people, ideas that pop in out of nowhere, staring out my window at the lake. Literally ideas for this series have come from everywhere and everywhere.
I hope you enjoy it and I thank you for your continued support for me and Zeb.
Regards,
Mark Reps
Native Dreams - Chapter 1
1
ECHO’S PROPHETIC DREAM
Echo lay still and concentrated on her dream. It was the repetitive dream that had appeared often recently. As well, on multiple occasions aroused her from sleep. This time she reconstructed the dream in detail in her head. Thinking so clearly, she decided now was the time to write it all down. Quietly, so as not to disturb Zeb, Echo sneaked out of bed. She headed downstairs and grabbed her diary from the den before taking a seat at the kitchen table. This was no ordinary dream. In her heart of hearts she knew it was a vision from the Creator of all things. Pen in hand she wrote down the specifics.
ECHO’S DREAM
I have had this dream many times. I do not know exactly how many times I have had this dream or when I first had it. I suspect I first encountered this dream vision as a young child. I am aware of having it intermittently as a teenager when I passed through the puberty rites of the White Painted Woman/Esdzanadehe/Changing Woman ceremony. The dream has become more frequent since I returned home from serving my second TOD in Afghanistan with the United States Army. I also had the dream almost nightly when I was in the early phases of becoming the Knowledge Keeper. It arose again with great frequency when I was first pregnant with Elan and Onawa and then again shortly before their birth. In the last several months I have had the dream, or should I say remembered the dream, more often than ever before. Its frequency puzzles me this time. In the past it was related to life changing events. Now, although life is always changing, there seems to be nothing I can relate the dream to.
In my dream I have my hair pulled back into a ponytail. I am wearing a dark long-sleeved T-shirt with a military style camouflaged short-sleeved shirt over the top of that. I am wearing blue jeans and desert camo boots. I am walking across and through a desert with mountains in the background. It is spring and I hear birds singing out to one another. I assume they are mating calls. I know that I am strong and solid.
Suddenly, I burst into running at full speed as though someone is chasing me. I turn around and look behind me, but I see nothing. I deftly sneak behind a large boulder. The boulder is painted green, black and red. It could be a piece of art that belongs in a museum. It might be a flag. It seems familiar but it is so spread out I cannot tell for certain. I climb on the rock to have a better look around. I see that a man is chasing me. He has a gun, a military-style automatic weapon. I recognize it as a Kalashnikov. Now I know I am at war. The land around me stinks of the foul air of Afghanistan.
I scan the area around me. To my north there are trees and safe places to hide, but there is a large field between myself and the trees. I do not think I can make it to the trees without getting shot or at least, shot at. To the south is a lake. Since I am in the desert, I assume it is a mirage. I imagine that I should run to the lake, dive in and grab a reed to breathe through, and swim under water. Even in my dream I realize that I could not survive in a desert mirage.
I look back at the man with the weapon. There are four bodies lying on the ground in his wake. All of them are covered in blood. I am certain they are all dead from getting shot by his weapon. The blood is shadowy, black. In my dream I recognize all of them as other members of my military unit. They are so far away that I cannot possibly see their faces, yet I know who they are. I quickly check myself for weapons. I have a knife, a good knife, a UK-SFK Black Hawk. It feels like safety in my hand. I wonder if I will need it to kill the man up close or if I will use it to defend myself. I do not want to die, but I have no fear of it. My mind races as I remember the knife was given to me by a British Special Forces commando. He smiled when he handed it to me and told me one day I would need it. He was right. In my dream I see his face, his smile and I thank him. He nods knowingly back at me. Then he is gone.
This interaction gives me another small feeling of safety. I check my heart rate as I have been taught. It hits right at seventy-two beats per minute. This gives me a feeling of calm, control. I am wearing a Blue Stone tactical shoulder holster. It is built for two guns but strangely both holsters are empty. I spot a gun, then a second gun on the ground. They are not too far from my feet. How could I have been so careless as to drop them? As I reach to pick them up a hail of bullets thuds into the sand inches away. I jump back. Fortunately, I am coordinated enough, lucky enough to grab the guns. I am amazed at my own acumen. I load the weapons instinctually without thought using muscle memory and training. At the same time my eyes are regarding the man with the gun and the area toward the east where the man is coming from. I figure he is 500 yards away from me. I am an easy target, too easy of a target, given the right circumstances.
I spin my head so I can see toward the west. If he continues to run in a straight line, I will be able to use the large boulder as protection and get to a place where the desert sand slopes down toward a more protected area. The man is speeding up now. He is running faster and faster. I figure I have one minute, maybe ninety seconds before he catches up to me. I have no choice but to outrun him. I think of my mother and father and my grandparents of many generations. I pray they have given me the strength to survive. Praying, thinking, running, reacting, remembering and planning are all woven into a single simultaneous action.
As I take my first step to run, I wonder, oddly, for the first time, why is this man after me? What does he want? What have I done? Am I his enemy? Have I hurt him? Is he angry at someone I know? Why has he killed other members of my unit? An odd thought comes to me that I might be part of a gang of some sort, an Apache gang. I then realize I am wearing a red kerchief around my neck. I understand it is there to hide my identity. I wonder if I am a thief, a robber or a criminal of some kind. I do not think that I am a criminal. Then again, I am filled with uncertainty in all things except my own survival. I also believe the kerchief is protect me from the desert dust. Everything has more than one meaning to me.
I quicken my pace. I run fast, very fast. I run with such speed that I do not recognize the runner as myself because I am moving across the desert much faster than I ever imagined I am able. I know that adrenaline is racing through my system, giving me an edge. I send Usen a prayer of thanks. My prayer gives me stronger wind in my lungs. I feel no sense of fatigue. In fact, I feel powerfully strong, but not invincible. As my fear lessons my confidence increases.
I look back and no longer see the man. I assume I have outrun him as I find myself at the foot of a large mountain. It feels safe, familiar. I know my way around and through these mountains. As I am thinking about what I need to do I hear the footsteps of someone running in my direction. About four hundred yards behind me the man with the gun has once again found me. Now he is on horseback and has a dog running with him. I am shaken by the idea that I might have to shoot the dog and the horse. I know I need to disappear quickly, not only to save myself, but strangely, to save the animals.
My boots feel loose on my feet and I quickly retie them so I can maintain a swift running pace. I sneak off, down a hidden trail, into the mountainous area. I believe the man does not see me and the dog has not caught my scent. The trail will be difficult for a horse. I sense safety. In the distance I hear Zeb calling my name. I cannot see him. My heart thinks of my children. Then, I wake up.
This dream is nearly identical in every aspect each time it repeats itself.
Echo quietly sneaked upstairs so as not to disturb Zeb or the kids and slipped under the covers. As she lay there, eyes open, thinking, she wondered exactly what she had paid attention to, what her dreams meant and was she really safe anywhere. Where was all this coming from? She took her own advice and remembered how she told her children to never worry before going to sleep. She closed her eyes and emptied her mind. A song to Usen lullabied her off to the Land of Nod.
When she opened her eyes, Zeb was laying on his side looking at her. His face spoke of concern.
“What are you looking at me like that for?”
“You were dreaming that dream again, weren’t you?”
“I was.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I believe so. I hope so.”
“The kids are up and moving around. I’ll go down and make them breakfast,” said Zeb. “You can go back to sleep if you wish.”
“Clean up after them and have them brush their teeth and wash their hands and cute little faces.”
Zeb smiled. Echo had been strongly suggesting he participate on a greater level when it came to the children chores. She was correct in doing so. He had done very little of the day to day parenting over the past four years. He agreed it was time he pitched in more. Somehow, he was not doing the little things to Echo’s standards. But he was trying. Echo stepped out of bed, brushed her teeth and stepped into the shower. Zeb headed downstairs to make breakfast.
The Story Behind Native Fate
NATIVE FATE, Book 10 of the Zeb Hanks Mystery Series has finally been published and hit #1 on the Native American Fiction Amazon chart due to your support. Native Fate, like all of the other books in the series has an underlying theme. As alcoholism was covered in Adios Angel; land rights, religion and government power in Holes in the Sky; and revenge in Native Justice, the extended family is is the underlying theme in Native Fate.
I thought significantly about this because through 23 and Me I discovered I had a heretofore unknown grandchild. This got me thinking about what do we really know about our lineage. This is true not only when it comes to our immediate and blended families but to those we know and care about. With Zeb and Echo becoming aware of what it is to be parents in the beginning of the book, I twisted that into Zeb's lineage as well as some discovery of Echo's family. I was striving to make the reader think on multiple levels, as I have in all the books. The story is fun, but what goes into the research and thought behind it is quite intense. As in life, fiction can lead anywhere. Only in fiction writing the author has a better chance of finding the destination and the path.
Many of the ideas in Native Fate had been roaming the open plains of my mind since I began the series years ago. Who really is Zeb Hanks? As it turns out, he hadn't even known. That in and of itself opens a world of possibilities for the future and a greater understand of the past and present. I like Zeb...no I love Zeb's character. He inspires me to think and be creative. I am glad he is in love. I am glad he is apolitical. I am glad that he is a survivor. He holds many complex variables within his character, all of which I hope the reader finds endearing or at least thoughtful.
I didn't know where this book would end when I began writing it. I was aware that it had to have a strong finish is all that I knew. I was aware that I wanted to make Echo and the other female characters stronger. I knew I wanted to make the mystical component of the stories more 'real'. I want to continue to strengthen the female characters as well as Zeb in future books.
So thank you for your support on this journey and for reading the books. If you have time, please review NATIVE FATE or any of the Zeb Hanks Mystery Series books that you have read. It really helps us reach new readers.
In the meantime, for the next half dozen months or so I will be concentrating on a a baseball book. It is called THE GREATEST BASEBALL GAME EVER PLAYED. Baseball is how my wife, Kathy and I fell in love and learned many things about each other. The book concerns a game that takes place on July 4, 1939. The actual game begins right after Lou Gehrig makes his famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium (check it out on youtube). The book is from the heart of me as it also involves my grandfather who coaches one of the teams. Oh, by the by it takes place on top of Mount Rushmore.
--Mark Reps
Author, ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble Series
The Scenes of Heartland Heroes
Many of you have asked about the locations used in Heartland Heroes. Here are two important ones. Above is the field where I imagined Max and Charlie playing 1000 baseball games. You can just see the outline of the lines but that's all the boys would have needed. Below is a very different photo. This is where I imaged Cougar's body was found. In reality, it was a place that my boyhood friends and I lurked around and maybe sneaked a cigarette or two if truth be told.
A number of you have also asked me about the ending when Charlie meets Schumann again. This was part of a sequel I have thought long and hard about but not yet written. It involves Max and Charlie as they graduate from high school. One goes off to college and one to Vietnam. The details are based on letters that my family got from American soldiers in Vietnam. It's rolling around in my head and I may take some time to write it next summer.
In the meantime, I have been busy with Native Fate, book 10 of the ZEB HANKS series. It's about 80% done. Native Fate brings Sheriff Zeb Hanks to some truths that he never thought he would have to face. The complexities of his past come forward to haunt him and make him see the world in a whole new light. I just need one last story arc to take it home and then start the long but important job of editing and re-writing. Thanks for your patience.
From Amazon: "Heartland Heroes is a coming-of-age tale wrapped around a mystery that harkens back to the time of long summers, best friends and adventure at every turn. It’s the summer of 1966 in idyllic, rural Minnesota. Thirteen-year-olds Max Scanlan and Charlie Scerbiak are planning on a summer of baseball and goofing off when one suspicious death followed by a murder turns them into amateur sleuths." Fans of Stand by Me will love HEARTLAND HEROES, now only $2.99 on Amazon.
Thanks for your interest, enjoy your summer (or winter) reading and I look forward to hearing from you.
--Mark Reps
Author, ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble Series
Inspiration for Native Bones - Book 5
An interview with Mark Reps, author of ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble Native American mystery series.
Interview conducted by Lisa Vehrenkamp.
Lisa: What was the source of your inspiration for writing Native Bones?
Mark: Mostly, in Bones we are looking some very interesting history of Graham County. We are also witnessing Zeb and his team working together after the trauma of Book 4, Native Justice.
Lisa: Can you tell us a bit of that history?
Mark: Graham County if ripe with the history of the Apache Nation. Most people have heard of the great Apaches Geronimo and Cochise. Very few have ever heard of the greatest of the Apache chiefs, Mangas Coloradas.
Lisa: Who is Mangas Coloradas?
Mark: Mangas Coloradas lived from 1793 – 1863. He was an Apache tribal chief and a member of the Mimbreño Apaches. He was the father-in-law of Chief Cochise. He is considered by many to be the most important Chief to ever lead the Apache Nations. He was a giant of a man. Some say he was almost 7 feet tall. His Apache nickname was Red Shirt and he was also known as 'Standing in front of the enemy' because of his great bravery.
Lisa: Why did you choose to write about him?
Mark: There is a legend that he was brutally murdered by rogue members of the United States Cavalry. In the process, he was beheaded.
Lisa: That sounds gruesome.
Mark: It was. It was also totally unnecessary and done against the orders of the commander in charge, as he was a prisoner when this happened.
Lisa: Tell me more.
Mark: At the time of writing this I was spending a lot of time roaming Graham County and reading numerous books on the history of the area and its people. Two things happened that triggered this story. First, I came across an old graveyard that had the tomb of Little Robe.
Lisa: Who was Little Robe?
Mark: Little Robe was Geronimo's son who died as a child, possibly of disease and possibly murdered as retribution against Geronimo. The truth is quite difficult to find. I found his grave in a remote military graveyard near the foothills of the Chiricuaha Mountains. I was struck by the fact that it was a child's grave and that it was Geronimo's son. On the same trip I coincidentally happened to be reading a book about Prescott Bush, father of President George Bush and grandfather of the second President George Bush.
Lisa: I take it the grave of Little Robe and the story of Prescott Bush crisscrossed somewhere?
Mark: Exactly. Prescott Bush was a member at Yale University of a group known as the Skull and Bones Secret Society. That is factual. There is a rumor that the Skull and Bones Secret Society under the leadership of Prescott Bush dug up the bones of Geronimo in 1918, which had been buried at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Lisa: What made you put Little Robe and the bones of Geronimo together, into a story?
Mark: I stood at Little Robes grave on a beautiful, sunny day as the desert grass gently swayed and it was like I heard Little Robes voice asking me to tell his story. I'm certain it was my mind wanting something rather than his voice actually being heard.
Lisa: What did you do then?
Mark: I hung around the graveyard for hours. I was thinking and wondering what it was like back in Geronimo, Little Robe and Mangas Coloradas' day. I was thinking about grave desecration of the graves of Native Americans. I had also recently watched a TV show where Native American artifacts were being auctioned off. I figured some of the objects had been dug up illegally as it was not unusual for an Apache to be buried with their most precious belongings. I began to wonder what Skull and Bones was all about, what Mangas Coloradas was thinking during his final moments of life on this earth and a whole lot of other things.
Lisa: There was no shortage of information, was there?
Mark: No, definitely not. Oddly, simultaneously, a crime was being solved near where I live in Minnesota. Just across the Saint Croix River in Hudson, Wisconsin, two murders were committed at a funeral home. It was a local story for a couple of years while they figured out who did it. All the while I had been gathering information on that murder for a story I was going to call Border Town, which was the working title for Native Bones. I co-mingled parts of the funeral home murder with what I found at the graveyard, along with a lot of other things I found in researching both situations. Combining all of that information, I came up with Native Bones.
Lisa: Let's focus on the characters of the story. Zeb went through a lot in Native Justice. How is he faring in the novel?
Mark: Yes, Native Bones is book 5 in the series. In book 4, Native Justice, Zeb has been dramatically traumatized. For those of you who haven't read it yet, I will not go into detail. But, as we begin book 5 Zeb has been broken and is putting himself back together. His team is also figuring out how to deal with him.
Lisa: I notice that Senator Russell is becoming more developed in Native Bones.
Mark: Yes, yes, of course. Senator Russell and Sheriff Zeb Hanks have a long history dating back to Zeb's days as a border patrol agent. They have been using each other and probing into each other's business ever since. In Bones, Senator Russell plants Devon Dawbyns into Zeb's office as a deputy sheriff. It is Senator Russell's intent to push Dawbyns up the ladder of success and make him the first African-American governor of Arizona. He is also messing with Zeb because he knows what happened in Mexico in Native Justice. Finally, he has his eye on Sun Rey, a shady character in Safford.
Lisa: Since you mention that, what about Sun Rey?
Mark: Sun Rey was an interesting character to write. Because Senator Russell, who was the student director of Skull and Bones during his days at Yale, failed in his duties at Skull and Bones, he needed his son, in this case, illegitimate son, to complete the task he failed to finish. Sun Rey has made quite a name for himself as an R-Rated soft core porn distributor, a coffee bistro owner in Safford, owner of the iCandy gentleman's club in Tucson and a Pentecostal preacher. In many ways he is an unscrupulous chip off the old block and in Bones, he claims his name and Senator Russell accepts him. This of course, all plays into the mystery at hand.
Lisa: Whew.
Mark: It's not as complicated as it sounds and it is handed out to the reader one or two pieces at a time.
Lisa: Any thing else you want to say about the book.
Mark: Yes. In Bones we see the musical tastes of Sheriff Zeb Hanks expand. The reader learns about Randall knives and how Dartmouth gives qualified Native Americans a college education at no cost. There is some interesting information regarding Native American spiritual and traditional beliefs. As the series goes on further, I am trying to expand the awareness of the readers about the ways of the "First People." This is the first book where I opened up the reader to deeper insights into the main characters backgrounds.
Lisa: What do you mean by First People.
Mark: I learned from an old medicine man about a traditional belief by some "Indians" that they, the Apache specifically, but the Native Americans generally, were the first created by the Creator. The creator is known as Usen in Apache.
Lisa: How long do you plan on continuing the series, ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble.
Mark: I am writing book 10, NATIVE FATE, right now. After that I want to finish a book I have half written and totally outlined. It is called THE GREATEST BASEBALL GAME EVER PLAYED. It takes place in 1939 on top of Mount Rushmore. After that, who knows. If I have another 10 Zeb Hanks books in me, I'll write them. I feel as though I am just truly beginning to know Zeb as the wonderful and flawed human being he is.
Read NATIVE BONES now - on Amazon
Sheriff ‘evolves’ in newest book of series by local author
By: GRETCHEN MENSINK LOVEJOY SPRING VALLEY TRIBUNE
In book nine of the Zeb Hanks series, “Native Trouble,” “Zeb has changed tremendously,” shared Spring Valley native and author Mark Reps, telling about the next installment in his book series about Hanks, a sheriff who encounters struggles both professionally and personally as he carries out his job of upholding the law.
“He has grown into a bigger and better man,” said reps about Hanks, the main character in his latest book. “He has tragically lost one wife and found another. His new wife is a unique person with a unique job in the keeping of Indian traditions and Native American history. With her help and personal changes, he is dealing in a healthy way with his own inner demons as he ages. Beneath it all, he is a good man who is constantly being tried. In ‘Native Trouble,’ he is actually being plotted against, but he is blind to the enemy — ‘Native Trouble’ occurs during election season, and someone or some group is out to see that Zeb is not re-elected.”
The author has made an effort to keep his readers busy with a new book in hand as soon as they’ve put down the last book, but that means that he’s continuously developing characters, be they Hanks or his new wife and the agitators that rise up to cause him problems.
“I finish one book and then start the next almost immediately. I believe readers would much prefer two books a year, and I would like to be able to do that,” Reps said. “I love to develop characters. There are new characters in every book, but in this book, they are all quite memorable. They are funny, serious, empathetic types of characters whom the reader can relate to in many ways. And to continue with a series allows for character growth and development over time. The characters are real in the sense that they change and become something new in each book. As with everyone, time changes everything. The series grows into a life of its own after a while, and I, as the author, and you as the readers, want more and more from the character. The series allows the readers to become involved with the main character and many of the minor characters.”
Hanks has evolved since Reps first introduced him, and it’s that evolution that keeps Reps at his keyboard. The sheriff has matured, finding the love of his life in Echo Skysong, he noted. She also, because of his position as sheriff, is in danger.
“From the very beginning, when Zeb makes an announcement, everything changes. He is under great duress that continues throughout the story,” said the author. “Echo is bestowed with becoming the ‘knowledge keeper’ for all Indian people. She becomes much more integral to the plot as it moves forward. This novel is faster paced with greater conflict situations than the other novels. I use more humor in this book as well. I think the readers will enjoy a character named ‘Swig,’ and also, I use this book to lead directly into the next book.”
“Native Trouble’ gave Reps a chance to push Hanks into a new space and way of thinking, according to Reps. He added that he really like the storyline, which required a different kind of research in terms of Native American beliefs.
“It also required a deeper psychological look at Zeb, Echo and their relationship,” he said. “It is always exciting to write a new Zeb Hanks book because when I begin, I never really know where the book will take me. A new novel, even with the same main character, is always somewhat like exploring uncharted territory. I know Zeb well enough now to know what he thinks. That is helpful. As a writer, I actually feel like one of Zeb’s friends.”
Reps observed that he also loves writing the new characters. Through them, he was able to humanely address Alzheimer’s disease, aging in general, new life, middle-aged people and other themes.
“Essentially, I was happy to write about people of all different ages. Each point in life has its special circumstances, and I tried to address some of that,” he said. “I hope that the readers find the characters humorous, that they find compassion for them and generally enjoy being exposed to them.”
While ideas come to him throughout his workday, he noted that he’s not always available to drop everything to write and research what he’d like to get in pixels or on paper since seeing patients in his chiropractic clinic always presents somewhat of a challenge. If he has only the book to concentrate on, from start to finish, including writes, re-writes, edits and re-edits, he estimates he can complete a book in four to six months. However, as he continue to work a couple days a week for half the year as a doctor of chiropractic and as an acupuncturist, it takes him about nine to 10 months.
This year, though, he was able to write two books, “Native Roots,” a free novella available on Amazon, as well as “Native Trouble,” in the last 12 months.
“Ideas flowed fairly easily this year. I would like to put out a 10th book this year — ‘Native Fate’ will be book 10,” he said. “I know where I am going with that book, I think. I have a brief outline and a good idea. That is a good starting point. I look forward to writing it.”
He’s learned more about himself while getting better acquainted with Hanks. He said he enjoyed writing a faster paced novel that was written with the intent of the reader thinking “I can’t put this down. I have to find out what happens next.” His pre-readers he enlists all read it in a day or two because they couldn’t put it down, he noted.
Book nine sweeps right into book 10, but when he writes book 10 he said he will have to decide about carrying on with the series or starting a new series, as he has written two books of a new series that he has not yet published.
“But ‘Native Trouble’ is new, it’s exciting, it’s fast-paced, it’s a fun, enjoyable read that can be read by anyone who likes mysteries,” he said.
“Native Trouble” is available online at Amazon in both e-book or paperback. People can also get autographed paperbacks directly from Reps by contacting him at the website www.markreps.com. Books one through four are available as audio books through the Amazon website or at Tantor Media at www.tantor.com. He hopes that within the next year, all of them will be available in audio book format that has been professionally produced with the narration done by a professional actor who has won awards for his audio books. Tantor Media is one of the largest audio book companies in the world, and the audio books should also be available in any local library across the country, he noted.
“Please read it. Please review it. Amazon looks favorably upon reviews. You only have to say a word or two, nothing elaborate. The more five-star ratings on Amazon, the more they will advertise the book,” Reps said. “Tell your friends. Give it as a gift. For those who don’t like to read books, get or give a copy of the audio version of books one through four. I want to thank all the loyal readers of the ‘Zeb Hanks: Small Town Sheriff, Big Time Trouble’ series.”
Inside the Making of Native Destiny
For the fans of the ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble series the following is an interview of author Mark Reps by Lisa Vehrenkamp regarding the writing of Native Destiny.
Lisa: Congratulations on publishing Native Destiny, the 8thnovel in your mystery series, ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble.
Mark: Thanks. Lisa: After writing so many books with the same main character is it becoming more difficult to come up with fresh ideas?
Mark: Actually, quite the opposite. The more I get to know my characters the easier and more fun they become to write about. They actually, in a strange way, become friends. Sheriff Zeb Hanks, in particular, is becoming like a close friend.
Lisa: Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
Mark: This novel, like all of my novels has multiple inspirations and has it's roots in an actual event. I was doing some research on Graham County - actually it started when I was visiting the Sheriff’s Office in Graham County - and saw an old newspaper clipping that mentioned something called the Power’s Cabin Shootout and the approach of the 100thanniversary of the incident. The Power brother’s shootout is a well-documented story of Graham County history.
Lisa: Can you tell us a bit about that incident?
Mark: On February 10, 2018 a sheriff’s posse attempted to arrest a group of miners in the Galiuro Mountains. Four people were killed including three lawmen and one of the Powers. At the time it created quite a stir and led to the largest manhunt in Arizona history.
Lisa: It’s a true story?
Mark: Yes, the Power Brothers shootout is a true story.
Lisa: What part of the Power Brothers shootout did you use for inspiration?
Mark: I was unfamiliar with the Galiuro Mountains. I studied them and used the location. Since they were mining for gold, I used gold in the story. I used the fact that three lawmen were killed in the shootout and one of the Powers was killed. Since I had never looked that far back into either Sheriff Zeb Hanks’ or Deputy Jake Dablo’s family histories, I chose to have the lawmen who were in the posse be related to Zeb and Jake. The dead Powers was the head of his clan. His death needed to be avenged by his family members sooner or later. In this case 100 years later. If you think of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s you will get generally what I was thinking. Revenge over time becomes ever more powerful, even if the reason for it has long been forgotten.
Lisa: Did you use other real locations in the Galiuro Mountains in this fictional novel?
Mark: Yes. To make it real I used the Arizona Atlas and Gazetteer to pinpoint locations and find names of places. I also visited the area to get a feel for it. It is very remote, primarily uninhabited and stunningly beautiful.
Lisa: The book is full of Native American lore, probably the most of any of your ZEB HANKS series. Did anything in particular push you in that direction?
Mark: I have been watching a TV series called Indian Wars. I read 1491 by Charles Mann, Tecumseh, A Life by John Sugden, a lot of Apache history on-line and numerous books by modern western writers R. A. Chappell and Felix Giordano. All of these culminated in an increased interest in Indian lore. Actually, I have always been interested in lore in general and recently have found many sources of Indian lore. Since most of Native American history was not written down there are many points of view which vary greatly. I have read such wildly varying accounts of the same story/circumstance that it is easy to fictionalize and find yourself close to the supposed truth. You have to remember Indians were almost universally nomadic until the late 1800’s, there was no TV, radio, phones, internet, etc., so storytelling was tantamount to daily existence. Many of those stories have been handed down over the ages. Each time I find one, I imagine the varying possibilities of what the true story actually was. Native American lore is rich and deep. For me and my readers it is also fun and interesting. I try to present it in a light that makes the reader want to learn more and stay in tune with the series.
Lisa: What are you working on currently?
Mark: I am writing a ZEB HANKS novella and working with a writer called Felix Giordano, who is doing the same. Our plan is to publish them in a single book and offer it to readers FREE. All you have to do is be on our mailing list and we will contact you when it comes out. Sign up and have your friends sign up for these three free novellas HERE.
Lisa: That sounds great. I bet your readers will be happy about that.
Mark: I hope they are and also it will introduce them to a couple of other modern western writers. All at no cost.
Lisa: A few years ago, you said you might end the series at 10 books. Is that still your intention?
Mark: The demand for the book series continues to grow. I have an outline for books 9 and 10. I am thinking now that 15 is a more reasonable number for the series.
Lisa: Are you working on any other projects, other than the novella and books 9 and 10 of the ZEB HANKS series?
Mark: Yes. I am writing a book about baseball. It takes place in 1939 and is called THE GREATEST BASEBALL GAME EVER PLAYED. It is about a game between the Roscoe Rangers from Stearns County, MN. and the Mount Rushmore Drillers, the men who built the Mount Rushmore Monument. It is a fictional tale that involves not only a wild and crazy baseball game but whole lot of fun historical moments. My 14-year old grandson, Max Jensen, a baseball nut and a good writer is helping me write parts of it. I hope to have it done in a year or so.
Lisa: If people want to access your books or information about you, how can they do that?
Mark:
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Reps/e/B00BYFEBQ4
Webpage is www.markreps.com
Subscribe to Updates at http://eepurl.com/b6_7m-/
Sign up for Three Free Novellas at https://mailchi.mp/3fd69b378e55/three-free-novellas
Like the Zeb Hanks Page at https://www.facebook.com/ZebHanks/
Follow me on twitter @markreps1
Gold lust takes hold in new Reps book
By Paula Barness, Bluff Country Newspaper Group
Tuesday, April 03, 2018 5:02 PM
Spring Valley native Mark Reps is back with the eighth addition to his popular series Zeb Hanks: Small Town Sheriff; Big Time Trouble book series.
In the newest addition, “Native Destiny,” Hanks becomes entangled with elderly sheep and goat herder Olga Mae Hooper Feathers, who holds secrets on a local golden mystery, as well as Hanks' shadowy past.
Along with new deputy Clarissa Kerkhoff, Zeb and his team will have to outwit men in the depths of gold fever.
The intriguing tale of past, present and future involves a 100-year-old revenge and is replete with Native American legend, Indian lore, devious bad guys and people with the best of intentions.
With “Native Destiny,” Reps, once again, delves into the rich history of Native Americans. It is a topic Reps finds immensely intriguing.
“I do a lot of research on Native American history because I find it so interesting,” Reps explained. “The Natives once owned all the land in the U.S. and now own only 2 percent. Merely thinking of that brings shivers down my spine and it makes me want to educate people via a combination of fiction and fact about who Native Americans really are, who they were, where their history comes from and how they got to the situation they are in today. In addition the premise of the entire series is old west meets new west. So, I try to bring that into account in each of the stories.”
To research his books, Reps spends time in Graham County, particularly the town of Safford, Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
“I am a story teller by nature and find it quite easy to get just about anyone on the reservation, in town and at the local sheriff's department to speak quite freely about the area,” Reps explained. “I also do a lot of reading as many good history, educational books and papers have been written on the area. Plus, people have all heard of Cochise and Geronimo, both of whom personally and their descendants are from the area.”
Though he has spent years learning the cultures, customs and history of the Graham County area, Reps is still is impressed with the lack of animosity between the various groups within the local communities.
“There is some separation of the two groups, but generally they work together while maintaining their independence. I am continually surprised by how much everyone in the area has a vested interest in seeing their communities looked at in a positive light and the amount of respect they have for each other.”
The mystery weaved throughout “Native Destiny” focuses on a legendary stash of gold and the gold fever sweeps through Graham County, creating a wave a crime. Reps got the idea while reading “1491” by Charles Mann.
“It talks about what the Indian Nations were like collectively and how many large population centers there were in the Americas before the arrival of Columbus. Hence the title, ‘1491.’ He gave a lengthy explanation of the Spaniard gold that was taken from the Incan people. The gold was transferred as far north as what is now Arizona and perhaps even further. I sort of took fictional license and blended together multiple stories of lost gold caches that involve the area, the Spaniards and the Apache. There are many tales of lore of treasures lost that surround the area. I combined a few of them to make the story work and make it possibly real,” Reps said.
Along with new mysteries, this book brings along new characters Olga Mae Hooper Feathers and new deputy Clarissa Kerkhoff.
“I loved Olga Mae Hooper Feathers and everything about her,” Reps expressed. “I will probably bring her back in retrospect through Echo. She is truly an example of the tough, smart and strong Apache woman. Her knowledge is what will interest the reader the most. She acts as a bridge connecting the eternal past with the eternal future. She is a representative of time that cannot be stopped from moving forward.”
Kerkhoff is described as a strong woman, who saw the world through her military background and chose to come home.
“My books need strong women characters as they helped build the west and continue to do so in many ways. Clarissa is the personification of the new western rural woman. Expect to see her as a regular,” Reps said.
With each new installment in the Zeb Hanks series, readers delve a little deeper into the character's past, which is shrouded in its own mystery as Hanks evolves.
“Zeb, as the main character, has to grow. He is currently becoming ever better at his job, mellowing a bit, perhaps, and falling in love with Echo. He is becoming more of a steadfast community figure and at the end of the book makes a surprise announcement. Zeb is the ultimate meeting of the old and new western ways. He is changing with the times but remains true to his character. More is revealed about his family's past in ‘Native Destiny’ and the reader can see more of how he became who he is,” Reps said.
When Reps began the series, he saw it ending after 10 books, now that he is nearing the end it seems Hanks may have a longer shelf life.
“I have three other completed books that are not in the Zeb Hanks series and would like to start a new series at some point. But the Zeb Hanks tales are still coming along the way I want them to and there is more to his story as he is currently only reaching his stride in life. I am open to expanding the series. It depends on the readers. If they want more Zeb, I will give it to them,” Reps said. “I am currently writing the final story so I have it in the bank, so to speak. The final story will concentrate on Zeb's true back story, going back to childhood and his original relationships with all of the series characters.”
For now Reps is working on a new book immersed in the history of baseball. He is is writing a book with his grandson tentatively called “The Greatest Baseball Game Ever Played,” which takes place on July 4, 1939, on top of Mount Rushmore.
“My grandfather's team, the Roscoe Rangers, plays the Mount Rushmore Drillers. It is a work of fiction but both teams actually existed and had championship caliber teams in 1939,” he said. “July 4, 1939 happens to coincide with the day Lou Gehrig gave his famous speech when he was sick with ALS and told the crowd at Yankee Stadium, ‘Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.' I am also working on a Zeb Hanks novella and book nine of the Zeb Hanks series. I've got enough novels inside of me to write as long as I can type.”
More information on Reps, along with his other books, can be found at www.markreps.com and all the books in the Zeb Hanks series are available now on Amazon.
Mystery, Intrigue Abound in SV Native's New Novel - Spring Valley Tribune
by Paula Barness
Set amid the Arizona copper mines, Spring Valley native Mark Reps’ new book “Native Earth” draws readers back into the gritty world of Sheriff Zeb Hanks.
It all begins when Hanks is awoken in the middle of the night to locate missing millionaire copper magnate Angus McGinty. The search comes to a quick end after a body is found at the copper mine.
The list of suspects is as long as it is varied with members of the Apache Nation, acquaintances and even his own wife having motive to want McGinty gone.
Adding fuel to the fire is a group of radical ecologists funded by McGinty’s own daughter. They are doing their best to shut down the copper mine and return the land and its minerals to the rightful owners, the San Carlos Apache tribe.
To complicate matters, the mine is Graham County’s largest employer and funds most of the area’s activities.
“Local and national politics, tribal water, mineral and land rights, big money, hired assassins and computer hacking are woven together in ‘Native Earth,’” Reps said of his seventh book in the “Zeb Hanks: Small Town Sheriff; Big Time Trouble” series.
Throughout the series, readers have witnessed Hanks solve complex crimes while dealing with his own demons.
“Zeb, like all of us, is aging and learning about his job the longer he does it,” Reps shared. “He is getting smart enough to rely on other experts to help him. He is also learning about himself, his heart, his mind and his spirit as he moves through life.”
Alongside Hanks is an intriguing cast of characters, which has steadily become more entwined into the series.
“Echo Skysong is being woven into the tale a little more and will be in the rest of the series. She and Zeb have gotten real close and, well, you’ll see about that,” Reps said. “Shelly, the computer hacker, plays a larger role in helping solve the crimes. She will also become a more important character. Sawyer Black Bear, deputy to Zeb, is explored more deeply in this book and he is here to stay. The usual crew of deputies, office staff, Doc Yackley, tribal police Chief Rambler Braing are all around and play pivotal roles. Since the story takes place in and around a copper mine I have included the mine owner and his family as well as the government bureaucrats who play a role in keeping the mine safe. I have created some fun suspects and some dark characters whom the reader will meet.”
As with most creative minds, inspiration can strike at any time and come from anywhere.
“Most of my ideas come directly from my imagination. They also come from reading other writers, events that have occurred in real life and from watching well-written television shows. These days there are many good TV writers on shows like “Justified,” “Longmire,” “The Man in the High Castle” and numerous other shows. I observe how they plot out a story, develop characters and how they infuse those characters into the storyline. I also get inspired from listening to actual storytellers. Lately I am inspired by the arcing of one point to the next in all of these forms. Connecting point A to point B and having it make sense is a real art. Some do it much better than others.”
Once he has the basis of the plot, Reps lays the groundwork with hours of research, learning as much as he can on the various subjects pivotal to the book.
“I research in numerous ways. I observe the writing of others, I use the internet and I listen to others,” he said.
While researching for “Native Earth,” Reps visited southeast Arizona where the stories take place and spent time near Safford, Arizona, on the San Carlos Apache reservation and in and around Graham County.
“I met with everyone at the Graham County Sheriff’s Office and talked to the local historian and got some better ideas that will make my novels more realistic. It would be sort of like talking to Mary Jo Dathe and picking up bits of information about Spring Valley that no one else knows or has put together,” Reps said. “Regarding the computer hacking, most of it came directly from the internet, though I did talk with someone who does it for the government. The ecological issues are true to the area. Water rights are a big issue in the desert and they crisscross with political issues. I read a lot about the water issues and local ecology when writing the book. In fact, north of where “Native Earth” takes place, in Superior, Arizona, the world’s largest copper mine is about to open. Naturally, there has been a lot of coverage on that on the news and in the newspapers.”
When beginning the series, Reps had planned to end it at 10 books, but he admits as the series grows in depth and in readers the idea of it coming to a close is tough.
“Ultimately, in book 10 of the series, everything will circle back to his childhood and the readers will get to understand the influences that shaped his youth, which in turn, influenced his decision making abilities as an adult,” Reps divulged.
After completing the seventh edition of the series, along with many other literary works, Reps still feels his creative well is full and his passion for writing still very much alive.
“It’s easy. It naturally flows to me. I have never experienced writer’s block nor have I been stuck in defining a character,” Reps confessed. “I guess that is helped by the fact that in murder mysteries you can always kill someone off. Being from Spring Valley and having grown up around so many story tellers, the passion is more of a natural thing and quite effortless.”
Once they finish turning the pages of “Native Earth,” Reps’ fans can look forward to delving into his next series.
“They are Catholic church mysteries. Sort of along the lines of the ‘Da Vinci Code’ and ‘Angels and Demons’ by Dan Brown. They need polishing and I will probably write one more in that series before releasing them,” Reps shared.
“Native Earth,” as with Reps’ previous literary works, is available at Amazon.com.
More information on Reps, along with his other books, can be found at www.markreps.com.
Interview - What inspires me to write
Mark Reps, author of ZEB HANKS: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble series interviewed by Lisa Vehrenkamp
Lisa: Let's talk a little bit about your writing influences before we start talking about Sheriff Zeb Hanks.
Mark: Certainly. Like all writers I have had many people influence my writing.
L: Who first inspired you to write?
M: I have been writing and collecting my writings since 6th grade. Our teacher, Mrs. Blakeslee, had a profound impact on many of us regarding the importance of writing. We read and performed a play based on Tom Sawyer and wrote about what we learned that year. Naturally, as with any young boy, I found that Mark Twain understood what was in my brain.
L: So you give credit to Mrs. Blakeslee and Mark Twain for your interest in writing.
M: Yes. Mrs. Blakeslee also had us write a letter to someone that year to practice our writing. It was supposed to be to a friend in the class, but I I wasn't paying attention and thought we were supposed to write to someone famous. So I wrote a poem to President Kennedy. His staff actually responded.
L: Do you remember the poem?
M: I have a copy somewhere, but I remember a few of the lines. It went a bit like this: JFK has bushy hair, he also rocks in a rocking chair. He graduated from Harvard College, where he received a lot of knowledge (I don't remember the next few stanzas) He asks us all to be physically fit, so let's all exercise and not just sit. That's about all I remember. I got a nice letter back that said President Kennedy had read my poem and enjoyed it.
L: Any other great influencers to your writing?
M: Longfellow, Tennyson and Wordsworth in 10th grade English class with Bob Shedeen as my teacher. He showed me that there was much more to writing than stringing a bunch of words together. I think the poem, Flower in a Crannied Wall, changed my life by making me realize just how broad and expansive a few words can really be.
L: Let's talk about Zeb Hanks and his origins. Is Zeb Hanks based on a real person?
M: Perhaps obtusely, but mostly not. Zeb is a fictional composite of how I felt about many different people I have interacted with. One of his fictional roots is based vaguely on a local policeman who used to sit outside my house when I was a child in front of a sign that read, quite ominously, RADAR PATROLLED. I used to take the policeman and his partner cookies from my neighbor, Hilda Fenstermacher, and talk with them about criminals. Neither were anything like Zeb, but they were my first interaction with law enforcement professionals. Secondarily, I once met the Sheriff of Graham County, AZ, quite by accident.
L: How did that happen?
M: My wife and I were on vacation in Safford, AZ. We were exploring, looking to find some ancient Indian ruins. We had rented a car that couldn't travel the back roads very well. Long story short, we had to park it in the ditch and walk the last three miles to the ruins on foot. We saw a truck stop by our abandoned vehicle. I assumed someone was going to break in. It turned out it was the local sheriff checking on some BLM land he rented and grazed cattle on. He was with his son, the local chiropractor, and his grandson. We hopped a ride for a couple of miles. We chatted it up, got to know them and they invited us over for steak and beer that night.
L: I bet that was interesting.
M: His stories gave me a whole new perspective on what it meant to be a small town sheriff. He opened my eyes to what a sheriff does and how reliant the people of a rural county are on their sheriff. I have yet to use any of the tales he shared, but one day I might fictionalize some parts of his stories.
L: Would you call Zeb a flawed character?
M: He's very human and therefore he is flawed. I think his flaws are what makes him learn and what makes him a great sheriff. I prefer understanding and dealing with Zeb's flaws as opposed to his perfections. He, like all of us, becomes a better person from his mistakes. In his fictional life he has to confront not only the problems of others, but his own issues.
L: And he does have issues.
M: Yes, he does. He comes out of an abusive background. He was more influenced by former Sheriff Jake Dablo and Medicine Man Jimmy Song Bird than he was by his own father, at least in the positive sense.
Lisa: We were talking about Zeb's flawed character and the people who influenced him. You imply his father was a bad influence, or at least not a positive one.
Mark: Zeb's father physically and emotionally abused him throughout his life. His father favored his brother, who turned out to be a criminal. His father also abused Zeb's mother.
L: What sort of relationship did Zeb have with his mother?
M: His mother tried to protect him while protecting herself. She exposed him to different things that personally helped her and inadvertently broadened the tracks of his mind.
L: Can you give me an example?
M: The Hanks' family appeared to be typical Mormons. Mrs. Hanks withdrew from Mormonism at times and sought religion through tent ministries. She even went as far as taking Zeb to snake handling ceremonies and got him involved with that end of the religious experience. This influenced Zeb a great deal.
L: I imagine it would. What else did his mother do to protect Zeb? M: She allowed her sister, Helen Nazelrod, to keep Zeb for extended periods of his youth when things were particularly bad at home. Helen became very protective of Zeb.
L: Is this the same Helen Nazelrod who is Zeb's secretary?
M: Yes. She still protects him, as you well know if you have read the series. He keeps an eye out for her as well. They maintain a very close relationship and have a funny little thing between them. She snoops and listens in to his official business at the sheriff's office, and he tries to minimize that, except when it might benefit him in solving a case. Helen is a busy body in a good way.
L: Who else had a large influence on Zeb's way of thinking, his actions, his being, his soul, his spirit, etc?
M: When Zeb reached the point in his life where he began making his own decisions, Apache Medicine Man Jimmy Song Bird entered his life and took him under his wing.
L: Can you tell us a little about the relationship between Zeb and Medicine Man Jimmy Song Bird?
M: Song Bird is one of those people you would call an ancient soul. He was blessed to be born wise. He has used the gift of spirit as a medicine man. He first noticed Zeb as a young kid riding his bike around town. Jimmy Song Bird could immediately tell Zeb had an injured spirit. Through a series of events, including Zeb's first understanding of crime, they become closer. Song Bird is Zeb’s constant teacher. Over decades Song Bird continues to teach Zeb about the world, Native American traditions, especially Apache ways, astronomy and life in general. He is the perfect mentor for Zeb.
L: The perfect mentor? What does that mean?
M: Zeb is a man, just a man, but he is also the sheriff. His job and his life are full of mistakes, regrets and errors. At the same time he is an excellent law man who helps many people. Because Song Bird understands his own imperfections and that existence is more than just the world we live in and see on a daily basis, he helps Zeb work through his own mistakes and imperfections. He makes no harsh demands on Zeb, but tries to teach him the best ways, which can sometimes be harsh.
L: Is Song Bird meant to be magical?
M: It's complicated. He knows many things of this world and other worlds, but he doesn't view any knowledge he has as magical. He sees the world through practical eyes and wants to help Zeb see the world as it really is. He does not force his consciousness on Zeb, nor does he want Zeb to mimic his. Song Bird tries to help Zeb recognize his own consciousness and conscience.
L: How did Zeb and Song Bird begin and establish their life long relationship?
M: The beginning of their relationship has not yet been fully explored in the books. I can tell you that Song Bird saw Zeb riding his bike late one night and witnessed a troubled soul. The full extent of that interaction will be included in book 10 of the series. I see book 10 as the ultimate back story for Zeb. In that book the readers will get a chance to see the roots of what brought Zeb to where he is today.
L: You also mention Jake, former county sheriff and now one of Zeb's deputies, as an influencer of Zeb.
M: Yes, Jake Dablo taught Zeb how to be a law man. Before the series began, Zeb was originally a deputy to Jake. Jake couldn't solve the ritualistic murder of his granddaughter, which is the basis of the story for book 1, NATIVE BLOOD. This drove him to drink. He became a drunk, quit his duties as sheriff and Zeb took over and eventually won the next election. By the time NATIVE BLOOD occurs, Jake has sobered up and ends up working as Zeb's deputy.
L: How has Jake influenced Zeb, other than Zeb working as his deputy?
M: Much of this is also explained in book 10, which goes back to Zeb's childhood. The crime that Zeb witnesses involves both Song Bird and Jake. What happens on a 4th of July when Zeb is around 10 years old dramatically changes his life as well as his brother's life. Jake and Song Bird are longtime friends, dating back to their youths. Both have a keen interest in astronomy which is a common bond for teaching Zeb. Both men recognize that Zeb and his brother are not being properly raised by their father and, as is typical in a small town, just sort of naturally step in to help Zeb learn how to become a good person.
L: Do Jake and Song Bird instruct Zeb in the same manner?
M: No, not really. Both men have their own beliefs, mannerisms and way of doing things. Song Bird, an Apache, sees the world through that set of eyes. Jake, a local small town guy who has never left town except for a stint in the army, has the local White way of viewing the world. In his youth Jake was a rough and tumble character. In middle age he was a drunk, and now he has mellowed into the more experienced law man who has seen the world from different sides. He has an eclectic view of the world that is decidedly different than Song Bird's, yet both men join together throughout the entirety of Zeb's life and certainly in all of the books in the series to influence Zeb.
Thank you Lisa for the interview. Book 7 of the series, NATIVE EARTH, will be out in spring of 2017. Books 8 and 9 will come out in 2018 and 2019. Book 10 is due out in 2020.