Cherokee Steel

In the final chapter of Bluebird and Grey Wolf’s Cherokee descendants, the story of Amelia Clay Stone, their great granddaughter, will continue to evolve. Not only the sad legacy of the Trail of Tears, but Amelia’s abusive experiences at the Cherokee Girls’ Mission will take their psychological toll on her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Meanwhile, young Bonita McKindle, the love interest of Amelia’s sons, Clay and Ross, struggles to overcome the damage brought upon her by tragedy, poverty, and neglect. Forced to quit school to care for her critically ill, alcoholic father, Bonita desperately yearns to escape and make a better life for herself, only to encounter more heartache. When she gives birth to her daughter Miranda, Bonita experiences new hope, but Miranda and her children will soon find their own demons to battle.

All the while, the fate of a special family heirloom—the stone Bluebird carried on the Trail of Tears from Georgia so long ago—rests in Amelia’s hands. It has been passed down through the generations to Bluebird’s descendants. Will the aging Amelia find any family member who is worthy to carry it on to the next generation? Or will the traditional Cherokee beliefs the stone represents be lost forever?

Published: August 30, 2022
Publisher: Mad Cat
Genres:

Historical, Sagas, YA

Tags:

family life, historical fiction, historical fiction novels, native American

About the Author

Regina McLemore

When my Cherokee ancestors arrived in Indian Territory, it was not a choice. Their names are included on a muster list of the Trail of Tears, and their strength has inspired me to write the stories that they might have told.

My own story began in the small town of Stilwell, Oklahoma, where I have lived most of my life. By twenty-four, I was married with two children, teaching language arts at Stilwell Junior High School. I diversified my career, eventually retiring as the librarian of Siloam Springs Middle School in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, in 2010.

Even though I returned to work temporarily as a part-time library clerk at Stilwell Public Library, I found time to pursue my passion, writing. For the next seven years, I was published in Guidepost Magazine, the Oklahoma Genealogical Society Quarterly, the Green Country Anthology, the Starwatch Anthology 37, and in various newspapers and newsletters.

I am happy to say that I have completed a trilogy of historical fiction books: Cherokee Clay, Cherokee Stone, and Cherokee Steel. My new project is writing a nonfiction book, Before We Were a State.

Other Books By Regina McLemore

Series: Cherokee Passages

Cherokee Clay

Cherokee Stone

Cherokee Steel

Somebody Ought to be Crying

Part memoir, part mayhem, all heart.

Somebody Ought to Be Crying isn’t your typical memoir-it’s a rollicking ride through a life that’s equal parts outrageous, heartfelt, and utterly unique.

In more than 80 vignettes, award-winning author J.B. Hogan invites you to sit down, grab a drink (you’ll need it), and explore a personal history written with humor, heart, and just a touch of chaos. From laugh-out-loud misadventures to poignant moments of self-reflection, this memoir is proof that every life-yours included-is worth recording.

Think of it as the guidebook you never knew you needed for writing your own story. The author has spent years encouraging others to capture their histories because, as he’ll tell you, “Someone, someday, will want to know who you were, what you did, and how in the world you managed to pull it all off.” This is his version of that advice, turned inward-and upside down.

Serious when it needs to be, irreverent the rest of the time, Somebody Ought to Be Crying, is a celebration of the messy, unpredictable, and glorious business of living. Whether it’s Grandma So-and-So, Uncle What’s-His-Name, or just plain old you, everyone has a story worth telling.

So grab a chair, settle in, and get ready for a memoir that might just make you laugh, cry, or say, “Wait, what?”

Trini! Come!

Held captive by the Apache, a young girl discovers the courage to survive… and the strength to choose her own path.

In the rugged borderlands of northern Sonora and southern Arizona, twelve-year-old Trinidad Verdín’s life is forever changed when a brutal Apache raid claims her family and leaves her a captive of the legendary Geronimo. Taken by the Naiche-Geronimo band, Trinidad is thrust into a world of survival, resilience, and unexpected bonds.

Under the supervision of Geronimo and his wife, She-gha, Trinidad discovers a new sense of belonging. She forms a surprising friendship with Garditha, a ten-year-old Apache boy, as they teach each other their languages and skills. Together, they navigate the perils of life on the run-from scalp hunters to relentless soldiers-each day a fight to stay alive.

But when a surprise attack by Mexican vaqueros throws Trinidad into chaos, she faces an impossible decision. She can follow Geronimo and remain with the Apache who have become her family or risk everything by running toward the vaqueros who might mistake her for an enemy.

Award-winning author W. Michael Farmer masterfully blends riveting historical detail with unforgettable characters to bring to life the courage, resilience, and humanity of a young girl caught between two competing cultures. Trini! Come! is a powerful tale of survival, identity, and the strength it takes to find one’s place in an unforgiving world.

Red Sky Storm

All he wanted was to ride into the sunset. Fate had a different plan.

Lummy Tullos has witnessed the darkness of war and carried its weight on his soul. After years of bloodshed, he longs for peace and a quiet life with his family on the farm in Choctaw County. But the past refuses to release its grip, and the tranquility he craves remains always just out of reach.

As Lummy seeks solitude, hoping to escape the war-torn memories that haunt him, his old friend, Rainy Mills, is pulled into a new battle against a growing threat-the ruthless Tom Kimbrell. Seeking revenge for the death of his friend and fellow outlaw, John West, Kimbrell targets the family Rainy and Lummy have come to share, unleashing a relentless crusade of cruelty and destruction.

With Kimbrell’s campaign of vengeance escalating, Rainy is thrust into a fight he never sought. Leading a new generation into the fray, he embarks on a dangerous mission to stop Kimbrell-but with danger at every turn, sacrifices will be made and lives forever changed.

A tale of redemption, family, and unyielding courage, Lummy must confront his inner demons while Rainy battles threats from without, as both men discover that the path to peace is often forged through the most difficult choices.

Roan & Weatherford