Previously published as "The Shaman's Gift" by Amara Cudney. On September 11, 2004, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City collapsed, as two planes crashed into them. It was a day no one would forget. Thousands of people lost their lives, and then the news came that there were two other incidents. The country was in shock. That was the day that Lucinda lost her husband, not to death, but to war. He boarded the bus in the little town of Durango, Colorado, with all the other young men who were bursting at the seams to destroy whoever this enemy was. The phone call came months later, late in the night. Kevin had been injured in combat. It wasn't good. What happened after he came home was even worse. How would two people who were so young, so in love, find their way back to each other? Could they? Will the Navajo shaman be able to save them? Sometimes, miracles happen in ways we don't always understand. This book will take you on an adventure you'll never forget, as Lucina rides on the wings of a hawk, gets buried in the heart of a bear, and finally has to face what is at stake.
Amara has had a varied and exciting career as an herbalist, retail store owner, elementary school teacher, English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, and author. Born in El Paso, Texas, she spent much of her life in the Southwestern United States, traveling throughout the country as well as Europe and Mexico.
She recently moved to Hawai'i where she now lives with her husband, her Bella dog, two kitties , and lots of geckos, goats, donkeys and pigs.
Her fiction focuses on the insights she gains daily, getting to know others and observing her environment. When asked where she gets her ideas, she typically shrugs and says, "Everywhere."
She has a BS in Elementary Education and a Master's in Language and Literacy from the University of New Mexico. Since moving to Hawaii, she's studied with the UCLA Writer's Workshop, is a member of The Society of Children Book Illiutrators and Writers, The Hawaii Writer's Guild and The Southwest Writer's Group.