Heidi Skarie's life as a writer began when she had a dramatic dream about a futuristic world at war. The vivid dream was like watching an action/adventure movie. Excited about the dream, she recorded it upon awakening. That night the dream continued where it left off. After six nights, Heidi had a hundred-page journal recording the series of dreams. This awakened her interest in writing, which continues to be one of her greatest passions today. Heidi writes adventurous tales of well-developed characters in this world and imaginary futuristic ones.
Heidi Skarie's recent book entitled Star Rider on the Razor's Edge is based on the dream.
Here is a blurb on Star Rider on the Razor's Edge.
“A stellar blend of action, romance and intrigue. Heidi Skarie's novel is a heartfelt example of the new, emotionally-intense direction that science fiction is heading. I can't wait for Toemeka's next adventure." --Sujata Massey, author of The Kizuna Coast
Red Willow's Quest (her first published book) tells the story of a young Shoshoni maiden who undertakes a dangerous quest to become a medicine woman. This book's extensive research effectively brings to life the Native American people of the 1800s.
The Bloomsbury Review said of Red Willow's Quest: "Heidi Skarie displays a talent for mystical and spiritual writing . . . I enjoyed Red Willow's Quest from beginning to end."
Colorado Libraries said: "The Story is well written and rings true. Ms. Skarie has a wonderful voice for the character and obviously has extensive knowledge about the life and customs of the Shoshoni tribe."
Heidi has developed a futuristic science-fiction series with romantic elements and strong characters. She also specializes in historical creative nonfiction.
Heidi enjoyed hearing from her readers. Her email address is heidi.skarie@gmail.com.
Review of Red Willow's Quest Red Willow’s Quest is a story about a strong willed Shoshoni girl who is guided by her spirit guides to become a medicine woman.Red Willow/Vision Woman is a beautifully drawn character. She is gentle and caring as well as brave and strong and even her flaws are loveable. She has a profound respect for her life’s purpose and never goes against her deepest beliefs. She learns to be less stubborn along the way and realizes that everything has its meaning on the whole, growing up to be a unique shaman. I admired the character, identified with her inner struggles and found myself wishing to be more like her. I enjoyed the setting of the novel and was drawn to it instantly as I’m an admirer of the Native American culture and wisdom. I fell in love with Red Willow’s companions, being it her horse Good Thunder, her lovely dog/wolf Wind Chaser and her human protector and friend, the Kootenai warrior Masheka.I admire the way the author handled the romance. It has a lot of emotional and sensual tension as well as a truly archetypal quality to it. The relationship develops into such a deep human connection. We can see how much the two grow together, how important they are for one another. While she learns to understand men better, he gains greater respect for women and together they harmonize their own inner masculine and feminine, which makes them stronger and more complete in the end. I actually find myself missing the characters now and wish I could read on. This novel stirred many emotions and thoughts within me. I learned a lot from it as it came at the right time in my life. I’m so thankful to the author that she followed the guidance of synchronicities she mentions at the end of the novel and wrote such a wonderful compelling story. It touched me greatly and I will surely read it more than once. To sum up, the story is equally fast-paced and soulful, blends action, adventure, romance as well as metaphysical and spiritual genres, and therefore may satisfy a wide range of readers. I highly recommend it!
This story held my interest from the very beginning. The customs and beliefs were beautifully explored and added deeply to the story. Both Red Willow and Masheka had to work through ingrained expectations of their roles even as their attraction deepened. The year is 1805 when trappers and traders are still just a footnote in their lives. It hurts to know how this will all change and so much will be lost. But for the moment I enjoyed Red Willow's time. Well worth the read.
I learned so much about Shoshone culture by following Red Willow’s quest with her. The characters were wonderful, including the beautifully depicted animals, Wind Chaser and Good Thunder. Events were honestly depicted, with numerous difficult and dangerous challenges. Spirituality laces the entire novel, providing beauty and inspiration. More than anything, I truly loved the details of Native American life and the tactics used to survive in the world. Well done!
I am very glad I read this book as I found it to be an enlightening, positive read set in a time, landscape and history I knew little about. The descriptions are strong and I could fully picture Red Willow and follow her on her goal to becoming a medicine woman and share in the ups and downs along the way. I found the spiritual side very inspirational and personally I took something very positive away from this book. I implore others to give it a try as Heidi Skarie is a very talented writer and this is a beautiful book in many aspects.