Monday, May 16, 2011

Character Monday: A Half Cheyenne Woman and a Texan...Bowchicawowow

Hi everyone, my name is Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ George, the one from Lizzie and the Rebel. Stephy Smith said you were interested in knowing about me and no one speaks for me so I told her I'd handle it.

I am a 21 year old half-Cheyenne, half white woman who lives on a mountain. It gets brutal at times in the winter with all the snow whipping around. When I was young, my ma and pa divided our time between the mountain ranch and the mansion in Mountaintown, Colorado. Together they decided my brothers, sisters and I would have the best of both worlds. They hired fine teachers for art, music and our other studies when we were at the mansion. When pa would find orphan’s on the street he would bring them home and give them a job and place to live. In the summer, we stayed on the mountain and my mother’s people taught us about nature, how to protect ourselves, gather herbs and hunt and prepare our food.


Those were good times before the nasty old trapper came in and killed my family… excuse me while I pull myself together. (Wipes nose and dabs the tears from her cheeks.) Now, where was I? Oh yes, I was fifteen when this took place. Everyone at the mansion thought I should stay there with them. Able, my adopted brother never liked the mountain and with him being in the mansion, I chose to return to the ranch. Many times in the last six years trappers tried to steal my land. They knew I was up here by myself, they just didn’t know I could keep them from taking it away from me.

The mountain is a special place. It holds the spirits of my family and ancestors. I can feel them watch me as I check on the cattle or track wild animals. They were there with me when I found the wolf I call Spirit. He had a determination to live like no other wild animal I’ve come across. It was me and him, running wild and free on the mountain until I found the soldiers. I was ready to go to war until I found those men. I let the mountain lion live to rid my part of the mountain of what I believed was an evil trapper. I was surprised to find the men in uniforms.

I loaded the men up on a travois and took them home with me. I didn’t know if Frank was going to make it or not, but I had to try and help him. Spirit took a liking to the man, even if I wasn’t that fond of him at first. He sure was handsome, even when he was icy, muddy and caked with forest debris. When I got that man cleaned up I don’t know what happened. I was in control of my heart and the next thing I know he was. I tried to keep him away from it, my medicine wasn’t as strong as his so he walked right up and stole my heart without a word or a touch. I never let anyone come close to me before. I never realized how lonely I was on the mountain. It was a part of life. But, I couldn’t risk letting him go.


Wow Lizzie you have an extraordinary story and you resolve and inner strength is amazing. Stephy also invited Frank  to chat with is but he isn't a small talker just an FYI. Thanks for coming Frank...

1.       How did you get on the mountain? I hooked up with my cousins after the war and they led me to that mountain.
2.       Where are you from? Texas
3.       What is your earliest memory? Mother’s rose gardens
4.       What are you afraid of? Women and bullets, they’ll both change your world without notice.
5.       Why did you join the war? To fight for my beliefs.
6.       When was the last time you cried? You're getting a little personal aren’t you? When I thought Lizzie would die.
7.       Have you ever come close to dying? Many times during the war.
8.       What’s the last nightmare you recall having? I have a few from the war.
9.       Have you ever had your heart broken? Only after I met Lizzie.
10.   Have you ever broken another’s heart? Not that I’m aware of.
11.   Are you a good spouse? Lizzie thinks so and that’s all that matters.
12.   Are you a good parent? I hope someday I will be.
13.   Have you ever stolen? No.
14.   What was the last lie you told? What kind of questions are these? I would say ‘everything's going to be all right’.
15.   What makes you laugh? Lizzie
16.   What do you read? In the war it was letters from home. Now whatever Lizzie brings in.
17.   Have you ever physically harmed anyone? I was in the war, what do you think?
18.   Have you ever saved someone’s life? I don’t think so unless you count carrying their bodies to the hospital.
19.   Do you believe in God? yes
20.   Do you pray? yes
21.   Do you have any superstitions? yes
22.   Do you trust easily? no
23.   Do you fall in love easily? I only been in love once and that is with Lizzie.
24.   What kind of work do you do? Ranching since the war.
25.  What secrets are you keeping? Too many to mention. The war keeps a mind from digging things up. Can I go now?

Lizzie and the Rebel by Stephy Smith. 

Thanks Stephy, Frank and Lizzie for your time.
 


7 comments:

  1. This just moved to the top of my to be read pile.

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  2. I've read it Kay...it's a quick but great read

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  3. Thank you for having Frank, Lizzie and myself today. Lizzie- thank you all for reading my life, now Frank has something to say, don't you Frank? Frank- thank you, can we go back to the cabin now?

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  4. This is definitely a must read now..Thanks you for inviting me in.

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  5. Lizzie and the Rebel is a wonderful, historical read. Wishing I could finish it in one sitting, I found it hard to put down. Stephy Smith forms with words, such a realistic picture. You'll no doubt fall in love with both Lizzie and Frank and think of them often. :)

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  6. Thank you Kay, Kim and Sharon. Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

    Thank you Bri and Lisa. So happy to hear you enjoyed the book. It's always nice to hear encouraging words from published authors.

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