Faith Hunter - Have Stakes Will Travel

Hi, everyone,

With the last short story compilation, Cat Tales , I wrote a letter to you all, and frankly, except when it comes to making up stories, there isn’t a lot left to say (grinning). So today I want to talk a little (very little) about the new shorts.

I’ve always said that when I first envisioned Jane, I “wanted a character who had no past, with seemingly only the future open to her. I wanted a character who was a bit repressed socially, sexually, and emotionally. I wanted a character who was a singularity—the only one of her kind in the world. I wanted a loner in the truest sense of the word.” (Yes, I just quoted myself.)

But seeing Jane from the inside, from her point of view (POV), leaves us seeing Jane only as she sees herself. I wanted to explore how Jane is viewed by those outside her own head, her friends and lovers, and that is what so many of these shorts, some from her past, allow me to do.

For Have Stakes Will Travel , I wrote a piece from Beast’s POV from the years just before the Hunger Times, a piece I titled “ We Sa and the Lumber King.” WeSa is Cherokee for bobcat. The Appalachian Mountains were heavily deforested in the late 1880s to the early 1920s, resulting in severe erosion, loss of habitat, horrible flooding with tremendous loss of life, and destruction of the lifestyles of the hardy farmers and the few Cherokee who still lived there. I wanted to show how Beast felt about the men who came in and destroyed her world. “ We Sa and the Lumber King” gives you a short-short from Beast’s perspective, with her values and honor system.

“Haints” is a story from Molly Everhart Trueblood’s perspective, which allows us to see Jane as Molly saw her, early in their relationship. Molly, being the earth mother type, feels sorry for Jane in a lot of ways, which was a surprise to me! Until I wrote this story, I had no idea how deep her worry for Jane went. “Haints” allowed me to let their relationship grow a pace or two.

“Signatures of the Dead” was previously published in the anthology Strange Brew , headlining Charlaine Harris, so if you missed it then, you get the chance to read it now. And if you read it then, here is your chance to reread and get a taste of Jane, now that you know her better.

“Cajun with Fangs” was a total blast! It’s from Jane’s point of view and takes place shortly after the ending of Raven Cursed and before the start of Death’s Rival , which is out in October 2012.

Following the shorts, you’ll get a special extra-long preview of Death’s Rival , only available here. Yes, it will be out on October! (Cue the flashing lights and the pom-poms. If you feel like dancing, I suggest a merengue beat and—for the ladies—a full skirt to swish around! For the guys, I have to say, you will look splendid in a tux.) Okay, blatant plug is done.

If I have totally confused you, I’ve also included an updated timeline of stories in Jane’s world to help. I hope you enjoy all the shorts. I thank you for being fans of Jane and Beast.

—Faith

www.faithhunter.net

facebook.com/officialfaithhunter

P.S.—Don’t miss Beast’s Advice Column to humans, which is at her Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/faith.hunter#!/pages/Beast/135860763157310 or do a Facebook search for Beast.

“ We Sa and the Lumber King”

A brand-new short story from Beast’s POV, set in the Hunger Times.

“The Early Years”

Short story about Jane just after she left the children’s home. Available as part of the Cat Tales e-book.

“Cat Tats”

Short story about Rick LaFleur. Available as part of the Cat Tales e-book.

“Kits”

Short story about Jane Yellowrock with Molly Everhart Trueblood as a secondary character. Available as part of the Cat Tales e-book.

“Haints”

Short story from Molly Everhart Trueblood’s POV, with Jane Yellowrock as a secondary character. Available as part of the Have Stakes Will Travel e-book.

“Signatures of the Dead”

Originally published in the anthology Strange Brew , “Signatures of the Dead” is reprinted in Have Stakes Will Travel . It is a short story about Molly Everhart Trueblood, with Jane Yellowrock as a secondary character.

Skinwalker

The first Jane Yellowrock novel.

Blood Curse

The second Jane Yellowrock novel.

Mercy Blade

The third Jane Yellowrock novel.

“Blood, Fangs, and Going Furry”

Short story about Rick LaFleur, with Jane Yellowrock as a secondary character. It picks up just after the ending of Mercy Blade . Available as part of the Cat Tales e-book.

Raven Cursed

The fourth Jane Yellowrock novel, available January 2012.

Easy Pickings

The crossover novella written by C.E. Murphy and Faith Hunter. Jane Yellowrock and Joanne Walker are pulled into a different reality where they have to fight a big bad ugly. This novella stands outside of the Skinwalker series, but slides nicely into this spot. Available as an e-book.

“Cajun with Fangs”

A short story from Jane Yellowrock’s POV, set soon after Raven Cursed and before Death’s Rival . Available in Have Stakes Will Travel e-book.

Death’s Rival

The fifth Jane Yellowrock novel, available October 2012.

Blood Trade

The sixth Jane Yellowrock novel, available 2013.

Author’s note: This story takes place in the Hunger Times of the late 1800s–early 1900s.

I/We climbed stunted tree, sat in twisted limb. High on ledge at top of gorge. Hidden by smoke from man-fire far below. Man-fire burned limbs, leaves cut from trees. Smoke filled air. Sound of axes echoed across gorge. Sound of train whistle split air. Hurt ears. Bad sound. All sound of man was bad sound, but sound of white man was worst sound. No sound of birds. No sound of prey on ground. No good sounds anywhere since white man came to mountains. Below, in gorge, limbs and trees and branches were dropped into water, dropped there by human men. White men.

We sa, little bobcat, said into back of mind, Yunega tsiluga tala tlugvi, tsiluga totsi tlugvi. White man kill white pine trees, kill white oak trees. Asgina . Devils.

Alpha devil is there, I thought at her . White man in gray pelt. Do you understand his words?

Yunega talk is not Tsalagi talk, she said in mind speech . I do not understand .

I flicked ears, twitched tail, and said to her, Alpha devil points with paw to other white men which trees to cut. With paws and tongue, tells them to load dead trees onto flat thing that moves, flat place called train car . Tells them to throw dead limbs and branches into river below. River is full of trees and does not run. Fish die. Animals run away and die. Birds fly away and die. Smoke fills air and I cannot breathe.

I/we had talked in mind-den about this. I said to We sa again , White devils must die. If white alpha devil dies, then all white men will stop killing earth. Yes?