The Condor's Feather - the pampas of Patagonia on horseback

May 2011 - the ebook edition of The Condor's Feather has been released by BELGRAVE HOUSE .
It's available in 10 electronic formats at $5 (or less) per download:

epub (industry standard), PRC (Mobipocket, Kindle), PDF, Microsoft Reader (LIT), PDB (Palm, eReader), HTML, Word, Rich Text Format, RB (Rocket and ebookwise), and Hiebook (KML), etc.

Or goto Amazon for a Kindle edition at an even better discounted deal.
A version for every reader.

May 2011 and The Condor's Feather is now available in paperback from Lulu.com.

It will hit the major websites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble in July.

I will add a link when it is up.

'Her heart is as deep and silent as the pampas,' Thia said. 'It is as though she is in tune with the vast countryside around her. A kind of innate animism which native people posses, which we civilized people seem to have lost.'

William had no answer. There was certainly something about this native Indian woman which he could not explain. Without meaning or intention, she attracted him like a pin to a magnet, yet she hardly ever spoke, showed little expression, even conserved her gestures to essential movements.
She was as tall as a longbow and moved like a willow in the breeze. Was as strong as any man he knew and slightly taller than he. She was not beautiful by English standards with her plucked eyebrows and painted skin, but she had the elongated face and forehead of the high priestesses he had seen engraved on the walls of the ancient temples in Cairo.
Now he wished he had drawn her portrait as he could never replicate it accurately. Yet her face was engrained in his mind and he knew he would never forget it.

In 1885 a motley group of English artistocrats embarks on an equestrian adventure across the remote South American pampas of Patagonia.
What they initally envisage as a romp across the countryside turns into a life and death struggle for survival.
Confronted, not only, with mountain lions, wild horses and native Indians but also a group of prison escapees whose sadistic deeds have no limits, Thia Beresford and her companions put their trust in a morose and mysterious Welshman who acts as their guide.
Only when his diabolical secret has been revealed can they attempt to bring a group of criminals to justice.
Photo (MM) Statue of condor in Punta Arenas, Chile.

Algernon Beresford looked north from the Coburg Dock and shook his head. 'I can honestly say. I have never seen such a place!'
'Indeed, it is wonderful, isn't it? So vibrant and full of colour!'
Algy turned and looked blankly at his friend, before casting his eyes from the expanse of the River Mersey to the patchwork of docks abutting the busy city of Liverpool.
'My dear fellow, you must be jesting!' he said. 'Look around. There is not a hint of green to be seen anywhere and I doubt if there is a blade of grass growing within ten miles of this God-forsaken place. The river is the colour of mud and the sky the colour of lead. Even the woeful creatures who frequent this area are daubed with the grime of yonder chimneys.'
His eyes flitted along the docks to the line of coal wagons, the cranes and hoists and steam engines.
'The sounds jar the eardrums, the smells offend the nostrils and some of the sights I find myself closing my eyes to. As to colour; the only hint of red is the fire in the forge over yonder and that only glows when the bellows breathe life into it. My dear William, in all honesty, tell me you are joking. I cannot imagine a place more devoid of colour.'
'I am talking metaphorically, Algy dear. I am not looking merely at a palette of colours. I am looking at life, at movement, at noise. The cacophony of voices, the variety of shapes, the classes of ships, the expressions on the faces. Don't you see them? Compare the bold warehouses with the assortment of Church spires. Look at the elegant domes and cupolas. Such a remarkable skyline. You must look at the picture as a whole. Consider the people on the dock. See how different they are. The way they dress. The baggage they carry. Each is unique. Yet when you step back and view the scene as a whole, they intermesh as neatly as pieces of a jigsaw puzzle - hundreds of tiny cameos yet all complimentary, each one adding to the composition. Remind me to teach you to see things the way I see them, Algy. You must learn to open your mind not just your eyes, and to give rein to your imagination. I fear you are missing so much. Everything is so vibrant, so alive, so rich in ... colour.'
'Dear William, I believe I shall need more than lessons in the game of chess while we are aboard. But I doubt, even if we travelled ten times around the globe, I could ever learn to interpret things the way you do. How I envy you my friend.'

I could not have created an accurate and authentic picture of either Patagonia, or the Indian population, or the wild horses and horsemen, of the conditions and of the dangers, without sourcing information from the following literature.
Reading these classic tales and learning of the violent riot which took place in Sandy Bay (now Punta Arenas) in 1877, I was reminded that truth is often far stranger (or more unbelievable) than fiction.

{Riding} Across Patagonia (1881) Lady Florence Dixie
Wanderings in Patagonia (1879) Julius Beerbohm
At Home with the Patagonians (1871) George C Musters
The Voyage of HMS Beagle (1839) Charles Darwin
In Patagonia (1977) Bruce Chatwin
and many webpages dedicated to travel in Patagonia

Pic: Lady Florence Dixie - an extraordinary Lady.
From cover of her book Riding Across Patagonia first published in the 1880s

During my first visit to Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan in South America, I picked up a small tourist brochure.
Inside I found this tiny article which intrigued me.
The article reads:

The first Europeans to lay eyes on the Paine Range were Lady Florence Dixie, daughter of the seventh Marquis of Queensbury and her companions in 1878.

They had set sail from Liverpool and arrived in Punta Arenas, where they were provided with horses and provisions and explored the region for a months.
They made it all the way to the park and named the Tower peaks "Cleopatras Needles".

This was a pioneer trip in what has become Southern Tourist Activity.
Florence Dixie, who authored several books including "Across Patagonia" (London 1880), died in 1907.

When I got back to Australia after my visit I ordered a republished copy of Lady Florence's nineteenth century book.
Reading her story inspired me to write THE CONDOR'S FEATHER.

Copy of article in magazine SOUTH PATAGONIA ADVENTURE - Go to: http://wwww.patagoniainteractiva.com

In 'The Condor's Feather' there are two black Newfoundlands which I have named, Byron and Bella (after Lord Byron and his wife).
The dogs have a significant part to in the story.
(And why not? JM Barrie used a Newfoundland for the part of Nana in his classic story, PETER PAN).
I chose Newfoundlands because of their extraordinary size and ability, especially for swimming.
Did you know that Newfoundlands have webbed feet?

Photo: Bella and Byron on the cover of the book (note Bella's white feet).
I was delighted to find that the artist had read the description in the book.
Thanks Michael Thomas

The Criollo horses are the descendants of the Spanish War Horses brought to South America in the 1500s.
A few were released in the 16th century. Now thousands run wild on the Patagonian pampas.

NOTE: the gaucho's leather belt decorated with pieces of silver and the dagger held behind it.

Photo: Estancia on the outscirts of Buenas Aires, Argentina.

The gauchos are the horsemen of the pampas.
Their skill in the saddle and with the bolas (a weapon used to bring down the guanaco and native ostriches) is legendary.
Even today when you visit an estancia you are treated to a display of horsemanship by the descendants of the original gauchos.

In THE CONDOR'S FEATHER, the party of English riders are accompanied by three gauchos and a mob of criollo horses.

Guanaco are a llama-like camelid.
They roam in large herds on the pampas right across patagonia.
They have traditionally been a source of meat and skin for the navite Tehuelche Indians.

Camelids are natives of South America.
Llamas have been used for centuries as pack animals in the Andes.
Their hair is woven to make cloth.
The finest fibre from a camelid-type is obtained from the Vicuna.
These alpacas now live in Tasmania

These incredible sharply pointed and angular mountains are the tail end of the Andes Mountians.
I have not yet visited the Torres del Paine National Park but it is on my wish list.

Photo: (MM) The Patagonian coastline at the tail end of South America.

'How stark and beautiful this place is,' William said. 'If I had a glass of wine, I would propose a toast. But I shall propose it anyway. To Patagonia - a place we will never forget.'
Thia and her brother clinked their imaginary glasses as the sun finally slid behind the mountain peaks and the night folded down like a concertina curtain. Layer upon layer, pink on mauve, purple on blue, grey on navy. Dropping slowly. Pressing every ounce of pigment into the final few inches of sky in a fiery display of burnt orange. Polished mahogany. Burnished gold. The rich colour reflected in the skin of the Tehuelche Indians.

The word Cordillera means 'knotted rope'.
It is the Spanish name for the mountains.
The Andes are the backbone of South America and run through Patagonia, disappearing into the Southern Ocean at Cape Horn.
They are awe inspiring.
Photo: Andes - Northern Chile

I first travelled to Chile and Argentina in 2006 and something about the place - it's wild beauty and areas of vast emptiness which captured my imagination.
I was visiting on a cruise ship which had sailed from Santiago in Chile, navigated through the Chilean fjords and the Straits of Magellan and finally docked at Punta Arenas. From here I travelled in-land to see a little of the pampas of Patagonia.
If only I could have seen more!
Later I visited Tierra del Fuego before sailing on to the Antarctic Peninsula and then sailing north to Puerto Madryn and Buenos Aires.
My novel, THE CONDOR'S FEATHER, was inspited by the places which I visited at the bottom of the world.

Photo: The cathedral in Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan

The condor has a wingspan of 10-12 feet (that's well over 3 meters).
They live to 50 years of age.
Condor's not not kill their prey but they do feed on carrion and when not feeding are most often seen soaring on the thermals of warm air currents high in the sky.
They are found in remote ares of the Andes from Venezuela in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south.
In some parts the natives regard them as messengers of the gods.
A Condor's feather plays a significant part in the story.

Photo: Tribute to Condor in Punta Arenas

Mate is made from green leaves.
It is like a green tea but is more invigorating than ordinary tea.
It also contains less caffeine than tea or coffee.
Traditionally it is drunk through a silver straw from a gourd and passed around as a social custom.

THE DRINK IN THE PICTURE IS NOT MATE.
This is a coca-leaf tea which is recommended for tourist in the Andes Mountains (Chile and Peru).
It is a stimulant which combats altitude sickness.
It is made from the leaves which are used to produce the drug cocaine.

Here are the time-lines in the books production:
July 2008 - submitted manuscript to my UK agent.
September - received an offer of publication from Hale Books, London.
December - the rough artwork for the jacket cover was produced.
March 2009 - I completed the edits and the book was ready to go to print.
March - I received a final digital image of the cover.
25 July - received an offer from Thorpe (Ulverscroft to publish a large print edition) - Great news!
31 July 2009 - Hardcover PUBLICATION DATE.
1 June 2010 - large print edition published.
8 May 2011 - ebook edition released.
July 2011 - paperback edition due.

THE CONDOR'S FEATHER is available in hardback, large print. and 10 electronic formats
UK buyers can order the hardback postage free from the publisher www.Halebooks.com

For the electronic versions go to BELGRAVE HOUSE .

Photo: I took this pic in the foothills of the Andes near Lima, Peru (2008). The bird was soaring above the ruins of an Inca temple. It's probably an eagle, but the only condor's I saw were riding so high on the thermals they were only black specks in the sky.

There is something very special about Patagonia and the tall Tehuelche Indians who once roamed the Pampas. The magic of Patagonia was one thing which inspired me to write The Condor's Feather.

My inspirations also came from the real-life adventure of a bold young English aristocrat, Lady Florence Dixie, who in the late 1878 at age 21, embarked on a ride across the largely unexplored Pampas with her brother. Based loosely on that concept, combined with the carnage of an actual prison mutiny, what better background for a story?

And who can ignore the magnificent scenery, the snow capped Cordillera, the gorges and rivers, and the sunsets...
Thia and her brother clinked their imaginary glasses as the sun finally slid behind the mountain peaks and the night folded down like a concertina curtain - layer upon layer, pink on mauve, purple on blue, grey on navy. Dropping slowly. Pressing every ounce of pigment into the final few inches of sky in a fiery display of burnt orange. Polished mahogany. Burnished gold. The rich colour reflected in the skin of the Tehuelche Indians.

For the latest ebook edition go the Belgrave House - see Link

There are over 10,000 penguins at the penguin rookery at Lake Otway (north of Puntas Arenas on the Strait of Magellan).

The route which the party follows in THE CONDOR'S FEATHER takes them to the shore of the lake where they camp for a night before heading north.

Punta Arenas was the name given to the sandy point and strip of land which Ferdinand Magellan noted on the northern shore of the Strait of Magellan.
It offered the seafarer a safe place to beach the boats.
The English translation 'Sandy Point' was the name used by the British for many years but today the city is again known by its Spanish name.
In 1877 a violent riot took place at the garrison.
Prison guards mutinied and the prisoners went on the rampage.
Hundreds died, atrocities took place and much of the old town was burnt down.
Today Punta Arenas is a busy port on the Strait of Magellan.
Photo: Evidence of the Sandy point is still visible as are some of the old jetties now the home of thouseands of seabirds (cormorants).

Today Punta Arenas is a busy city and port for the Antactic vessels.
The ship in the picture is an Antarctic expedition vessel.

The town was quite different however in 1885.
Following a riot a few years earlier much of the old town had been destroyed.
It was not a pleasant place and the characters who inhabitied it were outcasts from various parts of the world.

Read the dramatic story set in 1885.
To order a copy of THE CONDOR'S FEATHER at a BIG discount price and with FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY go to:
THE BOOK DEPOSITORY.
UK buyers can order postage free from the publisher www.Halebooks.com

Because of the columns of smoke seen rising from the unexplored island, it was originally dubbed the island of smoke.
But it was agued that if there was smoke, then there must be fire.
Fire was revered by the native indians and they kept fires burning continually.
They even transported lighted fires in their canoes.

The channel is named after the ship, THE BEAGLE, in which Charles Darwin made his scientific voyages of discovery.
How on earth the early adventurers, like Magellan and Darwin navigated the maze of passages in this area is unbelievable.
Even today, these are cold and inhospitable waters.

THE CONDOR'S FEATHER is due in paperback from Amazon and Barnes and Noble in July 2011.

If you live in the UK you have choice of on-line booksellers including the publisher, Hale Books, who offers free postage within the UK.

For the ebook - available in 10 formats - go to :BELGRAVE HOUSE .
Price $5 or less with discount.

Pic: Rising up to the Atacama Desert in the north.
A sure place to see a condor.

FLOATING GOLD, published May 2010 , has received excellent reviews by age-of-sail enthusiasts. Here are some excerpts:

FLOATING GOLD is a wonderful blend of classic Georgian naval fiction, a mystery/thriller and a grand treasure hunt. A rousing tale, well told. It's a well-paced and vividly drawn tale of adventure in the high latitudes and on the high seas. Highly recommended.
http://www.oldsaltblog.com

When you have read as many naval fiction novels as I have, the first challenge a new author and book has to meet is - do the story and characters seem fresh? This is a challenge Floating Gold achieves from cover to cover in a pacy narrative which held my attention.
Would I like to read more of Captain Quintrell, Lieutenant Parry, Acting Carpenter Will Ethridge and their adventures? I certainly would.
A book I recommend.
http://www.historicnavalfiction.com

FLOATING GOLD is a nautical thriller that involves a well-plotted treasure hunt. Other nautical heroes too have been chasing treasures on the high seas and in exotic locations, most often Spanish galleons loaded with gold, but none of them - to my knowledge - have ever been chasing a treasure like the one that is featured in this book.
It is an innovative and entertaining tale, rich on detail about England and life at sea, and a tale that is very well told.
FLOATING GOLD is an excellent nautical fiction debut by Margaret Muir. I hope she continues to write about Quintrell - a character that I feel has a lot of potential.
If you like historical fiction, salty sea tales or clever adventures, FLOATING GOLD is a book you should get hold of - it is very entertaining, well written and intelligently plotted! http://www.navyfiction.com

To order a copy go to Hale Books (UK) or The Book Depository (world-wide postage free).