I draw a lot of my inspiration from travel and the places I visit. Several years ago my husband and I went on vacation to America. We hired a car and covered ten thousand miles in a journey that started and ended in San Francisco. During this time we made a point of visiting several National parks.

Story ideas started popping at me from every direction. I mean it’s hard not to be inspired by beautiful scenery. While we were driving through the South West we started seeing the figure of Kokopelli. Curious, I did an Internet search and a story idea sprang to life. What if Kokopelli wasn’t a myth and was a real person? What if Kokopelli lived among us and continued with his traditional duties? Gradually the story took shape in my mind, the setting inspired by some of the things we saw during our travels.

Here are a few facts about the legend of Kokopelli:

1. Kokopelli has been a sacred figure to Native Americans of Southwest America for thousands of years.

2. He’s found in several Native American cultures such as the Hopi, Anazasi, Taos and Acoma.

3. He’s a flute player who is traditionally shown with a humpback.

4. He’s also known as a fertility figure.

5. He’s also a trickster and is very mischievous.

6. Kokopelli often displayed a long phallus, symbolizing the fertile seeds of human reproduction.

7. Some people think the hump is actually a bag of gifts or seeds that Kokopelli plants each spring. Some people think he carries babies in his hump and hands them out to women. This means he’s not popular with young women.

8. It’s said that Kokopelli would visit a village and on leaving the next morning all the women of marriageable age would be pregnant.

9. One of his other duties was changing winter to spring.

10. It’s said you can hear Kokopelli’s flute on the spring breeze.

11. Petroglyphs show that Kokopelli has been around for many thousands of year.

12. He was a flute-playing Casanova.

And here are a few photos of the inspirational scenery.

This is a shot taken at the Cody Nite rodeo. The characters in Seeking Kokopelli visit the rodeo.

Mesa Verde is an amazing place and the home of Ancestral Pueblo. The buildings are some of the best preserved dwellings in the US. We spent the day wandering the dwellings and exploring the landscape.

We came across this cactus plant in Sedona.

Kokopelli makes plants bloom and brings fertility to the people. This sunflower shot was taken in Santa Fe.

Here’s the blurb:

Love never hits a wrong note.

Ever since Nate McKenzie hired on as a roadie, musician Adam James has lusted after him. So far Adam has kept his distance, knowing Nate is mourning his dead wife. But lately Adam has caught the man returning his stares. Maybe it’s time to test the waters.

Besides, there isn’t much chance Nate will find out that Adam was once his people’s Kokopelli. His powers were stripped from him, along with the magical tattoo on his chest, when his orientation was discovered.

Nate is going crazy with guilt. Before his wife’s death, he never looked at anyone else, woman or man. Now his dreams are filled with Adam. He tries to keep his mind on his job and off Adam’s sexy body, but in a moment of weakness they share a kiss that sends them both up in flames.

Their relationship risks both their hearts and Adam’s female fan base, but the attraction is too strong to ignore. Then someone takes a shot at Adam””and his tattoo begins to reappear, forcing him to come clean with his lover. And Nate to decide exactly where his future lies”¦before a killer steals it away from them.

Warning: This book contains rockin’ music, smoky pubs, the mystical legend of Kokopelli and lots of playful, hot manlove.

Purchase from Samhain Publishing

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