Today, I have the pleasure of introducing
you to a wonderful man by the name of Otis Ritch. Otis is a Choctaw Indian and author of
Where Eagles Soar. Good morning, Otis, I’m so
pleased you've been able to join us here on The Perfect Plot.
Please tell us about Where Eagles Soar.
OTIS: Where Eagles Soar is the first book in
the SkyHawk series of spiritual adventure novels. In this book a young Choctaw Indian man,
wanting to rest and regenerate after a three year job that was exhausting
mentally and physically, goes to the mountains in Sedona Arizona to rest and
relax. But instead of getting to rest he
has to rescue a young Apache Indian Princess from a kidnapper and then he has
to track down and catch a mountain lion that was killing people. The story ends up being somewhat of a love
story and he also gains the perfection he had been training for all his life.
It sounds like an exciting story with not
only suspense, but also romance. What
inspired you to write it, Otis?
OTIS:
There have been thousands of things written about American Indian
culture, ceremonies, traditions, etc., yet there has been virtually nothing
written about American Indian Spiritual philosophy. I thought it was time that the world knew
something about the spiritual philosophy American Indians practice in their
daily lives. In this SkyHawk series I
have inserted the most comprehensive and profound American Indian spiritual
philosophy that has ever been written. I
put it in the form of grandfather teachings and the thoughts work into the
story.
And as I've read Where Eagles Soar, I can
say that I found these grandfather teachings both inspirational and uplifting.
As the first book in the series, how many
books will the series encompass?
OTIS: I have completed nine books in this
series and the series is finished. There
is another story that I have been thinking about writing that would be a
spin-off of this series. If I write it, I
will wait until some other projects are finished first. I am a little over half way done with the
writing of a science fiction novel at this time.
You mentioned earlier that Where Eagles
Soar is a spiritual adventure and romance.
What attracted you to this genre?
OTIS:
American Indians are always a good subject to write about and they make
interesting characters to read about. I
like adventure stories and I think all books that are written about people
should have a little romance in them.
I totally agree. Where would we be without romance?
Do you have a favourite character and if
so, why?
OTIS:
In the books I have written I think I like Johnny SkyHawk the best of
all the characters I have used. I think
the reason is that the training and living the life to gain perfection is
something that I like and I try to follow a path of truth, beauty, and goodness
which I write about in this series. When
a person can become a perfected mortal of the realm—an Impeccable Warrior, they
can do much good for people and for the world.
There was a medicine man in Oklahoma who
was an Impeccable Warrior. His brother
was shot in the stomach and was in the hospital in critical condition. He went into the room and stayed about thirty
minutes and when he came out his brother was completely healed and didn’t even
have a scar. The doctors were amazed and
wanted to know what he had done. He
wouldn’t tell them anything and finally the doctors got the police
involved. They put him in jail and he
never would tell them anything. They finally
turned him loose. He lived a full life
and did a lot of good for his people and finally decided to continue his
universe career and laid his body down and went to the Mansion Worlds. His brother is the medicine man now and is
doing a lot of good for the people. Most
American Indians try to walk a path following the leading of the Great Spirit
in their everyday life.
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| Landscape near Sedona, Arizona |
A fascinating story, Otis, about the mysteries we come across, and also how intolerant society can be sometimes when we don't understand a situation. Perhaps Where Eagles Soar will help in that regard.
The book is set in the mountains around
Sedona, Arizona and your knowledge of the area is evident in your writing. Can you tell us how you acquired your
knowledge?
OTIS:
I grew up in the desert southwest in the Casa Grande valley in
Arizona. I lived in Arizona for a lot of
my life and got to know the state fairly well.
I took a trip to Sedona, Arizona before I wrote the book. I stayed a few days to refresh my memory of
the country. Sedona is what I call high
desert country. There are mountains
there but the vegetation is still a mix between the desert and mountain
country. In the next book in the series,
Spirit Of The Wolf, the setting is in and around Stigler Oklahoma. I was born in Stigler and know the country
there fairly well.
Arizona is such a beautiful place. I’ve always thought that one of the
advantages of writing a book is that it gives one an excuse to travel in order
to do the research.
Your main character, Johnny SkyHawk is a
Choctaw Indian. Can you tell us about your
people, Otis?
OTIS:
The Choctaws are one of the five Civilized tribes. I have never understood why they were
designated like that but perhaps it is because they were civilized and had
thriving communities when the white man came to America. Choctaws were living in houses and had farms
and ranches as well as towns. The U.S.
Government forced them to give up the most fertile land in America in
Mississippi and forced marched them in the worst winter in recorded history to
Oklahoma where the land is very poor and not good farmland at all. Half the ones forced on the march died along
the way. Choctaws are an intelligent and
peaceful people and are spiritual in nature.
They are good farmers and ranchers and live close to nature. They do all they can to protect and nurture
wild life.
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| Cathedral Rock |
One would hope that mankind learns from
history. And all the more reason for you
to have written the SkyHawk series, Otis.
I loved reading the teachings of Johnny SkyHawk’s
grandfather. Were these the teachings you
were taught as a child?
OTIS:
Actually these are things I have learned through my life’s
experiences. I like to meditate in a
quiet setting and when I talk to the Great Spirit thoughts like these come into
my mind.
What do you hope your readers take away
with them after reading your stories?
OTIS:
In the grandfather teachings is the formula to follow to become a
perfected mortal of the realm. It is my
hope that by reading my books that the readers will have the desire to start
their own search for higher spiritual truths.
It is time that the human race grow up and mature and start practicing
love and harmony instead of greed and selfishness. It is my hope that my writings will inspire
people to seek for a more harmonious life and seek out the Great Spirit to lead
them into perfection.
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| Cathedral Rock |
Otis, you’re not only a writer but a master
leather worker too. How did you learn
your craft?
OTIS:
I always liked to make things out of leather and as an adult I had an
opportunity to work with a man in Austin, Texas many years ago that was a very
good leather carver. While I was working
there, I also had an opportunity to meet the x-head boot maker for one of the
best boot companies in the country. This
was when the custom boot craze was sweeping the country. He had his own shop when I met him and he taught
me how to make boots. At the time, he
had four years of orders to fill. I made
cowboy boots for a number of years and I also carve pictures out of leather.
As can be seen by these photographs.
What do you have in store next for your
readers?
OTIS:
I’m in the process of writing a Si-Fi novel at this time and I am not
sure what I will write after that. I
have twenty two books completed at this time.
You’re a prolific writer, Otis.
What’s your writing process? Do you plan your manuscripts before you start
writing or do you start writing and see where the story takes you?
OTIS:
I generally will think about a story that would be good reading and then
I decide how many chapters it will have and how many pages for the chapters and
how many pages in the book. Then I sit
down and start writing. I pretty much
let the story take it’s own course. I
enjoy writing the story because I am reading it for the first time as I am
writing it. I am just like any reader—I
want to see what is going to happen next.
Do you have a favorite place and time to
write?
OTIS:
Not really. I just write when I
am relaxed and can be uninterrupted. It
seems as if I have to do a lot of my writing five minutes at a time when I can
grab a chance.
What
do you find is the hardest part of writing?
OTIS:
When I get into the story a way and hit a writer’s block where I don’t
know what to say next. Or sometimes I
get interrupted and have to put my writing aside for a while and when I can get
back to it a few days later I can’t remember my train of thought and have to
read everything and see if I can remember what I was thinking when I had to put
it down.
I know the feeling. Life gets in the way!
Of all the characters you’ve created, does
one hold a special place in your heart, and if so, why?
OTIS:
Actually there are two characters I have written about that are my
favorites. One is Johnny SkyHawk in my
SkyHawk series because he was the character I used in portraying all the
American Indian spiritual philosophy I wrote about in the grandfather
teachings. The second was “Charlie” a
character in my Chosen One Si-Fi series.
The second book in that series is called Resplendently Alien, and Charlie
was the main character.
How much research do you do for your books?
OTIS: I research locations if I don’t know
much about them. Other than that I write
about what I know or else I write stories that are entertaining and fast paced
that I would like to read and think would appeal to others as well.
Do you have any words of advice for
aspiring writers?
OTIS: Yes, be aware that writing is
addictive—once you start you feel compelled to keep writing. Also as a first time author don’t set down to
write a book—it is hard when you do that.
It is much better when writing a book to sit down to write a
sentence. Everyone can write a sentence. After you write the sentence it will soon
become a paragraph and then before you know it you have completed a chapter and
soon you have written a book.
Such good advice, Otis, because the thought
of writing a book can be daunting.
Is there anything else you would like to
share with us?
OTIS:
Try to do some good for yourself and others while you are on this
Earth. It is time for all mankind to
learn to embrace love, harmony, and compassion.
If life—intelligent life is to have any meaning and value it must be
found on a spiritual path.
Wise words from a wise man.
Where can readers learn more about you and
find your books on the web?
OTIS: I have all my books listed on the book list
page of my website. These include the
first five books in the SkyHawk series in paperback, and available for purchase
on my website by pressing the Pay Pal button.
www.soaringeagleenterprises.net
Also if you use the
following Barnes & Noble link, you will find up to 22 books I have
written.
One final thing I
would like to leave with you is a Grandfather Blessing I wrote in one of my SkyHawk
novels.
A SkyHawk Grandfather
Blessing
May you always walk in
beauty as you follow the leading of the Great Spirit as he ever leads you along
the path to perfection.
May your days be
filled with cloudless skies so you may enjoy the wonders of nature that the
Great Spirit has spread before you.
May your nights be
full of stars in the sky to bring wonders to your mind, love in your heart, and
spiritual awareness to soothe your soul.
May your life be
filled with joy and the abundant happiness that comes with the presence of the
Great Spirit in your mind to give you comfort and lift your burdens.
May your mind be
filled with gladness, your heart filled with joy, and your soul filled with
peace as you walk with grace upon a path of truth, beauty, and goodness.
Thank you for being here with us today, Otis, and for sharing your words.
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| Otis Ritch |
I am a wild Choctaw Indian from the Mudlark bottoms in Stigler
Oklahoma. As a child I grew up in the desert Southwest, in and around the Casa
Grande Valley in Arizona. I spent many happy hours roaming the desert and
mountains learning about the animal and plant life there and why there are sea
shells on the tops of the mountains. The desert can be a harsh teacher where
death can come quickly to those not prepared for the constant dangers that
exist. There are rattlesnakes and Gila monsters as well as coyotes, wolves,
skunks, wild hogs, cougars, scorpions and centipedes. The desert is also a
beautiful place that is full of life and adventure. In the solitude one can take
the time to meditate and contemplate on life and the reasons thereof.
Where Eagles Soar
by Otis D. Ritch
Set
in the mountain region outside Sedona, Arizona, Where Eagles Soar is a spiritual
adventure and a romance. It’s the story
of Johnny SkyHawk, a young Cocktaw Indian who, after his three year job
contract ends, goes into the mountains to rest and renew himself
spiritually.
His
plan to do so is thwarted, however, when he finds himself embroiled in the
plight of a young Apache girl and her abductor. And so the adventure begins as Johnny SkyHawk assists police, using his skills as a tracker. It is not long, however, before he is aware of yet another foe!
Throughout
this exciting story, you will also hear the uplifting, wise words of Johnny SkyHawk’s grandfather,
a medicine man, who taught Johnny the ways of the Great Spirit when he was
young.
Truly
an enjoyable read with lots of food for thought.
I decided to follow Mozart's lead. That is, to contemplate and plan the next 12 months, Oh, yes, and write Chapter 13 of Once Upon A Lie. I thought Fiji, in the South Pacific, would be the best place to do this. 
'The best laid plans...' as they say.
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