We live in a happy-obsessed society,
constantly bombarded with happy smiling faces on TV or billboard ads telling us
their version of happiness. Even worse than
this, we see our own friends on social media posting photos of their
ridiculously happy lives; but never sharing any raw feelings of what’s really
going on in their lives.
It is an unspoken law that we all want to be
happy but the reality is that most of us have not thought about what happiness
means for ourselves. I used to think, if only I had the right kind of job, the
right group of friends and the right partner, then I would be happy. I worked
so hard chasing these goals. I saw happiness like reaching the peak of a
mountain… All I had to do was work really hard, achieve all my goals and then
I’ll be happy. And that’s exactly what I did. I worked really hard and got to
the top of the mountain. But at the top, I didn’t find what I was looking for.
What I actually found at the top of the
mountain was disappointment. I had worked so hard to conquer my goals, and the
realization that I still wasn’t happy made me even more unhappy. But little did
I know, I had no idea what happiness was.
WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPINESS?
There are probably
as many definitions of happiness as there are humans on the planet but broadly
speaking, modern psychology categorizes happiness in two parts:
1) HAPPINESS AS AN EMOTION
Experiencing positive emotions like joy, pleasure and
excitement
We are all familiar with this type of happiness – good food, new clothes, walks
on the beach, hot oil massages and puppies… lots of puppies. This is what’s constantly
advertised to us and what we think of when we see our happy smiling friends on
Facebook.
2) HAPPINESS AS LIFE SATISFACTION
Living with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment
with life
We are less familiar with this type of happiness, as it is not as
straightforward as getting a massage or hugging a warm puppy. Rather it
involves a deliberate process of self-discovery and cultivating the right
mental attitudes to live a happy life, despite the ups and downs of everyday
emotions.
Let’s explore these… HAPPINESS AS AN EMOTION
1)
CHASING POSITIVE EMOTIONS
Imagine if
there was a machine you could plug yourself into that made you feel pleasure
and joy 100% of the time. Better yet, you wouldn’t know you were plugged in so
you would have no feelings of guilt. Would you plug in or stay in your current
life? The answer you give this question can reveal a lot about how you feel
about happiness as an emotion.
If you asked me this question shortly after I
had finished climbing my mountain of happiness, I would have almost certainly
said yes. This is because I saw happiness only as an emotion that I had to feel
on a regular basis. If I was not experiencing emotional happiness in the form
of pleasure or joy regularly, my conclusion was that I’m not happy and that
something is wrong.
This is why I chased goal after goal, mountain
after mountain, pursuing the good feelings a new job or new travel destination
gave me. But the good feelings didn’t last. Before long, the emotions of joy
and excitement would dissipate and I was back to where I started, looking at an
even bigger mountain to experience more joy in my life.
This is a common path to happiness for many people.
“If only I have *fill in the blank*, then I’ll be happy.”
The obvious problem with this approach is what
psychologists call hedonic adaptation – the idea that no
matter how good something makes us feel, “most of the time, we drift back to
where we started, emotionally-speaking. One often-cited study famously showed that
despite their initial euphoria, lottery winners were no happier than
non-winners eighteen months later. The same tendency to return to “baseline”
has been shown to occur after marriage, voluntary job changes, and
promotions—the kinds of things we usually expect to change our happiness and
well-being for the better in a permanent way.” (Heidi Grant Halvorson Ph.D.)
This is not to say we shouldn’t enjoy the
pleasures of life. We absolutely should celebrate getting that new job and we
should cherish every moment of the honey-moon period of a new relationship.
However, we should be conscious that experiencing these short-term emotional
highs does not equate to long-term happiness.
2)
RUNNING AWAY FROM NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
Another unfortunate consequence of seeing
happiness only as a positive emotional state is that we ignore or suppress any
other emotions that don’t make us feel good. We all want to feel joy and avoid
pain. This is normal. What is not normal, and is rather unhealthy, is
persistently avoiding or suppressing difficult or negative emotions.
The reality of life is that
we all experience difficult emotions and circumstances. People get sick, we
lose our jobs, relationships fall apart, things break, shit happens.Put more elegantly by
Murphy’s Law “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.”
In his book, The Happiness
Trap, Russ Harris writes: “The more we try to avoid the
basic reality that all human life involves pain, the more we are likely to
struggle with that pain when it arises, thereby creating even more suffering.” – Russ Harriss
Ultimately each one of us is responsible for
making our own happiness cake; one filled with ingredients that gives us true
satisfaction and contentment. But even with this perfect life satisfaction
cake, we are bound to experience sadness and pain in our life. This is part of
the human experience. Equally, we are bound to experience immense joy and
pleasure in our life. True happiness is not about being caught up in these
emotional highs and lows of life. Rather it’s learning to enjoy the highs with
gratitude and accept the lows with self-compassion.
Most important of all let’s not forget to share
the love with one other.
Everyone is seeking true happiness in their lives. It’s the
most sought-after subject on earth. To be truly happy is a great mystery to
many, as they search for joy in everyday life. When we’re feeling discontent,
we tend to think a change in our lives is the answer to our restlessness. After
making that change, we find that it was not the answer we hoped for after all.
The fact is, I never find the joy I’m seeking, if I’m looking for it. There is
much more to finding happiness than we think.
In my book, Searching For True Happiness, you will be assigned a few
tasks to do, things that are uplifting and will bring you great joy. They are
simple tasks, but yet very important for true happiness. Joy in one’s life does
not come without a bit of work.
Author
Brooke Williams wrote: “If more people took the advice from this book and used it to its
fullest, the world would be a different place. Some of the ideas are rather
simple but the overall message is profound. Happiness isn't sitting where you'd
think. But it's easy enough to find with a little work and a few extra steps. I
hope many, not only read this book, but also take it to heart.”
There are
several things mentioned in this booklet. Acts of kindness and serving others
is one of them. The joy one feels when helping those in need is indescribable.
Why are we here on earth if not to serve our friends and loved ones, or even
those strangers who need help? How about music? Does it affect our lives?
Inishowen Cailín, from Ireland, wrote: “At the
beginning of the book, the author gives us a few tasks to complete in order to
kick start our journey to personal happiness.One
of her assignments is to greet someone each day. I live in a town where it is a
normal everyday practice to greet every single person you meet, whether you
know them or not... so this was an easy one for me. Her other tasks are also
simple, fun and rewarding to complete: show love to others, give hugs, etc.
I really enjoyed reading all the stories the author
researched for her book, as well as all the stories from her own family.I think when I reread this book I will be inspired by
something different each time. It is a simple guide to put you on the right
path to feeling happy and optimistic. A worthwhile read.”
Writing Historical Fiction is such fun. If you do good
research, it helps you to understand how the people of that century lived. Even
if the country or area is fictional, you need to do research. When writing
historical fiction, research is imperative so the story is believable. I wanted
to write a series that had mystery, adventure, and romance set during the late
1700s. Even though I created a small country that had its own problems, I
needed to research that era.
As I developed The
Rebel Series, I wanted the time period to be authentic, so I researched the
type of clothing that was popular during the late 1700s. But that was not all. How
did the people live during this time? Did they have a stove? What type of
lanterns did they use? Oil or gas?
I love a rogue who fights for justice. It was a bunch of
rebels who fought for their freedom during the American Revolution. Robin Hood
and his rebels fought against the injustice of a wicked king. Liberty is
something that I dearly cherish. As I pondered what kind of story I wanted to
write, I decided upon a small country that struggles to be free. The people finally refuse to be ruled by a monarchy any longer. In this Period
Romance, The Rebels of Cordovia, I
decided to have a strong woman character who happens to be the leader of a rebel
group. This book has clean romance for both young and old alike.
As I wrote the second book in The Rebel Series, I found there were several women journalists in
history. Since my heroine in The
Highwayman of Cordovia was a journalist, I needed to research the subject. In
France, Anne-Marguerite Petit du Noyer (1663-1719) was the most famous female
journalist. In fact, her articles were read all over Europe. She wrote about the
negotiations that led up to a series of peace treaties and she also reported on
scandal and gossip.
In this same story, I wanted to have a ball. What dances
were popular in the late 1700s? When I did some research about the “waltz,” I
was surprised at what I found. The peasants were the first to dance the waltz.
It was such fun that bored noblemen would sneak out and go to the
country-dances. The Oxford English
Dictionary back then called the waltz “riotous and indecent.”
In a 1771 German novel, someone complains about the
“newly-introduced waltz” among the aristocrats. He wrote: “When he put his arm
around her, pressed her to his breast, cavorted with her in the shameless,
indecent whirling-dance of the Germans and engaged in a familiarity that broke all
the bounds of good breeding—then my silent misery turned into burning rage.” I
was so intrigued by this description. The waltzfinally became fashionable when the wife of a Russian ambassador
endorsed it.
As I wrote the third book, The Fox of Cordovia, I discovered some interesting facts about
lamplighters. They were a faithful lot, lighting the lamps every evening at
dusk. Many a young man applied for the job because it suited their schedule,
but the city was careful whom they hired because lamplighters also acted as
night watchmen and needed to be trustworthy. In fact, the job was usually
handed down from father to son and kept within the family.
During the American Revolution,
there was a man known as the Swamp Fox and he influenced my story quite a bit.
His tales were ones of courage and valor, so I named this novel after the Swamp
Fox. In The Fox of Cordovia, I found
that it was common practice for the king’s ranking officer to kick a family out
of their home so he could house his soldiers and officers. No one had a say. No
wonder the patriots decided to fight for their rights. They had had enough!
The inspiration for this series came from the stories of the
patriots. Each book in The Rebel Series has its own plot, but the story continues on, giving
a satisfying ending to this trilogy. This series has become so “well loved”
that I finally had a narrator narrate all three books for Audible. Below is a sample of each audiobook.
LEARN HOW TO GET A
FREE AUDIO BOOK FROM AUDIBLE! Receive this audiobook free if you join
audible.com. Membership includes two free audiobooks and you can choose from
150,000+ titles. Go to Linda Weaver Clarke’s AudiblePage and find the book you’re
interested in and sign up for some free audiobooks.
Chivalry, Romance, and Adventure! Historical romance
is about the adventure of living in a different time period. It’s during a time period when men defended a lady’s honor. The women, on the other hand, were not frail by any means. During
the late 1600s, Dorothea Scott, a lady of royalty, stood up for what she believed
and spoke her mind. She stood on a tub and preached the gospel to the people, hoping to make a difference. I love strong women characters who
fight for what they believe in. A story with a mixture of romance and
adventure is intriguing and holds my interest. My favorite kind of love
stories are about a couple who know they are meant for one another.
The Rebel Series,
a Historical Romance, has a mixture of adventure and mystery. Each book, set in the late 1700s, is a love story about a
young couple as they strive to help their fellowman. For those who enjoy strong
women characters, all three books have this in common. They are independent
women who are not afraid to express their opinion. The heroes in this series
are rebels with a sense of justice. Young and old alike will enjoy the romance.
The Rebels of Cordovia: Centuries after the legendary Robin Hood, a group of men and
women find themselves fighting for the same cause. In this battle for freedom,
a tender love story begins to blossom. Daniel, a rogue and a leader of the
Freemen, doesn’t realize that the sweet feminine woman he has met and is
falling for happens to be the leader of Robin’s Rebels. Realizing the
importance of uniting all the rebel groups, Daniel tries to recruit Robin’s
Rebels but they refuse. Now he has to find a way to convince them. When he
finds out the leader is actually a woman, what will his reaction be?
“I so enjoyed this fun book! It has
adventure, romance, a little mystery, and action. No boring moments here.
Placed back in the days of wicked and oppressive kings, the rebels work
together for the freedoms of the common people. Will they succeed against
the governing forces? The romance is sweet and the action is plenty.”--Sunnie Reivews
The Highwayman of
Cordovia: With the help of a bold highwayman and a pastor’s daughter, they
try to save their country from being taken over by a power-hungry leader. As
they strive to stop the Kingmen and thwart their plans, Christine finds herself
falling in love with Austin Knight. The only problem with their relationship is
that she thinks he is her knight in shining armor instead of a highwayman. If
she finds out his trade, what will her reaction be? As a pastor’s daughter,
will love override her values?
“Christine and
Austin’s story is truly amazing. When Austin and Christine meet again, the
feelings they had as kids is still there. Christine is truly a remarkable
person. When Austin starts to protect her, their relationship starts to grow.
The characters in this book will have you on the edge of your seat, waiting to
see what happens next.” --Debbie Jamieson
The Fox of Cordovia:In
this swashbuckling romance, a sinister plot has just been uncovered and its up
to a former patriot and a young nurse to discover who is behind it. Caroline is
engaged to the future mayor of Laketown, a man of influence and greatly
respected. But all that changes when she overhears a conspiracy behind closed
doors. After being discovered, she runs for her life. Caroline needs to report
her findings, but whom can she trust? When she asks Jesse Conover for help, the
adventure begins.
“I loved this book. It is full of adventure,
drama, intrigue and suspense. We've got kidnapping plots, pirate ships, daring
rescues and romance. The author weaves an exciting tale and a sweet romance
together in a way that will appeal to all readers.” --Inishowen Cailín
LEARN HOW TO GET A
FREE AUDIO BOOK FROM AUDIBLE! Receive this audiobook free if you join
audible.com. Membership includes two free audiobooks and you can choose from
150,000+ titles. Go to Linda Weaver Clarke’s AudiblePage and find the book you’re
interested in and sign up for some free audiobooks.
I would like to welcome Anna del C. Dye,
an author of Romantic Fantasy. Her books are always full of intrigue and
adventure. I love the cover of this book. It’s absolutely beautiful. The cover alone would draw me to this book.
Anna, please tell me a little about
yourself.
I
love medieval clothes and castles. I love lace in my clothes. I really like
romantic music and caramels over chocolate. I am from Chile and English is my
second language. I’ve been married for forty years, have four children and
twelve grandchildren.
What is your greatest achievement to
date?
My
books. To be able to write, and in a language not of my own...I thought I
couldn't do it. Then again, maybe I'm kidding myself.
What do you like to read?
I
read different kind of books, YA, fantasy, murder mysteries, sci-fi and such.
What genre do you write and why?
I
write Young Adult High Fantasy and Medieval Romance, because I love that era
and the freedom that fantasy adds to my writings.
What do you like to do when you're not
writing?
Watch
and enjoy my grandkids. They are full of life and energy. I keep thinking it
may rub off on me, a little.
That’s how I feel, too. I wish I had the
energy that children have. Tell me about your new Book.
Magnolia's
Choice is the first book I ever wrote. It sits number five in my standalone
Royal Romance Series. It started at Disney in Florida under the shade of the
Magnolia trees. Thus, the main female characters have names of flowers.
Princess Magnolia and her two attendants Margarete and Jasmine.
A Royal Romance! Anna, please give me a back-cover blurb.
Princess
Magnolia refuses to be tied to her kingdom, Bellavista, at her father's decree.
One night, she took charge and escaped to Grayville, a neighboring kingdom.
However, it's one frightful escapade to the next until she meets Robin, the
knight in shining armor, and the kingdom which stole her heart years ago.
Robin,
the prince of Grayville, cannot forget the enchanting, yet distressed, girl who
fell into his arms two years ago. He was disguised and exploring the city with
his two best friends and she knew him not. Who is she and where did she go?
Some say time makes everything better, but the hole in his heart grows ever
painfully empty. Dare he dream of having her back in his arms?
In
Desert Intrigue, we have the lost Dutchman’s goldmine, the great Thunder God, and
mysterious events.
Mystery, romance,
and humor! When Julia’s brother announces that his dude ranch is
haunted, she believes that someone is trying to sabotage his place and force
him to sell. The mysterious happenings have to do with Superstition Mountain,
the lost Dutchman’s goldmine, and the great Thunder God. Is it possible that
the legend of the Thunder God is actually true? After a terrible thunderstorm,
everyone begins to wonder. John and Julia quickly head to Mesa, Arizona and
discover a few mysterious events. Will they find out who is behind these
disasters before Uncle Kelly’s dude ranch is ruined?
“Desert Intrigue is an entertaining and joyful book, my
favorite in this mystery series by Linda Weaver Clarke. I love the sparks of
romance in this adventure--they spice things up and add much interest to the
story. The book has a handful of surprises that I did not anticipate, and the
mystery fuels much of the action.” --Suko’s Notebook
Valuable treasure is hidden within Superstition Mountain and
the Apache Indians once believed the Thunder God protected it from robbers and
thieves. Each summer the great Thunder God roars his loudest, creating
thunderstorms like no other, announcing his control over the mountain.
Superstition Mountain is dangerous to hike and many adventurers never come back.
Apparently, the treasure is well protected.
“I loved the first
three books in this series, but I actually loved this one even more,” wrote Socrates
Book Reviews. “I didn’t think that was possible. The
characters are so well written and I absolutely adore each member of the Evans
family. They grab at your heartstrings and won’t let go. As for the story, talk
about a fast-paced story. Desert Intrigue
is that and more! It’s a book that will leave you with that “warm fuzzy”
feeling. Linda Weaver Clarke has outdone herself with this book! I'm sure it
comes as no surprise that it's getting my Socrates' Great Book Alert.”
All my romances are
Family Friendly. There is one question that I ask myself when I write romantic
mysteries. Will it appeal to men as well as women? From a man’s viewpoint, Rick Estep wrote: “As a guy, it was really great to see a man,
check that men, being shown as strong not only physically, but emotionally as
well. I've read a lot of books where the guy in the book isn't shown as being
connected to his wife/girlfriend through anything other than surface thoughts.
With John and his brother-in-law Kelly, though, I saw them as "men's
men", and ones that also were invested in the life of the women around
them. The story moved quick enough, there were plenty of red herrings to keep
me guessing, right down to the ending of the book.”
To get a review from a guy like this was awesome. Thank you,
Rick Estep!
Desert Intrigue (ISBN: 978-1-47008-421-9, Red Mountain Shadows Publishing, 2012) can be found at local libraries or online
bookstores. For more
information, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
Superstition Mountain is believed to have great treasure
hidden within. Many people have tried to find it but have never succeeded. It
is difficult to explore because of its dangerous cliffs and plateaus. It’s a treacherous
mountain and many adventurers never come back.
Superstition Mountain, located east of Phoenix, is famous
for the Lost Dutchman’s Mine where millions of dollars worth of gold is hidden.
The history of this mountain would astound you. Those who discovered the mine
were in grave danger, especially if they took any gold from this spot. This is
sacred ground. People disappear and mysterious deaths occur. That’s why it’s
called Superstition Mountain.
Those who have discovered its whereabouts usually met with
an accident. The people, who were able to get away safely, never returned. Just
as the men were about to form a party and return, something always happened to
them. They would get sick and die or get in a fight and get killed, or
something mysterious would happen to them. Now you know how this mountain got
its name.
It all started in 1540 when a conquistador by the name of
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado went to southern Arizona, searching for the Seven
Golden Cities of Cibola. When he asked the Apaches for help, they admitted that
the mountain held an abundance of gold, but they refused to help because they
feared the great Thunder God. This land was sacred ground.
As the Spaniards explored the mountain, looking for the
gold, men began to vanish. No one knew where they had gone, but the Apaches
told them the great Thunder God had destroyed them. At first they didn’t
believe it until they found the bodies of a few men. They had mysteriously
died. This frightened Coronado’s men and they refused to continue searching.
When Coronado realized his men were right, he finally gave in and named it
Superstition Mountain. It didn’t take long before word was passed from one
generation to the next that it was an evil place. And the name stuck.
In 1845, Don Miguel Peralta went searching for the gold and
discovered a large amount hidden in the mountain. He couldn’t believe his luck
and named it Sombrero Mine. The area looked just like a sombrero. It had a
point like a hat with a wide brim. But others thought the peak of the mountain
looked more like an index finger pointing toward the sky, so they named it the
Finger of God. But that’s not the name it goes by today. When an explorer named
Paul Weaver scratched his name in the rock below the tall spire, its new name
became Weaver’s Needle.
Don Miguel Peralta had discovered the richest gold mine in
all Western history and began shipping it back home to Mexico. When the Apache
noticed what was happening, they became angry because they had trespassed onto
sacred ground and were stealing what was theirs. In 1848, they decided to drive
the foreigners off their land. When Don Miguel found out they were preparing
for a battle, he quickly concealed the mine and headed home with his mules and
wagons packed to the brim with gold. But it was too late. The Apache warriors
were ready for them. They massacred all the Spaniards.
What happened to the gold they were carrying in the wagons?
It spilled all over the mountain. As time passed, different prospectors have
found the remains of broken wheels and the bones of burros. In fact, in 1914 a
man named Silverlocke discovered $18,000 worth of gold that was found in a
rotted leather pack that had been on one of the burros.
Why is it called the Lost Dutchman Mine today? Jacob Waltz
was born in Germany. In 1845 he came to America, searching for his fortune. Why
did they call him the Dutchman if he wasn’t Dutch? His nickname was probably
taken from the German word: Deutsch. Germany is called Deutschland. So people
could have gotten confused and thought he was Dutch.
Many years passed when he finally settled in Arizona and
worked for some miners. The Indians labeled him Snow Beard, because he grew a
long white scraggly beard. Soon he began hearing stories about Superstition
Mountain from the Indians. They told him about the great Thunder God who was
protecting all the gold inside the mountain. This made him quite curious. When
he asked about it, he found out that Don Miguel Peralta had discovered this
gold mine years ago but covered it up so no one could find it. This intrigued
him greatly.
In 1870 he became good friends with a real Dutchman named
Jacob Weiser and they went in search of this lost gold mine together. One day
they showed up in Phoenix, buying whiskey for everyone, celebrating their great
fortune with golden nuggets. These men had struck it rich. No one knew where
they’d gotten it. They wouldn’t reveal its whereabouts but many suspected they
had found the Sombrero Mine. Some say that they stumbled upon it and others say
a descendent of Don Miguel Peralta had a map and sold it to them. No one knows
for sure. For the next ten years, they continued bringing in gold nuggets. When
Jacob Weiser disappeared, Waltz became paranoid and took extra care to not
allow anyone to follow him to the mine.
What happened to Jacob Weiser? No one knows for sure. It was
either Apaches or gold seekers trying to get information out of him. In 1891,
Waltz was finally going to show his girlfriend where the mine was but never had
a chance. He died during the night and took the secret with him. That’s why
it’s called the Lost Dutchman Mine.
The Apache Indians say a Thunder God protects the mountain.
Each summer the great Thunder God roars his loudest, creating thunderstorms
like no other, announcing his control over the mountain.
The mystery behind Superstition Mountain was the inspiration
for a mystery novel: Desert Intrigue.
This novel is the fourth book in a series of mysteries. The John and Julia Evans mystery series includes Anasazi Intrigue, Mayan Intrigue, Montezuma
Intrigue, and Desert Intrigue.
In Montezuma Intrigue, there is the search for Montezuma’s
treasure, a good-looking rogue, and family secrets!
When a leather parchment of Montezuma’s map is found in
great-grandfather Evans’ old chest, April and the twins know this summer is
going to be a memorable one. The girls
want to search for it but their father is against it for some mysterious
reason. With Julia’s help, she and the girls convince John to go on a
treasure hunt. Is Montezuma’s treasure a legend or reality? Whatever the case,
John insists on keeping their little treasure hunt a secret. If certain people
find out about it, the family could be in danger.
“I am charmed by
her new book, Montezuma Intrigue. The mysteries continue as this author
entrances us with life-like characters and electrifying adventures. The search
for Montezuma's treasure is both exciting and memorable. There are also a few
romances, and some surprises as well, which kept my reading pleasurable and lively.
I enjoyed the adventure and suspense in her latest novel, which kept me reading
well into the night.” --Susan Ortlieb,
Suko’s Notebook
While searching for
Montezuma’s treasure, Matthew is trying to get the courage to tell April how he
feels about her. How does he tell his kindred friend that she means more to him
than just a friend? Oblivious of Matthew’s feelings for her, April is gradually
learning the importance of her heritage. Who were her ancestors and why has the
family kept a certain “secret” all these years? Will learning about her
parentage change her perspective about life?
“The whole Evans family is back for another wild and
dangerous adventure,” wrote Socrates
Book Review. “This time they have Grandpa along for the ride. As the search
begins, Julia’s father tells the family of how he met their grandmother. A story
he never told anyone before… not even Julia. The family is enraptured by his
tale and eager to learn more about their family’s history, but the story comes
to a crashing halt when their lives are threatened by treasure seekers. This
story mixes adventure, suspense and romance into one captivating story.”
“Montezuma
Intrigue” (ISBN: 978-1481266925, 2nd edition, Red Mountain Shadows Publishing). For more
information, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
Montezuma’s
treasure has been on people’s minds for ages. The question is, does it really
exist? When Cortez arrived in Mesoamerica in the early 1500s, Montezuma thought
he was the Great White God Quetzalcoatl, who had promised to return one day. It
didn’t take long for Montezuma to realize that he had made a mistake. Cortez
was a cruel man and began treating the Aztecs abominably. The king, for his own
reasons, refused to fight Cortez, but the people had had enough and decided to
rebel.
After
a great and terrible battle, the Spanish conquistadors were driven back, away
from Tenochtitlan, Mexico. During this rebellion, Montezuma was killed, either
by the Spaniards or his own people. No one knows for sure. While the Spaniards
were taking care of their wounded, the Aztecs quickly bundled up their treasure
and took off with it. They had to protect it with their lives because it was
sacred. For years, they kept the treasure in honor of their god when he
returned. It was a gift to Quetzalcoatl and was estimated at around $10,000,000
worth of gold and jewels.
Is this
just a myth? A legend? Cortez actually left a record telling about the Aztec
gold. In 1519, his chronicler, Bernal Diaz, recorded what he saw in the
village: “All the riches of the world were in that room.” Diaz said that he saw
a golden wheel in the form of a sun that was as big as a cartwheel with
pictures engraved upon it. There was a silver one, which was an imitation of
the moon, and golden statuettes in the shape of jaguars. When Cortez finally won
the battle and entered the room where the treasure was kept, he found nothing.
After searching the whole village, he found a few statues, which had been
thrown in the lake. The Aztecs tried to hide what they didn’t take with them.
They didn’t think he would look in a lake. The archeologists figured the rest had been transported to a faraway
land where Cortez would never find the treasure.
The
search for Montezuma’s treasure has intrigued many people. In 1914, an old
prospector by the name of Freddy Crystal had a newspaper clipping of Anasazi
art. It was a photograph of a petroglyph engraved on the side of a cliff
located in Johnson Canyon, not far from Kanab, Utah. The petroglyph was similar
to the etchings on a treasure map he had found years earlier. After searching
the canyon for two long years, he left and returned in 1920 with another map he
had obtained in Mexico. It was a copy of a four hundred-year-old maguey map
that he found in a depository of a Mexican monastery.
Maguey
is a fibrous plant that is cultivated in Mexico. Years ago they used it like
paper and it lasted for centuries. Freddy said that he met a descendant of
Montezuma who gave his interpretation of the second map. It showed a canyon
with seven mountains: four mountains to the north, one on the east side, one on
the west, and another on the south. That described the topography of Kanab to a
tee. The petroglyphs matched his first map, but the topography matched his
second map. The second one had more details. It showed steps on the side of a
mountain and marshland below. White Mountain just happened to have steps carved
into the sandstone that ascended more than one hundred feet. The only exception
was the marshland, which didn’t exist. According to Freddy, marshlands dry up
so he didn’t worry about it.
Freddy
Crystal promised to share the treasure with all the townsfolk in Kanab if they
helped him dig and search for it. For the next two years, at the bottom of
White Mountain, a large tent city was erected and townsfolk went everyday to help
Freddy search for the gold. All the stores and businesses shut down every day
so they could dig. It was an exciting time for everyone.
The
town of Kanab was unlike any other town in the United States. They had elected
a mayor and a city council of all women, something unheard of in 1920. Women’s
rights were not yet recognized in the East. It was the first petticoat
government in all history. In fact, these good women made sure the county court
opened and closed with prayer every time they met. Wow! A petticoat government!
How awesome is that!
When the
townsfolk agreed to help Freddy, Kanab’s city council voted to not have any
publicity about the treasure because they didn’t want the word to get out. If
that happened, people from all over the country would invade their little town
and no one wanted that. They remembered what happened to California and the
gold rush. So, if anyone uttered the word “treasure,” they were fined.
They dug and blasted
until they found a cave with a series of rooms. They actually found tunnels
with booby-traps, but no gold. Three boulders almost killed Freddy as they fell
to the ground. He claimed they had been set on purpose by the Aztecs. When no
gold was found, they figured the Aztecs had moved the treasure to another spot.
After everyone gave up, Freddy left…disappeared…never to be seen again.
Every now and then,
someone will find the “Aztec Treasure Sign” but no treasure. Many tribes
believe that the treasure is protected. But protected by whom? Legend says that
after hiding everything from Cortez, the tribe designated certain guardians to
protect the treasure. If someone gets too close, they will do everything in
their power to protect it and quickly move it to another spot. Some people
believe their spirits still guard it today.
So where is
Montezuma’s treasure? Does it still exist? Is it hidden among the Utah
Mountains? It’s still a mystery to this day. The subject was so
intriguing to me that I sat down and began writing my new mystery/adventure
novel: Montezuma Intrigue. This book
is about mysterious events, the search for Montezuma’s treasure, a good-looking
rogue, and family secrets. How important is it to learn about the past? When a
leather parchment of Montezuma’s map is found in great-grandfather Evans’ old
chest, April and the twins know this summer is going to be a memorable one.
The John and
Julia Evans mystery series includes Anasazi
Intrigue, Mayan Intrigue, Montezuma Intrigue, and Desert Intrigue.
In
Mayan Intrigue, there are the
jungles of the Yucatan, Mayan ruins, and a mysterious artifact.
The discovery of a priceless
artifact puts Julia's life in great danger! While on assignment for the newspaper,
John and Julia Evans try to enjoy a romantic vacation among the Mayan ruins.
When Julia sees a couple of suspicious men exchanging an item, she quickly
turns and leaves but it is too late. The men have seen her. Before John and
Julia realize what is going on, they find themselves both in danger and running
for their lives through the jungles of the Yucatan.
“What starts out as a romantic trip quickly turns into a
dangerous adventure among the Mayan ruins and jungles, and the vacationers are
on the run from thieves--and wild animals! Excitement prevails! This book is
full of mystery and suspense. Linda’s writing is lively and down-to-earth; she
has the ability to make you feel as if you're in these stories, along with John
and Julia, trying to decipher the truth and escape from harm.” --Susan Ortlieb, Suko’s Notebook
Mayan Intrigue has humor,
a touch of romance, suspense, and danger lurking in shadowy corners. This story is based upon the adventures
of a married couple and their three daughters. While John and Julia are following some leads in Mexico,
their daughters decide it’s time to retaliate when some fraternity boys take
advantage of a few coeds. The girls are infuriated at the way the boys treat
their friends. It’s Payback Time.
“This is an exciting follow-up to Linda Weaver Clarke’s
Anasazi Intrigue,” wrote Socrates Book
Review. “She takes us through Cancun and we get to visit the Mayan ruins.
Ms. Weaver Clarke’s descriptions easily transports the reader to Mexico. You
really feel as if you are part of the story. Her words flow beautifully through
each page of the book. Readers learn more and more about the beautiful
relationship shared by John and Julia. Their commitment to each other is
stronger than ever. With each book, these two become more like friends of the
readers instead of book characters. I enjoyed this very much and am looking
forward to the third book in this thrilling series.”
“Mayan
Intrigue” (ISBN: 978-1481266888, 2nd edition, Red Mountain Shadows Publishing). For more
information, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
