I truly enjoy hearing from visitors and readers.

28. (Oct 13, 2008) "Native American Day." I started reading Hawk Dancer at an uncle's house a couple years ago. Then, I saw a video synopsis on both novels today and have since placed my order for both your novels. -- J, WA
**Thank you. I just uploaded a link to that video you mention. Birch Clump Novels a video synopsis. This link takes you to St. Pauls Tube.

27. (Sep 22, 2008) -- I found a link from your web site to a web site that I think is very contradictory to your mission and message. Otherwise I like your web site and enjoy you're Ministry Link Page. I recently received a copy of Cloud Burst from my nephew. I already read Hawk Dancer and was invited to write a review. (AS - MT)
**Thanks for the tip. Most web master will appreciate being tipped off if a link is broken, or if a domain has changed ownership and is the new material is thought to be incompatible. We web masters are not aware of every change a linking partner has made.
     Thanks for the feed back on the novels also.

26. (Sep 19, 2008) -- About Publish America: I Googled several sites and most speak poorly of Publish America. Why did you use them a second time? Why didn't you go with your own publishing company? (LM - MO)
**Those are very insightful inquiries. You also mentioned that you want to have a book of your own work published. I hope this reply will be useful for you and for any aspiring authors out there:
     I have had excellent service with Publish America. I have seen a number of web sites that put P.A. down, say they are rippping off authors, and don't live up to their claims.
     I beg to differ; Publish America has done everything for me they promised, and I was not charged any money to have my novels printed by them. Their royalty payment is a tad bit below the average of a traditional publisher, but they posted the rate (8%) and I agreed to this offer. I am not obligated to buy any books. Their standard offer is 30% off for authors (a bit pricey, but that's legitament business). They make frequent offers of 40 to 55% for authors (sometimes royaty is included, sometimes not).
     I have an advantage in that I am also a bookstore, so I can always recived a 40% and up discount on books I buy and I still recieve royalties. Retailers typically recieve 20 to 45% discounts from publishers and distributors, so the deal I get is on the generous side of average. I think P.A. is a good deal and a good company for little known or virtually unknown authors to break into the market. They take all risks, not the author; and it costs the author nothing. My books can be ordered via all major walk in and on line book stores. They are not on the shelves, but then MOST books produced by any big name publisher are not on book selves everywhere either.
     I know, I am also a publisher and a distributor. I know the business inside and out. St. Pauls Publishing (I am a member of the Society of St. Paul) is a great publisher of Theological, Catechetical and other Pasotral Ministry related books, audio and video. We don't do fiction, so neither St. Pauls Publishing or I the author wanted to partner up in publishing my books. Many authors working for one publisher will select another publisher for their books. Its amiable - nothing wrong; all authors should search around matching up thier works and markets with the various publishers before submitting a contract.

25. (June 22, 2008) -- I recently learned about RSS Feeds. I hope you post my comments on your "Quips From Readers" page. I linked the RSS feed on you Bro. Joshua Spaces Live.com page. I want your other visitors to know about recieving updates from you. (JC - OR)
**Thank you. I just learned about RSS feeds also. I'm honored you would consider receiving my updates. You inspired me to check into this some more. Now anyone can visit Bro. Joshua’s spaces live blog and sign up for an RSS FEED of his updates. You will find a wheel icon in the upper right section of his “My Space.Live” page. Its located just uner the search bar of the heading. It looks a bit like a mechanical gear and the word “TOOLS” next to it. Click “tools” and you will see RSS FEED; click and follow simple instructions. Presto! You will automatically receive updated information on Bro. Joshua, his novels and articles of Native concerns in your email box.

24. (March 27, 2008) -- Have you heard of Google Book Partner programe? I think your visitors to the web site will enjoy a peek into the actual book. (CCJ - CA)
**Thank you. As a matter of fact, I did send in a copy of my book to be scanned. Google book search has uploaded about 20% of the pages so ya'll can see and read a bit of it.

For Hawk Dancer
For Cloudburst

23. (March 20, 2008) -- I wonder how you were able to come up with so much information. How much is research, how much experience? (Mat - AZ)
**I have lots of people to thank. Your question has been proposed in a number of way by others. I can honestly say that I have been fortunate to have met up with quite a number of folks that in some manner or other lived through the events or related situations as found in the novel. They are the ones that contributed the most. Uncle and I, along with other folks who encouraged the writing of Hawk Dancer, and the upcomming novel, Cloud Dancer, researched the recorded historical backdrop to this story. There were laws of recent vintage called "The American Indian Termination and Relocation," acts, [1948-1971]. The effects of those immoral laws and of the American Indian Boarding Schools are very sad chapters in our history. Research material was not hard to come by.

22. (March 7, 2008) -- What town in the Upper Peninsula are you from? (ST - UP,MI)
**I'm from the Lower Peninsula. My parents and older brother were born in the U.P. Our family made frequent vacation trips up there, and I spent many camping trips up there for a number of years. We ussualy stayed in the Menominee, Michigan region. I still go up just about each summer, but lately I stay with an Uncle in Wisconsin near the Lk. Superior shore.

21. (March 7, 2008) -- Do you provide free books?(Librarian, IL)
** Sometimes. I can't afford to do that too often.

20. (Jan. 17, 2008)-- Why did you write Hawk Dancer? Was it to protest, make money,... etc.
**The question has been asked in a number of respectful ways. So, I decided to provide a link to a page on this site with some of my reasons.
Why I Wrote Hawk Dancer

_________2007 and earlier inquiries___________

19. (Nov. 26, 2007) -- I bought a signed copy for a niece. After skimming through it I decided to get a copy for me. I am also a Baby Boomer. I picked up on some of the passages you have about the kids in the 1950's and 60's. I hear you might have a booksigning in Bayonne in January. When? (BB - NJ)
** -- That deal is not finalized. I suspect I will be in Bayonne, NJ mid-January 2008 for a book store signing. Details will be given on my schedule of events page -- maybe on this page also, so visit again and get the dates, time and location. -- Bro. Joshua.

18. (July 18, 2007) – Bro. Joshua Located the following quote:
From the minuets of Our Lady of the Angles Regional council Meeting, November 28, 2008: Bishop Clark also recommended that the Regional Council members read “Hawk Dancer”, a novel by Joshua Seidl which gives an experience on the Native American culture in the Catholic community in this country.
**Thank you Bishop Edward Wm. Clark. You have given a lot of support and encouragement to Native Concerns ministry in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

17. (May 2007) Taino'ti, as I re-read my review of Hawk Dancer, the emotions I experienced the several times I read the book, came back to me. Those enculturation issues remain in the American Christian Church. And the struggle that Native people and other Christian Americans have when it comes to acknowledging that it's okay to express one's belief in the Creator Spirit and Grandmother Earth, as to say, Holy Spirit, Jesus and Mother Mary.
--Thank you for the opportunity. Dr. Rose Quinones, (Nahua/Taino of Boriken). OH liason to the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP.org)
**As always, good to hear from you Dr. Rose. I appreciate all the many efforts you have put forth for inculturation, education and other services.

Special note from the author: Dr. Rose is an official of the Confederation of Taino People. Click this line to visit “The United Confederation of Taino People.”

16. (May 2007) Are you Jacob or Job?
--(based on severl inquiries)
**Neither one. Yes, some of my personality or experiences influence how my fictional characters are formed. Perhaps a bit of me is in most of the characters of this novel -- yet none of them as a single character is me. Thanks for the inquiry, I rather like Jacob and Job. Not bad fellows to be confused with.

15. (April 2007) I recommended your book over at the university. I think it is useful in cultural diversity and related studies.
--NN, TX
**Much obliged

14. (April 2007) I have a crush on Randy. Too bad he's not real.
--Js, SD
** Who? This guy? (picture far right >>>)
Authors rendition of Randy, age 14

13. (March 2007) I read your book twice last year. I started it again. It seems rather subtle, but I think you've mixed and matched dozens of Biblical stories or passages in with about as many Native stories or teachings. It strikes me that Randy's mugging and being left for dead is a lot like the Gospel story of the Good Samaritan. How many times does that theme play out in any of our lives?
--ZZ, ND
** Your Right.
See an enlargemant of this picture - click this line And read a brief segment related to the picture.

12. (March 2007) How old are you?
--N, OK
**I was born in 1951.

11. (March 2007) Are you one of the tall characters or one of the short characters?
--(Three sources asked)
**Yes to both, no to both. I probably would not have responded or posted that question, except three folks asked over the course of a couple years. I am average tall, (6', 1"), but I doubt that has anything to do with developing the charcters in the book. On my own review of the story, I did note that the majority of my characters are rather short or rather tall -- not too many described as medium height, what ever that would be.

For the curious:
Explore the hidden pages
Of this site.

Click picture
________________________Older quips from 2005/2006________________________________________________

1. You have some very amusing little stories within the big story, such as Uncle John's attempt to plant a field of chickens. … Perhaps the attempt to plant chickens in neatly plowed rows has something to do with Church and Government attempts to "civilize" First Nations through Euro-American farming techniques?
--Amik, U.P., Mich.

2. •  • Your detail to fashion and popular movements of the era, news events and the various political philosophies in each decade made it difficult for me to believe this is a work of fiction. … your descriptions are on target.
--Biboon (Winter), Ill.

3. •  • I laughed and cried the first time reading Hawk Dancer. I set it down for a couple weeks and then read it again. The emotions are just as fresh in the second reading as in the first. Migwetch. [Thanks]
--Nora, Cal.

4. •  •  I bought your book solely on the basis of your disclaimer. After the first chapter, I put on boots. ... Your topic is sobering; your delivery is compassionate. Migwetch.
--R. J., U.P. Mich.

5. I read your anology on the tree with the broken tip on my way home from work. ... My husband met me at the door with the news of the school shooting on the Ojibwe reservation in Minn. ... Your book just arrived in the mail that day. Your words seemed so prophetic.
--Suanne, DC [March 2005]

6. I read about the author, the editor and the illustrator. It says the author has dyslexia. It shows shows up in a couple words or so, spelling. My brother and I have dyslexia. Seeing your book in print gives us a lot of hope that we can become published some day. It was bold of you to include that information.
--J.N. Ontario
** Many thanks to you, J.N. and your brother, for your support. God bless you in your journey.

7. I am reading your book a second time. The first time I read it fast to learn what happens. I am suprised to learn the Syriac Church has a Native American mission in the Upper Peninsula.
--Rev. BW, Wisconsin
**Thank you for the compliment. The mission, as with the entire book, is fictional.

8. Do you frequent to North Country? If so, I'd like to arrainge a book signing with you at my bookstore.
--JJ, U.P. MI
** I'd be delighted, thank you. I'm headed for Rome from Aug 2005 until around June 2006. Email me and lets see what we can set up after I get back.

9. Do you have other books on the great north country coming out? I like your stories.
--K, Ishpmening
** I hope so; two are in the works.

10. We need an order of Priests, Sisters, Brothers and Deacons just like in your book. I left seminary because of cultural dificulties...Native in a Non-Native house. --JKL, NJ
**The Pope addressed the importance of not uprooting Indigneous candidates to priesthood (and religious life) from their culture. So I wrote a complete Rule and Constitution for the Order of St. James. **UPDATED REPLY: Link to the web site for The Order of St. James





Hawk Dancer © 2004 Bro. Joshua Seidl,SSP
Hawk Dancer llustrations © 2004 by Kathy Johnson