A circuitous path

By Rain Trueax

When I came to the background for the hero in Vislogus, the fourth Mystic Shadows book, I found the research particularly interesting as I always do when someone has been taught by Native American cultures. Mitch led quite a life, and mysticism was always part of it. By the time he comes into the book, he's become reclusive. He's a wolf shapeshifter, whose best friend is a wolf who can talk. Well, it's claimed Adolph is hybrid to make him legal to own. Mitch finds peace in shifting into an animal; danger is never far away whatever form he takes. Mitch's bio is below-- much of the sort that a writer must know but does not make it into a book.



Mitchell (Mitch) Ford, born in 1978 in Cibecue, Arizona, was raised by his grandfather on the Apache reservation. Because Mitch's mother had died and he had no father, he was not regarded highly by the Apaches. He was what was cruelly called a half-breed and hence accepted by no group. He turned to nature and the teachings of his grandfather to find power. A reservation trader, Josiah Taggert, took an interest in the boy and taught him what he would need to know to get along well in the outside world.

When his grandfather realized he was dying, he told 18-year old Mitch the secret that he'd held from him. His father was the famous actor, Robert Flynn. Mitch was told how to find him. When his grandfather died, Mitch took the little money he had and bought a bus ticket to LA. He had no idea how his father would receive him since he had never been told he had a son. 

Once the two met, his father had no doubts due to Mitch's physical stature, his tawny hair and strong jaw. He was his father's doppelganger. Flynn eagerly took to the responsibility for his offsring. He recognized Mitch's spiritual strength and introduced him to his business associate, the gifted wizard, Marcus Hemstreet, who then mentored him in sorcery, sword work and martial arts. Flynn also pulled strings and donated money for Mitch to attend Stanford University, at which, Mitch did surprisingly well thanks to what had basically been home schooling by Josiah Taggert.

When Robert died, he left Mitch his fortune, which included a ranch in the Verde Valley and a luxurious home in Tucson. Mitch also inherited the hatred of his father's divorced wife and her son.  

Essentially the son of two cultures, Mitch's power has come from wizardry, but also from the Apache, who see the world as permeated by supernatural power which has no intrinsic attribute of good or evil; its virtue resides in its potency. Power arrives via a plant, animal, or natural phenomenon. It can come through a dream or other hallucinatory experience (not with use of drugs). Its arrival is usually through an ordeal, which might be a vision quest or some difficult pursuit. 

Any person is a possible power recipient and might have any number of powers. If he is thought to use power for purposes which are not oriented toward the common good, he is accorded the status of witch-- not a good thing. Each shaman has private instructions concerning the use of power, and his rites are individually owned--hence Mitch received the best of both worlds in terms of using what he has naturally been gifted as well as what he's been taught from two cultures

To help a friend, Mitch went to the Yucatan and had an ordeal where he used his power but

his friend was killed. His battle with the supernatural world of demons and monsters led to his decision to write the book that made him famous for its adventures but also made him a target from humans and the other ones out there.

At this point in his life, Mitch avoids all supernatural work. His grandfather came to him in the spirit to tell him the great mistake he has made and now refuses to see him. Mitch regrets writing Vislogus, which roughly means energy from the word. Although he does no interviews, Vislogus, has made him even wealthier. Money isn't everything. He wants no responsibility for anybody else’s life. He named his winery in the Verde Valley-- Vislogus using a wolf on its label. There he grows Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Cabernet Pfeffer grapes and has his winery. 

Mitch does not want a woman but one is coming anyway. Again, what you read here won't necessarily appear at all in the book but his philosophy is beneath all he does. Book trailers, like this one, are made after a book is written and try to hit on key points while staying below one minute.

Vislogus is available from Amazon to purchase the eBook or paperback. Also in KU readers to borrow.  The image below is something new Amazon offers. It lets a reader explore through Preview without having to go to Amazon; and of course, purchase if that's what the reader wants. Technology spoils us lol   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KDCI9VG