In every generation, certain people personify the great trends that move the hearts and minds of the population. In 1803, America was still seeking its identity and its President had a vision for the country. Thomas Jefferson, the third American President, saw this new country, which he had helped to found and whose declaration he had written, as one country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, coast to coast! The first novel of this historical series was named, "GRIT AND GLORY" and told the story of the origins of the expedition that would open the far western lands of the Louisiana Purchase. The men of the expedition, with the help of a Shoshone Indian woman, Sacagawea, would travel thousands of miles to claim the west for the American people. The second volume, "RAGE OF THE GRIZZLY," recounts the first 1600 miles of their journey up the Missouri River into Mandan Indian Territory. This third novel, "THE BURNING WOLF," tells the story of Caleb Stuart's important role in procuring meat for the men of the Expedition, the Corps of Discovery. The winter of 1805 brought new and dangerous challenges to the young Virginian. His teacher, George Drouillard, a man born of French and Shawnee parentage, was born to this frontier of the West. Soon, he and young Caleb became a hunting team, given the task of providing hundreds of pounds of meat to the hard working men of the Expedition. "THE BURNING WOLF," follows their encounters with predators and prey in the wild unchartered territory of the northern plains. It was a time when herds of bison and elk numbered in the hundreds of thousands, feeding on the rich prairie grass. But, these same grass-eaters were preyed upon by large numbers of meat-eaters: Grizzly Bears, Wolves, Mountain Lions and Coyotes. The human hunters had to fit into this natural dance of death if they wanted to feed their fellow explorers. The stage was set for fierce conflict, daily.
About the Author: Frequent visits to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, have inspired the author of this present novel with profound insights into the man who was the visionary of Western expansion. As President, Jefferson used his powers of persuasion and authority to set in motion what has become known as the Louisiana Purchase. He shared this inspiration and vision with the young man who would become his secretary and his emissary to the western lands beyond the Mississippi, Meriwether Lewis. The men of the expedition, there were forty-three in all, were encouraged to write down their experiences as the journey unfolded. Eight of them took up this challenge, including Lewis and William Clark his co-leader of the expedition. The first of these journals to be published was that of Patrick Gass who was the Carpenter of the expedition and later was named Sergeant to replace Sergeant Floyd who had passed away during the first summer on the Missouri. The journals provide a rich and detailed account of what happened day by day over the thousands of miles they traveled. The fictional character of Caleb Stuart, another Virginian, tells a story of the recruitment and the preparations that went into making this one of the most celebrated explorations in history. The first volume of this series, "GRIT AND GLORY" told the story of the origins of the grand voyage up the Missouri River. With the second volume, "RAGE OF THE GRIZZLY," young Caleb has teamed up with George Drouillard, the hunter of the expedition to provide meat for the men laboring against the fierce current of the Missouri River. This third volume of the Lewis and Clark Series takes place during the winter of 1804-05, while the expedition is wintering near the Mandan Village, called the Slanting Village. Feeding a large community of men during the harsh prairie winter is a daunting task. Other predators are out there, fighting for food and survival. This story is called, "THE BURNING WOLF."