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Thursday, October 22, 2015

#NewRelease ~ The Crow and the Bear ~ Kristy McCaffrey #Giveaway

By Kristy McCaffrey

I'm so excited to share a BRAND NEW, never-before-published short novella ~ The Crow and the Bear. If you read The Crow and the Coyote, a spooky Old West romance that was released last Halloween (in the Cowboys, Creatures and Calico Vol. 2 anthology and more recently as a single sell), then you might remember that hero Jack Boggs had two brothers, Callum and Kit. This tale features Cal. I'm still brewing a story for Kit.


Leave a comment (and your email addy) for a chance to win an ecopy!!

The idea for The Crow and the Bear came to me during the summer when my family and I visited Silverton, Colorado, an old mining town situated in an imposing valley of the Rocky Mountains. While touring the local museum I became fascinated by the Tommyknockers.

A Tommyknocker is a type of troll spirit who lives underground and was therefore of great concern to miners. The term originated in the British Isles, but superstitions surrounding the beings filtered into other places. Miners in Colorado took great care to appease the Knockers by leaving a bit of their lunch out for the sprites.



Standing about two feet tall with a grizzled appearance, many believe that Snow White’s dwarves were Tommyknockers. They usually wear standard miner’s garb and are responsible for any mischief that might befall a miner, such as losing tools and food.

The name derives from the knocking on mine walls that precedes a cave-in, which is usually just the creaking of earth and timbers before failing. Some miners believed the Knockers were malevolent beings, but others took them to be practical jokers.



In Cornish folklore, the Knockers were spirits of those who had died in previous mine accidents and were now trying to help the living, by warning of impending dangers. As an offering of thanks, miners usually cast the last bite of their lunch pastie (a type of meat pie) into the mines for the Knockers.



In the 1820’s, Welsh immigrants to Pennsylvania brought tales of the Knockers with them and their presence soon spread all the way to California. Belief in the Knockers remained well into the 20th century. During the closing of a mine in 1956, a petition was circulated by the miners to set the Knockers free (so they could move to another mine) before sealing the entrances, and the owners complied.


Bounty hunter Callum Boggs—sometimes called Crow—arrives in the mining town of Silverton on a cold October day in search of a man who has committed unspeakable crimes. Skilled in the technique of dream scouting, Crow has narrowed the location of the criminal to Silas Ravine. No normal man would dare to venture into this region, where so many gruesome and unexplained murders have taken place—a piece of land forever haunted where Death still walks. But Crow is no normal man… 

Jennie Livingstone knows her papa is in trouble. When none of the local men will come to her aid, she must accept a newly-arrived stranger—a half-Comanche bounty hunter—as her only ally. As they head into the mountains to track Jennie’s father, she can hear more than the whispers of man. The mines carry spirits, and her only hope in navigating the living and the dead lies with the Crow. 

But is Jennie prepared for the consequences of where her fate with Callum Boggs may lead? And is she the woman who can hold fast to the Crow’s heart after all his years alone? Bewitched by the beautiful young woman, Callum must do everything he can to stay one step ahead of the spirits that can’t rest—just to keep Jennie and himself alive.


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15 comments:

  1. I read about tommyknockers before. It is fascinating. Thanks for sharing and great for a book.
    debby236 at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi Debby--I'd heard the term but never really understood the reference until visiting Silverton. What a strange word for a mischievous spirit. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. WooHoo, another good one. Loved the others, so I know this one will be a winner. Of course that fact that it takes place in Colorado...well you know how I feel about that place. Doris

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    1. Thanks Doris! I really loved Silverton when we visited. So pretty.

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  3. Kristy, you had me riveted with this story. I couldn't figure out what would happen next--the mark of a great storyteller! Loved it, and can't wait for the next one!
    Cheryl

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    1. Thanks so much Cheryl. I know I submitted this one under the wire LOL. You're a champ for turning it around so quickly.

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  4. Congratulations Kristy! I pulled out The Crow and the Coyote and read it this morning... just to get in the mood for this one! Great mysticism, and you know I love a good ghost story.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the first story, Connie. Warms my heart. I love a good ghost story as well. Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Congrats Kristy! Looking forward to reading it.

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  6. Kristy,

    Tommyknockers and poltergeists make for great spooky mischief: usually not too mean, not too scary, and sometimes even helpful. I so enjoy reading your stories with the paranormal twists. *grin*

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    1. Kaye--your kind words mean a lot. Thanks so much! My tommy knockers are pretty benign. :-)

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  7. Kristy, this story sounds bewitching! Thanks for telling us what Tommy Knockers are. Mines are scary places with, or without, little spirits or trolls hanging out there. I love the eerie intrigue you put into THE CROW AND THE BEAR. It's going to be a super seller for certain.

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    1. Sarah--I agree, mines can be spooky all on their own. I always appreciate your support. Thanks so much!

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  8. Somehow I missed seeing who won...

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