Book Sunday

Legends of the mountains 

During my many hikes into the Superstition Mountains, I’ve always felt there was some otherworldly presence there as well as my husband had.

It wasn’t until I worked on the Sacaton Reservation for a year that I was fortunate to hear many of the legends that came out of the area from a few of the parents.

There is a reason they are called the Superstition Mountains, with all of the stories that have emerged from this mystical mountain range in Apache Junction, Arizona. Tales include a secret underground government lab, shapeshifters, alien crafts that come out of the ridge, Geronimo appearing and then disappearing into the mountain, and, of course, the famous Jacob Waltz Gold Mine.

Many explorers were said to have mysteriously vanished when they had intentions of finding the gold. 

I bring many of these legends to life in the novel.

Mysteries of the Red Coyote Inn

This award-winning Young Adult Supernatural Tale can be enjoyed by all ages!

ON AMAZON

The Red Coyote Inn may look like a charming desert getaway, but its history tells a different story: ghostly encounters, strange accidents, and whispers of supernatural creatures. Nestled along Arizona’s Apache Trail near the mysterious Superstition Mountains—home to the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine—the inn sits atop an energy vortex said to fuel its eerie activity. The guests are almost as unusual as the inn itself, but none are prepared for what lies beneath its enigmatic facade.

For 15-year-old Dean Banks, inheriting the Red Coyote Inn with his family isn’t just strange—it’s life-changing. Dean discovers he’s the heir to an ancient Apache gift of supernatural power, chosen to guard the mine’s secrets from those who seek its riches. But this gift feels more like a curse as Dean wrestles with newfound abilities, from superhuman strength to mystical defenses, all while grappling with the fear of hurting someone he loves.

Dean talks with Robert, the old miner~ (an excerpt)

As Dean rode into the desert, he noticed his senses were in high gear. He could see, hear, and feel everything with extreme acuteness. He could smell the dirt and feel the air around him. He was able to pick up the energies of the desert creatures and communicate with them. He felt as though he was one with the land. As he pulled up to the entrance to the cave, he could see Robert’s old dirt bike parked outside. Robert was sitting on a large rock with his old miner’s cap on.

“Sorry I’m so late,” Dean said. “We had some trouble at the inn again.”
“It is what it is,” Robert said. “Your grandpa and I had many talks like this.”
Dean sat speechless for a moment, then stood up and faced Robert with amazement.

“You knew Grandpa!” he wailed. “I just had the feeling there was something there.”

“Yes, Dean, we were good friends for many years.”


“Then you must know about all the trouble he had at the Red Coyote,” Dean said.

“I know more about you and your grandpa than probably anyone else.”

Dean was all ears as Robert began to reveal some amazing details.

“See that talisman pendant around your neck? That goes way back to the beginning of one of the local Apache tribes,” he said. “It was given to your grandpa when he was born. It’s a protection amulet said to be infused with great powers, and that thunderbird is a very powerful figure.”

Dean held the pendant in his hand as his mind raced back to the many times it had saved him from danger.

Dean turned to Robert and pleaded for some answers. “Robert, please, I need your help. I think you have some answers for me.”

“Okay, boy, here we go,” Robert said. “Your grandpa was hoping he would make it until your sixteenth birthday, but it was his time to go. He wanted to be the one to tell you the truth.”

Dean’s blood ran cold – quite a change from his usual hot surges. His face went pale, and his stomach churned. “Please, Robert, I can’t take it,” he said, standing and raising his hands in the air. “Let me know what on earth is happening to me!”

“Exactly, my boy,” the old miner said, ‘on earth’ is quite a good choice of words for your current situation. It’s the ancient secrets that lie right below us... they are the cause of everything you’ve been going through. I feel very privileged to give you some of the answers you’ve been waiting for – however, I can’t tell you everything right now. I’ve got some fresh iced tea in these canteens. Let’s have a tea party, so to speak,” he chuckled. “Usually, this occasion would call for some hard liquor, but I swore off the stuff years ago.”

“Tell me, why is everyone waiting for my birthday?” Dean asked.

“That’s the time when the gift is to be acknowledged,” he said. “That will be a ‘rite of passage’ – the Apache blood is on your mom’s side. Your Grandpa Powell’s great-great-grandma was Yolanda Peralta, and you, my boy, were born to be the ‘Chosen One’, or the ‘Gate Keeper’ of the gold here in this mountain.”

“So, my mom does know about all this history?” Dean asked.

“Yes, she does,” said Robert in a solemn voice. “Your sister doesn’t know any of it, though. Your mom thought she was too young to understand.”

“And my father?”.

“Well, that’s another story,” Robert said. “You’ll need to confront your mother on that one.”

“Is that why I had the vision of the ‘red coyote’?”

“Now you know that story, don’t you, Dean? Remember the last time we talked, I told you how Yolanda and Juha would start a bloodline of offspring who would produce a special boy in the future?”

“Juha was a great warrior back in the 1800s,” he said. “He had the powers to shape-shift, heal, and speak with the gods. He and Yolanda belonged to the Chiricahua tribe, which was very powerful at that time.”

Dean sat there, mesmerized by Robert’s words.

“When the Elders spoke to Juha and Yolanda, they were told one of their descendants would be the one many were waiting for, but it might take many moons for this to come to pass. This is no ordinary gold mine, Dean. I told you already that it was discovered in 1140 AD by the Salado Indians and was blessed by a high priest from the tribe.

“The vein is supposed to run from Weaver’s Needle out through the mountains and under the ground for miles,” he continued. “Gold seekers as far back as the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men came through here searching for the Seven Cities of Gold.”

“I remember studying about that in my history class,” Dean added.

“Legend says some of his men were found beheaded,” Robert said. “Only a hundred of his men survived the trip. He then went back to Mexico on what is now known as the Santa Fe Trail.”

“Beheaded!” Dean cried; his eyes as big as saucers.

“So, you can see, there’s something here that is way beyond our control,” Robert confessed. “Do your research on this area, and you’ll find that many have gone in search of the gold, but few have returned to tell their stories.”

“Does it have something to do with that vortex?” Dean asked.


“Well, let’s say that has quite a lot to do with it,” Robert replied.

“So, it’s like the Bermuda Triangle?” Dean asked. He thought this would possibly explain all the electrical trouble at the inn. Now, this is making some sense.


“You’ll learn so much more as you gain more understanding of your powers.”


“Some very weird things have been happening to me already,” Dean said. “It kind of all began when we left Apple Valley, and I thought I saw the face of an Indian warrior in my window.”

“That was probably a vision of Juha, Dean. He has always been with you.”

“I also have dreams about a hawk flying at night, and I wake up feeling as if I were the hawk,” Dean said, with alarm in his voice. “I’ve seen the ‘red coyote’, and I was mysteriously led to the real Lost Dutchman Mine!”

“You’ll see things more clearly in time,” Robert said.


“Why does someone have to be the ‘Guardian’ of the mine?” Dean asked.


“Okay, let me tell you what I know. Many eons ago, when the Salado Tribe was here, they discovered the gold vein and became aware of the spiritual powers it possessed. They knew the mine was the power source of life and, thus -sacred ground. That is why the ‘Great Spirit’ entrusted them to protect that power source from ever being disturbed. That’s why it was blessed by one of their priests,” he explained. “You have many powers, Dean, ones you are just becoming aware of, just as Juha did. Your powers will be revealed to you as time goes on.”

Lorraine Carey

https://authorlorrainecarey.blogspot.com/

Lorraine Carey is not only a paranormal enthusiast but has had many unexplained events in her lifetime and has used these as a focal point in her fiction novels.  As a veteran teacher, Lorraine began to write for Young Adults hoping to inspire young readers. Now residing in Florida, since retirement has given her more time to write when the spirits are willing.