Celebrating National Kayak Day In honor of Native American Heritage Month.
Today we celebrate ‘National Kayak Day’ and the history of the kayak, a narrow watercraft originally created by Arctic tribes 5,000 years ago,and the role it played in their everyday lives.
(Let’s learn morecourtesy of Google Doodle& (Image courtesy of NOAA Fisheries)
These small and narrow watercraft were created thousands of years ago for hunting, fishing, and transportation. Kayaking has since evolved into a widely popular recreational activity and competitive sport.
Native American communities in arctic regions are to thank for these paddle-powered boats. Kayaks were originally invented by Northern tribes including Inuit, Aleut, Inupiat, and Yup’ik, and made with animal skins, bones, and driftwood to help traverse cold waters. These boats offered hunters the stealth and mobility to successfully catch fish, seals, whales, and more in even the most treacherous waters.
Image Below Credit: Smithsonian Institution
The best weapons to use in a kayak were darts and harpoons. Bows were easily damaged when wet and were best left for hunting on land. Many harpoons included a throwing stick that increased the range and force. At the end of the line was often an inflated bladder that kept the line afloat and tired the targeted animal.
It’s only fitting that theword kayak means “hunter’s boat” in Inuit.
Qajaq, the etymological form of the word, stems from one of the 14 dialects of the Inuit-Yupik-Unangan family of languages. Each Qajaqwas customized and hand-built by the hunter to account for their own size and weight and thought of as an extension of the self rather than just a tool.
Kayaking has since evolved into a sport and recreational hobby that welcomes all who enjoy time out on the water. From leisurely rides across still lakes to competitions over treacherous white waters, kayaking is now worldwide. We have the Northern tribes to thank for this sporting advancement.
(Below is an Inuit family in front of a ‘Tupiq; (a tent made of animal skins and used in the warmer months) at Pond Inlet in 1906 before Canada drove them out.)
I hope you have enjoyed reading about artic native history of the kayak and the native people. In my next post soon, I’ll be sharing a new captivating short story.
Welcome, everyone, to my new official author website and writing corner of the world!
I am happy and excited to announce I am back to blogging and eager to delight my readers in new ways. After taking a break from publishing books, I have been writing actively and sharing some of my fascinating and popular shard stories, poems, short stories, and other book titles published and unpublished.
My purpose is to engage with you and all who visit on a personal level while sharing captivating tales filled with mystery, thrilling suspense, and action. I aim to take you on global cultural adventures!
I look forward to sharing these stories and experiences with you and everyone who visits. I am proud of the books I have written and published thus far and have enjoyed hearing readers’ feedback through the years with exceptional book reviews for all my books they graciously took the time to read.
As autumn is in full swing and with Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaching, I wanted to remind you that all of my books would make fantastic gifts for the avid readers on your holiday shopping list! With a wide selection to choose from, you can stack a few together, gift-wrapped, and place them under the Christmas tree.
They are sure to delight anyone who enjoys gripping mystery and global action adventure reads.
Make sure to visit my books page here on my website and learn about all my award-winning books or you may visit my Amazon Author page https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01LWDB4K7/allbooks for purchasing and read the book reviews and the editorial media reviews too!
As I begin this new chapter of writing and sharing my stories, don’t be shy to leave me your thoughts or feedback in the “comment” section of each new post. I thank you for stopping by and visiting my literary corner of the world avid readers! 📚✍🏻🥳
I wish I had more time to blog and do this myself for all my blog friends who come to visit. I don’t know what I would do without my awesome book marketer, Cat Lyon of Lyon Literary Services for being on top of things for me! This is a new post she had done and shared some pieces from an article I wrote for an interview with an expert of extinct animals/beasts/species…or are they really extinct?
Thank you to Cat Lyon’s Reading Den for sharing this and for the exceptional work she does to make Authors and Readers Happy to read my book series!
Multi-Award-Winning Author Diane Olsen and Novel Series ~ Rising Wind ~ Books one through four are now available on Amazon in paperback, e-book, and within Kindle Unlimited.
Here are just some of what readers and book reviewers are raving about after reading this action and suspense-filled novel series. Several of the books in this series are now award-winning books. Here is what Reader’s Favorite shared about books one thru three. Placed on book three but shares the flair for the first three books of this series.
Reviewed byScott Cahanfor Readers’ Favorite
The Weeping God and the Book of Hope is part three in the Rising Wind series by Diane Olsen. This book is actually a prequel to the first two books, so it’s not necessary to have read those first. The two lead characters, Sage Dalton and L.W. are the parents of the main…
I was excited to share all my literary news with Cat, and I sure thank her for featuring me at “Cat Lyon’s Reading Den.” It will be a few fun weeks as I get ready to release the fourth book to my “Rising Wind” book series! ~Diane Olsen.
Welcome Readers and Friends to a Special Guest Spotlight, Cover Reveal, and News for Award-winning author Diane Olsen.
CAT is very excited to announce and share some literary award news for my friend and fellow author Diane Olsen! Diane has just been awarded her second Bronze Medal, given by the Illumination Book Awards by Jenkins Group, Inc.
This is her second win but her first win for her ‘Rising Wind book series‘ with book three titled “The Weeping God and The Book of Hope.” I am just thrilled for Diane. So we are celebrating with a Sneak Peek Cover Reveal for Book Four of the Rising Wind series! But before I do? Here is more about Diane’s award-win in the category of Mystery/Thriller…
Cat can custom build a plan for any DIY Author an amazing well-rounded marketing plan around any marketing budget. She shares everywhere you need to be set on and where and how to promote your books. I have begun working my plan and I wanted to share one the places I got an exceptional 5-star awarded book review and the free press release from Readers Favorite. So without delay, here it is!
I sure all my reader and visitor friends enjoy book two of my RISING WIND Series and Ice and Bone and will leave a review for me on Amazon and Goodreads. It would be much appreciated and will help get this book to readers who will enjoy it. Grab your copy today!
~Diane Olsen, Author
For immediate release:
Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Fiction – Adventure book “Rising Wind: Ice and Bone” by Diane Olsen, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09447YQ7F.
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
“Reviewed By Scott Cahan for Readers’ Favorite
Ice and Bone by Diane Olsen is part two in the Rising Wind series. You could read this book as a stand-alone without reading the first one as the author does a decent job of bringing her readers up to speed, but my recommendation is to read part 1, The Thunder Beings, first if possible. The story is somewhat complex with lots of characters and it could get confusing if your first introduction to the series is Ice and Bone.
The best way I can think of to describe the Rising Wind series is as something akin to the Indiana Jones movies with a stronger emphasis on the science behind the archaeology, a female lead, and a bunch of spirituality thrown into the mix. In Ice and Bone, the discovery of ancient human remains, in a place where science and history say they shouldn’t be, sets off a chain of events that pull our heroes, Secora and Gideon, into all kinds of new dangers. Will they and their budding romance survive? And what will become of Secora’s newly adopted baby, Monta? Secora is forced to bring her child along as she and her friends trek through the jungles of South America, trying to stay one step ahead of those who will stop at nothing to prevent the new archaeological discovery from being made public.
Rising Wind: Ice and Bone is a gripping thrill ride full of action and colorful characters. Author Diane Olsen does a great job of balancing the fast-moving plot with interesting interactions between her characters. The science behind the discoveries in the book is also handled very well and expertly woven into the story to make it all feel very believable. Fans of archaeology fiction based on real science are sure to enjoy Ice and Bone as well as its predecessor, The Thunder Beings. Step aside, Indiana Jones; a new hero, Secora James, has arrived to dig up controversial discoveries and protect them from the evil forces who want to steal them and use them for evil. I highly recommend Rising Wind: Ice and Bone.”
You can learn more about Diane Olsen and “Rising Wind: Ice and Bone” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/rising-wind-ice-and-bone where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.
Readers’ Favorite LLC Media Relations Louisville, KY 40202 800-RF-REVIEW support@readersfavorite.com https://readersfavorite.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-Winning Author Diane Olsen
Diane Olsen is the prolific writer & award-winning author of her debut book titled; “Ancient Ways: The Roots of Religion,” a Bronze Medal Winner awarded by Christian Illumination Book Awards and released in 2016. Diane’s debut release of “Ancient Ways” is a thought-provoking informative look at the development and evolution of religion throughout time and a well-considered concept – the idea of a connective thread of monotheistic faith throughout history from the birth of human creation.
Diane now shares her book series titled; RISING WIND with book one released titled “The Thunder Beings” in 2018. Now she has released book two titled ICE and BONE of the Rising Wind Series. Adapted from an original screenplay Diane wrote several years ago, she has now written it within a three-part book series for her readers and fans to enjoy. It is an excellent multi-cultural light Christian-themed action-adventure mystery thrill ride like no other book series.
Diane was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in Washington. She is an undergrad at Colorado State University Ft. Collins: Pre-vet med, Anthropology, then attended and received her BA and MA at the University of Montana, Missoula: Anthropology, Archaeology, and Paleontology.
She was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for two years. Diane enjoys writing, reading good books, spending time with her family and grandkids, animals, and loves cooking. A few of her favorite books are ‘The Book of Certitude (Kitab-i-Iqan), The Upanishads, and The Great Initiates.’
I worked on my first stories and poems up in South Cheyenne Canyon near Colorado Springs, where I was raised. I learned a lot about spiritual life in the mountains while hiking, or on horseback.
Later, I fell in love with Paleontology, Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Montana, and I wrote articles and columns in my spare time. Now I live in Eastern Washington in Kennewick near one of my two dear sons, Andrew and his four boys. My other son Gavin, and most of my family still live in Western Montana.
The stories that come to mind are important to me, and I enjoy sharing them with others. Would that it could be over a cup of coffee, but maybe you will find hope and joy in…
It has been a very long while since I have posted on blog and I do apologize as I have been feverishly writing after I released RISING WIND: The Thunder Beings. It seems GOD had other plans for me to continue the story of Sercora and Gideon and now it has become a three book series!
Especially after this nasty COVID and pandemic, I decided to go for it and began writing the next books. Well, the writing and work is done for the rest of this series. If you have not had a chance to dive into book one, The Thunder Beings of Rising Wind, below I am sharing some exciting NEWS…
Even though Thunder Beings is already out and released? My publicist and I submitted all three books to the series through a literary influencer, Readers Favorite to get a feel of how good or bad (LOL) the manuscripts were. Below is the answers!
I really do hope you will grab a copy of Book One and begin the exciting journey of this series. It is packed with action and adventure, with a native American feel, and a multicultural mystery and throughout the essence of HOPE like no other book you have read. I am almost ready to release book two titled Ice and Bone, and then book three the finale.
I am today sharing the reviews I have gotten and I am so pleased with the results and reviews! ENJOY!
~Diane Olsen, Author
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Rising Wind: The Thunder Beings
The Thunder Beings (The Rising Wind Series) by Diane Olsen Fiction – Adventure 253 Pages Reviewed on 02/24/2021
Rising Wind: The Thunder Beings (Book One) by Diane Olsen is a story of adventure and spirituality. The story follows a man and a woman who don’t know each other at first but they are drawn together by a mysterious thunderbird that is supposed to be extinct. Secora is a paleontologist who goes to South America to track another animal that was also thought to be extinct, a giant sloth. In the process of finding the sloth, she stirs up all kinds of trouble and soon finds a group of assassins after her.
Meanwhile, Gideon, a native American Indian who has left the ways and beliefs of his heritage behind, keeps having visions. A thunderbird is appearing to him and leading him to step out of his comfort zone and go to South America to help a woman he’s never met to fulfill a mysterious mission.
Rising Wind is an effective mixture of science, spirituality, and adventure. There is just enough science present in the story to make the giant sloth and a small race of people called the Duendes seem like they could be real. The book is also filled with lots of spirituality involving beliefs from several different religions. The most prevalent is from Native Americans which is how the thunderbird is explained. I’ve already mentioned the adventure aspect, but I’ll add that the story moves at a good pace, making every scene intriguing and at times exciting.
This book has a good cast of characters, all with unique and relatable personalities. Rising Wind by Diane Olsen is the first book in a series. It will be interesting to see more of the thunderbirds and other strange creatures as the series unfolds. I highly suggest this read! https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/rising-wind
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Temp Cover For Ice and Bone
Reviewed By: Scott Cahan
Review Rating: Rising Wind: Ice and Bone (Book Two Unpublished – Series)
5 Stars – Congratulations on your 5-star review!
Ice and Bone by Diane Olsen is part two in the Rising Wind series.You could read this book as a stand-alone without reading the first one as the author does a decent job of bringing her readers up to speed, but my recommendation is to read part 1, The Thunder Beings, first if possible. The story is somewhat complex with lots of characters and it could get confusing if your first introduction to the series is Ice and Bone.
The best way I can think of to describe the Rising Wind series is as something akin to the Indiana Jones movies with a stronger emphasis on the science behind the archaeology, a female lead, and a bunch of spirituality thrown into the mix. In Ice and Bone, the discovery of ancient human remains, in a place where science and history say they shouldn’t be, sets off a chain of events that pull our heroes, Secora and Gideon, into all kinds of new dangers. Will they and their budding romance survive?
And what will become of Secora’s newly adopted baby, Monta? Secora is forced to bring her child along as she and her friends trek through the jungles of South America, trying to stay one step ahead of those who will stop at nothing to prevent the new archaeological discovery from being made public.
Rising Wind: Ice and Bone is a gripping thrill ride full of action and colorful characters. Author Diane Olsen does a great job of balancing the fast-moving plot with interesting interactions between her characters. The science behind the discoveries in the book is also handled very well and expertly woven into the story to make it all feel very believable.
Fans of archaeology fiction based on real science are sure to enjoy Ice and Bone as well as its predecessor, The Thunder Beings. Step aside, Indiana Jones; a new hero, Secora James, has arrived to dig up controversial discoveries and protect them from the evil forces who want to steal them and use them for evil.
I highly recommend Rising Wind: Ice and Bone.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Award-winning Author, Diane Olsen, is the prolific writer and award-winning author of her debut book titled; “Ancient Ways: The Roots of Religion,” a bronze medal winner given by Illumination Book Awards.
Ancient Ways is thought-provoking and an informative look at the development and evolution of religion throughout time and a well-considered concept – the idea of a connective thread of monotheistic faith throughout history from the birth of human creation.
Now comes her new release titled; “RISING WIND: The Thunder Beings” (Book One a Series.) Adapted from an original screenplay Diane wrote several years ago, she has now written it for all her readers to enjoy as an amazing Fiction, Action-Adventure, with Super Natural and Mystery elements.
Diane was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and she now lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and the State of Washington. Diane was an Undergrad at Colorado State University Ft. Collins: Pre-vet med, Anthropology, then attended and received her BA and MA at the University of Montana, Missoula: Anthropology, Archaeology, and Paleontology. She was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for two years.
Diane enjoys writing, reading good books, spending time with her grandkids, and loves cooking. A few of her favorite books are ‘The Book of Certitude (Kitab-i-Iqan), The Upanishads, and The Great Initiates.’ She resides in the Pacific Northwest in WA. State.
Book Two – Unpublished of Rising Wind: “Ice and Bone” Won a 5-Star Review
ABOUT READERS FAVORITE: Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
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Diane Olsen Author, Books, & Stories 