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#Review “The In-Ko-Pah Spirit” by Wally Runnels is an engaging read that is sure to please. @wallyrunnels #kindle bit.ly/10AHeBd

— Chaptersandchats (@Chaptersandchat) January 12, 2013

That pale purple and blue  line at the top of the photo is the In-Ko-Pah Mountain range. It’s part of the setting of The In-Ko-Pah Spirit.  With such a funny name the mountains actually exist. I’ve been there and it’s a place where you have to look over your shoulder and watch where you put your feet.

In early times, the Indians from Imperial Valley would migrate to the In-Ko-Pahs for the summer months. Imperial Valley’s summer heat could be one hundred ten degrees or more, while the In-Ko-Pahs would be in the nineties or low hundreds.

Indian and Spanish legends abound in that area.  Traces of both cultures can be found in the grinding holes in the rocks left by the Indians, and the arristas, the ore grinding circles used by the Spanish to reduce their ore to gravel to make it ready for the smelter. It’s all still there.

Today the mountains are busy with Latin hikers coming up from Mexico, looking for work and a better life. Outlaws follow in hopes of robbing them. These people have no where to turn, because they’ve entered the country illegally.

As in my novella, The In-Ko-Pah Spirit, drug smugglers also frequent the many hidden canyons and trails that run through this desolate area. It can make for an interesting hike if you’re alone. I always keep an eye out for white Jeep or truck with the green diagonal stripe. It’s the Border Patrol, and if they see me they always stop and talk.

Well that’s all for now. Check out The In-Ko-Pah Spirit. It’s in the Kindle section at Amazon.

Happy Trails, Wally Runnels

“The In-Ko-Pah Spirit” by Wally Runnels is a fast-paced novella that I finished in one sitting. It is unusual in the sense that it read a bit different than most books that I’m used to, meaning there was more focus on the individual characters than one specific plot point. At times I wondered if the book lacked focus, but at the end it was easy to see all the pieces fall into place. Also, it was different because it was a very realistic story, but it had just shades of the supernatural…like hints of magical realism. I thought this was cool, because the paranormal aspect was more mystical than anything, but still a step outside our normal conscious realm. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to my friends, but it is definitely geared towards adults. (5 stars). Mark Williams; Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari

WOW, FIVE STARS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARK. PUTS ME ON A HIGH SPIRITUAL LEVEL.

I liked Mr. Runnels writing style, and he painted a very interesting, vivid, and somewhat gloomy landscape. Although I thought some parts seemed unnecessary to the storyline, and at times it seemed like the author was just saying things without really saying anything. I thought the characters were the most interesting part, and boy does he have some characters! I think they could have done with a bit more physical descriptions, as the only one I could properly picture was Modesta. But they were pretty well fleshed out for a shorter book. The plot itself is a tad murky in my mind, as it feels hard to pinpoint, but I think that’s the idea. This is a more literary read with surreal undertones. I liked the ending and wanted to see what was going to happen next. An interesting read that will appeal to fans of suspense, literary fiction, and surrealism. (4 stars). Samantha Ryan; Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari

FOUR STARS, THANKS, SAMANTHA.  I APPRECIATE THE TERM, LITERARY.  ALL TOO PARANORMAL.

This was an easy to read book that I got sucked into right off the bat and didn’t put down until I was all done. It was very well written and had short chapter. The characters were authentic, gritty, and downright dirty. An enticing read that was never predictable. At All. Very unusual in tone and in the subject matter. I felt like this book had a little of everything…suspense, danger, sex, violence (some gore)…enough to make me want to read more. I thought the editing was great, something that is very important to me (although there could have been more contractions for smoother reading.) This is a hard book to describe or sum up in a short paragraph so just read it for yourself and see! It’s definitely worth a look! (5 stars). J.T. Thomas; Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari

J.T., YOUR REMARKS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MAKES ME FEEL SPOOKY.

Violence, drugs, hired hit men, prostitution…all set against the backdrop of the Manzanita Indian Reservation in San Diego near the In-Ko-Pah Mountains. Rocky is a cold blooded hit man who likes the taste of blood (literally) and gets caught up in a world of trouble. There is some mysterious happenings in the In-Ko-Pah mountains, and the worlds of nefarious characters all collide in this novel by Wally Runnels. For the shorter length, this novel tells a lot of story, and not all of it is exactly savory. But that’s what makes it so interesting. If you like a darker read with a light literary and somewhat surreal bent, then this is a great book to try.  I’d be interested in reading more from this author in the future. (4 stars).  Darla Ortiz; Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari

THERE’S THAT WORD LITERARY AGAIN. THANKS, DARLA. IT’S A SPIRITUAL THING.

Meet Dionisio.

He works for nature.

He can change into a demonic monster.  And he will if you’re messing with any of the animals he protects. He’s a caring  soul when it comes to Nature’s creatures, but can wield indifferent destructive power.

Otherwise he’s a kind old man who really doesn’t care for humans. Except he does like Rocky.

Go Figure.

The Random House Dictionary of the English Language says, “A myth is an, alleged event without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp., a traditional or legendary story…”

It’s like that alley you walked down as a kid when you were going to school. The one where everyone said there was a murder committed. And you’d walk through it with measured steps looking for bloodstains. That alley was the focus of a myth because no one ever saw the event, but would talk about it.

In The In-Ko-Pah-Spirit, the character Dionisio becomes a mythological element. Two people trying to kill each other see Dionisio in his altered form. One survives but stays silent.

Local people say the blue flashes that appear in the In-Ko-Pah Mountains are the proof of Dionisio’s existence. Kind of like that alley. People believe without hard proof, and like the mountains, people enter the alley with a sense of trepidation.

Next week lets meet Dionisio.

Go to bed with her but don’t fall asleep; you’ll never wake up. Modesta likes to show off. Here’s a scene a from The In-Ko-Pah Spirit. She’s putting a move on a guy she thinks she likes.

Modesta (naked) sat up, shook her hair, and from nowhere, like a pistolero, pulled out a switchblade. Waving it back and  forth in front of Gabriel’s face, she pushed out her lower jaw – maybe, Gabriel guessed, to demonstrate inner strength. She laid the blade against her flesh, making a dimple with the edge. Sucking in air and with a hissing sound, she pulled the blade in a straight line above her breasts. A thin drool of red ran below the track. Her eyes never left Gabriel’s.

“Beselo, ahora,” she said. Kiss it now.”

“Jesus,” said Hector, his eyes wide.

The club’s a front for the Mexicali Cartel. Need a drug? He’s got it. Hector’s put a lot of people in oil drums,   but no one’s perfect.

“We got two million a month coming through here. Cruz isn’t going to let someone come in here and get a   hint of what’s going on.”

The word is: don’t fuck with Hector.

Visit Mexicali  and you can meet Rocky at the Tuna Club. You’ll meet some other fun people…sure, they’re all killers, but one’s a real babe, you’ll meet her later. A word of advice: just be polite and say please and thank you. Rocky’s a pro hitter with a taste for blood – literally. Here’s how he feels about that.

“I was in love with a woman. She was special. An assassin’s bomb took her and my arm.” He gestured with his stump. “I accidentally dipped my fingers in her blood and tasted her. My fingers with her redness in my mouth and she has been in the shadows around me ever since.”

Well, nobody’s perfect. See ya next time. I have more friends you should meet.

The map will give you an idea where you’re going. But you shouldn’t go there without a lot of water. Don’t forget the first aid pack and for sure take a snake bite kit. If you spend the night carry a cot.  Sleep on the ground and you could have a creepy crawly thing as a bed partner. Yikes

YOU CAN TAKE A TRIP TO THE IN-KO-PAH MOUNTAINS IN EASTERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY JUST BY GOING TO AMAZON KINDLE.

That’s where you’ll find The In-Ko-Pah Spirit. It’s a paranormal thriller about strange people, strange monsters and strange sex. Isn’t that nice.

The story goes something like this: A hired killer (that’s Rocky) is paid to track down a rebellious member of a Mexicali drug cartel. The search takes place in the In-Ko-Pah Mountains, an isolated region on the Mexican/American Border, and leads to a confrontation with a sinister presence.

Rocky is a piece of work and tomorrow I’d like you to meet him. He’s a hired killer, but he’s really a nice guy. He told a pal once, “Hey, I wouldn’t kill anyone if people wouldn’t pay me.” Yeah, he’s a real innocent.

Come back later, I got more coming.

Thanks for reading this,

Wally Runnels