Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Alaskan born Native and live in Yakutat, Alaska. I am a retired commercial fisherman and now write articles, short stories and novels. I have taken the experiences I’ve had living in Alaska and write about them. In my short story collection, Yaakwdaat Aya, I tell the stories about the Tlingit people’s struggles with every day events and challenges that can be found in any part of the country, or the world. I think the only difference is is that we learned how to live in two worlds. During the era of assimilation and acculturation we managed to adopt the western ways, but still remain Tlingit—and succeeded at it.
I served for twelve years as the elected president of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, and during these years I learned about how to mesh the Tlingit ways with an ever changing western society. I wrote essays about those experiences and they were published in the capital city of Alaska’snewspaper the Juneau Empire. These articles were eventually compiled into short essays centered around the Natural Law. When Raven Cries is a novel,
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Law of Nature and Nature’s God is the collection of essays mentioned above and Kadaashan Speaks, Legal Plunder are my latest books. In these I delve into Native American politics and try to make my readers realize that there are fundamental principles that we must all learn, or relearn, to live by. The Natural Law and God’s Laws are no respecter of persons and applies to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. I was inspired to write these books when I studied and learned what the Natural Law is. I feel I should share with the world the formulas that made great nations arise, and why they fell.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing unusual. I try to be consistent, but have a tendency to get slothful, but I have the habit of catching up. Often I will get up in the middle of my sleep and spend a couple hours reading, thinking and writing
What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Steinbeck, John O’ Hara, and a short story writer by the name of Douglas Thayer. Mr. Thayer inspired me a lot with his short stories because we both attended Brigham Young University (at different time, of course) but his simple description of every day life made me want to write similar stories about my village of Yakutat, Alaska. Thus came forth Yaakwdaat Aya. W. Cleon Skousen inspired me to study politics and become familiar with the U.S. Consitution and why we need to return back to the principles contained in it.
What are you working on now?
One novel called Of the Dying Years and a personal experience story about finding my history, culture and identity.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Awesome Gang a lot, and my own website.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot, write a lot, read a lot, write a lot, read a lot, write a lot. You need to fill the filing cabnit of your minds with as much information about everything around you. When you draw close to Nature you learn many truths.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give in to discouragement. My mother told me many times that “it is no disgrace to fall; it’s when you just lay there that’s so disgraceful.”
What are you reading now?
The Bible
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have some very strong feelings about the politics of America. I want to continue to write short stories and a novel or two, but I am driven to write stuff about the Natural Law so people can know and understand truth and where it comes from.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Triple Combination, The 5000 Year Leap, A Miracle that Changed the World, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Under the Cottonwoods, First Things First
Author Websites and Profiles
Bertrand (Kadashan) Adams Website