On the blog this week we throw the spotlight on Debra Yates. She is the author of the new book called, Woman of Many Names. She was raised in Mansfield Ohio and currently lives in St. Petersburg, Fl. One day a cousin called her and told her about a historical marker in Tennessee. This led Debra on an adventure of a life time, the discovery of her family history.

The novel chronicles the life of Yates’ seventh-great-grandmother, Nancy Ward. This amazing Cherokee woman played a role in the Revolutionary War, had ties to Daniel Boone and traded letters with George Washington. The even more amazing part is that she is not in the history books, but her stories remain! She has been memorialized in Benton, Tennessee, by a federal historical marker. She was known to her people as Nanyehi, where she foretold one of the greatest American tragedies, the Trail of Tears. Nancy stands as a role model akin to that of Joan of Arc.

The late Elia Kazan, one of the most honored and influential directors of our time said that his biggest regret was that he didn’t make a movie about Nancy Ward.

Debra Yates book Woman of Many Names is not yet available, but has gone to the publisher. It should be available by the end of 2016.

This Week’s Podcast:

On the show this week we talk to Debra Yates and have a special episode of Gunsmoke. You can listen to this podcast this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.