Author a finalist for elite Spur Award

Flathead Valley novelist Carol Buchanan triumphed over chronic self-doubt by entering her new novel "Gold Under Ice" in the competition for the Spur Awards.

Even though she won Spur's Best First Novel category in 2009 with "God's Thunderbolt: The Vigilantes of Montana," terror gripped her as she gingerly offered her second book, a sequel to the first, for critical scrutiny by the judges of the Western Writers of America's prestigious competition.

"I'm always scared spitless when I write a book," she admits.

She became one of three finalists in the tough Best Western Long Novel division. Ultimately coming in second, Buchanan was thrilled to place so highly.

Previous winners of the Spur include Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" and Michael Blake's "Dancing with Wolves."

"We're in pretty good company," Buchanan said.

Printed by Missouri Breaks Press, "Gold Under Ice" returns to the violent, self-ruled mining districts of Alder Gulch, Mont., in the Civil War years. Buchanan picks up the story of New York lawyer Daniel Stark, who came seeking gold to redeem his family's reputation after his father's embezzlement and suicide.

When an unscrupulous banker from New York arrives at Alder Gulch to collect, Stark realizes he needs to rescue his family but he doesn't yet have enough gold to make restitution for the money his addict father lost through gambling.

"Dan Stark comes back to New York and risks everything," Buchanan said. "Because he doesn't have enough gold, he starts gambling with it in the gold exchange during the Civil War."

In her research for the book, the author learned that President Lincoln faced a problem that still dogs leaders today. The expense of the war forced him to print piles of money that inevitably drove up the value of gold.

"When gold rose, the Confederates did well - when paper money sank, the Union did not do well," Buchanan said. "Lincoln got so angry that he said all gold traders should be shot in the head."

She said the exchange was considered an "outlaw" market and was very unofficial. Many considered people who took part more traitors than traders.

"In July of 1864, the federal government tried to ban gold trading," Buchanan said. "As a result, gold rose even higher."

The dollar fell so low that the government had to reverse itself. As these unstable economic scenarios play out, the author's hero desperately makes his bets on the price of gold, trying to make a killing to save the day and return to the woman he loves in Montana.

"If he loses that gold, there's no place to go," Buchanan said. "It's basically trading in futures and options. It's very tricky."

To learn about it, she read extensive research on the Internet from Harvard, Princeton and Stanford universities. Buchanan said "The Gold Trading Boot Camp" by Gregory Weldon was particularly interesting, recalling his comment that he plays poker and trades gold but he doesn't gamble.

"In ‘God's Thunderbolt,' Dan Stark is poker player," she said. "His father was an addict. Dan is not - he's a risk taker."

How does it all play out? Readers may find out by picking up "Gold Under Ice" at local bookstores including Borders, The Bookshelf, the Museum at Central School's gift shop and the community college bookstore or on Amazon.com.

Along with placing second in the Spur awards, Buchanan's book has received praise from reviewers as well as readers who have called it "a five-star read" and a "gripping Montana tale." Her sister, a pastor's wife, gave it high marks except for one sex scene.

"She said, ‘I just love this book. I can't put it down but you shouldn't have written that scene,'" Buchanan said with a laugh. "Some of my church friends might be a little shocked."

Sales have gone surprising well. Buchanan said the numbers for eBook versions have been rising.

Her first novel sold more than a thousand copies which is consider really brisk for a new author.

"‘Gold Under Ice' is on track to do at least as well," she said. "What's surprising - it seems to be sparking more sales of ‘God's Thunderbolt.'"

As soon as she finished this book, Buchanan devoted her attention to a third in the series tentatively named "Legal Tender." It draws on a notorious historical figure named Jack Slade who killed a man, then cut off his ears and hung them on his watch chain.

"Slade was a manager for the Overland Stage Company between 1861 and 1863," she said. "He was reputed to have killed 26 men."

Buchanan plans to write four books before leaving Alder Gulch. People interested in following her progress can log on to her blog at www.swanrange.com/blog.

Buchanan isn't certain if she will attend the Spur awards given out at the national conference of the Western Writers of America. She said she would prefer to accept an invitation to visit the old gold mining districts and sell books during Bannack Days during the third weekend in July.

"They said, ‘Set up a booth and talk to readers,'" Buchanan said. "I love talking to readers."

When not writing, Buchanan operates Byte Savvy Computing Services in Kalispell with her husband, Dick.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com .