A San Diego writer and publicist has tapped the Pala Indian Reservation as the backdrop for a debut novel that she will showcase at a pow-wow this weekend in Temecula.

The tale is a multi-cultural love story that draws upon several San Diego settings as well as local Native American themes and images.

"Coyote Heart" focuses on Carolyn Weedman, a 40-year-old librarian trapped in a troubled marriage with a disabled husband. After a chance encounter with a widowed Pala Indian professor, Carolyn finds herself drawn into an unexpected love affair. Torn by conflicting feelings, she discovers a secret about her husband’s past that forces her to confront her divided emotions and choose between the two men that she loves.

The 210-page novel explores courage, sacrifice, forgiveness, Indian politics and the intricacies of illicit love and marriage. Local settings include the Pala area and the Rancho Penasquitos preserve. The book acknowledges the assistance of Eric Elliott, a Palomar College professor and Luiseno language expert.

Prior to its recent release by Minnesota-based Kirk House Publishers, the book netted honors that included an Editor’s Choice Award at the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference. It was also a finalist in the Santa Fe Writer’s Project Literary Awards Program, a worldwide competition that included over 350 entries.

"I wrote this novel, in part, Advertisement
because I’ve always been fascinated by what makes a marriage work," said Margulies. "My sense is that many marriages survive not because the two individuals involved are meant for each other, but because the losses and hardships that they’ve endured forge a bond that is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to sever."

Margulies owns a public relations firm serving authors and artists. She has received awards for her short stories and novels, and her essays have been published in a number of professional journals and magazines. She has been awarded artist residencies at Caldera, Red Cinder Artist Colony, and the Vermont Studio Center. Margulies lives with her husband and two teenagers.

She plans to participate in the Pechanga Indian Pow-Wow, which will be held from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday in an outdoor performance area near the tribe’s casino flanking Pechanga Parkway in Temecula. There she will sell and sign copies of her book.

She also plans to attend Pala Indian Cupa Days, Balboa Park American Indian Cultural Festival and the San Luis Rey Pow-Wow. Future promotional visits are planned at a San Diego book store on July 16 and a La Mesa store July 25

More information is available by visiting www.paulamargulies.com or her publisher at www.kirkhouse.com.

Be the first to share your opinion on this article!