Austen Brauker

"HOMUNCULUS" is book one in the Taking of Wings trilogy. It is a story with Native American characters set in northern Michigan. It pushes emotive boundaries with both disturbing and beautiful imagery. It hinges on an ancient alchemical tome, a secret cougar operation by the government and a deep woods drug lab. The presence of wild cougars is assumed when people go missing and mutilated bodies are found. It is tempered by several love stories and flashbacks to world war II. The stories intertwine and culminate into the final climax. Most of it takes place around Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes. The cover art is an oil painting by the author and the back is Austen with his guitar. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Austen Brauker, the son of renowned Odawa artist-Shirley Brauker, and esteemed believer of biochemistry- Dr. James H. Brauker, was born in northern Indiana and migrated north to the warmth of the mitten. He is a Michigan resident and makes his home in various places. He has painted a colorful job history which includes being the herd manager for a large buffalo farm, a public librarian in Fremont In., a Native fine art gallery owner, a custom log home finisher, a mural artist (with work in several places including the Little River Casino in Manistee and the Fremont International Peace Park. Artwork, too varied to mention, and musical performance are his primary means of sustenance. He has held numerous jobs as a youth counselor for organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Y.M.C.A. and the Pegasus School. He taught junior high for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe as well as being the Youth Worker at their substance abuse program for over a year. He served on the board of directors for Mt.Pleasant Counseling services and was President of the American Indian Student Organization at Central Michigan University where he attended college, majoring in Psychology. Austen was an involved community activist and served on numerous committees such as the first Central Michigan Pow-wow committee and the Logo reform committee which abolished the use of caricatures of tribal people at the college. He worked for the Mt.Pleasant Public Schools system as a parent-teacher-student liason for the Native kids. He spent two years giving lectures on substance abuse and traveling through the regional school systems with a drum and dance group to promote awareness of Native culture. Most of his experience and knowledge in regard to the novel itself come from outside sources. He has contributed many years of self focused study to herbalism, mycology, tracking, stalking, philosophy, rudimentary physics concepts, alchemy, music and Native American Spiritualism. He has learned many labor jobs such as construction, printing and graphics, grant writing, business proposals and once started up the Turtle Club day care. He is also a father himself. Austen can be contacted at takingofwings@hotmail.com or searched for on the net. for more ABOUT AUTHOR go to http://www.myspace.com/austenbrauker or go to http://www.myspace.com/homunculus888 to hear Austen's music.