Placitas, NM Author Publishes New Book This book is a tale of the good and evil in the fairy world, where the souls of loved ones are stolen and must be saved by a few young children.

Southwest Fairies: Shadow Souls, a new book by J. C. Feld, has been released by RoseDog Books.

Southwest Fairies: Shadow Souls is a cloak-and-dagger mystery about the hidden world of fairies (good and evil). The story blends the Native American culture of two Navajo children with another child who resides in the culture of military bases. Their unlikely friendships take them on an unexpected adventure. None were aware of fairies before, and the story introduces them to this world, which includes magical schools, healing centers, pixie dusts, and Skin Walkers.

The shadow souls of one child's mother and grandfather were stolen by an evil fairy from Ireland, named Phookah. Phookah is not familiar with the Southwest fairies, but wants to take control of this one particular fairy village. The children's friendship grows as they try to save the shadow souls through the help of different fairies and Native American healing. All the while they are exposed to the secret world of fairy villages that exist around the world.

About the Author

The author, J. C. Feld, spent most of her childhood living on different Air Force bases throughout the United States. As an adult, she had the privilege to spend time in Gallup, New Mexico, which is near the Navajo Nation. In Gallup, the author gained lifelong friends who are members of the Navajo nation. The author and her husband (Dennis) of 31 years have an appreciation for animals and currently have five dogs, a couple of burros, and a horse at their home near the Cibola National Forest above Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Dr. Barkley is available to discuss how being "left out" increases a child's likelihood to decrease physical activity and increase sedentary behavior, and the implications for childhood obesity rates.  To schedule an interview, contact Kayleigh Fitch at 440.333.0001 ext. 105 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

*Dr. Barkley's Research, "The Effect of Simulated Ostracism on Physical Activity Behavior in Children," will be published in the March 2012 Pediatrics (available online February 6).

About Dr. Jacob Barkley

Dr. Jacob Barkley received his B.S. degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Exercise Physiology from the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Brockport in 1998.  He then enrolled at SUNY University at Buffalo where he earned both his M.S. (2002) and Ph.D. (2007) in Exercise Science.  During his graduate studies Dr. Barkley was mentored by Dr. James Roemmich whose research focus is in the area of Behavioral Medicine.  Since 2006 Dr. Barkley has been an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Kent State University where he continues his primary line of inquiry focusing on physical activity behavior.  Dr. Barkley has conducted and is presently conducting multiple studies examining how social interaction, the variety of equipment and "exergames" (e.g. Nintendo Wii) affect physical activity behavior in children, adolescents and adults.  This research is aimed at better understanding some of the factors that influence physical activity behavior in the hopes that more effective physical activity interventions and recommendations can be developed.  Dr. Barkley has published his findings in a wide range of peer-reviewed journals and presented at numerous regional, national and international conferences.