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An Interview with Author Michael Spiller

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Author Michael Spiller is a carpenter, a photographer, and a retired home builder. He published three books of photography before releasing William and Jean Herrick, Pioneering New Mexicans (Sunstone Press, 2025), a book about the lives of his great-grandparents on the New Mexico frontier. Look for William and Jean Herrick, Pioneering New Mexicans on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

When readers turn the last page in the book, what do you hope they will take away from it?
Life at the start of the 19th Century was nothing like life in the 21st Century. Time took on a different pace.

Tell us about the journey from inspiration to completed book.
Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have a photo, by me, of my 2- to 3-year-old brother holding a model car I had just built. When I was a photography/art student at the University of New Mexico in the early 1970s, my great-aunt died in Socorro, and I found all of the negatives, photos and letters, and many other valuable items in the old family home. I managed to keep safe many boxes of what would become my book.

Fifty-plus years later, I finally had time and energy to start looking at, scanning, and reading all the items. By 2015 or so, I had the material ready. I had self-published two books of my own photographic work, so I worked on and then self-published a coffee table book of the photos from my great-grandfather’s work and a list of the letters. Once I had the self-published copy, I submitted it to UNM Press. I received a rejection letter suggesting I should make a narrative story out of the catalog of images and letters. By 2019–2020 I had completed what I thought was a story. I am not a writer; I am a photographer and artist. I submitted my rough draft to The Museum of New Mexico Press and they sent me to Jim and Carl at Sunstone Press in 2021. The paperback was published in 2022 and the hardcover in 2025. The rest is History! Many thanks to Jim, as my editor.

How is the book organized?
The book is based on an outline that was developed from the dates of the letters and dates of family arriving in the timeline.

As you were going through your great-grandparent’s letters and photographs, what struck you most about them or their lives? Do you have a favorite photo or photo spread in the book?
As I read the many letters, I noticed that their handwriting deteriorated as time went on, it got harder and harder to read, by both of them. They both started off with beautiful handwriting that they used in their professional lives.

The photographs that had me excited as a photographer were the series of my great-grandmother serving tea to herself. Each glass negative had to have the photo emulsion put on one half of the glass, the photo taken, the image developed, the set reset, then the other half of the glass negative was emulsified and the next image taken. My great-grandfather would develop that half of the negative. When he finished, he would have an image that he could contact print on one photographic piece of paper. This is a statement of my great-grandfather’s photographic skills and imagination. There are five complete sets of double-image negatives of my great-grandmother entertaining herself.

Any “Oh, wow!” moments while doing research for this book?
The one “Oh, wow” moment I had was in one letter from my grandmother to her parents, and the bigotry she has about blacks being in their own place. I never saw this in her. We grew up as the minority in New Mexico.

What was the most difficult aspect of putting this project together and what was the most satisfying?
The most difficult aspect was not really being a writer by any stretch of the imagination, and if it were not for the computer, writing much more than a short letter to my mother would have been impossible. When I finished the book, it was very satisfying to complete something so complex and somewhat readable.

Why do you think people like reading memoirs and biographies?
Possibly, people who enjoy local, personalized history could be attracted to this type of genre.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I have thoughts of a continuation of my family’s story. I have had an interesting and wonderful life with many interesting turns and twists. I am a carpenter, photographer, house designer and builder, and adventurer, much like my great-grandfather.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



An Interview with Author David F. Menicucci

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David Menicucci is a professional researcher retired from Sandia National Laboratories who still volunteers part-time as a research professor for the University of New Mexico. He has published three nonfiction books and is the author of, or contributor to, nearly sixty research publications. His newest nonfiction release, Two Centuries to Freedom, The True Story of One Family’s Two-Century Migration from Lucca, Italy, to New Mexico and Other American States (Sunstone Press, March 2025), is a comprehensive view of early 20th-century Italian immigration as seen through the eyes of the Menicucci family. The book contains over a hundred historical photos, maps and diagrams. You’ll find Dave on Facebook and his SWW author page. Look for Two Centuries to Freedom on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

When you began writing your family’s history, what did you hope to accomplish? By the end of the journey, do you feel you were successful in your goals?
I wanted to tell a fascinating true story, one fully annotated and referenced. Most importantly, I strove to tell what drew these dirt-poor immigrants to this country. America’s free market capitalism allowed them to own their own business and the freedom for self-development. The story of Catholicism is a large part of the story, especially how the Italians used prayer to generate hope in the most calamitous of situations. There are detailed accounts of the grandiose midnight Masses at Immaculate Conception Church in the 1950s that required ticketed reservations for a seat in the pews. Whether the book is successful remains to be seen. The goal is to educate people by encouraging reading. The Albuquerque Public Library has nine copies, and an e-book will be available shortly.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Wringing out the juiciest information, such as the story about the Menicuccis’ and Matteuccis’ experiences with depression. The book provides vivid details about the ravages of mental dysfunction in Albuquerque in the 1950s and the impact it had on the early Italians who feared it like a dreaded disease. But obtaining the information was difficult because people feared speaking out lest they be blamed for spreading scandalous information, even if the information was verified and all the participants had been deceased for decades.

When did you know you wanted to write the book that became Two Centuries to Freedom? What prompted the push to begin the project?
My mother, Emma Dalle Menicucci, in about 2000 knew by my many publications that I could write. She suggested that the family story would be interesting for people to know because it exemplified the features of America that drew the immigrants here and how those features allowed the family to thrive. She supplied interesting material and stories, which piqued my interest. But it was Rick Nathenson’s Albuquerque Journal article in 2010 that sparked my effort. In that article, he asked whether a gang of local Lucchese (Lucca Italians) chased a Chicago Mafia gang out of town in 1928. He left the question unanswered, and it intrigued me sufficiently that I set out to answer it. That led to intriguing discoveries that convinced me that a compelling story about Italian immigration was waiting to be told. The answer to Nathanson’s question is on page 225 of Two Centuries, section entitled: “Lucchese to Albuquerque’s Defense.”

How is the book structured and why did you choose to put it together that way?
The book covers a chronological period beginning in the 1780s and ending in the 1980s, thus the “two centuries” title. It is structured by date. Appendices provide additional detailed information on specific ancillary topics but of significant importance. About eighteen pages of references provide the source materials that I used. The Notes explain how I used these sources to develop my conclusions in each chapter. My self-imposed constraint was to meet the International Genealogical Standard of Proof, which generally requires two independent sources to verify a conclusion.

Tell us how the book came together.
I wrote the book and then sought out a publisher. Rose Kern suggested self-publishing, but the book is large (644 pages), has many references, and a hundred pages of notes, including tables and other graphics. So, due to the complexity, I hesitated to take this on myself. Because of my affiliation with the university, I began soliciting publishers, starting with UNM Press. Unfortunately, they are not community-inclined. I solicited others until I found Sunstone Press. I was able to negotiate a fine deal.

The book comprises three phases of effort: 1) Ten years of research, 2) Two and a half years of writing, and 3) Two years of marketing. My marketing plan has three targets: 1) Family and Friends, 2) Local folks in Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Santa Fe counties, and 3) National and international, especially Italy. I am in phase 2. I will launch phase 3 at the world’s largest international genealogy conference in Salt Lake City in March 2026, where I will speak.

What are some of the most surprising facts you discovered while doing research for this project?
Three surprises. First, how crazed most Italians are over Porcini. Some of the anecdotes are on par with Three Stooges skits. Second, the amount of alcohol consumed by the Italians. A typical immigrant family fermented about 200 gallons of wine and distilled 5-10 gallons of grappa annually. (Grappa is a low-quality brandy, ~70 proof, produced by fermenting and distilling the leftover skins and seeds of squeezed wine grapes.) My grandfather took four shots of grappa daily—in coffee, lunch, dinner and before bed. And he drank water and wine at meals. My grandmother drank about ¾+ bottle of wine daily. They both died in their 80s, 90s of old age. Third, the profound nature of scandal in immigrant Italian culture, which exists today. Scandal is an innate fear in many Italian families that rivals horror tales of goblins and evil specters. It impacted my ability to collect data. I visited my aunt in Louisiana three times to convince her to relate intriguing inside stories that she had been harboring for decades. Only when all the participants in the story were dead—fortunately, she had survived them—did she reveal the details. An appendix is devoted to the issue of scandal in Italian culture.

What was the most rewarding aspect of writing Two Centuries to Freedom?
Researchers are educators. My goal is to discover new things and tell other people about them. Publishing a detailed, properly referenced, fully annotated report of my extensive findings is immensely satisfactory.

How do you conduct your research? How does your research continue once you begin writing?
My process of discovery is involved, and I will have more to say in some workshops I am planning for SouthWest Writers. But simply, I collect a lot of information, then sort through and quality-assure it and subsequently categorize all. I look over the categories and decide what kind of story they tell. If the emerging story is worth telling, I synthesize the categorical information into a coherent narrative. One of the book’s most unique features is that it tells this story in the context of history. This means it explains what the people did and the coincidental historical conditions that influenced their decisions.

Naturally, once the writing begins, discrepancies arise that require additional research. These interruptions can disrupt a train of thought in a writing session, so I triage each new side-finding and decide whether to table it for later or interrupt the work and integrate it into the trove of data. Diversion is typical in research and is one way that novices can be sidetracked into unproductive paths of inquiry. I keep my eye on the main goal at all times.

What does a typical writing session look like for you? Do you have any writing rituals or something you absolutely need in order to write?
Every author has his/her way. I focus on the reader. I imagine speaking directly to him or her in simple words. I make liberal use of parables. I like to tell stories that engender my primary goal—to educate. I measure everything in the book against that standard. I ruminate much before I write. I began the process by imagining the whole story as one—where does it start, where does it go, and where does it end? That encapsulates the project and provides a clear goal. Then, I put myself in the reader’s shoes and ask what might be interesting and important to understand the story.

I contemplate much and write a little. I frequently mull things over for weeks, usually at one of my retreats, such as our mountain cabin, home greenhouse, basement brewery, the Jemez streams, UNM golf courses or my workshop. I bring a notepad and jot things down as I think about them. At some point, I have enough to begin drafting. Once I start, I sprint to the end. Typically, for a writing session, I select a goal, such as completing a fixed number of related sections. I had several 72-hour periods where I slept a total of eight hours and ate nothing but a couple of cups of soup and a sandwich. I do not recommend this but it has served me well since graduate school, and I have many publications and two professional careers as evidence.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I have several planned, all related to Two Centuries to Freedom. Presently, I am working on The Culinary Principles and Practices of Albuquerque’s Early Italians. This will explain how the Italian immigrants in the city cooked, what foods they ate, what practices they brought from Italy, how their food impacted the local populace and culinary fusion with the Anglo and Hispanic cuisines, especially the use of New Mexico chiles in Italian food. I am also in the process of telling the Two Century story visually, in a screenplay.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



2025 Call for Submissions: SWW Annual Writing Contest

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The SouthWest Writers (SWW) annual writing competition is now open for submissions.

All writers, new and experienced, are welcome to enter the contest. Contestants don’t have to be members of SWW or live in the Southwest to participate.

First-, second-, and third-place winners will be awarded monetary prizes and the chance for publication in the 2025 contest anthology, Beyond Boundaries.

The submission window closes at midnight on July 8, 2025. Fees vary depending on submission date.

This year’s contest offers eighteen writing categories of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, plus a new category for Short Screenplay.

◆ Fiction Categories

  • Flash Fiction
  • Short Story: Adult, Young Reader/Middle Grade, and Young Adult
  • Opening Chapter of an unpublished novel

◆ Nonfiction Categories

  • Opening Chapter of unpublished nonfiction and memoir
  • Short Memoir, Essay, and Article

◆ Poetry Categories

  • Free Verse
  • Haiku
  • Limerick

◆ Short Screenplay Category

Go to the Contest Page for more details and to enter the contest.

Good luck!

SouthWest Writers is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to helping both published and unpublished writers improve their craft and further their careers. In 2024, SWW celebrated forty years dedicated to this goal.



Author Update 2025: Zachry Wheeler

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Zachry Wheeler is an award-winning science fiction author who has published over twenty books across four series. His newest release, Starship Eternity: A Sci-Fi Horror Short (January 2025), is the fifth addition to his Twisted Simulations series. Look for him on his website ZachryWheeler.com, his new YouTube channel, and his Amazon author page. For more about his writing, see his first interview for SouthWest Writers and his interview update.

Zachry, there’s a lot to catch up on in your world. You’ve taken a hiatus from writing to focus on photography. What lead up to that decision?
This is how I avoid burnout. I never shelve my creative drive, I just point it at something else until my batteries recharge. Photography has always served as a great counterweight, in that it scratches the creative itch while also forcing me to touch grass.

When you’re working on both writing and photography, do they share your time in equal measure?
Not at all. There is always a primary focus, otherwise the quality suffers. At the moment, I am delving deeper into photography while casually working on writing tasks. I still promote my books and develop new ideas, but without any goals or time pressure. For now, my brain is focused on what camera settings produce the best hummingbird photos.

As a creative, do you find one medium (writing or photography) more intimate than the other?
For me, writing is more intimate. I really enjoy the challenge of snapping good photos, but I’ve spent decades with my story characters and know them like family members.

What is the most rewarding aspect of both artistic endeavors?
In photography, it’s a perfect moment. You are constantly hunting for perfect weather, perfect lighting, and perfect timing. When you “get the shot,” it’s a fantastic feeling.

In writing, it’s a happy reader. When you put so much time and effort into creating, editing, and publishing a story, there is nothing more rewarding than a fan telling you why they loved it.

You’ve made big changes regarding your interaction with social media. According to your website, you’ve moved away from all platforms and you’re focusing more on your website, blog, and mailing list. You stated social media was “actively harming” your brand. Can you explain what you mean by “harming” and in what ways has changing focus helped your brand?
We all know that social media is catastrophic to mental health. In my opinion, trying to leverage it effectively is not worth the stress and reputational risk. Brands have done serious damage to themselves by posting the wrong things at the wrong times, no matter how innocent. It’s also a massive time sink that eats into valuable creative time.

In my own experience, I noticed that I was wasting too much effort chasing engagement. The resulting frustration would derail my process and cause me to rant in writing groups, which is never a good look. I realized that social media was more bane than boon, so I deleted all of my accounts and walked away. The resulting peace of mind was immeasurable. Many authors are waking up to the fact that you don’t need social media to be successful.

If I’m not mistaken, you spent some time as a script doctor. What was that experience like and are you still called upon from time to time to help?
I lucked into this role, which I found to be surreal yet enjoyable. Long story short, my novel Transient (Immortal Wake #1) got optioned for a feature film and landed in development for a time. That got my foot into the door and a few chance encounters resulted in some work as a script doctor. It’s different from writing the screenplay (which I have also done), in that you’re using your author skills to polish dialogue, fix structural errors, and find plot holes. It’s actually quite fun and engaging. I haven’t done much doctoring in recent years, but I’m always up for it when the producers need me.

What marketing techniques have been most helpful to you?
I spent many years in the marketing trenches, where I flushed piles of cash down the toilet. As with everything in advertising, some things work, most fail. I have found that the only surefire bet is BookBub. Their featured deals are very expensive and hard to get, but they offer the only guaranteed ROI in the game. It took me several years of patience and perseverance to get into their regular rotation. Now it’s the only service I use. I compiled my strategies into a marketing guide on my blog, which you can read here: https://zachrywheeler.com/an-authors-guide-to-marketing/

I’m seeing more and more authors put out short stories and novelettes in chapbook form. Has this been beneficial in gaining visibility for your work?
Very much so, and for many different reasons. First and foremost, it expands your readership net because the attention economy is a difficult nut to crack. People who read novels and people who read short stories are rarely the same. But, if they enjoy your writing and become fans, then they will cross over. In addition, shorts and novellas are much easier to produce and publish. It’s a great way to mitigate risk if you want to experiment with different styles or genres. Shorts are also great fodder for freebie promos and reader magnets.

What draws you to the dark side of literature?
I have always been a big horror fan, so it was only natural that it would creep into my writing. My first true horror title was The Bone Maiden, a prequel novella to the Immortal Wake book trilogy. I greatly enjoyed that writing process, which got me thinking about a new horror series. That became Twisted Simulations, a collection of short stories with sci-fi horror themes. This is another series that I have an abundance of ideas for, so I’m sure it will continue.

You have a tech noir series, Immortal Wake; a sci-fi comedy series, Max and the Multiverse; and a collection of chilling tales called Twisted Simulations, to name a few. All are diverse. Do you have a favorite?
I am proud of them all, but if I had to pick one, it would be Puki Horpocket Presents. This is a sci-fi comedy series that spun off from Max and the Multiverse. It’s about a famous journalist who profiles extraordinary beings in the cosmos. The stories are so much fun to write because I blend so many different styles. I use interview formats, first-person commentary, third-person narration, you name it. I definitely want to return to this series at some point because I have so many ideas for new tales.

What authors influenced your writing?
Douglas Adams has been my favorite author since childhood and his influence can be seen all over my works. Andy Weir is another big influence, as I greatly admire his ability to blend sharp humor with hard science. On the darker side, I have a wide range of influences, everyone from Max Brooks to George Orwell.

I always like to get an author’s take on critique groups: some can help, some can hinder. Do you work with a critique group or share your work with anyone prior to putting it out into the world?
Critique groups are double-edged swords. Good ones can elevate you to new heights. Bad ones can destroy your motivation or blind you to obvious issues. I have experienced both and it took a while to find what works best for me. I have a small group of trusted peers who serve as my beta team. The key is to find people who enjoy your work, but are willing to give you fair and honest feedback. Seems simple, but they are very hard to find. In my experience, most people are either pleasers (everything you do is great) or punishers (everything you do is crap). Sadly, fair is rare. And for the love of all that is good and holy, be receptive! A good critique group is worthless if you aren’t willing to heed the advice.

What’s on the horizon for you? Will you be adding to these series, or are there other series or standalones percolating that you can tell us about?
I honestly have no clue, but that’s only because I’m currently enjoying a hiatus. I have several new ideas and many works in progress, so who knows.

If you want to stay in the loop, the easiest way is to sign up for my newsletter. As a special gift, I will also send you a free limited edition eBook!

Su Lierz is a horror writer in the Land of Enchantment. Her short work can be found in anthologies and several publications including Grey Sparrow Journal and The Horror Zine. She lives in Corrales, New Mexico with her husband Dennis.



Author Update: Jack Woodville London

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Jack Woodville London is a historian, writing instructor, and speaker who has authored articles and short stories, a non-fiction book on the craft of writing, and five novels including the award-winning French Letters trilogy. Espionage, survival, and the fight for Texas independence come into play in his newest historical fiction release, Dangerous Latitudes (Stoney Creek Publishing Group, February 2025). Look for Jack on his website JWLBooks.com, on Facebook, and his Amazon author page. For more about his writing, see his 2019 interview with SouthWest Writers.

At its heart, what is Dangerous Latitudes about?
It is the question all of us face: “When do I take a stand?” It is a coming-of-age novel set in the cloak of a historical fiction story about a young man who is forced to become a spy — for both sides.

What do you find most interesting about the time period you set your book in?
It is set in 1841–1843, a period of extraordinary violence and danger in the American Southwest and about which very little is taught, known, or written, particularly in fiction.

Who is your main character and what do you like most about him? Who is your favorite historical character in the book?
My main character may not be a him. The story centers on two people, Alexandre, a naïve young man from Louisiana who comes to the Republic of Texas to make his fame and fortune and Noeme, a young Black woman who is revealed by degrees to be …. Well, that would be giving the story away. Suffice it to say, they meet early when she rescues him and he mistakes her for a runaway slave.

My favorite historical character is a toss-up between two. One is Sam Houston, not the honorable gentleman who gallantly led Texians to victory over Mexico so much as the drunken short-tempered Sam Houston who manipulated people in a never-ending struggle to keep Mexico at bay. The other historical character is his opposite, Mexican General Antonio Canales, a scoundrel in the mold of Santa Anna who was a bit of a preening George Custer type soldier.

Tell us how Dangerous Latitudes came together.
In some ways it took longer to write than it took to earn my bachelor’s degree. I do a lot of research not only of events but of the actual historical figures who will appear. As a rule, I only invent a few fictitious characters, whose lives are tossed about by the things the actual historical figures do.

My personal editing cycle is to write a chapter, revise it, write a following chapter and revise it, write a third chapter, then revise all three together, then continue in three-chapter cycles to assure that the story has continuity. This helps me to see where I go astray in telling a story or sub-plot or have written off into the desert with something that is not essential, the nasty challenge of editing out the things that no one reads. It helps me keep track of whether a story is losing its way, or where characters are not fleshed out, or where subplots need work. By the time I finish a novel, each chapter has been edited on the order of twenty-five to thirty times and the entire manuscript at least ten times.

I am blessed to have a fine literary agent and a great relationship with a publicist from my earlier work. They arranged and negotiated with the eventual publisher, Stoney Creek Publishing.

What makes this novel unique in the historical fiction market?
It is set in a time and place where, to the best of my knowledge, only one other work of historical fiction has been written. I’m confident that there are more, but they sure don’t seem to surface when you look for them. So, it is a story that involves historic cross-border clashes (and violence) about which almost nothing is written, larger than life figures such as Sam Houston but with their warts and all on full display, race relations and challenging gender assumptions, all in the middle of events that actually happened. It mirrors a lot of what is happening today but set almost two hundred years ago.

Any “Oh, wow!” moments while doing research for the book?
The discovery on original maps of things that I knew little or nothing about. For example, while Texas claimed its boundary to be the Rio Grande River all the way into present-day Colorado, official Texas maps of the period show the boundary to be the Nueces River about halfway between San Antonio and the Rio Grande. There was nothing in Texas, nothing, between Austin-San Antonio and present-day El Paso (which did not exist) except large bold letters that said, “Range of the Comanche.”

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
Devising a story that would bring together people, both from 1840s Mexico and Texas, to a land that was so desolate that neither side could control it, and place them into events that actually happened. It forces the question that all novelists must ask and answer repeatedly: “Why would they do that?”

Why did you choose Dangerous Latitudes as the book’s title?
It connotes several things. The main man character is a surveyor who is deceived to come to Texas to map a boundary that Texas doesn’t control — the Rio Grande. His map-quest, if you will, leads him into more and more dangerous geographical latitudes. But the word ‘latitudes’ also may apply to the circumstances in which the characters are forced to choose whether to do the safe thing or to go well outside anyone’s comfort zone to do something that they do not want to do or even believe they can do. I like titles that are plays on words.

What sort of decisions did you make about portraying historical figures or events in order for your book to work?
None. I wrote them as best I could as history (not Disney or Wikipedia) reveals them to have been. That made the choices easy, because in almost every case what made them historical figures at all was that in every good person there is a little bit of evil and in every bad person there is some good. I just looked for it and applied it.

What do you consider the most essential elements of a well-written historical novel?
I think every reader decides whether to read a book (or buy it) based on her/his assessment of 1) what it’s about, 2) who is in it, and 3) where the reader comes in.

So, as a writer, be honest about writing in a way that makes readers see themselves as one of the characters or, at the least, makes them feel they’re in the room where it happened. Give one or more main character an experience of undeserved misfortune, especially if it can be experienced at the hands of the antagonist who causes it or who tries to take advantage of it. Another essential element is an opening sentence or paragraph that, to say what I learned from Joe Badal, grabs the reader by the throat. My way to say that is write an opening sentence or paragraph that is so good it lives up to the book that follows it. Write the book first.

Who are your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
Evelyn Waugh: His prose is very efficient and makes me generate my own images from his words of the people, the places, the situations he writes about. Hilary Mantel: Her historical fiction is the gold standard for translating research into the creation of characters who act as they do, who make the decisions they make. Rick Atkinson, in non-fiction: His trilogy of the Second World War in Europe is a master class in threading the needle between developing the characters of individuals, most of them ordinary soldiers or sailors who were caught up in a war over which they had little control, and yet threading them into the stories of the major events of the war, such as the American invasion of North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He somehow succeeds in making units into characters rather than a numbing series of unit numbers. I could go on but won’t.

What advice do you have for beginning or discouraged writers?
Ask yourself, and remind yourself, how many times did the Beatles play in Hamburg and in the Cavern Club before they were discovered and got a recording deal? Be a Beatle.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Editing a non-fiction academic work I have written that has been bought by the University of Oklahoma Press. It addresses a very great deal of the history of the Rio Grande River through New Mexico and Colorado between 1599 and 1846.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



An Interview with Author Lisa C. Taylor

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Lisa C. Taylor is an award-winning author of long and short fiction, as well as poetry. She is also a teacher and speaker, an editor and mentor, and co-director of the Mesa Verde Writers Conference and Literary Festival. Her debut novel, The Shape of What Remains (Liminal Books, February 2025), has been called “thoughtful, funny at times, with a richly realized and sympathetic main character” that reveals “the transformation of grief and the subtle strength required to redefine yourself and your purpose.” Look for Lisa on her website LisaCTaylor.com, on Facebook and Instagram, and her Amazon author page.

What do you hope readers will take away from The Shape of What Remains?
I hope they’ll agree that grief is not linear. People grieve in their own way and there is no fixed timetable. Even many years later, there are triggers that bring back the loss. It is one reason why it’s important to stick by your friends and family when they are grieving. Teresa’s journey is, in a sense, the journey of anyone who is grieving. Loss is part of life and even though her loss is shocking and wholly unexpected, it resonates for anyone who has had a sudden death in their family or friend circle.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
I did a fair amount of research for this book and I learned along the way. For example, her “assignments” with her therapist are based on my research and my own experience from my counseling career many years ago. Because this was my first novel, it posed some unique challenges in keeping track of the passage of time and the characters. I kept a lot of notes nearby when I was writing. I also read about and researched Compassionate Friends, the group that provides support to parents who have lost children.

Who are your main characters and why will readers connect to them? Will those who know you recognize you in any of your characters?
I do not believe my characters are ever based on me. Teresa has her own unique voice and she’s snarky, self-deprecating, and also sharply intelligent. I have never taken a Chaucer class though I certainly studied Shakespeare. She’s a millennial and I think millennial readers will connect with the pressures she’s under with her grief as well as trying to figure out whether her previous career as a professor will ever be viable again. Teresa’s voice came to me and I hope I was true to that voice in telling the story.

How did you go about getting into the mind of your character who is dealing with grief after the tragic loss of her young daughter? Was this an emotional journey for you as well?
The short answer is yes. I hear the voices of my characters and that is my writing process. Because she was so paralyzed in the beginning of the novel, I felt her despondence. I also knew she had the intelligence and resilience to eventually come back to life. All of my writing is an emotional journey for me. I immerse myself in the life of my characters. I also do this when I read a book that transports me.

Tell us how the book came together.
This book was originally a short story called Monuments. It was published in my short story collection, Growing a New Tail (Arlen House, 2016). I knew when I wrote it that Teresa’s story was not complete. I just didn’t have the time to write a novel at that point. When I went back to it, I worked on it sporadically. I had a book of poetry published in 2022 so I was also working on that plus I teach online and co-direct a writers conference. It took me eight years to get a good draft. I had four early readers plus my two writing groups and I edited it for over a year. I sent out 25 queries to both agents and publishers and got two offers. It was edited again with the editor from the press.

When did you know you had taken the manuscript as far as it could go, that it was ready for publishing?
I knew in summer of 2023 that it was mostly done. I’d taken in the comments from my readers and gone over it many times. The ending finally came together for me after many misses. Endings are really important and both my writing groups felt I finally hit the right note. I have two online writing groups that have been meeting for years.

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting this project together?
I always wanted to write and publish a novel since I’m such an avid novel reader. I read about a book a week. Getting a publisher and working with a professional editor was rewarding. The best part was seeing it in print and reading from it. The amazing stories I am getting from readers all over the country makes me realize that this was an important book to write. It has touched a lot of readers, many of whom have suffered the loss of a child or the unexpected loss of someone dear. Not all grief is about the loss of a loved one and I am hearing those stories as well. I look forward to my national book tour because I’m sure I’ll hear even more stories from my readers. I treasure these stories.

Amazon categorizes your novel as Death, Grief & Spirituality and as Inspirational Spiritual Fiction. If you didn’t have the limitations of Amazon categories, how would you characterize the book?
I agree with Death and Grief and I do think it is inspirational, or at least that is what many readers have told me. It does not mention anything religious so I don’t understand the spiritual, though it’s possible that just goes along with inspirational according to Amazon. Death is universal. We all need stories to help us cope with life’s most difficult moments. It is my hope that The Shape of What Remains is such a book and it will continue to inspire and bring comfort to my readers.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I have another completed novel. It is told in two voices (male and female) and it is an entirely different type of story. I am currently in the early stages of looking for a publisher. I have a third novel started and that one is unlike anything I’ve previously written. I like the challenge! Although I write literary fiction, the third novel I started begins with a crime so that is a new kind of writing for me. I still think it will be a character-driven story but I’m early in the process.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Persistence is probably the most important quality for a writer. I know many excellent writers who give up on publishing because it is so competitive and all of us receive rejections along the way. Just because your work isn’t a good fit for one publisher does not mean you won’t find a publisher who loves it. Keep trying!

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



SWW’s 2025 Writing Contest Opens June 1

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The annual SouthWest Writers (SWW) writing competition opens for submissions on June 1, 2025.

The contest is open to new and experienced writers. Contestants don’t have to be members of SWW or live in the Southwest to enter. Winners have the opportunity to publish their entries in this year’s contest anthology.

The 2025 competition offers seven main contest categories divided into a total of eighteen subcategories for unpublished fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. New this year is a category for Short Screenplay. Main categories also include flash fiction, short fiction and nonfiction, opening chapter of a novel, and opening chapter of a nonfiction book.

All entries that meet the rules for submission will be judged by a panel of experienced writers and/or experts in the specific genre. First, second, and third monetary prizes will be awarded in each category that receives enough entries for judging.

For details about the categories and a complete list of rules, please see the Contest Page.

SouthWest Writers is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to helping both published and unpublished writers improve their craft and further their careers. In 2024, SWW celebrated forty years dedicated to this goal.



An Interview with Author Roberta Summers

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Award-winning author Roberta Summers is a published novelist, short story writer, and poet. She served as an editor of San Juan College’s Perspective(s) Magazine and is the former co-owner of Silverjack Publishing. Her newest release, Pele’s Children (September 2024), is her second crime adventure novel set on the Big Island of Hawaii. You’ll find Roberta on her website RobertaSummers.com and on Amazon.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Pele’s Children?
Pele’s Children is the sequel to my first novel Pele’s Realm. It is based on the murder of an acquaintance of mine. She was murdered by the Hawaiian Mafia. I didn’t know she was a Mafia wife. In fact, I wasn’t aware there was a Hawaiian Mafia until she was killed. In the books, Maggie, the main character, becomes a person of interest to the Mafia and is frequently targeted by them, mostly to keep her living in fear. In the sequel she is taken into witness protection by U.S. Marshals. Both books are steeped in the mystic of Hawaii and its myths and legends, with Pele’s Children having more mystical realism. Madam Pele, The Fire Goddess of the volcanoes, has a larger presence in the second book. For anyone who loves Hawaii or would like to go, it is like taking a trip there, feeling the caress of balmy air, the fragrance of flowers, and the Aloha spirit.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Since I lived in Hawaii for 25 years and on the Big Island for five of those years, I knew my subject well. I was an avid volcano watcher and familiar with the Pele legends. I also have the benefit of a step-son who was born and raised on Oahu, a hapa haole (half white), not leaving until he was in his mid-30s. He was a valuable resource and technical advisor on some of the underworld activities, such as Cheeken Derbies (Chicken Fights) and the disposal of unwanted fishes (dead bodies) in the Molokai Channel and other things known to the local population, but not necessarily to haoles (white folks). There is an underlying story about gang wars between the Hawaiian and Japanese (Yakuza) Mafias which exposes the dark underbelly of paradise. That part of the story is set on Oahu.

What inspired you to write the first book in the series? Had you always planned a sequel?
My sister April inspired Pele’s Realm. During a conversation with her, she said, “Since that murder still bothers you, why don’t you write a book about it?” I had no plan to become an author, but I went to San Juan College and got a creative writing degree. I took every creative writing class, both required and elective. I joined two writers’ groups and wrote the book. I may have considered the possibility of a sequel since I left an epilogue hinting there may be more. I also have left a hint at the end of Pele’s Children.

Who are your main characters in Pele’s Children? What will readers like most about them?
The main characters are Maggie and John Kovac, loosely based on myself and my husband during the five years we lived in Hilo. John is fiercely protective of Maggie and deeply in love with her, but because he is an epileptic, he can’t always fulfill his desire to protect her. They are both fragile, Maggie because she suffers from episodes of depression, John because he’s an epileptic. At the beginning of Pele’s Children, John has amnesia. Readers will wonder if he’ll ever remember Maggie.

How did the Pele books come together?
It took years to come up with published books. The first one because I had to learn how to write, edit and publish a book. The second one because I wrote Fatal Winds (see below) in between the Pele books. I bought the cover photo for Pele’s Realm for $300 from G. Brad Lewis, a volcano photographer. When I saw it on the internet, I had to have it. At that time, I was co-owner of Silverjack Publishing. I did all the layout and cover design. The printing was done locally in Farmington by Accent printers, the binding was done in Albuquerque. I was truly self-published. The cover for Pele’s Children came off the internet. Since I was no longer involved in the publishing house, it was published through Amazon’s KDP publishing arm. I lack the patience for dealing with agents, etc.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
My favorite part of writing Pele’s Children was the vicarious trips to the islands—revisiting my favorite waterfall and the volcano. I can still recall my awe when viewing my first eruption. I loved the feel of the air, the easy charm of the people, solo papayas, swimming in the ocean, ethnic foods and the aloha spirit. When I wrote the Pele books, I remembered all of this with great fondness.

Fatal Winds became your passion project after writing the first Pele book. Tell us about this “in between” novel.
Fatal Winds is a story about Downwinders (victims of radioactive fallout during the era of atomic bomb testing in the Nevada desert after winds carried the fallout hundreds of miles from the test site). I’m a Downwinder. That book became my passion and took 12 years to write because of extensive research, but mostly because of becoming so emotional, I had to take long breaks. Fatal Winds just won an International Impact Book Award.

What first inspired you to be a writer, and when did you actually consider yourself a writer?
I had no plans to become an author until my sister suggested I write a book about Leilani Kim’s murder by the Hawaiian Mafia. Nobody was ever arrested for her murder. So, I changed the names to protect the innocent, namely me, and got busy. It is only after publishing Pele’s Children and winning several awards for books and short stories that I’ve started considering myself an author/writer. I notice people around town are beginning to acknowledge me as an author.

What are the challenges of writing a series?
The challenges of writing a sequel are providing enough information from the first book that the reader knows the backstory, without telling so much that people who’ve read the first book wonder why I’m including all that information.

Which do you prefer: the creating, editing or researching aspect of a writing project?
The creative process is pure joy. I don’t mind editing and researching, but beyond that, I’m not a fan of publishing and selling,

Describe your writing process.
I’m a “seat of the pants” writer. I don’t outline, plan or plot. All I need is a chair and a computer. I think best in front of my laptop. I never write longhand first. I once did NaNoWriMo and got into a stream of consciousness and wrote a book in three weeks—still to be edited and published.

What kinds of scenes do you find most difficult to write?
Sex scenes. It’s hard for me to get the emotion and keep away from the graphic. I think I’m much better in Pele’s Children than in Pele’s Realm. I took tips from Ayn Rand. I think she writes the best sex scenes. The other thing I find challenging is shootouts and fights. One of my colleagues is the best. I get critiques from him.

Your writing takes several forms — short stories, novels, poetry. Is there one form you’re drawn to the most when you write or read?
My first love is novels. I like a fast-paced book and I get bored when there’s so much background the foreground goes underground. I recently read a historical romance novel that was a trudge because of so much history and little action. As for poetry, it is truly beyond me. Even though I’ve written it, I don’t think I know what I’m doing.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m writing memoirs. I’m the last of my generation who was raised on farms and ranches. Unlike my younger siblings and cousins, I knew my grandfather who was larger than life, a politician, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, and successful rancher and farmer with five sons to do his bidding. Even though I was a child, I remember vividly FDR’s “This is a day that will live in infamy” speech about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and I remember the WWII years. If I don’t preserve my perception of those years, and write about grandma and grandpa, all will be lost in time. I don’t have children so I’m doing this for my nephews and their progeny. When I finish that, I’ll move on to Maryanne Winslow, a western with a female protagonist. It began as a short story for San Juan Writers’ first anthology and expanded into a full novel during my NaNoWriMo experience.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
When I began to write, I wrote because I had something to say. It was a burning desire. Now I write because I can and for the pure joy of it. I hope that comes through in my stories. This I do know about my writing: nothing happens if I don’t put butt in chair and start typing.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



An Interview with Author Roger Floyd

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Roger Floyd is a retired research virologist who is now a science fiction author of short stories and novels. He harnesses a fascination with outer space and space travel to bring readers on a journey with his characters to other planets and the stars beyond. In his debut novel, Explorer: Part I of the Anthanian Imperative Trilogy (August 2024), a team of explorers from a dying planet investigate their civilization’s best chance for survival. Look for Roger on his website RogerFloyd.com. Explorer is available in most bookstores, through IngramSpark, and from Amazon.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Explorer?
I think the most important takeaway for readers of Explorer is the fact that space travel isn’t going to be as simple and easy as all the popular fiction stories make it out to be. We see TV, movies, books, comics, etc, all the time which make it so easy to just get on a spaceship and travel to all sorts of places in the galaxy. Or even out of it. While these stories are fun and enjoyable, they’re somewhat misleading. It won’t be that easy. There’s a certain naivety in that concept, a certain laissez-faire attitude that can’t be brushed aside in real life. We’ve already seen some of the most unfortunate results of that attitude: Apollo 1, Apollo 13, Columbia, Challenger. Yet in the popular media, characters travel thousands of light years in a short amount of time in comfort and ease. I suggest we modify our expectations of space travel somewhat and realize it won’t be as wonderful as we make it out. We humans are highly sophisticated in terms of understanding our world and the environment around us, certainly, but we still have a lot to learn about other worlds, even just the ones close by. I, personally, would love to be among the first to land on Mars, but it still will be a very dangerous journey.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Since this was my first large scale work, and in fiction (I’d only written scientific articles before), I had to learn how to write in a completely different way. I’d never done fiction at all. I started by getting subscriptions to writing magazines. I picked up books on writing, especially writing sci-fi, and I began attending meetings and conferences. I’d read mostly nonfiction in my early years, but I’d read some fiction, and I thought I knew enough to at least get started. So I did. But the challenges of fiction still made it necessary for me to delve into the process of writing in a big way.

Tell us a little about a few of your main characters and why you chose them to carry the story.
At first, the two main characters, Lilea and Jad, were simply two names out of ten that I developed when I was laying out the main story of the book. My first thought was to not use any one person as a main character and tell the story from the POV of each of the different characters. But I soon realize that concept wouldn’t work—too many characters for the reader to keep track of. I settled on Lilea because she was the youngest on the team, and the one with the least amount of space experience, and the least amount of training. What better person to watch grow as the story unfolds? Jad, on the other hand, was highly experienced and well trained, both in space flight and in his chosen field. Growth for him would be much more difficult. An interesting juxtaposition.

How did the book come together?
The main story idea came about over a period of several years. I was living in Cincinnati at the time, and the autumns in Cincinnati are spectacular. While watching the leaves fall one year, I wondered what a visitor from another world would think if he (she?) landed on Earth at that time. Would they think the trees are dying? From that basic concept I developed the story that became Explorer. Of course, I had to develop a good reason for them to visit Earth, and from that work back to their homeworld and make up all the details that went along with it. I started the book in 1998, and got a first draft of 248,000 words finished around 2003. Wow. Way too big. I began cutting and revising and cutting and revising for years, and never really finished it until 2023 when I declared it finished and copyrighted it. Done. (In the meantime, I wrote the second and third books of the trilogy.) Probably the most difficult aspect of writing was learning how to cut. Cut–cut–cut. I kept telling myself, “Everything I cut always makes the book better, even if I’m cutting out some things I like.”

What was the most difficult aspect of world building for Explorer?
The most difficult aspect of world building was not only developing the characters’ homeworld of Anthanos, but finding out what Earth looked like around 15,000 years ago when the story takes place. Research was essential more for the second point than the first. I did a lot of Google research, but much of what I needed wasn’t online. Living in Cincinnati, I went over to the library at the University of Cincinnati and found several books on Earth around the time of the Pleistocene Era, the time of the Ice Ages.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
Getting the first books from the printer.

Was it always your plan to write a trilogy? If not, at what point did you realize you needed more than one book to tell your story?
I didn’t start out to write a trilogy. That developed after I finished the basic story for Explorer and realized I wanted to continue the story. That developed into Traveler (part 2) and later into Warrior (part 3).

You began your fiction writing career later in life. What did your mature self bring to the writing table that your younger self never could have?
Probably a life of research which required absolute attention to detail and a commitment to finding out everything I could about a research project.

Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently if you started your writing/publishing career today?
Writing the second and third books of the trilogy went more quickly than Explorer. The second took about five years, the third about three. I suspect I learned a lot about writing just by writing novels.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?
I have an affinity for both creating and editing. Research comes naturally, having done it for years.

What does a typical writing session look like for you? Do you have any writing rituals or something you absolutely need in order to write?
I tend to write in the afternoon and evening. I’m not one of those who gets up at 3:30 am and writes just because it’s quiet or I’m rested or the kids are asleep. Generally, I like quiet when writing, or if I play music, it’s classical music. Rituals? No. Just sit down and boot up the computer.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Right now, I’m finishing the second in the trilogy, Traveler, working with the artist to get the cover and interior art done, and formatting the manuscript to get it ready for the printer. All very enjoyable.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Yes. Buy the book! It’s available in most bookstores (highly recommended), through IngramSpark (also recommended), and from Amazon.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



An Interview with Author Linda Davis-Kyle

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Linda Davis-Kyle is a nonfiction writer whose work focuses on natural health and fitness of body, mind, and spirit, as well as fostering critical thinking. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous journals and periodicals in over a dozen countries on five continents. She has also authored eight books that include Real Food for Real People: Just Say “No” to GMOs and two series: Your Writing Matters and Writing About Animals. Her newest release, Writing about Your Pets #1: Questions & Prompts for ’Tweens, Teens & Beyond (July 2024), “offers loads of imagination-stretching and heart-warming prompts that reward young and mature wordsmiths, alike, with a more caring view of their pets and a more loving image of themselves.” Look for Linda on her website WritingNow.com, on LinkedIn and her Amazon author page.

Why did you write the book, and who did you write it for?
I envisioned that Writing about Your Pets #1 would be of value to ’tweens and teens who long to write but need a topic that naturally grabs their attention and won’t let go. Indeed, young and mature writers alike may find their pets to be such a topic. Approaches to writing about pets are infinite. Think about the almost unbelievable unconditional love from precious pets, their amazing antics, their great feats, their resemblances to their “pet” moms and dads, and even how pets, while being treasured and looked after, actually boost the health of those who love and care for them, as well.

Writing about Your Pets #1 also is especially useful for parents, grandparents, single parents, foster parents, and homeschoolers. In this upside-down world, sometimes pre-teens and teens often are shuffled and misplaced in the whirlwind schedules of their overworked and over-stressed families. Some families simply have no clue how to engage with their seemingly irrepressible ’tweens and teens, even though they may have had spectacularly positive ways of relating when those same children were toddlers. Even the meager five minutes, every now and then, that parents manage to muster to try to give time to older children may go awry again and again.

That’s where Pets #1 can come to the rescue either to help heal earlier upsets or to prevent future problems. Truly, if a parent and ’tween or teen mutually share the unconditional love from their family pet, for example, then they can use this phenomenal bond to anchor their own relationship. Here’s how. The ebook is abundant with useful power-packed, thought-provoking topics. If together they choose just one prompt or question from Pets #1 each evening or each week, for as many times as they like, and together entertain fun ways to write about their selected target topic, then these happy head-to-head chats can boost not only the progress and productivity of that young wordsmith but also can reinstate the precious bond that formerly had tied the two. Each young writer-in-the-making will feel heard and appreciated, and each new “fan” will feel included in the everyday life of their young writer. Here is an example prompt:

Pets, in a way, are our greatest teachers. Write about how your pets are happy just to be with you. To sit with you in silence, to ride along with you, to walk or run with you with no regrets about yesterday and no frets about tomorrow—that’s your happy pet modeling the beautiful concept of living in the moment.

Why not try this little sample with your own cherished young writer? Feel the difference that having communicated happily, as often as reasonably possible, yields an uplifting, strengthening, and empowering, undreamed of victory for both of you time after time. Oh. Be sure to invite your young writer to read aloud each masterpiece the evening after they compose it while you listen intently to hear their heartfelt message loud and clear. This meeting of the minds can manifest miracles.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Statistics from sources such as the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook and the American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey typically reveal dogs winning the hearts of the greatest number of households, cats capturing the second highest group, freshwater fish ranking third, and birds attracting the fourth largest number.

In general, dogs and cats consistently draw the largest number of adoring families. Beyond those treasured pets, fishes, birds, reptiles, other types of small pets, and horses, all in the millions, also are given happy living spaces with caring families of all shapes and sizes.

While researching and studying the numerous favorites, it seemed logical to group together these domesticated mammals—dogs, cats, rabbits, ponies, and horses—to include in Writing about Your Pets #1. Wanting to make sure also to write about other family favorites such as fishes of many species, birds, and reptiles as pets, plus amphibians, that many owner-survey type publications seem to overlook, I saved those, also favored by many, for Writing about Your Pets #2, in progress.

I wanted to recognize the animals in each book in an even-handed presentation to keep the different groups who appreciate them happy. Asking similar questions and prompts for young and mature writers to pursue about different mammal species made it practical in Pets #1. I had to deal with another challenge, though. Some sources focus on animals and pets as a menace. I barely noted the negative side. I deliberately chose to concentrate on the positive side. My goal is to encourage young and mature alike who may use Pets #1 to write about what animals can teach us, how their pets demonstrate unconditional love and living in the moment, how their pets see them, what pets contribute to their families, and other unique approaches that keep their writing on a positive note. Check out this sample:

The words “Man’s best friend” attest to the unconditional love from dogs. Animals of many other species also honor us with their devotion and unconditional love. Our pets truly do add joy to our lives. Perhaps they even add years to that joy.

How about talking heart-to-heart about this brief sample with your precious writer in your family—young or mature—and let the sharing elevate their confidence to write another gem knowing that you care about them and have a true interest in what they write.

How is the book structured and why did you choose to put it together that way?
Pets #1 opens with words of encouragement, writing tips, and a secret to beginners but a proven path to success that some longtime writers may hold dear. I suggest that polishing writing skills through practicing writing warmups, writing from many angles, and proceeding incrementally could speed writers along their way. I introduce statistics that rank pets to hope that writers might choose to write to speak up for their favorite pals even if their pet does not hold an envious popular position. Because canines typically rank highest followed by felines, I devote the next two chapters to dogs and cats, respectively.

Following the chapter on cats, I focus on well-being and include the concept of nature versus nurture, the value placed on pets, the importance of staying healthy, the significance of good pet nutrition, choosing houseplants that are safe for your pets, the importance of sleep, and, among other topics, the benefits animals and humans contribute to each other.

After this little break that shares ideas common to both groups, I introduce other mammals—sweet bunnies, magnificent horses, and precious ponies—to create a fresh, new start for readers and writers. In each of the pet-focused chapters, I tried to write even-handedly using similar questions and similar writing prompts for each pet while admiring all of them as those who have only one favorite pet type might feel to keep the readers and writers happy.

In “Chapter Eight. Urging You Onward,” the final chapter, I offer some suggestions to help writers to write more fully and to power up their writing. Consider the following thought:

Now that you are viewing the conclusion of Writing about Your Pets #1, enjoy reflecting on how much better you feel about your wonderful writing skills having been led in practices with these precious animals and others introduced. Write about how thinking about the awesome role that animals play in our lives when it seems that only our animals understand us and love us unconditionally.

If you have used this ebook to encourage a young or mature writer friend, then encourage them to write about the changes they feel from having had an adoring person by their side to cheer them along their writing journey.

Do you have a favorite quote from Writing about Your Pets #1 that you’d like to share?
“Writing helps you with self-discovery. Having a trusted animal friend who never will judge you, mock your heartfelt words, or disclose your secrets will help you to see through a lens unlike any others you may have experienced before. Writing from such a unique viewpoint can help you come upon answers. Through your writing, you may begin to resolve unspoken issues that have gnawed at you for years.”

Any “Oh, wow!” moments while doing research for this book?
Pets #1 introduced Lizette Borreli’s article “Man’s Best Friend May Boost Immune System: 6 Health Benefits of Owning a Dog” that appeared in Medical Daily and documented it in the sources for readers. Those who are adoring pet parents to dogs already know well most of the six benefits and have little need of the article. The first three benefits are that (1) dogs demand daily fun walks; so, you benefit from the pleasant exercise. (2) Dogs also reduce your stress level, and (3) they keep you from being depressed. A peek at the article reveals three other pluses, as well.

If you are enchanted with kind and gentle cats, then you will be happy to learn that the cat purr vibrations are believed by some to be medically therapeutic. Pets #1 has enumerated seven almost magical modes that may have gone unknown to most people.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
I liked logically choosing four popular mammals—dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and ponies — to build Pets #1. It was fun thinking through questions and prompts to share. Wishing so very heartily that I can be blessed someday to write fictional stories that readers might relish, I loved tinkering with fictional startups for beginners to tackle and to complete with their best story writing skills; and, I do so wish them well with their efforts, if my little setups may help them to get rolling on writing great stories to share with others.

It also was fun finding photos to illustrate the ebook. In the Acknowledgments, I gratefully noted each contributor and named their pets. Following the Contributors section, I listed and identified the photographers, attributed their work with their copyright, even though their fine photos were offered without copyright. Only one was able to respond to my effort to remit a sum by PayPal for their coffee funds. I remain grateful and hope that readers and writers will like their photos.

Of the eight books you’ve published, which one was the most challenging?
My Real Food for Real People: Just Say “No” to GMOs definitely has been the most difficult. My goal with the various versions has been to help families of all shapes and sizes with nourishing and nurturing their tots to teens and beyond. It offers “adventure foods” to make serving the most nutrient-dense foods — that some children simply hate—a pleasure. To make learning delightful for precious youngsters, it gives tips for turning sunlit home kitchens filled with the aroma of cinnamon or another delightful scent into useful “laboratories for learning.” Wholesome organic and regeneratively produced foods kept free from harmful pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides protect tots, teens, and adults and fortify good emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Such careful nutrition makes learning and teaching easier. The book offers much-needed kitchen safety tips, too. It also encourages saving the honeybees.

Real Food for Real People fully celebrates and vehemently supports the organic and regenerative local farmers around the world and maintains that they absolutely must be honored with their rights to own their own lands, to own and save their own natural seeds from season to season, and to grow their crops in the logical way that creates rich, healthy, living soil. Yes. “Living soil.” Their work with Mother Nature must be rewarded, never thwarted by those who seek to end their noble use of logic and common sense.

In Part Two of the book, Jaz Brown of Nourished by Nature even adds a stunning revelation about Sequestering 197 Tons of CO2 that everyone needs to know.

If you want to help our noble food growers, then here’s how. This ebook brings to your fingertips more than 100 websites of small organic and regenerative food producers and marketers around the world. Good food growers from your own local area may be included.

You can honor hard-working food growers who treasure the “living,” life-giving soil by buying from them locally or ordering foods from them and by turning your back on non-nutritive, synthetic, and chemical-laden factory foods bereft of nutrition. This ebook shares 35+ books of interest to parents, lists 30+ must-see movies and documentaries, and it is equivalent to about 340 pages as a print book.

Real Food for Real People also includes family bonding times of reading, playing wholesome family games, worshiping, and traveling together to make every day — sunrise to sunset — a celebration of life for you and all those you love. Think of it this way, the diligent stewards of the land help to make happy, healthy families. Without our honest, life-honoring farmers, ranchers, fishers, and dairies, there will be no food. Director Roman Balmakov said it best with his documentary, No Farmers No Food: Will You Eat the Bugs?

Which of your books was the most enjoyable to write?
I loved Teaching English to Children because it contains many fundamentals in the form of fun Mind Maps® based on the method of the late Tony Buzan to fortify learning and to boost memory. The ebook can serve as a welcome supplement for educators and homeschoolers when they need a little break from lesson planning or a quick bit of help in a time pinch.

It includes Mind Maps of Defining the Parts of Speech with Words and Images, Reviewing the Fun Roles of the Parts of Speech, Conquering Some Troublesome Words, Composing Sentences, Composing Paragraphs, Tips to Help Organize Your Writing, Writing a Play, and Focusing on Fitness.

In addition, grammatical rules often are built quietly into the questions, comments, writing exercises, and other activities to work fully together. Teaching English to Children brings robust additional fun elements to foster critical thinking and to encourage pleasant musings about the world.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.