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An Interview with Author Bryan James Beck

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Author and artist Bryan James Beck has always believed that storytelling has the power to transform lives, and as a storyteller the genres he loves to write are as varied as his reading interests. To that end, he published five novels in a five-month period from late 2025 to early 2026. His debut, A Debt in Time (September 2025), is book one in the time travel Ancestral Debt Anthology, with A Debt Remembered (October 2025) and A Debt Returned (February 2026) making up books two and three, respectively, in the ongoing series. He also managed to release the murder mystery Blood & Wine (Michael Flaherty Noir, Book 1) in November 2025 plus a secret novel in January 2026 written under a pen name. Look for Bryan on Facebook and his Amazon author store.

How did you manage to publish five books in less than six months?
To be fully transparent, I’m diagnosed as AuDHD, and I experience intense periods of hyperfocus. When I lock into a story, I am fully absorbed in it until it’s finished. Even while working a full-time 9–5 job as a bank manager, I’ve been putting an additional 40–80 hours a week into writing, editing, and marketing.

I’m also a perfectionist, and I hold myself to a very high standard. While some of these books were written quickly—sometimes in as little as a week—I spent anywhere from a month to several months editing each one. By the time I published my debut novel, I already had several strong rough manuscripts completed. I simply chose the one I felt was strongest to lead with, which made the publishing schedule much more manageable.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in the Ancestral Debt Anthology?
At its core, the anthology is an emotional story about family legacy and learning to believe in oneself. It isn’t afraid to explore deeper emotional truths about life—and the thin line that separates life from death. It’s about the cost of time travel, and how one family’s destiny is intertwined with a mysterious chest that passes from generation to generation. It also explores the debts and karma we inherit from our ancestors, alongside the treasures they leave behind.

Family legacy is woven throughout the series, and while these are the first three books, they represent only the beginning. Each novel follows a different character’s journey through time, and there are many more stories still to come.

Who are the main characters, and why will readers connect to them? Is there one point of view you enjoyed writing more than another?
The first book, A Debt in Time, follows James Manning, a capable but brokenhearted young man who inherits the ancestral debt after his great-grandfather’s death—along with a strange, magical chest. At the beginning, James doesn’t believe in himself, but through his travels, he learns that he’s far more capable than he ever imagined. He also discovers that he’s more worthy of love than his ex-girlfriend led him to believe.

The second book, A Debt Remembered, follows Robert Gagne, James’s great-grandfather. Robert survives his journey through time using a different kind of strength. He relies on wit, intelligence, and sheer determination. He isn’t a fighter like James; he values love and knowledge above all else. His heart aches across centuries, and ultimately, he realizes that the love he truly wants is the one he left behind.

A Debt Returned, the third book, follows both Ivy Manning and Lucien Vireon. Ivy is James’s great-granddaughter, and the inheritor of his chest after him. Lucien is a distant cousin who believes he is entitled to the chest and its power. Ivy is a young girl who ends up taking the most difficult path yet, becoming much more than she ever thought she could be.

My favorite POV has been Ivy, although I enjoyed all of them thoroughly. Even Lucien was fun to write.

What themes do you explore in the series? Are they important to you on a personal level?
The first book is very much a coming-of-age story about learning to believe in oneself. The second book leans more into the emotional and historical cost of time travel while expanding the world’s depth and lore. It focuses on the yearning for connection across generations—sometimes a connection that is impossible without time travel. The third book explores the true cost of time travel and the legacy of family. It’s about sacrifice—what we give up to save the people we love. It also examines love versus darkness, and who truly has the right to wield the power of the chest.

These themes are deeply personal to me. They reflect how I think about family, responsibility, and the weight of choices passed down through generations.

Tell us more about how the Ancestral Debt Anthology came together.
The spark for the story came while researching my own family tree. I discovered that I’m a descendant of Charlemagne—and from there, I learned that most people in Europe, and therefore America, are as well. I also traced my ancestry back to Ireland and Scotland. That inspired me to write a story that stretches through time, showing what life might have been like across different eras of my own family’s history. I’ve always loved time travel stories, but I wanted something unique in how the magic worked. I didn’t want science fiction—I wanted magic. That’s where the concept of the Ancestral Debt and the time-traveling chest was born.

I began writing A Debt in Time in January of 2024. The book was ready by July 2025 and scheduled for publication on September 15, 2025. Much of that time was spent editing. I worked with a professional editor, a critique group through SWW, and did extensive self-editing. I also spent nearly a year reading over a hundred books across genres—from craft books to fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, horror, historical fiction, romance, and erotica.

Shortly after book one was ready, I went on an annual camping trip with my family—a tradition filled with love, laughter, and reflection. When I returned, I was inspired to write the sequel, A Debt Remembered. I wrote it in one intense week—about 100 hours of nonstop writing—followed by four weeks of focused editing. It was ready for publication even before A Debt in Time was released in September 2025, so I scheduled book two for October 2025.

I started writing A Debt Returned on December 8, 2025 and finished editing and ordering ARCs by January 7, 2026. Honestly, I think A Debt Returned is my best work yet. Even though I write quickly, I don’t believe I’m sacrificing quality. If anything, I’ve learned how to balance speed with care.

What makes the series unique in the time travel genre?
The series centers on a magically inherited time-traveling chest—one that forces its inheritors to travel through time, even when they don’t want to. It doesn’t treat time travel as an adventure without consequences. Instead, it fully embraces the emotional cost of being displaced from your own life, your own time, and the people you love.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
My favorite part was the research. I loved learning about different eras—the food, the architecture, the history, the people, the language. It was incredibly immersive, and sometimes it was honestly hard to stop.

With time travel you are essentially writing historical fiction. What sort of decisions did you make in order for your time travel books to work?
When choosing eras for each character’s journey, I made sure they made sense in terms of why the magic would send that particular person to that moment in time. Each character has skills—whether or not they realize it—that allow them to save the life they’re sent for. With Robert, I focused on knowledge. With James, physical strength. And with Ivy, learning and love.

Did you learn any lessons from writing/publishing A Debt in Time and A Debt Remembered that you applied to book three, A Debt Returned? How about Blood & Wine, the first of your murder mystery series?
Absolutely. Each book has taught me something new. Through editing and critique, I’ve learned how to better balance showing versus telling, how to establish a stronger character voice, and how to trust emotional moments rather than over-explaining them. I genuinely believe my writing has improved with each release. A Debt Returned is the strongest book I’ve presented so far, and that growth carries into Blood & Wine as well.

What challenges did you encounter in writing your series? Did the challenges surprise you? How did you negotiate these possible stumbling blocks?
I expected writing a series to be more difficult than it has been so far. When I wrote A Debt Remembered, the story flowed naturally—I already knew the world and loved the characters. With A Debt Returned, it felt like the story demanded to be told. That said, I do recognize long-term challenges: running out of ideas, losing momentum, or creating plot holes—especially with time travel. That’s why I’ve begun planning the overarching arc in advance. I currently have the next twelve books planned for the Ancestral Debt Anthology, along with multiple books planned for the Michael Flaherty Noir series and my pen-name series. What’s funny is that I also have several unpublished series waiting in the wings, all with strong characters capable of carrying long arcs.

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 wake up early every day—around 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. Since I don’t need to leave for work until 7:30, I write until it’s time to get ready. When I get home, I write again from about 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. That’s typically 4–6 hours a day, on top of my full-time job as a bank manager. On days off, if I don’t have family events or errands, I’ll write from early morning until late evening—sometimes 16 or 17 hours.

I have a dedicated writing space: a specific seat, desk, and tablet, surrounded by bookshelves. In the morning, I write with coffee. In the evening, it might be tea—or sometimes a scotch, Irish whiskey, or a Guinness. Then I disappear into story.

How has the creativity/discipline you employ as an artist helped you in your writing journey?
I used to tell stories with a single image, spending five to ten hours capturing fine details and the essence of a person. I now apply that same eye for detail to my writing. I want my prose to flow, to hook the reader, and to make them feel something. I also design my own book covers, and I plan to release special editions someday featuring artwork for each chapter.

As a noir murder mystery, Blood & Wine is a huge departure from the time travel fantasy genre of the Ancestral Debt Anthology. What made you choose this different genre?
I love thrillers, noir, and mystery novels, and I want to write in all the genres I love. So far, that includes time travel historical fantasy, noir murder mystery, erotica, science fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, and even children’s stories.

Share your elevator pitch for Blood & Wine.
A disfigured former Navy SEAL comes to a quiet New Mexico wine town to disappear—only to be framed for murder. Teaming up with a traumatized local investigator, he uncovers a conspiracy of corruption, missing women, and violence that’s been fermenting for years. Blood & Wine is a gritty noir about scars you can see—and the ones you can’t.

What do you like or respect most about the mystery’s main character?
Michael Flaherty wants peace. He’s seen the worst of humanity and wants nothing more than to disappear. But when people need help, he can’t turn away. He has the skillset, the instincts, and the burden of someone who knows what happens when he doesn’t act.

What writing projects are you working on now? Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
My current focus is Blood & Ice, the sequel to Blood & Wine, which continues following Michael Flaherty and Gracie Kim on their journey together.

I’m also planning to attend as many events as possible this year, including ABQ Collective events, Southwest Comic & Creators Con, Bubonicon (if accepted), and local bookstore signings. I’ve already held a signing at Books on the Bosque and have two scheduled in April 2026—April 25th at COAS Bookstore in Las Cruces, New Mexico and April 26th at Avalon Bookstore in Silver City, New Mexico.

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 Ruth Wilson

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Ruth Wilson, Ph.D. has devoted most of her wide-ranging seven-decade career to connecting young children with nature. Among her varied positions, she worked as an educator and teacher educator, as a consultant on projects for Sesame Street and Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo (to name a few), and as the curator for the Children & Nature Network Research Library. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications and she is the author of ten nonfiction books. Ruth’s most recent release, Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years (Routledge, October 2025), illustrates “ways nature and spirituality can contribute to quality of life during the early childhood years and beyond” and “emphasizes the idea of children’s whole-body engagement, challenging the idea that spirituality is relevant to the mind and spirit only.” Look for her on her website ChildrenAndNature.org. Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers.

When you began writing Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years, what did you hope to accomplish? By the end of the journey, do you feel you were successful in your goal(s)?
My hope in writing Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years was to highlight the importance of the spiritual dimensions of children’s connectedness to nature. Interest in connecting children with nature has grown at a dramatic rate over the past few decades, but only limited attention has been given to the spiritual dimensions of nature connectedness. I feel I’ve been successful in articulating the meaning and importance of these spiritual dimensions. I also feel I’ve identified some specific ways to nurture children’s spiritual development through nature engagement. My feelings about the success of this book was recently reinforced by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley recognizing it as one of their favorite books for educators in 2025.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
I knew from the beginning that I would have several challenges to deal with. The first challenge relates to the way in which many people equate spirituality with religion. This misunderstanding leads to concerns about promoting spirituality in public education programs. Another challenge relates to the definition of spirituality. Trying to define spirituality in a way that is understandable to different people is difficult. A third challenge relates to current trends in the curricular standards for education. Spirituality is rarely addressed.

How is the book structured and why did you choose to put it together that way?
The book is structured around three main areas: the meaning and importance of nature in the lives of children, the meaning and importance of spirituality in children’s lives, and ways to nurture children’s spirituality through nature engagement. I chose this organizational format to clarify the meaning of nature and spirituality and to offer some practical ideas on how educators might apply the information to their work with children.

Tell us about the journey from inspiration to publication.
This is my tenth published book. In some ways, it pulls together many of the ideas I addressed in previous books and articles. The idea of pulling these thoughts together and highlighting what I thought was most important in my previous work was a primary motivation in writing this book. I had written about nature and spirituality in other books and articles but never really did justice to the integration of these two areas. My real push to begin goes back to conversations I’ve had with others working to connect children with nature. I’ve been impressed with their zeal and dedication. Through conversations, I realized that some of what they were doing and noticing in their work with children needed clearer articulation in the literature. After I arrived at a vision of what I wanted this book to accomplish, it took me about a year to write it. Finding a publisher wasn’t difficult, as I had written several other books for this publisher (Routledge). I knew who to contact and was familiar with the types of books they were interested in.

Do you have a favorite quote from the book that you’d like to share?
“What we all seem to be yearning for are deeper and more soul-ful connections with the world around us.” (p.3)

Any “Oh, wow!” moments while doing research for this book?
Research for this book included investigations into different worldviews. This research led me to a deeper understanding of how much the way we view the world impacts our nature-related feelings and actions. I realized, for example, that the dominant culture in Western countries tends to be a “culture of functioning.” Such a culture allows for ”take-what-you-can” behaviors. A kinship-based culture, on the other hand, prioritizes co-existence, peace, and reciprocity.

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting the project together?
The most rewarding part for me was the support and feedback I received from colleagues who reviewed an early draft of the book.

Of all the books you’ve written, which one was the most challenging and which was the easiest (or most enjoyable) to write?
Of the ten books I’ve written, this one was the most enjoyable—and maybe the easiest. I had my earlier work to draw from, and experiences from writing other books helped me organize the material for this book. I had more resources and a better understanding about how to keep the process of writing organized. I also enjoyed the freedom I gave myself to articulate ideas that were important to me.

What do you want to be known for as an author?
I’d like to be known for honesty in my work and for highlighting the role of our spiritual connections with nature.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working on two different writing projects: one, an academic book on ecological identity; the other, a hybrid memoir integrating stories from my life with stories from my deceased husband’s life. I’m also investing time and energy into writing more original poetry.

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 O’labumi Brown

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O’labumi Brown is a retired teacher turned memoirist who is committed to writing with joy and honesty. Her debut memoir, Hairalujah (June 2025), uses a “unique blend of poetic prose and unflinching honesty” to explore “generational wounds, queer identity, recovery, and redemption. It’s a story about the messy, beautiful process of healing—and the courage it takes to reclaim your own narrative.” You’ll find O’labumi on her website Olabumi.com and her Amazon author page. Hairalujah is also available at the independent bookstores Page 1 Books and Organic Books in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Why did you write Hairalujah and who did you write it for? When readers turn the last page of the book what do you hope they’ll take away from it?
Hairalujah (without my realizing it) started as a grad school assignment when the professor asked the class to tell a personal story about ourselves. So, the first pages were for school. My hope is that readers will walk away holding my testimony of transformation and know that even the most broken pieces in a person’s life can be forged into something divine.

What prompted the push to begin the project that became your memoir?
My life was in a shambles. I was suffering emotionally. My mother was dying, my sister was in a wheelchair and awaiting a double hip replacement, and I was going through divorce. I was desperate to find a healing comfort I could trust. One evening amid sobs, I felt myself returning to that school‑day when I felt a spark and my words caught fire as I began to write about me. Rejoicing in this memory I pulled up a chair and started to write.

Did you ever feel you were revealing too much about yourself while you were writing Hairalujah?
No. Before I started writing Hairalujah I promised myself to tell it like it was or not at all.

What did your mature self-bring to the writing table that your younger self never could have?
Living long enough to have passed through the fire and emerge whole, still glowing, and ready to reveal how I found myself on the other side of the flames.

Tell us how you decided on the book’s structure as well as how to end it. Who designed the book cover?
Honestly, when I started this literary journey, there wasn’t a structure. I picked up a pen and just started writing. Later I joined writing workshops and started learning about the cycle of shaping, reshaping, and being reshaped by this work. After my mother passed my sister found a letter she’d written to me and never mailed. As soon as it landed in my hands, I knew it was the book’s finial note. My vision for the cover design emerged as I collaborated with my good friend Lee Stringer. The self-taught graphic designer finalized the book cover.

How did you choose the title of the book?
Since the memoir dances metaphorically using images of black hair culture, I wanted the title to reflect that. In the initial stages the title kept combing through itself, shedding strands until “Hairalujah” finally let go of its split ends.

What was an unexpected benefit of writing Hairalujah?
When my short story from the memoir, “Romance on the Ironhorse,” was published in Between the Covers: An Adult Romance Anthology.

What was the most difficult aspect of publishing your memoir?
The most traumatic and unexpected thing that happened at the time of Hairalujah’s publishing was my sister’s death. So instead of celebrating, I mourned.

Do you have other creative outlets outside of writing?
I adore narratives of psychological suspense, thrillers, historical fiction, dark fantasy, traveling, meeting cool new people and losing myself in the thump and swirl of house music.

What is the best encouragement or advice you’ve received in your writing journey?
Early on, dyslexia froze my passion for writing. I was, and still am, a horrible speller and I used that as proof that I wasn’t meant to write. Until another writer gently reminded me, that a writer doesn’t have to be everything.

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 New Releases for SWW Authors #6

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Chris Allen, Gency Brown, Donna Pedace, Keith Pyeatt, and Sharon Kayne represent the genre-diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW). Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for most of these authors.

A list of interviewed SWW authors with 2025 releases is included at the end of this post.

The Music of Creation (Artemesia Publishing, November 2025) by Paul J. Knight and SWW member Chris Allen.

In a universe where music is a narcotic, an alien must protect a brilliant Irish composer from abduction. Music from Earth has a profound impact on alien species who use it as a mind-altering drug. A ruthless off-world cartel called the Abductors hunt musicians to sell as commodities. But the Protectors are dedicated to guarding musicians from these ruthless traffickers. When brilliant teenage composer Ryan (a boy whose music can alter space) is discovered in Ireland, the Abductors plot to capture him, and novice Protector Lindsey is sent to protect the boy and his family. Against the turmoil of an intergalactic war, Lindsey must succeed before Ryan’s ability destroys the universe.

You’ll find The Music of Creation at Artemesia Publishing, Bookshop, and Amazon.

Light in the Dark Forest (November 2025) by Gency Brown.

Ava Hardy yearns for more than her job as a Tulsa Herald reporter. Her life, though comfortable, leaves questions about her future. Seeking clarity, she embarks on a sabbatical to a remote cabin in the mountains of Eastern Oklahoma. Surrounded by the breathtaking landscape, Ava finds new friendships, a budding romance, and solitude, which all inspire her creative spirit for writing her second novel. But her peace is shattered by a murder that unearths hidden truths from her past. Will it all lead to a greater understanding of her father and her destiny?

Look for Gency on her website at GencyBrown.com and on Facebook and Instagram. Light in the Dark Forest is available at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and her Amazon book store.

Women Warriors of WWII: Nancy Wake, The White Mouse (RMK Publications LLC, November 2025) by Donna Pedace.

Nancy Wake was one of the most decorated women of World War II and a symbol of courage and defiance against the Nazi occupation of France. As a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent working with the French Resistance, she organized sabotage missions and worked with thousands of Maquis fighters in guerrilla warfare ahead of the Allied invasion. Known to the Gestapo as “The White Mouse” for her uncanny ability to elude capture, she became a legend during her own lifetime. Wake’s fearless leadership and unwavering determination shattered the gender expectations of her era, making her an enduring icon of bravery and resilience. Her remarkable life — before, during, and after the war — is an inspiration to all who cherish freedom and justice.

You’ll find Donna on Facebook and her Amazon book store.

The Sirens of Sayhurn (December 2025) by Keith Pyeatt.

Passion can save a world… or destroy it.

In Sayhurn, sirens summon men not to doom them but to sire children and keep their fragile world alive. When one siren succumbs to forbidden desire, she inadvertently exposes her world to a charismatic opportunist who introduces drugs, addiction, and devastation to Sayhurn, threatening all they hold sacred. Erin, a woman scarred by betrayal, and Clayton, an unassuming handyman, are drawn into a battle for Sayhurn’s survival. Ultimately, it falls on Erin and Clayton to rescue the world they’ve come to love in this story of passion, addiction, and personal sacrifice.

Visit Keith on KeithPyeatt.com, Bluesky, Facebook, and Goodreads, as well as his Amazon book store.

Variations on a Romance (December 2025) by Sharon Kayne.

This spicy, slow-burn, second-chance historical romance is set in 1898 Colorado against the backdrop of the rugged West. Lily doesn’t know her husband Peter at all anymore. Eight months into her marriage, a horse-riding accident has left her with partial amnesia—she has no recollection of the past two years, which includes all of the time she’d known Peter. Lily wants desperately to fall in love with him again, and that need becomes even more crucial when she discovers she’s carrying his child. Peter is a quiet man. Courting Lily was difficult enough the first time. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her heart again, but running his ranch can’t just stop for a second courtship. After he loses one of his cattle to a wolf attack, Peter finds he has other matters—and dangers—to face. The book explores themes such as grief, need, and responsibility. Inspired by a true story.

Look for Sharon on her website SharonKayne.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her Amazon book store.

SWW Author Interviews: 2025 Releases

Tom Andes
Wait There Till You Hear From Me: A Charles Prentiss Novel

Irene Blea
Talking with Rudy: Platicando con Rudolfo Anaya

Marcia Butler
Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

Kira Córdova
Carma: How It Is

Dita Dow
Sins in Black

Patricia Gable
The Right Discovery

Peter Gooch
LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie

Holly Harrison
Death in the Land of Enchantment

A. Michael Hibner
The Gangs of Santa Fe

Wendy Johnson
Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves

Sharon Kayne
The Green Silk Gown

Ed Lehner
Sunset in Paris

Jack Woodville London
Dangerous Latitudes

Gary Lucero
The Unknown Race

David Menicucci
Two Centuries to Freedom, The True Story of One Family’s Two-Century Migration from Lucca, Italy, to New Mexico and Other American States

Lisa Page
Saving Cottonwood

Douglas W. Price
Livengoods Living Well

Lisa C. Taylor
The Shape of What Remains

Zachry Wheeler
Starship Eternity

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 New Releases for SWW Authors #5

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Kathleen A. Hessler, Diana Lee, Brian Montross, Rose Marie Kern, and Joseph Badal represent the genre-diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW). Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for most of these authors.

A list of interviewed SWW authors with 2025 releases is included at the end of this post.

Promise Me, Daughter: A Nurse Attorney Navigates Her Mother’s Early-Onset Alzheimer’s (October 2025) by Kathleen A. Hessler, JD, RN. Promise Me, Daughter highlights the heartbreaking dilemma that adult children often face when their parent is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease or other debilitating conditions—along with a loved one’s cry of “Promise me, promise me, that you will never, ever, put me in a nursing home!” A blend of a daughter’s journey, her mother’s story, and enlightening anecdotes, this memoir offers invaluable insights into many of the medical, healthcare, and legal issues that families may encounter during the course of a devastating disease. While not a self-help book, the author hopes the reader will gain practical insights and nuggets of comfort, courage, and confidence.

Look for Kathleen on LinkedIn. Promise Me, Daughter is available on Amazon.

Blood on the Ball (October 2025) by Diana Lee.

Blood on the Ball is a cozy (ish) flyball murder mystery. Sylvia is launched into the world of dog sports when she tries to find a way to occupy her cattle dog puppy, Cyrus. Flyball is a uniquely collaborative team sport. The experience starts off promising, and she begins making friends and learning the sport, but then Cyrus finds a human foot at practice and this launches an investigation into who the foot belonged to and what happened to the person. Finding those answers leads to uncovering secrets no one wants to know and coming to terms with the consequences.

You’ll find Diana on Facebook and her Amazon author page.

The Forbidden Strain (October 2025) by Brian Montross. Someone is rewriting the human genome—and the future of humanity. When a high-ranking government official is found murdered in a Santa Fe hotel, FBI Agent Liz Shaw and Detective Alejandro Hernandez are pulled into a case no one wants solved. Their investigation leads to a remote facility hidden beneath tribal land—Red Mesa Biotechnics—a company that claims to develop sustainable technology but is actually perfecting a serum that could extend human life for a thousand years. Children, missing from the reservation, are used as unwilling test subjects. Over it all, a new kind of intelligence is watching: EVE, a quantum-engineered bio-AI designed to manipulate DNA at the molecular level. Shaw, Hernandez, and their team must unravel a conspiracy older than science itself—one built on stolen gold, buried identities, and the bodies of the innocent.

Look for Brian on ThrillingTalesHub.blog and his Amazon author page.

The Trails and Trials of Father Theodosius Meyer (November 2025) by Fr. Theodosius. Rose Marie Kern, editor. In July 1914, a newly ordained Franciscan priest received orders to travel far from the small town of Oldenburg, Indiana where he’d grown up to the newly minted state of New Mexico. For nearly forty years Fr. Theo, strove to understand a wide diversity of cultures and languages in order to provide spiritual guidance to remote Catholic missions. He also built and renovated churches, schools and bridges throughout northern New Mexico, including the renowned St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe. He became the official chaplain to the New Mexico State Legislature and head of the committee which managed the annual Fiesta de Santa Fe. This memoir contains a first account view of life in a place just beginning to grow. The views and language reflect that of the era. Footnotes have been added by the publisher to enhance perspective.

Visit Rose on her websites at RoseMarieKern.com, SolarRanch.com, and RMKpublications.com. The Trails and Trials of Father Theodosius Meyer is available on Amazon.

SOULLESS: Curtis Chronicles Book #4 of 4 (Black Range Publishing, November 2025) by Joseph Badal. SOULLESS features Eddie Parnall and Tatiana Borodvic who were introduced in Joseph Badal’s novel JUSTICE, the third book in the Curtis Chronicles series. Parnall, a retired CIA agent, and Borodvic, a former Bulgarian Special Operator, join a high-octane cast of characters who starred in previous books in the Curtis Chronicles series. Joseph Badal introduces diabolical villains whom the reader will love to hate, while cheering on the good guys as they work to bring down evildoers. At a time when human trafficking has become a $150 billion-dollar annual business and a global catastrophe, SOULLESS offers a picture of the extent of this crime against humanity and puts the reader on a roller coaster ride of tension and suspense. The story is presented via well-drawn characters and dynamic dialogue that will entertain the most demanding thriller and mystery fans.

You’ll find Joe on JosephBadalBooks.com, on Facebook and Twitter, and on his Amazon author page.

SWW Author Interviews: 2025 Releases

Tom Andes
Wait There Till You Hear From Me: A Charles Prentiss Novel

Irene Blea
Talking with Rudy: Platicando con Rudolfo Anaya

Marcia Butler
Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

Kira Córdova
Carma: How It Is

Dita Dow
Sins in Black

Patricia Gable
The Right Discovery

Peter Gooch
LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie

Holly Harrison
Death in the Land of Enchantment

A. Michael Hibner
The Gangs of Santa Fe

Wendy Johnson
Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves

Sharon Kayne
The Green Silk Gown

Ed Lehner
Sunset in Paris

Jack Woodville London
Dangerous Latitudes

Gary Lucero
The Unknown Race

David Menicucci
Two Centuries to Freedom, The True Story of One Family’s Two-Century Migration from Lucca, Italy, to New Mexico and Other American States

Lisa Page
Saving Cottonwood

Douglas W. Price
Livengoods Living Well

Lisa C. Taylor
The Shape of What Remains

Zachry Wheeler
Starship Eternity

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 New Releases for SWW Authors #4

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Roger Floyd, Bryan James Beck, Wanda W. Jerome, and Ruth Wilson represent the diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW) with one or more books published in 2025. Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for most of these authors.

A list of interviewed SWW authors with 2025 releases is included at the end of this post.

Traveler: Part II of the Anthanian Imperative Trilogy (September 2025) by Roger Floyd.

In this sequel to Explorer (August 2024), twenty-two years have elapsed since Lilea Kalatarian and Jad Til-Lentos have returned from a disastrous expedition to the Blue Planet. Lilea now lives as a single mother in the city of Kalarias on the planet Anthanos with her son Leos, born during the return trip on the immense spaceship Star Voyager. At twenty-two years old, Leos is ready to launch into his own life when he receives an unprecedented invitation. Visitors from another world welcome him to visit the spaceship that carried them to his planet. Intrigued, Leos goes with them. Thus begins a journey of honesty and deceit, friendship and enmity, peace and violence, even love and hatred that carries Leos through three other worlds, each inhabited by friends and foes who will shape Leos’s life for many years to come.

Look for Roger on his website RogerFloyd.com. Traveler is available in most bookstores and from Amazon.

A Debt In Time: Ancestral Debt Anthology: Book One (September 2025) by Bryan James Beck.

What if your family’s debt spanned centuries—and the only way to pay it off was by saving lives in the past? James Manning is stuck in a dead-end job, barely scraping by—until a mysterious chest rips him out of the present and drops him into the heart of history. Thrust into a centuries-old curse, James becomes an unwilling time traveler tasked with saving lives across the ages to repay an ancestral debt. From medieval Scotland to WWII dogfights, from pirate ships to ancient Celtic magic, James must face ruthless enemies, forge unlikely alliances, and uncover the truth behind a forgotten deal between his bloodline and the witches of Ireland. But the hardest part? Believing he’s worthy of the journey fate has chosen for him. A Debt in Time is a fast-paced, emotionally rich adventure about family, legacy, and finding courage when it matters most.

A Debt Remembered: Ancestral Debt Anthology: Book Two (September 2025) by Bryan James Beck.

When James Manning gives his great-granddaughter Ivy a journal from Grampy Robert, the last thing she expects is… a story left untold. Ivy grew up on tales of time travel—of lives saved, battles fought, and the magical chest that carried James through history. She’s waited her whole life for the chest to call her next. But when that moment finally arrives, it isn’t James’s path she’s meant to follow. Hidden in Robert Gagné’s journal are secrets he never shared: a love lost in ancient Éire, a desperate journey through famine-stricken Dublin, and the chilling truth of a second chest—one born from corrupted magic. Sinister forces still hunt it… and Ivy may be the only one who can stop them. What begins as a long-awaited adventure becomes a race to rewrite the past and protect the future. Ivy must finish what Robert started—before time runs out. Legacy, sacrifice, and magic collide in this unforgettable sequel to A Debt in Time.

Blood & Wine (A Michael Flaherty Noir Book 1, September 2025) by Bryan James Beck.

A Purple Heart veteran framed for murder in a town that sees only his scars. Scarred inside and out, Michael Flaherty came to Ruidoso to disappear. The small mountain town felt like the perfect place to bury his past—until a brutal crime drags him back into the spotlight he’s been running from. When the sheriff names Michael a suspect, Officer Gracie Kim isn’t sure what to believe. The man with the ruined face looks dangerous, yet something in his eyes tells a different story. As secrets seep through the town’s polished veneer—affairs, debts, old grudges—Gracie is torn between duty and instinct. In Ruidoso, everyone hides something. And when the truth surfaces, no one walks away clean—not even those chasing redemption. Set against the haunting beauty of New Mexico wine country, Blood & Wine is a gripping noir about how we see others—and how we choose to be seen.

You’ll find Bryan on Facebook and his Amazon author page.

After the Journey: Returning the Heart to Home (Flying Fancy LLC, September 2025) by Wanda W. Jerome.

From the author of Journey Beyond the Veil: Awakening the Heart to Love (July 2024) comes her next memoir in verse — After the Journey: Returning the Heart to Home. Through her poems and prose, experience her heartful transition back from a spiritual journey to her home place — her return to a mundane world of daily human drama and existential crises. Walk with her as she finds strength to commune with her Soul Self after an intense heart-journey beyond the veil of transmutation. Does she live a mystic’s life in the skin of a human being who remains above the social fray? How does she sustain compassionate forgiveness? How does she serve a world needing more than she can ever give when her heart lives a sporadic loneliness? Come home along with her and see for yourself. Live the challenge of finding your own Heaven here on Earth. She says, Together, we can both find and keep it.

Visit Wanda on her website Awakeful.life and on Youtube at @MagicalMorningMoments and @Awakeful. Her books are available on her Amazon author page.

Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years (Routledge, October 2025) by Ruth Wilson.

This practical and easy-to-read guide shows you how to integrate nature connectedness and spiritual development into your early childhood teaching, whether in a nature-based forest program or a more traditional one. It uses a research-based framework to illustrate ways nature and spirituality can contribute to quality of life during the early childhood years and beyond. Detailing favorable conditions for supporting children’s connectedness to nature and spiritual development—including positive relationships with adults and peers, violence-free environments, and respect for other living things—the book emphasizes the idea of children’s whole-body engagement, challenging the idea that spirituality is relevant to the mind and spirit only. This guidebook is essential reading for all early childhood educators, program directors, families, and anyone working with children and young people.

You’ll find Ruth on her website ChildrenAndNature.org and her Amazon author page.

SWW Author Interviews: 2025 Releases

Tom Andes
Wait There Till You Hear From Me: A Charles Prentiss Novel

Irene Blea
Talking with Rudy: Platicando con Rudolfo Anaya

Marcia Butler
Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

Kira Córdova
Carma: How It Is

Dita Dow
Sins in Black

Patricia Gable
The Right Discovery

Peter Gooch
LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie

Holly Harrison
Death in the Land of Enchantment

A. Michael Hibner
The Gangs of Santa Fe

Wendy Johnson
Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves

Sharon Kayne
The Green Silk Gown

Ed Lehner
Sunset in Paris

Jack Woodville London
Dangerous Latitudes

Gary Lucero
The Unknown Race

David Menicucci
Two Centuries to Freedom, The True Story of One Family’s Two-Century Migration from Lucca, Italy, to New Mexico and Other American States

Lisa Page
Saving Cottonwood

Douglas W. Price
Livengoods Living Well

Lisa C. Taylor
The Shape of What Remains

Zachry Wheeler
Starship Eternity

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 New Releases for SWW Authors #3

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Jasmine Tritten, Jim Tritten, O’Labumi Brown, Wanda W. Jerome, and E. Joe Brown represent the diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW) with one or more books published in 2025. Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for some of these authors.

A list of interviewed SWW authors with 2025 releases is included at the end of this post.

Around the World in 80 Years (April 2025) by Jasmine Tritten and Jim Tritten.

This book contains selected stories inspired by Jasmine’s travels worldwide and some of the two hundred thirty trips she has taken with her husband, Jim, during the last thirty-five years. She developed an interest in other cultures and languages as a little girl growing up in Denmark. Geography and English were her favorite subjects. She traveled with her parents around Europe and learned to speak five languages, Danish, English, German, French, and Swedish, in school. Her thirst for travel and adventure escalated with age and continued throughout her life. Join Jasmine and Jim as they recount some of their travels and adventures during their journey Around the World in 80 Years.

Look for Jasmine on Facebook and Goodreads and on her SWW author page. Around the World in 80 Years is available on Amazon.

Hairalujah (June 2025) by O’Labumi Brown.

Hairalujah is an inspirational memoir about one woman’s fight for respect, love and recovery. Leaving her close-knit Caribbean-American family, Dee leaves home to explore lesbian life and meets Quinn. They fall into love and then addiction on the drug infested streets of New York City in the 80s. Amid these epic events, Dee embarks on a journey to find her authentic self. Hairalujah is the tale of how community unites to save us and affirms our worth.

You’ll find O’Labumi on her website olabumi.com and her Amazon author page.

Seasons of New Mexico: A Natural High (July 2025) by SWW members Wanda W. Jerome and Jasmine Tritten, with co-authors John J. Candelaria and Ric Speed.

A poetic picture of the many ways New Mexico calls people to love her land — the flora and fauna — the diverse cultures that make her The Land of Enchantment. This tapestry of poetry and photography captures both ancient and new places with words, colors and vistas — her glorious sunrises and blue skies — the TRUE essence of the homeplace known as New Mexico.

Visit Wanda on her website Awakeful.life and on Youtube at @MagicalMorningMoments and @Awakeful. Look for Jasmine on Facebook and Goodreads and on her SWW author page. Seasons of New Mexico: A Natural High is available on Amazon.

A Cowboy’s Dilemma (Kelly Can Saga Book 3, Artemesia Publishing, August 2025) by E. Joe Brown.

Building a business empire is bound to make enemies, but when your rivals brandish Tommy Guns it will take a cowboy’s grit to face them down as only KELLY CAN! A new day dawns for Charlie and Susan Kelly after Susan’s kidnapping as the young couple looks to grow the Kramer Group business empire. New opportunities in ranching give Charlie a chance to save the ranch that gave him his start. But among all the joys, a new threat raises its ugly head as vandalism strikes several of the Kramer Group businesses, each incident signed with, “Your friends from Chicago.” Charlie and Susan are not going to let any threats sideline their plans to grow their businesses. Even if those threats come from Chicago’s biggest mob boss. When the mobsters cross the line, Charlie takes matters into his own hands to make sure the mobster never threatens the Kellys again.

You’ll find Joe on his website EJoeBrown.com and on his Happy Trails blog, as well as on Facebook. Look for his books on his Amazon author page and at most online or local bookstores.

SWW Author Interviews: 2025 Releases

Tom Andes
Wait There Till You Hear From Me: A Charles Prentiss Novel

Irene Blea
Talking with Rudy: Platicando con Rudolfo Anaya

Marcia Butler
Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

Kira Córdova
Carma: How It Is

Dita Dow
Sins in Black

Patricia Gable
The Right Discovery

Peter Gooch
LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie

Holly Harrison
Death in the Land of Enchantment

A. Michael Hibner
The Gangs of Santa Fe

Wendy Johnson
Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves

Sharon Kayne
The Green Silk Gown

Ed Lehner
Sunset in Paris

Jack Woodville London
Dangerous Latitudes

Gary Lucero
The Unknown Race

David Menicucci
Two Centuries to Freedom, The True Story of One Family’s Two-Century Migration from Lucca, Italy, to New Mexico and Other American States

Lisa Page
Saving Cottonwood

Douglas W. Price
Livengoods Living Well

Lisa C. Taylor
The Shape of What Remains

Zachry Wheeler
Starship Eternity

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 New Releases for SWW Authors #2

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Vicki Turpen, Kris Bock (aka Chris Eboch), Léonie Rosenstiel, and Lynne Sturtevant are a few examples of the genre-diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW) who had one or more books published in 2025. Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for many of these authors.

A list of interviewed SWW authors with 2025 releases is included at the end of this post.

Kat’s Dilemma: An Historic Tale of Principle and Prejudice (Austin Macauley Publishers, March 2025) by Vicki Turpen. Kat’s Dilemma is a work of fiction created out of bits and pieces of research into the social and cultural challenges encountered by women and men in America at the turn of the last century. The people of that era (and ours), influenced by societal norms or religious dictates, never fully understood the real meaning of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Therein lies the promise and the struggle between principle and prejudice in Kat’s Dilemma. Katherine Gehm was the author’s great grandmother. Some of the known family incidents and resulting emotions are reflected in the character Kat.

You’ll find Vicki on her SWW author page. Look for Kat’s Dilemma on Amazon.

A Stone Cold Murder: A Paranormal Murder Mystery with Psychic Sleuth (Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery Book 1, Tule Publishing, April 2025) by Kris Bock (aka Chris Eboch). She hates her gift—but it just might save her. Geologist Petra Cloch can touch an object and sense the emotions of the people who’ve held it. It’s a miserable way to live. She studied rocks because they rarely ‘talk’ to her and she’s dodged friendships so she won’t need to explain her gift or feel like a voyeur. But when she takes a job as the rock and mineral curator at an unusual western history museum and picks up a jagged crystal in her new office, flashes of rage, fear and death hit hard. Everyone says her predecessor died in a car crash, but what if he was murdered…what if he died because of something he did on the job? She could be next. Petra knows she’ll need evidence, not her psychic sense she hides. If you love mysteries with a paranormal twist, smart heroines, and small-town intrigue, this book will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Death at Rock Bottom: A Paranormal Mystery (Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery Book 2, Tule Publishing, July 2025) by Kris Bock (aka Chris Eboch). After solving the mystery of her predecessor’s death, geologist Petra Cloch wants to focus on her new job as the rocks and minerals curator at a quirky, small-town New Mexico museum. But her friend and colleague Liberty is suspicious of the “accidental” death of Frank Underwood, a retired petroleum engineer and rockhound who unexpectedly died while hiking. Frank acted odd and secretive in his last weeks—mumbling about an incredible find in the desert and aliens. Was he showing the first signs of dementia, or were more sinister forces at work? Petra agrees to help excavate the truth, and soon, instead of meeting for book club, she and her friends become amateur investigators. Petra uses her psychic gift and her brains to sort through the contradictory stories and confusing clues as she and her friends dig for answers.

Visit Kris Bock on KrisBock.com (and Chris Eboch on ChrisEboch.com), Instagram, and Goodreads. You’ll find her books on her Amazon author page.

They’re Coming for Your Elders and Your Inheritance: Ways to Protect Your Family, Mitigate the Damage, and Change the System (Dayspring Resources, April 2025) by Léonie Rosenstiel. Legal guardianship often feels like a swamp (and that’s how guardianship is described in the author’s award-winning book Protecting Mama: Surviving the Legal Guardianship Swamp). If guardianship is a swamp, then elder care is a jungle. Is your bank account prepared for the trek? Even wealthy elders see their nest eggs dwindle, sometimes to zero, as they battle chronic diseases or catastrophic accidents. Do you worry about what might happen to one of your older loved ones, should that person no longer be safe living independently? You should also take precautions to protect yourself. Particularly if you still have children to consider, you are financially and emotionally vulnerable from both ends of the age spectrum. Do you think you don’t need protection too? Some family members are hauled into court by the institutions that cared for Mom and Dad. Many states allow them to sue for payment from next of kin (and judges will enforce this). See the take-aways inside this book for more information.

Look for Léonie’s books on Amazon here and here, as well as on Barnes & Noble.

The Witch Jar (The Off-Kilter Chronicles Book 3, April 2025) by Lynne Sturtevant. Strange things are happening in Black Hand Holler, West Virginia. Mysterious lights flicker deep in the forest. Knocks echo from long-sealed coal mines. Even the bees in the abandoned orchards and the crows on the ridge tops are agitated. When a wealthy woman swoops in with plans to evict the elderly residents and transform the holler into an upscale resort, the supernatural disruptions intensify. Is the backwoods witch who hexed the holler a century ago to blame, or is something much older and deeper at play? Home health aide Ginger Stewart turns to Birdy, a granny woman with Appalachian folk magic coursing through her veins. Does the key to the holler’s survival lie in the secret ways of the mountains? Can they find it in time?

You’ll find Lynne at LynneSturtevant.com. Visit Amazon for all of her books.

SWW Author Interviews: 2025 Releases

Tom Andes
Wait There Till You Hear From Me: A Charles Prentiss Novel

Irene Blea
Talking with Rudy: Platicando con Rudolfo Anaya

Marcia Butler
Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

Kira Córdova
Carma: How It Is

Dita Dow
Sins in Black

Patricia Gable
The Right Discovery

Peter Gooch
LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie

Holly Harrison
Death in the Land of Enchantment

A. Michael Hibner
The Gangs of Santa Fe

Wendy Johnson
Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves

Sharon Kayne
The Green Silk Gown

Ed Lehner
Sunset in Paris

Jack Woodville London
Dangerous Latitudes

Gary Lucero
The Unknown Race

David Menicucci
Two Centuries to Freedom, The True Story of One Family’s Two-Century Migration from Lucca, Italy, to New Mexico and Other American States

Lisa Page
Saving Cottonwood

Douglas W. Price
Livengoods Living Well

Lisa C. Taylor
The Shape of What Remains

Zachry Wheeler
Starship Eternity

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 New Releases for SWW Authors #1

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Parris Afton Bonds, Lynne Sebastian, James C. Wilson, and Kirt Hickman represent the diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW) with one or more books published in a variety of genres in 2025. Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for some of these authors.

A list of interviewed SWW authors with 2025 releases is included at the end of this post.

Stumbling In (Paradise Publishing, January 2025) by Parris Afton Bonds.

After making the snap decision to answer the call to adventure and move to Mexico, seventy-year-old Lauren Hillard had no idea the physical and emotional peril that she would stumble into next — from exotic Mexico to windswept Scotland; and from a risky marriage of convenience with the much younger attorney and former convict David Escobar to an even riskier affair of the heart on an uninhabited Scottish island. And aye, her captivating new husband had it right when he warned her that a woman must be brave, smart, and very impulsive to stumble into as much danger as she has now. Stumbling In is the sequel to Answering the Call (Motina Books, May 2023).

The Banshees (The Texicans Book 5, Motina Books, August 2025) by Parris Afton Bonds.

The Paladíns face a hidden new threat to their lives, their loves, and their ancestral home. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Paladín family throws itself whole into the great national effort of World War II. But each of them has a hidden worry — even if life returns to normal once the conflict ends, will the regular home life they all long for ever return to their beloved home? In the final volume of New York Times bestselling author Parris Afton Bonds’ enthralling Texicans series, the Paladín progeny find themselves center stage in the great military, political, and social tumult of the mid-twentieth century.

Look for Parris on ParrisAftonBonds.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X. You’ll find her books on her Amazon author page.

The House of Ravens: An Archaeological Reminiscence (January 2025) by Lynne Sebastian.

This is “a lightly fictionalized account of three months in the lives of a small team of archaeologists camped in a remote part of the Navajo Indian Reservation while excavating ancient sites soon to be destroyed by a strip mine. Sebastian sensitively and realistically portrays the human story of a field crew as it is intertwined with the archaeological story being revealed by their investigations. If you are one of those people who wish they had gone into archaeology and wonder what it would really be like, or if you are just looking for a well-told story with interesting characters, this book is for you.” ~ Keith Kintigh

You’ll find Lynne on Facebook and her Amazon author page.

Stealing the Hopi Snake Dance: A Fernando Lopez Santa Fe Mystery (Sunstone Press, February 2025) by James C. Wilson.

Murder and mayhem break out after a down and out Santa Fe photographer secretly videotapes the famous Hopi Snake Dance at First Mesa. An important cultural and religious ceremony, the Hopi Snake Dance is closed to outsiders. When the photographer tries to sell the video for commercial use, former Santa Fe Police Detective and Private Investigator Fernando Lopez tries to prevent the sale and the violence that results.

Breaking the Peyote Circle: A Fernando Lopez Santa Fe Mystery (Sunstone Press, June 2025) by James C. Wilson.

After former Santa Fe Police Sergeant Antonio Blake, a veteran with PTSD, is accused of killing a fellow patient in a peyote therapeutic circle, he goes into hiding and asks his friend, former Santa Fe Police Detective Fernando Lopez, to find the real killer. When evidence surfaces that points to the therapist and his drug supplier, both suspects flee to northern New Mexico. Lopez and Blake pursue the two suspects to Taos and then to Red River, where the chase ends in a violent conclusion with shocking surprises.

Dancing With Dennis Hopper’s Ghost, A Fernando Lopez Santa Fe Mystery (Sunstone Press, November 2025) by James C. Wilson.

Ghost-ridden and on his death bed, professional assassin Jack Lacy arrives in Santa Fe and enlists his old Marine buddy Antonio Blake and former Santa Fe Police detective Fernando Lopez to help him obtain a burial site near his friend Dennis Hopper’s grave in Jesus Nazareno Cemetery outside Taos. Blake and Lopez take Lacy up to the haunted Mabel Lodge Luhan House in Taos and arrange for a local curandera to conduct a crossover ceremony so Lacy can join the ghost of Dennis Hopper. After Lacy dies and the ceremony is performed, Lacy’s body disappears, snatched by a couple of local hoodlums who try to ransom the body. Blake and Lopez have to use all their wits and brawn to retrieve Lacy’s body and give it a proper send-off at Jesus Nazareno Cemetery.

Look for Jim on Facebook, and find his books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Host of Evil: Age of Prophecy: Book 3 (Quillrunner Publishing, March 2025) by Kirt Hickman.

With demons pouring into the world of men and the Master’s armies marching across the Civilized Lands, Nick Mirrin and his friends set out to complete the forging of a blessed weapon that might—just might—prevent the fulfillment of Mortaan’s Last Prophecy and the terrible dawning of the Age of Darkness.

But just when they see a glimmer of hope, the ultimate betrayal could cost them everything…

Visit Kirt’s Amazon author page for all of his books.

SWW Author Interviews: 2025 Releases

Tom Andes
Wait There Till You Hear From Me: A Charles Prentiss Novel

Irene Blea
Talking with Rudy: Platicando con Rudolfo Anaya

Marcia Butler
Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

Kira Córdova
Carma: How It Is

Dita Dow
Sins in Black

Patricia Gable
The Right Discovery

Peter Gooch
LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie

Holly Harrison
Death in the Land of Enchantment

A. Michael Hibner
The Gangs of Santa Fe

Wendy Johnson
Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves

Sharon Kayne
The Green Silk Gown

Ed Lehner
Sunset in Paris

Jack Woodville London
Dangerous Latitudes

Gary Lucero
The Unknown Race

David Menicucci
Two Centuries to Freedom, The True Story of One Family’s Two-Century Migration from Lucca, Italy, to New Mexico and Other American States

Lisa Page
Saving Cottonwood

Douglas W. Price
Livengoods Living Well

Lisa C. Taylor
The Shape of What Remains

Zachry Wheeler
Starship Eternity

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 Astrid Tuttle Winegar

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Astrid Tuttle Winegar considers herself a recipe wrangler, moderately tortured writer, and non-professional photographer at large. She plans and tests recipes for years, photographs the results, and writes clever tidbits to include in her cookbooks before releasing them into the world. Her newest publication is the award-winning Celebrating Comfy, Cozy Foods from North America: Cooking for Halflings & Monsters, Volume 3 (October 2024). Look for Astrid on her website AstridWinegar.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky. And visit her Amazon Store as well as her Etsy shop, ElegantSufficiencies.

Who did you write the book for, and where did the subtitle Cooking for Halflings & Monsters come from?
My cookbooks are for anyone who loves to eat delicious comfort foods! But more specifically, having an interest in nerdy stuff, like Middle-earth, Narnia, Star Wars, etc. is a plus. Not a requirement, but a plus. My subtitle became the series title after my first cookbook was threatened with a cease and desist from the J.R.R. Tolkien estate. I had to rewrite almost everything. I came up with Halflings & Monsters as a non-litigious way of referring to characters from his books. Now it encompasses any sort of fantastical creature and character in a wide variety of works.

What was the greatest challenge in writing this particular volume?
After releasing my second cookbook on Halloween of 2019, I was sort of fiddling around with the idea of a third book, and I figured I’d get around to doing something eventually. Then COVID happened. Suddenly I had all sorts of time (in theory) and really no excuses for not writing anything. However, finding ingredients was sometimes challenging, which I discuss in the cookbook. Yeast was hard to find for a while. Grocery shopping was sometimes a nightmare. My husband and I were the official caretakers for three of our grandchildren during the COVID pandemic, so we had lots to do! One child was in preschool, but two others were doing the remote learning program. The whole time was a challenge, to say the least. But perhaps that made me focus more efficiently.

Tell us how the book is structured and why you organized it that way.
This volume is structured around a few holiday chapters surrounded by a few subject categories, such as “Lunchy Stuff,” “Main Events,” or “Hot Sides.” I have various chapters devoted to menus for holidays such as July 4th or Cinco de Mayo. I approached this one as sort of a casual year-in-the-life kind of book.

How did Celebrating Comfy, Cozy Foods from North America come together?
This volume took a total of four years. Many of my recipes have been floating around for decades, though some have also been completely new. Once I determine which recipes to include, they start appearing on our family’s rotation frequently. Then I recruit others to try recipes and give me feedback. These testers are usually in the United States, but I have had testers from Europe and Australia. Writing takes a year or so, then I have to take all the photographs and work on them. Editors and proofreaders take as long as they need to; some are fast, some are slower. I design my covers, which never fit into any pigeonhole, though a leather-looking background is always a must. For this cookbook, I had thought I would go with a certain photo for the cover, but then I suddenly was inspired to go with a yin/yang, green/red chile photo, which seemed to be a perfect representative of the menu items, as well as my own personality.

You include many recipes on your website at https://astridwinegar.com/recipes-2/. Do you have a favorite seasoning mix or go-to comfort-food recipe that you’d like readers to try?
I would advise starting with the first recipe on the website, “Shire Seasoning.” This is known in my cookbooks as Savory Seasoning, because I wasn’t sure if “shire” belonged to Tolkien (it probably doesn’t, but I figured I’d better be safe than sorry…). I actually use this seasoning constantly, even today. It would be difficult to pick just one recipe from my three cookbooks as a go-to, but my husband will always request my traditional coleslaw recipe, which is his namesake: Bob’s Obsession. He wants me to make that every week! I don’t do this, however.

What keeps you motivated to move forward and continue the hard work of producing more cookbooks?
I have two more cookbooks in me, and that will be it. I’m simply motivated to finish them, though I’m taking my time. It’ll probably take four years to do each one, and that’s fine.

What was your favorite part of putting volume three together?
Besides the incessant eating and drinking? Well, though I’m not a professional photographer, I have most enjoyed cooking or baking something, then staging it somehow for a photo. Maybe I missed my true calling.

What was the inspiration for the first book, Cooking for Halflings & Monsters: 111 Comfy, Cozy Recipes for Fantasy-Loving Souls (2017)? When did you know your idea was strong enough for a series?
During my undergraduate days at University of New Mexico, I took a class on Tolkien. We all had to produce some sort of end-of-semester project. Since I’ve been cooking since I was ten, it was logical for me to make a Middle-earth cookbook with items mentioned in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. After I finished my MA, my advisor (who had also taught that undergrad class) wistfully mentioned that she wished I would expand my project and try to be published. Four years later, I was able to do this. My cookbooks are only a series because I have way too many recipes and I’ve had to distribute them into smaller portions to fit into manageable books. Though this current cookbook ended up a bit long.

Who or what sparked your interest in cooking?
My mom was probably the strongest motivator. Maybe she didn’t want to cook much anymore? Perhaps.

Have you ever wanted to write fiction? If so, what genre, and what has held you back from trying that new direction?
During those undergrad years I definitely wanted to, so I dabbled with fiction. I tried a few genres in a half-hearted way. Constructive criticism from creative writing classes and plenty of honest self-reflection held me back from bothering to try fiction. I suppose it’s really not my cup of tea.

What genre do you enjoy reading the most?
Fantasy probably tops my genres, though I also read mysteries, fiction, science fiction, memoir, classics of many kinds, and lately I’ve been reading some romance.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I am currently working on volume four, with a few detours to volume five. Four will concentrate on European cuisine, from Scandinavia to Italy to some Middle Eastern foods. Five will be centered on Asia.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
The best place to get updates for any of my work is my Facebook page, astridtuttlewinegar. I run contests for free books, share photos, and I recruit recipe testers there (amongst other things, of course). I don’t write on my blog anymore, because I think it has proven to be a waste of valuable time. I’m also on a few other social media platforms.

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.



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