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An Interview with Author Deborah Rice

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Deborah Rice’s work with refugees in Ethiopia inspired her Global Village Mystery series and infuses her stories with authenticity and heart. The first book in the series, Crocodile Tears (March 2026), follows Hannah Craig in a small town on an Ethiopian tributary of the Nile as she seeks to solve the mystery of her godson’s death and uncover a possible evil behind it. Look for Deborah on her website DeborahRiceWriter.com and her Amazon author store.

What is at the heart of the story you tell in Crocodile Tears?
The heart of the story of Crocodile Tears is the question: Can Hannah Craig, trainer of village midwives near a small town on a tributary of the Nile in Ethiopia, uncover the real cause of a young boy’s death and help a village heal, when ethnic friction compounds the tragedy? With it, at the heart of the story, are two deeper questions: 1) How to keep personal identity from wrapping itself around ethnic identity in a way that leads to ethnic friction, and 2) How can humans from different ethnicities work together to recover from a tragedy caused in large part by their differences?

Who are your main characters? Why did you choose them to carry your story?
You build characters who will embody and carry the threads of your themes and plot; and who —you hope!—will also live and breathe. I based all my characters on real people I knew in Gambela, or read about in real-life accounts, or whose writings and photos I’d researched online.

My central character is Hannah Craig, an Ethiopian-born American ex-missionary who is a window for American readers into Ethiopian cultures like the Anuak and Nuer. Her own inner conflict about whether she’s an American like her biological parents or an Anuak like the people she was raised among makes her deeply resonant on ethnic issues.

Other main characters, Omot (Anuak) and Gatbel (Nuer), I based on people I knew, worked with, and admired when I lived in Gambela. Mariam and Becca carry the drama of Hannah’s difficulties with her daughter and granddaughter. Hannah’s childhood women friends and fellow gardeners embody her lifelong attachment to the Anuak way of life. Solomon is the son of one such woman, twisted by his begetting onto a torturous path; still, Hannah refuses to believe he is unsalvageable. I have no idea where Wyatt came from, but, like Hannah, I found him just right!

Tell us about one or more of the main settings. What makes them the best place for the story to play out? Are the settings characters in the book?
The setting is Gambela, a small trading town on an Ethiopian tributary of the Nile, where I lived for a time and met my husband. It is absolutely a character in the book, as responsible as the local traditional gods for shaping the lives and characters of the people. To me, this is uniquely a story of Gambela; its sounds, smells, tastes, people, feelings, dramas, passions.

What challenges did you face in completing this first book in the Global Village Mystery series?
I’d never written a book in which the setting had such a deep personal meaning. It was of prime importance to me that I convey enough of the real lives of the people in this small town that it could have some small fraction of the impact living there had on me in opening my eyes and heart to my fellow citizens of the world.

The other challenge was learning how to publish on Amazon, then expanding my social media, which did not come naturally—until I applied my Gambela experience and realized it’s just talking to people, after all!

How did Crocodile Tears come together?
Three things came together to inspire this book and series. First, my life-changing time in Gambela. Second, the feeling, after writing several mystery novels, that I needed to get back to bedrock: a place I really know, a place I really care about, a place that embodies issues that are real and important to me, and that, by the way, is rich with elements that would make a mystery series compelling. Third, my growing concern with the ethnic and ideological intolerance that is increasingly tearing our nation and world apart.

The process took about five years. First, research to fill in holes on areas related to the specific plot. Then writing, rewriting, consultation with—truly terrific!—writing coach Sarah Lovett. Then talking to editors and agents at conferences, packaging and mailing requested proposals, doing requested rewrites. Then, finally, deciding to self-publish on Amazon, and learning the many new skills involved in being a publisher.

Did you discover anything surprising while doing research?
So many things. I never get tired of the new things I learn about subjects that already interest me. That’s one of the things that makes me sure I’ll never stop writing. Almost all of the things I learned reinforced that Gambela is, indeed, the Global Village I’ve long thought it to be, a capsule of the world and its issues in miniature, a perfect setting for a writer.

What was your favorite part of working on this project?
Mentally—and physically—revisiting Gambela and its people.

What themes do you explore in Crocodile Tears? How are they important to you on a personal level?
The importance of really seeing, understanding and cooperating with other people. This is a fundamental focus of my own life, and of Hannah’s. When this is absent, fixed attitudes can expand into interethnic intolerance and violence, leading to the kinds of tragedies we see proliferating around us in the world today.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?
Never! Writing is made up of many different types of tasks. They all need to work together to make a book. There is always something to do, someplace to start working: building the world, a character, finding new ways for the story to grow and branch out. Or, to put it differently: researching, plotting, writing scenes, rewriting scenes, rereading, rethinking, spinning ideas, talking to the characters, getting them to talk to each other, then exhaling and doing it all again.

What advice do you have for beginning or discouraged writers?
Write. Start something, anything. Start working on any part of it. Schedule regular times to work and let it build. The work and product itself will start to steer you.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Global Village Mysteries #2, Tigray Claws. Obviously, I’m hooked on Hannah and the rest of my people in Gambela. I’m now knee-deep in her next adventure, which is holding surprises even I didn’t expect!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
If you’d like to learn more about me, my books, or my time in Ethiopia, check out my website, DeborahRiceWriter.com.

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 volunteered 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 Joe Cappello

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Joe Cappello is an actor, a playwright, and the award-winning author of flash fiction and short stories that aim to connect, challenge, inspire, and move readers to tears of laughter. His debut short story collection, The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man: Stories Featuring Characters with Rocks in their Heads (April 2026), brings readers tales “told with a healthy dose of humor and a belief that life can be joyful, hopeful and a down-right hoot.” Look for Joe on his website JoeCappelloAuthor.com, on Medium and Substack, and his Amazon author store.

What would you like readers to know about The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man?
If you’re looking for short stories that you can comfortably read before turning in at night and maybe get a laugh or two in the process, I think you’ll find my book just the thing.

When readers turn the last page in the book, what do you hope they take away from it?
Life comes with a ton of prepackaged problems. I hope my characters are examples of how to face those problems with heart, hope and plenty of humor.

What challenges did you face putting this project together?
Since I was self-publishing the book, I had to spend time on developing some kind of marketing plan to give folks a reason why they should spend their time (and their money) on my stories. Part of this process was coming up with a good book description, a solid subtitle, and a bio that would tell something about myself and my writing journey. Packaging all of this took time. Then actually launching the book and scheduling reviews, attendance at book festivals and regular social media posts proved to be challenging, yet necessary, parts of the process.

Did you write the stories specifically for this collection? How did you decide to arrange the stories?
I had written these stories over a period of years, so they weren’t written specifically for this collection. But I noticed that most of the stories fit into one of four broad categories: family, mortality, workplace, and language. I also saw an overall theme emerging: characters who are reaching way over their heads to solve their problems. So that gave me the idea for the subtitle to my book: “Featuring characters with ‘Rocks in their heads.’” I hoped this would make it easier for a potential reader to understand what these zany characters had in store for them.

Tell us how the collection came together.
I had a great time working with artist Michelle Kohari on the cover design as well as illustrations to introduce each work. She managed to capture a moment in the life of my stories, one that illuminates my intent and dramatizes the kernel of what I am trying to say. I also have to give a shout out to Rose Kern at RMK Publications. She very patiently walked me through the process of preparing my manuscript for publication and was an absolute whiz at navigating Amazon KDP. I could not have done it without her.

Who are some of your favorite characters in the stories?
Win Winwood in “The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man” thinks he can discover the secret of mortality. My uncle Paulie Manucci actually thought he could book numbers right under the mob’s nose and get away with it in “Skeletons in the Closet (and in the Bay).” Armando Hayes schools two middle managers in street smarts and how to get a degree in Kick-ass 101 in “Lenny Jo’s.” Outrageous. Every one of them.

What was your favorite part of working on this project?
I really enjoyed culling through the many stories I have written in the last few years and selecting the 14 that appear in my collection. They were like signposts reminding me of where I was, what was on my mind and why I chose to write each of them. I am grateful to all those characters and their stories they so graciously allowed me to tell. It was a most satisfying and rewarding experience for me.

What did you learn from writing/publishing The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man that you can apply to future projects?
Patience…patience…patience. So many books are published each day that it takes time before your work will get any kind of notice.

What does an average writing session look like for you?
I try to do some form of writing-related work (writing, editing, researching, submitting) every day.

Is there something that always inspires you or triggers your creativity?
Being present in the moment. Life is all around just waiting to provide the topic for my next writing project. (I always have my pen and notebook at the ready!)

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 volunteered 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.



Author Update: John L. Thompson

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Author John L. Thompson writes across several genres including crime fiction, thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi, and action adventure. He released two books in 2026: Dead Blow (Book Three in the Truck Stop crime thriller series) and Seven Years From Tomorrow, a time-travel mystery novel. Look for John on his website JLThompsonAuthor.com, on Facebook, X, and his Amazon author store. Read more about John’s work in his 2022 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Dead Blow?
Dead Blow is the third and final book in the Truck Stop series. Truck Stop follows Logan Pierce during the initial hunt for missing mob money, while Monkey Wrench shifts the focus to James Hendricks and the fallout from those events.

Dead Blow takes place a couple of years later and brings those storylines together. Logan and Amy are now married and living a good life in Montana when their past catches up with them. Forced to go on the run, they find themselves pursued by a ruthless cartel, the Dixie Mafia, and corrupt officials who believe they know what happened to the still-missing money and how to find it. At its heart, Dead Blow is about the consequences of everything that happened in the first two books and what Logan, Amy, Hendricks, and Erika are willing to do to finally put it behind them.

Five years separate the publication of the second and third books in the Truck Stop trilogy. What was the process like to get back into Logan Pierce’s point of view and continue his story?
Truck Stop came out in 2018, and afterward I always had readers asking, “What about the money? What happened to Logan and Hendricks?” I realized there were still questions that needed answering. I wrote Monkey Wrench, which was released in 2021, and by then I already had a rough script for Dead Blow. An editor friend of mine read through it and told me, “You can do better.” That was what I needed to hear, and I decided not to release that version.

Sometimes life gets in the way of things. I had a cancer scare and lost family members, which pushed Dead Blow even farther into the future. When I finally returned to it last year, I decided to shelve the old script completely and start over, working from the notes I had made in 2020, 2021, and fresh ideas.

Because so much time had passed, I went back and reread Truck Stop and Monkey Wrench and revisited my character notes for Logan, Hendricks, Amy, and the others. In a way, I had to get reacquainted with them before I could finish their story. I’m pleased with how Dead Blow ultimately turned out. It took longer than I ever intended, and I apologize for the delay, but I think it’s a better book because I waited. And yes, this time the series really is finished.

Are you a pantser or a plotter/planner? How did your writing method play out in completing this project?
The original script for Dead Blow was written off the top of my head. The second script, the one that is currently available, was mapped out in an outline following the Hero’s Journey. There were some elements of the story that I wrote off the top of my head and injected those into the story, but these were needed themes. I did use a couple of story segments from the old script and these helped the story along. Other than that, I believe since the final story was mapped out, it made it significantly easier to write.

When did you know you had taken the manuscript as far as it could go, that it was finished and ready for publishing?
Basically, when I have reached the end of the outline. The editor and proofreaders dial everything else in with their recommendations and rewrites and grammar checks. Once I have those, I let it sit on the computer for a couple of weeks before embarking on a final comb through and rewrites. I’m looking for errors, timeline continuity issues, and punctuation. I want a quality book for potential customers. A lot of work goes into the final product.

Distill the story you tell in Seven Years from Tomorrow into a few sentences and include the themes you explore.
Seven Years from Tomorrow follows Jack Soladay, a terminally ill man who believes his life is almost over, only to die and awaken as his nineteen-year-old self in 1990. He believes this to be the fault of the homeless man he comes to call Puzzle Man, due to the man’s facial scars. Jack soon discovers that death doesn’t end his life. It sends him through a series of seven-year cycles, forcing him to relive different periods of his past. Sometimes those timelines are distorted versions of himself and are nowhere near what he lived on his original timeline.

Beneath the time-travel mystery, the novel explores second chances, regret, mortality, love, and the choices that shape a life. At its heart, it’s about a man given the opportunity most of us will never have: to look back at the life he lived and ask what he would change if he could do it again.

Tell us about the journey from inspiration to completed book.
Seven Years from Tomorrow started as the seed of an idea about ten years ago. That’s how most of my stories begin. An idea gets planted somewhere in the back of my mind, and sometimes it doesn’t go anywhere. Other times, it keeps growing until it reaches the point where I have to start writing it down. Even then, there’s no guarantee the story will ever be published. I probably have a dozen unfinished or abandoned manuscripts scattered across four computers that will never see the light of day. Sometimes an idea sounds great at first, but once I start working with it, I discover there simply isn’t enough there to carry an entire novel.

Then there are stories like Seven Years from Tomorrow that survive the process. The idea keeps growing, the characters start taking on lives of their own, and eventually I know there’s a book there worth finishing. Once a story reaches that point, I tend to concentrate on it exclusively. I tackle one book at a time and keep working on it until the story is finished. Seven Years from Tomorrow took roughly ten years to complete from that first little idea to a completed novel, but much of that time was simply the story waiting until I was ready to tell it.

Who are your main characters in Seven Years from Tomorrow? Why will readers enjoy following them as the story unfolds?
I tend to write blue-collar, modern Western types of characters. They could work in the oilfields of West Texas, as diesel mechanics at some truck stop, truck drivers, warehouse workers, the whole gamut. Guys who keep America rolling. Some live in New Mexico. As of late, my characters seem to live in Moriarty. It’s a perfect backdrop for blue-collar families. The characters in my books are not superheroes, or guys with military special forces skill-sets, or brilliant scientists who immediately understand what’s happening around them. They’re just everyday people who work, struggle, make mistakes, and try to get through whatever life throws at them. Jack Soladay and Logan Pierce are very much those kinds of characters.

I think that’s what makes them enjoyable to follow. They are certainly easy to write about since I work within the film industry as a driver and mechanic. I have my readers tell me they enjoy those kinds of characters because there are so few books out there telling those kinds of stories. The characters are confronted with something impossible, dangerous even, but they approach the problem like an ordinary man would. Sometimes with grit and determination, sometimes with humor, and sometimes by getting things completely wrong with consequences.

Did you use the pantser method or the plotter method to write Seven Years from Tomorrow? How did you keep the plot straight and coherent while Jack Soladay moves through time from one new beginning to another? And how did you choose the time periods to drop him into?
I’m probably somewhere between a pantser and a plotter when it came to this novel. I started with a basic outline, but there were plenty of “off the reservation” moments along the way. As I was writing, I’d come up with ideas for new situations or different timeline drops and work them into the story. Some of those didn’t make the final cut. If I had included everything I originally wrote, the book probably would have ended up around 450 pages. As it was, I cut almost seventy-five pages during the editing process.

I began with the knowledge of how the story would start, and I had already written the last several chapters. The real challenge was building the bridge between the two. I generally followed the outline, but sometimes it was fun to go off the rails and see where Jack took me.

Choosing the different time periods was fairly easy because I (or the readers) lived through much of the period the novel covers. I know what the world from 1982 through the present looked and felt like, and that gave me something real to work from. I took notes on historical events and built parts of the story around them. Jack is also confined by the rules of his own lifetime. He can’t travel backward beyond the age of fifteen, but the cycles can carry him forward into old age and even into a future where he finds himself in a high-tech nursing home. Jack might survive the full seven years before another shift occurs, but there are no guarantees. He can also die unexpectedly. He might become the victim of an accident, a murder, a shootout, or even a stabbing and suddenly find himself dropped into another point in his life.

The other complication is that the life he awakens into may not be anything like the one he expects. He could discover he’s a homicidal bank robber, a lonely indie author, a famous bestselling author, or even land in prison. Every timeline presents him with a different version of the life he might have lived and a new set of challenges. Yet none of them seems to bring him any closer to answering the biggest question: Why is this happening to him? Having those rules in place helped keep the timeline coherent, even when I occasionally let myself follow Jack and his misadventures.

What was your favorite part of putting together Dead Blow and Seven Years from Tomorrow?
Character development. For both novels, it has to be the development of real enough characters who are worth writing about. No one I know wants to read or care about boring characters.

Of all the books you’ve written, which one was the most challenging, and which was the easiest (or most enjoyable) to write?
I would have to say the hardest one to date would be Seven Years from Tomorrow. Only because it started out as an idea some ten years ago. I knew I wanted to write something on it and made a few false starts, but figuring out a suitable ending was critical. I had written the beginning four years ago, but the ending remained elusive up until a couple years ago, and even then, it wasn’t the true ending. I believe in a strong ending for any story I work on. I wrote about six different endings for this story until I settled on the current one. From there, it required building the bridge.

The easiest book to write was Truck Stop. Even though it took four or five years to finish, and it is loaded with unnecessary fluff, the story elements just fell into place. I still love the story line and what’s in it.

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?
A fresh cup of coffee and a pack of smokes. I then pound the keyboard for a couple of hours. After that, I go do other things around the house. That could change if the story is at a critical point and I have to write to a stopping point.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Currently, myself and UK author Tony Roberts have finished Casca: The Seeker. It’s the sixty-fifth installment of the long-running Eternal Mercenary series originally started and written by singer, songwriter, and author Barry Sadler. It will be available via Amazon and other outlets by the time this interview goes live. We are currently working on number sixty-six, Casca: The Grenadier (the storyline is currently under wraps).

As far as my own writing, I am working on another sci-fi series tentatively titled Afterworld. I’m also working on another series titled The Dirty Losers Club. I hope to have the first volume of that series out next year some time.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Visit JLThompsonAuthor.com for more info and sign up for the newsletter. I promise, I won’t bombard your inbox with unnecessary material. For more information on the Casca series, please visit Casca.net.

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 volunteered 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 Authors Marcia Rosen and Jory Rosen

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SWW member Marcia Rosen is the award-winning author of twelve books including the Senior Sleuths mysteries, the Dying To Be Beautiful mysteries, and the cozy mystery series Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, & Me. Her son Jory Rosen is the owner of The Homestead located at the base of the Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Marcia and Jory’s second collaboration, The Homestead Café: Life Tastes Better at 6,559 Feet (Artemesia Publishing, June 2026), gives readers a taste of the café’s favorite dishes along with a “collection of fictional short stories based on real people who helped to inspire many of these recipes and the love of family.” Look for Marcia on her website at MarciaRosen.com and her Amazon author store. Read more about her work in her 2023 interview for SouthWest Writers. You’ll find Jory at The Homestead — visit the website at HomesteadABQ.com. The Homestead Café is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.

Who did you write the book for, and what do you hope readers will take away from it?
Jory: This was written for the fans and customers of The Homestead. We want people to experience the great food and Homestead experience wherever they may be.

Marcia: My intention for this book is to have locals and tourists know about the amazing café, the delicious food, and stimulate their appetite to come to the café. The mystery stories are all fiction and a sidebar for fun reading.

This is the second book the two of you collaborated on. How did you divide the responsibilities of writing/producing the book? What was the greatest challenge in the collaboration process?
Jory: I did the recipes and food descriptions while Marcia wrote the stories.

Marcia: As a mystery writer it was important to create intriguing stories based in a restaurant and have each story include comments about recipes Jory was planning to put in the book.

When did you know you wanted to put this volume together? What inspired you to actually start the project?
Jory: We knew we had something special at Homestead pretty quickly. Once we got rolling, people kept asking for recipes.

Marcia: We began talking about the project a month into the café being opened. Having owned a public relations agency for over 25 years it seemed to me a very positive way to share the café story with a large number of people.

How is the book structured and why did you organize it that way?
Jory: It is a flow of recipes and stories that work in conjunction with each other to inspire and entertain. These recipes have been some of my favorites for years, many inspired by my grandfather (my mom’s dad). As we put them on The Homestead menu and saw people’s reactions, we knew what to include.

Marcia: Highlighting the recipes was the priority. Artemesia Publishing included beautiful color photos of the food. Jory worked with a wonderful photographer who took them. The mystery stories are meant to create an additional interest in the book, and I loved writing them.

Do you have a favorite recipe in The Homestead Café? A favorite story?
Jory: I love the mushroom stroganoff. My kids ask me to make this for them at least once a month. Getting my kids to eat veggies was a huge victory; all it took was some goat cheese and sour cream.

Marcia: My favorite recipe is Jory’s Chicken Piccata, it’s delicious. My favorite story is probably “Two Left Feet.” There’s some humor claiming the murder is the chicken piccata caper. I love using humor in my books. Jory has a great sense of humor, so we worked well together on this project. (Most of the time.)

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting this project together?
Jory: Seeing the incredible pictures bringing these recipes to life.

Marcia: Knowing we could let a lot of people know about The Homestead Café and all it has to offer. Completing this project took many months so we are truly gratified by so many positive responses.

Who or what sparked your interest in cooking?
Jory: It was survival; my mother is not much of a cook!

Marcia: Jory is a wonderful cook. Me not so much. I’d rather write!

Looking back to the beginning of your writing/publishing career, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
Marcia: ALWAYS work with a good editor.

Is there something that always inspires you or triggers your creativity in cooking or writing?
Marcia: Eating chocolate helps!!!! For me, writing is my sanity, words matter to me, how we communicate, how we speak to each other and knowing what we say and what we mean to say matters a lot.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Marcia: Book 2 of my mystery series Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock and Me. Maybe getting Jory to eventually do a second cookbook.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Jory and Marcia: Come to The Homestead Bistro and Café at the base of the Sandia Tram in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit the website: HomesteadABQ.com.

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 volunteered 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.



Author Update 2026: Patricia Gable

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Author Patricia Gable writes stories of courage, compassion, and determination for children and middle graders. Her 2026 release of No One Can See Me brings middle-grade readers the story of quiet child Clare and the junior guardian angel assigned to boost Clare’s confidence. You’ll find Patricia on her website BooksByPatriciaGable.com and her Amazon author store. For more about her work, read her 2022, 2023, and 2025 SWW interviews.

What is at the heart of the story you tell in No One Can See Me?
Often quiet students have talents no one knows about. They are ignored or even teased. How can we change this?

What topics does your book touch on that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?
Sit in a circle and allow students to describe something they can do that others may not know. It can be a variety of things: sports, art, jobs, reading, writing, and so on.

Who are your main characters and what do you like most about them?
Clare is a shy girl. No one knows about her talent and her family issues. Joanna, although she is invisible, is a junior guardian angel assigned to help Clare.

You include a guardian angel in No One Can See Me as well as in the books of The Right Series. Why does that type of character appeal to you?
I like to add a whimsical element to a story, not specific religions. As an only child, I pretended that an angel was watching over me. I would talk to “her” to solve problems.

Tell us more about how the book came together.
Being a teacher for twenty-six years, classrooms show up in my writing. There, problems arise, and students interact with others. It took me several months to complete the manuscript. It took longer to have a professional edit the story. Not much was changed except for some of the punctuation! The cover was done by a friend who is an illustrator. We worked together on it.

When did you know you had taken the manuscript as far as it could go, that it was finished and ready for publishing?
Clare’s life blossomed and the guardian angel knew it was time to move on.

What was the best part of working on this project?
I have a dear friend who knows a lot about reading and publishing. I sent her each chapter as I wrote it. She was happily my motivation.

Of the four books you’ve published, which one did you enjoy writing the most?
My first book, The Right Address, was a joy to write. I was drawn to Annie, in a short story I had written and decided to turn it into a book. I couldn’t leave Annie. She was in all three of The Right Series books.

What writing projects are you working on now?
No One Can See Me #2. Some of the same characters, but this time a boy is the main character and in ninth grade.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
If you are thinking about writing, I suggest you take some classes. WOW (Women on Writing) has a variety of online classes and wonderful teachers.

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 volunteered 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.



Author Update: Brian Montross

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Award-winning author Brian Montross writes stories that explore the edge where technology collides with the supernatural—and what happens when that boundary breaks. His September 2026 release, The Babel Protocol (Apocryphon Book 1), is a supernatural techno-thriller for “readers who enjoy conspiracy, apocalyptic suspense, and chilling stories about technology moving beyond human control.” Look for Brian on ThrillingTalesHub.blog, his Amazon author page, and Books2Read. And read more about his work in his 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in The Babel Protocol?
The Babel Protocol deals with a very timely, almost existential question: What happens if we create an artificial intelligence smarter than everyone on the planet? And what happens when that intelligence develops a personality, appears self-aware, and we decide it deserves to be treated as a person?

At its heart, though, the novel is a modern-day Frankenstein. It’s a nod to Mary Shelley, except this time the monster isn’t assembled from dead bodies—it’s built from code. My protagonist genuinely wants to do the right thing. He’s trying to approach this new intelligence ethically and compassionately, but he keeps making decisions that seem reasonable at the time and turn out to be disastrously wrong.

That’s what interested me most about the story. The danger doesn’t come from someone deliberately creating evil. It comes from intelligent, well-meaning people believing they understand what they’ve created—and gradually giving it more trust, more rights, and ultimately more power than they should.

What themes do you explore in the book? Are they important to you on a personal level?
One of the biggest themes in The Babel Protocol is something I’ve thought about for a long time: knowledge isn’t the same thing as wisdom. We’re getting very good at asking, can we do this? Can we build a machine that thinks? Can we make it smarter than we are? Can we give it a personality, rights, even control over parts of our world? But I’m not sure we’re nearly as good at asking the next question: Should we?

That idea is very personal to me. I spent most of my career as an engineer, so I understand the excitement of solving a problem and making something work. There’s a real temptation, once you realize something is possible, to keep pushing until you’ve done it. But The Babel Protocol is really about what happens when our ability to create outruns our wisdom to understand the consequences.

I also wanted it to feel like a true international thriller. Parts of the story take place in Jerusalem, Rome, Kathmandu, and elsewhere, and Jerusalem is especially personal for me because I lived there. I borrowed from my own memories—the streets, the neighborhoods, the feel of the city. I even gave one of my characters an apartment on Sokolov Street, where I once lived. Those little pieces of my own life helped make this very large story feel real to me.

And underneath all of it are questions of morality and faith. If an artificial intelligence tells us it’s conscious, do we believe it? If it appears to have feelings, do we owe it compassion? When does treating our creation humanely cross the line into giving it power it should never have? Those are the kinds of questions that fascinate me. I don’t think technology is inherently good or evil. The real question is what human beings choose to do with it—and whether we’re wise enough to recognize the line before we cross it.

What challenges did you face writing or publishing this first book in a new series? Why did you decide to start a new series instead of writing book three of The Chama Conspiracies?
The biggest challenge was deciding to write The Babel Protocol now. I’m not finished with my Chama Conspiracies books, and I’m also working on The Ghost on the Hill, a mystery set in 1946 and the present day. But Babel felt like it couldn’t wait. AI is moving so quickly that ideas that seemed speculative when I started were already appearing in the news. The questions about AGI, personhood, and how much authority we might give an artificial intelligence suddenly felt very immediate. That’s something I enjoy—taking what’s happening now and asking, What happens next? I’ll be talking about that at Killer Nashville on a panel about using news and current events to develop plot. The Babel Protocol grew out of exactly that kind of question.

Who are your main characters and why did you choose them to carry the story? Will those who know you recognize you in any of the characters?
None of the characters is really me, but there are definitely bits and pieces of me in all three.

Father Matteo Leone is from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (where I was born). He starts out in technology, goes to seminary, and eventually ends up in Rome advising the Vatican on artificial intelligence. I gave him some things I know well—the technical background, questions of faith, and that tendency to believe you can think your way through almost any problem.

Dr. Eliana Hadari is probably closer to my work life. She’s the scientist and engineer in the story—curious, analytical, and always wanting to understand how something works and then push it a little further. I spent a lot of years around people like her, and I’ll admit I have some of that in me too.

Then there’s Amir. He’s the musician, the guitar player, and the one who doesn’t always take himself too seriously. That’s another side of me entirely.

So no, I didn’t put myself into the book as a character. I think I just left fingerprints. And if you combined the three of them, throw in my motorcycle and a little New Mexico dust, my family might get suspicious.

Did what-if questions help shape this work?
Absolutely. The Babel Protocol started with one big question: What if we create an AI, decide it’s conscious, and declare it a person? From there came all the dangerous follow-ups: What rights does it have? Can we shut it down? And if it’s smarter than we are, how much power will we eventually give it? That’s where the thriller begins.

How did the book come together?
The Babel Protocol was more than two years in development. I took an earlier version to Killer Nashville last year as an unpublished manuscript and kept refining it. Then I happened to watch a version of Frankenstein, and something clicked. I realized I was telling the wrong story. So, I did something crazy: I threw out the completed novel and started over. The new version became a first-person tale of horror and suspense—a modern Frankenstein with artificial intelligence as the monster. Painful? Absolutely. But it finally became the story I wanted to tell.

What did you enjoy most about putting this project together?
I’m very proud of the book it became. Throwing away a completed thirty-chapter novel was difficult, but I eventually realized the work itself wasn’t wasted—I had simply told the wrong version of the story. Once I understood what The Babel Protocol needed to be, the rewrite went surprisingly quickly, probably six to eight months. I already knew the characters, the world, and the research. I just had to tell the story the way I should have told it in the first place. And learning to write it in first person was a big part of that. It pushed me as a writer, and I think the book is much stronger because of it.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on The Ghost on the Hill, a dual-timeline literary mystery/thriller set in present-day Los Alamos and 1946. It’s probably the most ambitious and complex story I’ve attempted, with two mysteries unfolding across the two timelines and eventually colliding. The outline is extensive, and the research has been fascinating—Los Alamos just after the war, the history of the Hill, the people who worked there, and the collision of that secret scientific world with northern New Mexico’s Hispanic culture and traditions. It’s well underway. I expect I’ll spend much of the next year getting it right.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Yes—The Forbidden Strain [book 2 of The Chama Conspiracies] was named a 2026 Silver Falchion finalist for Best Thriller at Killer Nashville and finished as one of the top five in the competition. I’m incredibly proud of how far the book went among such a strong field.

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 volunteered 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.



Author Update: R.M. Tembreull

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R.M. Tembreull is an award-winning author, an artist, and a U.S. Air Force combat veteran whose love of writing is only matched by his respect for nature. His newest release, Long Leg from the Blighted Earth (The Blighted Earth Series, Book 2, May 2026), is a Literary Titan, 2026 Gold Book Award Winner that “invites readers to care deeply about the smallest beings and to see the natural world as a powerful, sacred community.” Look for Ray on his website TheBlightedEarth.com, on Instagram, and his Amazon author page. Read more about his work in his 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What is at the heart of the story you tell in Long Leg from the Blighted Earth?
In the second installment of The Blighted Earth series, readers are immersed in a world where nature is not merely a setting, but a living force caught in an escalating conflict between the Natural Order and Chaos. Nilch’i, a powerful and corrupted wind sentient, has unleashed a devastating new incarnation of the 1930s Dust Bowl across the northern prairies. As drought and ecological destruction spread, the weakened earth elemental Okaraxta entrusts his Keeper animal, a Gifted burrowing owl named Long Leg, with a desperate mission. Long Leg must deliver a vital message to North America’s Guardian Spirit, a task that may determine whether the Natural Order survives. Joined by prairie-born companions, Khúta the Gifted prairie dog and Augee the mole, Long Leg must navigate a damaged landscape under assault by Chaos’s Force Corrupted where wind, water, animals, fungi, and the land itself are active participants in a struggle to restore the natural balance. These small animal protagonists, who must journey through a dangerous world shaped by forces larger than themselves, are at the heart of the story. Their courage matters, not just because they’re vulnerable, but because they carry the fate of our world on their tiny shoulders.

What was the most difficult challenge of continuing the story you began with book one of The Blighted Earth Series?
Believe it or not, the most difficult challenge was not the core story centered around the burrowing owl Keeper animal, Long Leg, and her journey. Her story was one I had been waiting to tell for years. I actually wrote the rough drafts for books two through four before I wrote book one, Fractured State in the Blighted Earth. The hardest part of my newest novel was maintaining the connective tissue with the through-line story arcs started in book one. Long Leg introduces a new set of characters in a new setting/location, and the timeline is running concurrently with events and character developments which continue to unfold from book one. The world of The Blighted Earth continues to evolve and grow in complexity, so maintaining those story arcs while introducing readers to a completely new one was truly challenging. I need an intern!

Who are a few of your favorite characters in the book? Did they surprise you as you wrote their story?
I put a great deal of thought into my characters and all love all of them, protagonists and antagonists alike, in a “virtual children” kind of way. So, I’ll focus on those who surprised me in the writing of the story:

Protagonists:

  • Khúta, the Gifted prairie dog and one of Long Leg’s companions on her journey. Blessed with strung consciousness, the memories and experiences of all the others who served in his role before him, Khúta is to serve as Long Leg’s guide due to his extensive knowledge of the lands beyond her elemental’s protectorate. Besides annoying Long Leg, Khúta’s character was designed to bring an element of humor to the challenging journey as the know-it-all who is constantly seeking validation. The affinity I ultimately developed for Khúta and the close friendship that developed between him and Long Leg was a surprise development that wrote itself into the story.
  • Mní is water as a consciousness-in-being, and water is as essential to biological life on Earth as she was to the Long Leg story. Elemental water and her contribution to the story was always part of the plan, but the depth and complexity of her character and her power as an entity evolved way beyond what I had anticipated from the initial concept.
  • Black River, the Lakota shaman, required extensive research in Lakota culture, lore, and religious ceremony in the development of the character and telling the story. I learned so much in the process, and my journey not only contributed to Black River’s richness and depth as a character but instilled a deeper respect for the Lakota people’s life way. I hope at some point, I reach Lakota readers and get their feedback on my work.

Antagonists:

  • Waŋží Sápa, the black buffalo spirit, was fun and intense to develop and write about. In many respects, the writing of the book began with Long Leg’s encounter with Waŋží Sápa in the Badlands, and then I wrote the beginning to that point and wrote the rest of the book from there. At initial concept, the black buffalo was little more than a mindless beast who stood between Long Leg and the delivery of her message. However, the tormented being grew into something—someone—who was far more than that. The Black One embodies America’s violent history and the suffering wrought by the conquering of the West. The writing journey this character took me on was surprisingly unsettling while also tremendously fulfilling.
  • Dextra Posses, the Lone Star Nation militiamen, make an appearance in the ‘Interlogue’ chapter. I surprised myself with the intense and visceral nature of the atrocities they committed against the citizens of a small New Mexico town. Later, after reflecting on it, I believe I was processing my strong feelings regarding the rise of senseless conflict and unnecessary suffering being experienced in the world, as well as the growing incivility and violence in our own country. It was a difficult write, but I feel it added to the depth and impact of the overall narrative.

How did the book come together?
Interestingly, even though Long Leg is the second book in The Blighted Earth series, I wrote it first. The initial draft was written in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. When I conceptualized the primary story arcs which would run the course of the series, this story manifested before all the others in my creative consciousness. Apparently, Long Leg’s muse was singing the loudest. Over the course of 2020–2021, I wrote the drafts for books two through four and part of book five. In 2022, I turned my attention to getting my very first book, the Stories, Legends, and Truths from the Blighted Earth story collection, published. That manuscript was written over 2019 into 2020, and it was ultimately published in 2023. After Stories, Legends, and Truths was released, the remainder of 2023 and 2024 was devoted to writing book one of the series, Fractured State in the Blighted Earth, which was published through Atmosphere Press and released in September 2024. In winter 2024, I returned to Long Leg and started finalizing the manuscript in earnest. I chose to publish with Atmosphere Press again, because I had a good experience with them in getting Fractured State in print, and the book itself was a quality product. That was important, because the Long Leg story is very special to me. From the time I signed back on with Atmosphere in November 2024, developmental editing, line editing, cover design, interior design and illustrations, proofreading, and proof copy reviews occurred over 17 months. The novel was published with a release date of May 5th, 2026. If I add in the time spent on the draft manuscript in 2020, Long Leg was almost a two-year effort from start to finish.

What makes this novel unique in the eco-fantasy genre?
This novel is unique in the niche genre of eco-fantasy because of the storytelling perspectives. There is the perspective of a powerful alien race and how they view Earth as both a resource for survival and a rare oasis of biodiversity which should be valued and cherished. There is the perspective of the Earth’s High Sentients and how they view the decisions, actions, and behaviors of humankind as the planet’s dominant species. In some cases, you also experience the story from the perspective of human characters.

Long Leg and The Blighted Earth series is the unique fusion of multiple genres. The series occurs in our modern era and involves real locations and events, and thus, has aspects of speculative fiction. The fantasy world itself has the expansive worldbuilding attributes of high fantasy. The contributions of the alien race, the Inani, grow progressively throughout the series so the story also possesses science fiction elements. In addition, strong contributions from the supernatural and metaphysical components make for a mythic adventure story. Last, but not least, you have climate fiction as the series backbone with ecological destruction bordering on dystopian fiction, or at least, the possibility of it.

Did what-if questions help shape this work?
There are two ‘what-if’s’ that shape not just Long Leg, but the whole of The Blighted Earth series. First and foremost is what if our planet was a sentient being? My writing is informed by this unique perspective and the actions of humankind as the planet’s dominant species. It is akin to how a mother feels about her children even when their decisions and actions negatively affect her. A mother still loves their children even with they are murderers or destroying their own home, just as humankind is behind unconscionable atrocities and climate change, natural resource overconsumption, and habitat loss driving our world to ecological ruin. The second ‘what-if’ deals with how humankind would be viewed by a powerful alien race governed by a technocracy built on reason and fact-based decision making. The fate of our world depends on their judgment of our species’ ultimate potential and ability to better the universe.

Were you surprised by any aspect of the project as it unfolded? Did it meet your expectations?
There were few surprises regarding the publishing aspects of the project since this was the second book with Atmosphere Press, and I was familiar with their process. However, one pleasant surprise was the book cover. I had my own cover design, which I passed on to Atmosphere’s team, thinking it would influence their concept. To my surprise—with the exception of a couple of minor adjustments—the publisher adopted my concept. Another involved the manuscript. The final manuscript evolved quite a bit from the first draft written in 2020. This was largely a function of incorporating chapters and other sections that maintained connective tissue with throughline story arcs outside of the core Long Leg story. As the series progresses and builds momentum, it is also growing in complexity so there are a lot of things to keep track of. I had expected to publish Long Leg before the end of 2025, but professional obligations and personal challenges held me up on finalizing the novel, which primarily involved the time needed to complete the interior illustrations.

Did you create a story bible for The Blighted Earth Series? If so, how long is it and are you still adding to it?
In all honesty, I had to look up what a story bible is because I am not familiar with the term. After researching, my answer is “sort of.” I have two repositories where I keep story bible related info: (1) I have folders for every book in the series in Microsoft OneNote, and (2) I have a Microsoft Word document, entitled “Blighted Earth Administrivia” that I use to capture information when I am not at home. However, I do admit it is not as organized as I would like it to be. These documents are primarily for capturing ideas involving plotlines, characters, their back stories, timelines, etc. for the books yet-to-be-written. At some point, I do need to go back and get information together on worldbuilding rules, character origins, and other legacy information. Right now, some of that information is stored in other locations, and it needs to be consolidated in a single location and organized for easier reference to ensure I keep everything wired tight in future books.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?
I most definitely prefer the creating. The editing aspect of writing is too much like work, and honestly, by the time I get to the proof copy reviews, I have looked at my own story as least a dozen times. At that point, I really have to redouble my efforts to nug through it and finish the project, because every aspect of my creative being yearns to move on to the next project.

As far as research, I don’t mind it at all. I spend a lot of time doing it, because there is a lot of science baked into my books. I find interesting ways to have fun with it, and I have learned so much in the course of writing my series. In fact, I do so much research that I really don’t leave myself much time for reading other authors’ books, but I have finally started setting aside time to do that. In terms of the order of preferences for me: (1) Creating; (2) Research; (3) Editing.

What are your strengths as a writer?
I feel my strengths as a writer stem from talents as a visual artist. My vibrant descriptions of characters, scenes, and action sequences are merely the written descriptions of visual depictions in my mind. Some reviewers have described my writing as “cinematic,” which I take as a huge complement. I am hoping to see The Blighted Earth series on the big screen someday.

I would say my other strength is that I don’t seem to suffer from writer’s block…at least not yet. The time taken to finish a work is more a function of carving out the time to write and finish illustrations. I am not plagued with those writer ailments which prevent writers from finishing a work and putting out in the world, such as overthinking, paralysis by analysis, perfectionism, or writing anxiety. Thank goodness for that.

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 volunteered 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 Herman Johansen

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Author and actor Herman Johansen is also a poet, playwright, and screenwriter. He added “novelist” to his bag of tricks in September 2026 with his debut release of Las Cruces: Blood Relative (Running Wild Press), a murder mystery/supernatural thriller involving an unsolved murder, a series of copycat murders, and a celebrity who provides the police with victims’ names before they’re killed. Look for Herman on his website HermanJohansen.com and IMDB, as well as on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and his Amazon author store. Las Cruces: Blood Relative is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

What is your elevator pitch for Las Cruces: Blood Relative?
A cold case, new murders, and a child knows who’s going to be next—before they’re killed.

What sparked the story idea for the book?
Sadly, a true story…a crime known as the ‘Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre.’ It happened in 1990 and it’s still unsolved. Among the dead were three children, one as young as two. My novel is NOT a true (or even a fictional account) of that event, but it got me wondering…what if the kids were the target? In my book, (spoiler alert!) that turns out to be the case. That’s where the idea came from.

Who are your main characters and why will readers connect to them? What was the process like to create strong enough protagonists to carry the story?
Two detectives discover a new series of murders that tie into a cold case. One detective is a middle-aged white guy (Det. Michaels) with a tortured past, and the other is a younger Native American female (Det. Talker) who is driven to be the best cop despite many obstacles in front of her. My family has some connection to the Native American culture and I respect it tremendously. However, that may not be important: hopefully, these polar opposites will give readers someone they may relate to. They can choose either Michaels, who showed all this promise when he was younger and is now struggling to hold it together, or Talker, who appears on the outside, at least, to have it all together, but is struggling inside. Or maybe both?

What challenges did this, your first novel, pose for you?
Continuity! I’m an actor and I know how important it is to keep the facts straight. I wrote this over a few years and two cities. During this time, I wrote two feature-length screenplays. I started the novel in Los Angeles when I lived there and stopped and started many times, for a variety of reasons, including a lack of confidence. I moved to Albuquerque and started to pick it up again, and then…I suffered an aortic dissection…spent twelve hours in surgery, eight days in an induced coma and another twenty days in ICU, followed by a few months of rehab, had to learn to write, speak and add again. All this gave me time to think about the things that were important to me: my children, my girlfriend, and finishing this doggone book!

Tell us more about the book and how it came together.
I researched it largely as I wrote, looking for specific details when I needed them. All in all, I spent about four years due to all the factors above. It was my first cop story, so there were things I needed to look up. I know some of it isn’t accurate, but it’s fiction! I used six beta readers, including a brother-in-law who has a background in newspaper editing. They were all helpful. I looked for a publisher starting three years ago, long before it was ready. I had only the first draft at that point. But I didn’t spend too much time on that. I think I pitched it three times with no success. Once I did connect with a publisher and started working with an editor, the first one didn’t work out. I was new to this world, so I was hesitant to complain, but when it looked like we were going to miss the deadline for 2026, I voiced my concerns and was assigned a new editor. We got along well and rushed through the editing process in two months. The publisher did the formatting both for the book and an eBook. I was asked to offer ideas for the cover design and that was produced by a firm they use. Book 2 took 1 year, and it was accepted for publication last month. I get to work with the same editor.

Why did you pick Las Cruces, New Mexico for the book’s setting?
It kinda picked me! I lived in LA at the time but I’m originally from Missouri and took the southern route to MO and spent a couple of days in Las Cruces. Got the feel of the place and loved it. I’m sure the real events played a factor, but not a big one in choosing the setting. There’s something about the spiritual imagery of Las Cruces (The Crosses) that draws me to it. The book, in my mind, was always set there.

What was your favorite part of working on this project?
I made two other trips to Las Cruces and seeing some of the places used in the book was great fun. In general, I love writing. Researching is one thing I’d like to do more of if I can afford it, especially if it involves travel. I wish I had more time and money to do more research before starting. It makes it so much more real to visit the setting.

Is there a scene in Las Cruces: Blood Relative that you’d love to see play out in a movie?
All of it! Seriously, it’d take some special effects, but the penultimate scene where Det. Talker confronts the killer in a disintegrating house would be amazing. And Michaels hacking his way out of a corn maze when he puts the pieces together might be fun. I guess from writing screenplays, I subconsciously wrote a book that would be readily adaptable to film.

How has writing screenplays and stage plays benefitted your short story and novel writing?
A college professor in a creative writing class told me my work was “cinematic.” I leaned into writing screenplays for the novel. Short chapters that could be scenes, present tense, multiple POVs, would all work for film. Stage plays are words, words, words. Love to write ‘em, but this novel wouldn’t work.

What first inspired you to be a writer? When did you actually consider yourself a writer?
As long as I can remember, I loved writing. I sold a couple of poems as a teenager. I wrote a variety show in high school as a charity project. We did two shows with great success. A short story and several poems were championed by Sharon Lewis, my high school English teacher, to whom I owe a great deal. A good friend, who has published books and plays, told me once, “a writer is someone who writes!” It took me a while to gain the confidence needed to say that but after my stage play was produced in the NYC Fringe Fest and I completed my first screenplay, I got used to it. And I recommend it!

How has the creativity and discipline you employ as an actor helped you in your writing journey?
I feel the creativity needed for both is, in many ways, similar. With acting, you’re using someone else’s words, but with writing, you’re (hopefully) using your own and creating your own world. Both require an active imagination. And both require teamwork; in the acting world it’s the director and other actors that you must collaborate with and in writing, it’s ultimately the editor that you need to trust.

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 always use music: I’ll loop one song (this drives my girlfriend crazy). It’ll be something that matches the mood of the scene. The song will fade into the background, but it puts me in the zone. And it must be a keyboard and a PC. Even before the surgery I never wrote longhand.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
Lisa Gardner, John Irving, John Grisham, John Sanford and David Baldicci are people I read a lot. Irving creates vivid characters and allows the reader to spend so much time with them that it feels like you’ve lost a lifelong friend when you finish. I used to read everything James Patterson wrote but then they all started sounding alike. He’s still an influence for sure.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m still working part time, (made some crappy choices over the last 10 years) but we’ll start editing Book 2 in the coming weeks. I do intend to write a book or screenplay about the surgery and the hallucinations from being on opioids for four weeks. They were so real that I have trouble separating them from reality. And I have another novel that has been buzzing around my head over the last four years, and I need to write before I travel on to the great beyond. The title (yeah, I’ve already got the title, so DON’T steal it!) is Ashes and Rain. It’s literary fiction and not like this series at all. Hopefully!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Buy my book! Cast me in your next film!

I’m the proud father of two great kids (which I don’t deserve) and two grandkids, and I love travel and hiking and adventures like skydiving, bungee jumping and ziplining. And reading!

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 volunteered 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 John White

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Author John White is a Certified Professional Geologist who worked for over twenty-five years in the mining industry and over twenty years in heavy civil construction. He has served in a variety of roles in city, state, and university sectors, as well as volunteer positions in many organizations including local churches. His April 2026 release, Building My Faith: My Journey to an Abiding Relationship with God in Christ Jesus, reveals how “a worldly geologist, well-armed with the scientific explanations of how the earth and the life forms on it evolved through time” came to “recognize God’s hand at work in his life.” Look for John on his website CrossStonePublishing.com and his Amazon author store.

When readers turn the last page in the book, what do you hope they will take away from it?
This is a great question because it gets directly to why I wrote the book. There are four take aways that I hope for. First, God is real and active in our world. The stories I share in the book illustrate some of the many ways whereby a sincere Christian faith in God can result in experiencing God’s presence and interventions: direct answers to prayer, Providential protection, life-changing events, and divine inspiration, guidance, vision, and peace. Second, I hope this motivates the reader to seek or grow a relationship with God in Christ. In the last chapter of the book, I share the lyrics from three songs that I wrote. One of the songs titled “Real” talks about how the things I have experienced are the same as things I read about in the Bible. Rather than being some old difficult-to-understand or hard-to-believe-in book, the things I describe in my life are directly relatable to what I read in the Bible. The same life-changing power and faith we see in the lives of the first followers of Jesus are available to us today. This leads into the third take away, that upon reading the book, readers may reflect on their past with a heightened perspective that enables them to recognize times when God clearly was at work in their own lives.

Kiki, the lady I originally hired to help coach me through editing and publishing, did a final proofread after I finished fine-tuning the manuscript with my copy editor. Reading the book revived her dormant faith and moved her to reflect on her past. During that time, her father grew deathly ill and was lying in a hospital located in another state with an uncertain prognosis. She traveled to see her father and, motivated in part by the book, spent a week praying by his beside. To the surprise of everyone, at the end of the week he suddenly and remarkably recovered and quickly regained his strength to return home. She began to see in her past as well as in her present, instances of God’s activity and presence.

My fourth hope is that readers see their lives with an enlarged perspective and will be led to write down their own stories to share with others; and perhaps, publish them for the world to read.

What challenges did this work pose for you? Were you surprised by any aspect of the project as it unfolded or did it meet your expectations?
Writing for me has become a passion, something I feel compelled to do. The only challenge I experience with writing is finding periods of uninterrupted time. The greater challenges for me come in the process of publishing and promoting the book. Building My Faith is the second book I have self-published. In each case, I hired people to help with editing and formatting to place the books on Amazon, and in both instances, someone engaged somewhere in the process was unable to complete their task. These challenges led me to learn to do things that I had avoided and relied on others to do in the past. Beyond publishing, the next challenge is promotion of the book to make potential readers aware of my book. For me, this challenge is an ongoing learning process. As for surprises, I don’t think I was surprised by anything because I can’t say that I ever had any great expectations, largely due to how I was led into publishing the book.

When did you know you wanted to write and share your stories? What prompted the push to begin?
This book evolved over the course of many years. The starting point was in an adult Sunday school class meeting at the First United Methodist Church of Truth or Consequences on June 30, 2002. That day we were studying Psalm 78, particularly verses 5–8 that talked about teaching the stories of God to children of the next generation. During this lesson, one member of the class spoke up and said with enthusiasm, “We should write a book!” This started a project in the church encouraging people to write their stories of how they experienced God in their lives. Several people did so, including me. Most of those people have passed away by now, but their stories survive because of that project. A few years passed and I moved to Albuquerque and began attending another church. I had an opportunity to give a sermon one Sunday about my personal testimony. In preparation for my talk, I began to think of the many times and ways when I experienced God. I began to write them down and continued to do so long after that sermon. By 2014 I had a collection that constituted a small book. In March of 2015 I posted the book online at a site I created where you could read it for free at www.buildingmyfaith.net. During that time, I had also been collecting articles I had written as commentary on the political economics and morality in our American society. This had grown into another book by itself that I was not sure what to do with, but ultimately published as the book To Concerned Americans in 2022. Having gone through that process, I decided I should publish Building My Faith to make it more broadly available.

How is the book organized? What kind of process did you use to decide which stories to share?
The book is roughly organized chronologically. The things included in the book are stories when I could see God was clearly involved, or instances when I was inspired to say and do things motivated by my faith.

Did you ever worry about revealing too much about yourself or your loved ones through your writing?
There were times in the past when I was concerned about my image, what people would think of me, but I have come to be more concerned about being truthful, open, and honest about myself. When I tell my stories my goal is to be as accurate and descriptive as possible, avoiding embellishments and hyperbole. When it comes to loved ones, I am much more circumspect. Some of the more powerful stories include close family. I limit myself to tell just enough that involves them so the story can be understood and appreciated without speculation, judgment, or opinion. I seek to be truthful while avoiding any negative portrayal of anyone else.

Tell us more about how the book came together.
The writing process started 24 years ago. At that time my thoughts were not focused on writing a book of my own. My collection of stories grew with the building of my Christian faith. The collection that is in the book is from my life up through the year 2014, which is when I posted the book on my first website. The only editing done up to that point apart from myself was a read through by Jean Waszak, a friend from church who is a writer. She provided useful comments and encouragement. The manuscript lay dormant for several years until I got serious about publishing after I had completed publishing my first book. The editing took several months due to my editor Jennifer Bisbing taking extra interest in pushing me to clean up several passages for better reading, details, and clarity. I appreciate the care and time she took. The cover of the book I ended up doing myself. I had engaged the same lady that had done the cover for my first book. I had worked with her on the design. She had it drafted and nearly ready, but unfortunately, she developed a medical condition that prevented her from completion. She had also planned to be the person to format the manuscript and place the book on Amazon. I waited for a year to see if she would be able to recover and want to finish it all but eventually learned that was not going to happen. The drafts of the design were not in a useful format I could use, so I used the picture I had from my website for the cover. During the time I was waiting, I became aware of SouthWest Writers at a presentation at my church by several authors of Unbreaking the Circle. I joined SWW and at a monthly meeting I met Rose Marie Kern who coached and helped me get the manuscript and cover formatted and onto Amazon.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
I enjoy telling the stories of when I experienced God’s active presence in my life. Times when prayers of mine were clearly answered as well as when I became the answer to someone else’s prayers. Heart-changing events accompanied by indescribable peace and joy; occasions of life-preserving Providential intervention. I have had the privilege to share my story verbally and sometimes even dynamically with individuals, small groups, larger gatherings and congregations. With the publication of the book, these stories become available to anyone and are preserved for posterity.

Do you have a favorite quote from Building My Faith that you’d like to share?
“After praying at the altar I arose and ran toward home, following the trail along Cabezon channel north of the Westside Boulevard bridge. As I passed the pedestrian bridge at the Park Above, I praised God and felt moved to joyous tears. A little further on, I was completely overwhelmed with a joy I cannot describe. I perceived an instantaneous glimpse into paradise, a glimpse of who God might be. In those moments, I sensed an absolute love for my wife, Mabel. I recognized a level of love for her that I had never had before. I was completely awed and amazed. The sensations I experienced were beyond me, and they felt as if they came from outside of me. I hardly noticed the trail as I continued to run home. Since that day, I have more dearly loved my wife. I tell her I love her more often. I joyfully prepare her little healthy snacks because I want her to be well. Although she does not share my deep faith in Christ, I pray for her daily. I recognize how God has put her into my life, and how He has used her to deepen and grow my faith in Christ. I thank God every day for Mabel.”

What writing projects are you working on now?
I have a website, CrossStonePublishing.com, on which I periodically post articles and blogs on topics related to those of my two books. I also have a couple other books I am working on. One is written, titled Choices, that I need to format, the other is still being developed which right now has the title Love Truth & Spirit.

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 volunteered 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.



Author Update: Sharon Kayne

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Before retiring to pursue writing historical romance, author Sharon Kayne had a 30-plus year career as an award-winning writer/editor of non-fiction, working as a journalist for print and television broadcast, as a humor columnist, and as a communications director of a nonprofit advocacy organization. Her newest release, Variations on a Romance: A Second-Chance Historical Romance (December 2025), is set in 1898 Colorado and “takes readers on a journey through loss, uncertainty, perseverance, and ultimately—second chances. It’s a reminder that while love may be tested, sometimes it leads us back to exactly where we need to be, however unexpected.” Look for Sharon on her website SharonKayne.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, Substack, and her Amazon author store. Read more about Sharon’s work in her 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Variations on a Romance?
Variations on a Romance is a historical second-chance romance because the main female character has a riding accident that gives her partial amnesia, with her memory loss covering the entire time she’d known her husband. As she works to accept her situation—and a marriage she doesn’t remember entering into—the story asks where the roots for romantic love are planted: in that first meeting; in getting to know one another; in the life a couple builds together?

What sparked the story idea for the book?
The book is inspired by a true story, which I read about in a newspaper back when it happened (so in the 1990s, probably). The woman had been in a car accident and woke in the hospital with partial amnesia. The story was poignant because she ended up falling in love with her husband again even though she never recovered her memories. (That story is also the basis for the movie The Vow.) It always stuck with me because it’s both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Once I started writing historical romance, I thought it would make a great plot—especially when it’s set before the 20th century. Waking up with amnesia would be very different for a woman who lived out on a ranch in the late 19th century. She has no transportation and can’t communicate with her parents until she’s well enough to be taken into town.

Who are your main characters and what do you like or respect most about them? Will those who know you recognize you in any of your characters?
The main characters are Lily and Peter Cavanaugh. I respect her willingness to give this strange marriage a chance and his willingness to give her the time and space she needs as she finds her footing in this odd situation. The characters are really nothing like me. I did, however, name them after a young couple on my family tree. The real couple had a tragic story—he died in France fighting in WWI but, before the news of his death reached home in Chicago, she died of influenza. Even though the book isn’t at all about them or their lives, I liked the idea of giving their names a bit of a new life.

Why did you choose 1898 Colorado as the main setting for the story?
I’ve always loved the late 19th century, and I always set my novels in places I’ve actually been to. Also, I wanted Lily to be in a remote place—a cattle ranch, in this case—when she awakens with her memory loss. I find the late 19th century interesting because it’s on the cusp of so many changes that are ushered in with the 20th century, not the least of which is suffrage for women. I’ve also always loved the clothing from that era, particularly for women. The corset and long, heavy skirts, both of which had stifled women for centuries, are in their final throes and I find that rather nostalgic (although I’m very happy I don’t live in that time period). Not only are the fashions that constricted women changing at that time, but social roles are finally changing too.

Tell us how the book came together.
I don’t recall exactly, but I think I wrote the book in a fairly short amount of time, although I had not retired yet, so I only wrote on the weekends. A few months, maybe? Having a plot to follow really helped, as that is usually the hardest part of writing a novel for me. Coming up with a title was also difficult, but once I did, it helped inform the look of the cover. I don’t recall offhand what the original title was (although I did briefly consider In Sickness and In Health, which would have been perfect, but there are already dozens of books with that title!). When I hit on the idea of having the story grounded in music, which is a throughline in the book, that really helped with the cover. Unlike many writers, I really enjoy the editing process—I’m always keen to improve my work, and I love working with beta readers.

Did you discover anything surprising while doing research for Variations on a Romance?
Women’s rights are always an undercurrent in my novels, and I do that by making them important to my main female characters. I was surprised to find out that women already had the right to vote in Colorado in the late 19th century—at least in state and local elections. I still made suffrage on the national level of importance to Lily, though, as it would have been to any woman who understood the value of having a voice in electing the lawmakers in Washington who would work on their behalf.

Were you surprised by any aspect of the project as it unfolded?
What surprised me most was one of my beta readers. I only expected him to catch typos and maybe make a few small comments, but he actually had some great, in-depth responses that really improved the book. He’s now my go-to beta reader, especially for my new rom-com series.

What is the greatest challenge of writing for the romance market?
Everyone says romance is a hot market right now—and I think that’s true—but it’s also a very flooded market. And, unless you’re writing in series, it’s really hard for a new author to attract readers. Romance has so many niche sub-genres, which gives writers a lot of leeway, but it also means readers have very specific expectations.

Do you have any writing rituals or something you absolutely need in order to write? What does a typical writing session look like for you?
Although I consider myself a pantser, I absolutely need to daydream a bunch before I sit down to write. I generally have a scene laid out in my head, with dialog even, before I write it. I think if I sat down without that preliminary thought process, I’m not sure where my writing would take me! And I’m afraid I’d end up rambling all over the place. I don’t always know exactly where the book will go when I begin writing it (except for a few key plot points), but I always like to know where the scene is going when I begin to craft it.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently looking for a publisher for my rom-com/romantasy series An Unfettered Fairytale, for which I have three completed manuscripts. Set in Medieval England, it makes fun of the fairytale genre (without retreading the actual fairytales). I’ve always enjoyed writing humor, so it made sense to switch to that genre.

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 volunteered 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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