Author Update 2026: Marty Eberhardt

Marty Eberhardt is a former director of botanical gardens turned award-winning author of cozy mysteries. Book three in her Bea Rivers Mystery series, Crime on the Coast (Artemesia Publishing, February 2026), is “an intriguing and satisfying whodunnit,




Author Update: Jeff Otis

Author Jeff Otis satisfies his need for creativity through his passion for painting in oils and writing short stories and novel-length speculative fiction. His newest release, A Giant Tale (Not a Normal Sophomore Year Book 1,




Author Update: Kirt Hickman

Kirt Hickman is the award-winning author of the Worlds Asunder sci-fi thriller series, the Age of Prophecy fantasy trilogy, and the nonfiction writer’s guide Revising Fiction—Making Sense of the Madness. His 2025 fiction release, Host of Evil (Age of Prophecy,




An Interview with Author Lesa Masten

Author Lesa Masten embraces a love for writing as a power to teach, inspire, and shape positivity. Her first children’s book, Rana’s Perfect Place (Creative Solutionss, December 2024), takes us on a journey with Rana as she learns about self-awareness,




Beware of scams and email “plagues” targeting writers

by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Chair, Libros of Enchantment, the 2026 SWW Book Fiesta

SouthWest Writers (SWW) member Chris Allen recently alerted colleagues to the current rash of email messages supposedly from famous authors,




Interview Update 2026: Rose Marie Kern

 

Rose Marie Kern is a retired air traffic control FSS specialist and an award-winning author, as well as a speaker and teacher, Master Gardener and solar chef, and an active member of SouthWest Writers (SWW).




Author Update: Lynne Sebastian

Lynne Sebastian is a retired archaeologist and published nonfiction author turned storyteller. Her 2025 book, The House of Ravens: An Archaeological Reminiscence, follows “a small team of archaeologists camped in a remote part of the Navajo Indian Reservation”




An Interview with Author Jo Donahue

Author Jo Donahue (aka Dorajane Grummer) is a retired nurse turned author of romance, suspense, and cozy mysteries. Her 2025 novel, Murder in the Wind (Volume 1 of The Writers Club Mysteries), takes readers to an annual retreat with a group of writers,




An Interview with Author Richard Chavez

Author Richard Chavez is a former Marine who retired from a 35-year career in Air Traffic Control. His debut novel, Hijo Del Barrio: Son of the Barrio (Palmetto Publishing, January 2026), depicts “a young Hispanic’s life in the barrio” and offers a “hard-hitting description of Marines and the atrocities and agony that they experienced in the Vietnam War.” Look for Rick on his SouthWest Writers’




An Interview with Authors Chris Allen and Paul J. Knight

SouthWest Writers’ member Chris Allen and her husband Paul J. Knight are both award-winning authors whose individual work can be found in a variety of publications. Chris holds a master’s degree in archaeology and began her writing career as a technical writer before expanding into more creative storytelling.




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