Pen Name:
None
Genre:
Articles, Biography, Memoir, Other Fiction
Website:
RMKPublications.com/Evelyn-Neil/
Bio
Evelyn Neil began her career as an author by submitting short stories to several writing contests—which she won! She has a gift for entwining the hearts of her readers with everyday events and the decisions made by ordinary people that are so important to all of us. Though she currently lives in the foothills of the Sandia Mountain in Albuquerque, Evelyn Neil grew up on the prairies of southeastern Wyoming where she acquired an early love for animals, western landscapes and expansive skies. She earned a BS in Business Ed from the University of New Mexico. She began writing in 2013 following retirement as President and CFO of the petroleum equipment company founded in 1972 with her late husband, Don.
She has been published in the Anthology of the American Military Family, From the Frontlines to the Home Front. Her work appears in the SouthWest Sage Newsletter, Ageless Authors’ Anthology, the SouthWest Sage Anthology and the SouthWest Writers Award Winning Anthology. She is active in the Write Stuff critique group and the Writers Workshop. She serves on the board of the Friends of the UNM College of Education and Health Sciences.
In October of 2023, Dancing to the End of Our Rainbow won first place in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards.
Books
Title: Dancing to the End of Our Rainbow
Published: March 2022
Genre: Memoir
Married following a three-month courtship, soul-mates dance off to begin a fifty-eight-year adventure of traveling both the high road and the low road. Constant companions, Don and Evelyn, build a successful business while imparting strong ethical values to their two sons and each of their four grandchildren. This tale of devotion and hard work follows this couple on their heart-wrenching journey through uncharted territory while coping with Don’s unwelcome health diagnosis and slow physical decline. As the years pass, they remain lovers, partners and best friends even as Evelyn takes on more responsibility for their business and eventually becomes Don’s caregiver. When they reach the end of their rainbow, Evelyn is left to grapple with the day-to-day challenges of widowhood and to wonder who she is without Don. With resilience and determination, she strives to accept what has happened and to reinvent her life.
Available for Sale
Short Stories
Title: Holes in Our Hearts: An Anthology of New Mexican Military Related Stories and Poetry
Publisher: Independently published (May 29, 2023)
“Hitch Hiker”
“The Price of Freedom”
This collection of prose and poetry was gathered and created by SouthWest Writers and funded through a grant from the State of New Mexico Arts Agency. These stories were written and contributed by New Mexican Veterans, their family members and caregivers including: Rosa Armijo-Pemble, Joseph Badal, Rebecca Black, Steve Borbas, E. Joe Brown, Laurel Burnett, Sherri Burr, Ivan Calhoun, John J. Candelaria, Judy Castleberry, Brenda Cole, Brinn Colenda, Joshua Colenda, Mark Fleisher, Paul David Gonzales, Linda G. Harris, M. Elder Hays, A. Michael Hibner, Carl Hitchens, KE Hopkins, James Houston and Molly Houston, Carol Kreis, Caroline A. LeBlanc, Jacqueline Murray Loring, Butch Maki, Elaine Carson Montague, Sam Moorman, Evelyn Neil, Thomas Neiman, C.L. Nemeth, Paula Nixon, Harper O’Connor, Jeffrey Otis, Donna Pedace, W. Howard Plunkett, Léonie Rosenstiel, Earl W. Rugen, Lynne Sebastian, Barb Simmons, Ted Spitzmiller, Dale Swetnam, Jasmine Tritten, Jim Tritten, Lawrence Trujillo, Vicki Turpen, KL Wagoner, Regina Washington, Dan Wetmore, Ben White, Josephine White, J. Allen Whitt, Circe Olson Woessner, Norbert Wood, Kay Yoest.
Available for Sale
Anthology: Southwest Writers 2019 Winners Anthology
Publisher: RMK Publications (2019)
“Midnight Express” ♦ Genre: Action/Adventure
“Not So Funny” ♦ Genre: Memoir
“Midnight Express” won first place in the action/adventure category of the SouthWest Writers 2019 Writers Contest. On a journey from Phoenix to Albuquerque O’Malley is looking forward to a weekend with his wife and kids, but he, and his bus, encounter people and problems that stimulate challenging solutions before he can reach his destination.
“Not So Funny” won first place in the memoir category of the SouthWest Writers 2019 Writers Contest. Eight-year-old Donnie is excited about a weekend fishing/camping trip with his granddad and cousin, Alan. While camping along the Cimarron River in northern New Mexico, the two carefree youngsters are having a grand time until they discover their granddad is in trouble. What do these two little boys do to avoid a tragedy?
The 2019 Short Prose and Poetry Contest focused on poetry, non-fiction essays, and genre-driven prose of up to 3,500 words. In this anthology a reader will enjoy winning entries in each category. These stories are fun, or sad, or factual, or surprising―many of them are all these things. The genres are randomly mixed throughout the book. Pay attention to the names of the authors―you will probably see them again!
Available for Sale
AWARD WINNING SHORT STORIES
SouthWest Sage 2018
THE SLIPPERY SLOPE
Walt moved into the downstairs bedroom last night. Surrounded by pillows, I was left to toss and turn in the master bedroom upstairs where we had made love and talked our way through fifty-eight years.
Available for Sale Amazon
SouthWest Writers 2019 Winners Anthology
1st place Adventure
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
Description: Adventures abound when a bus driver, dead heading and empty bus, gets lonely and picks up hitchhikers along his route.
1st place Memoir
NOT SO FUNNY
Description: Chaos breaks out when two young cousins on a camping trip with their grandfather find him in a dangerous situation.
Available for Sale Amazon
A Diversity of Expression
2022 – 3rd place Memoir
BUBBLE GUM
Description: How a dilemma of three children sharing two pieces of precious bubble gum during World War II rationing can lead to life-long consequences.
Available for Sale Amazon
Holes in Our Hearts
Winner: Military Writers Society of America annual writing contest and New Mexico Press Women annual writing contest
HITCH HIKER
Description: Disaster looms when Ken, a Vietnam Veteran, picks up a uniformed hitchhiker who then holds a gun to Ken’s head.
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Description: A reflection of walking on Omaha Beach in Normandy and contemplating the enormity of the events that took place there on D-Day 1944.
Available for Sale Amazon
Kaleidoscope
A VERY BEARY SUMMER
Description: Trauma ensues when a black bear choses to spend summer nights in the backyard Ponderosa pine.
Available for Sale Amazon