Blog Archives

2025 New Releases for SWW Authors #3

Posted on by

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

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

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

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

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

Hairalujah (June 2025) by O’Labumi Brown.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SWW Author Interviews: 2025 Releases

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

Irene Blea
Talking with Rudy: Platicando con Rudolfo Anaya

Marcia Butler
Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

Kira Córdova
Carma: How It Is

Dita Dow
Sins in Black

Patricia Gable
The Right Discovery

Peter Gooch
LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie

Holly Harrison
Death in the Land of Enchantment

A. Michael Hibner
The Gangs of Santa Fe

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

Sharon Kayne
The Green Silk Gown

Ed Lehner
Sunset in Paris

Jack Woodville London
Dangerous Latitudes

Gary Lucero
The Unknown Race

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

Lisa Page
Saving Cottonwood

Douglas W. Price
Livengoods Living Well

Lisa C. Taylor
The Shape of What Remains

Zachry Wheeler
Starship Eternity

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



Author Update: E. Joe Brown

Posted on by

After retiring from careers in the United States Air Force and civil service, E. Joe Brown began a third career as a writer. He is now an award-winning author who focuses on historical fiction and memoir. A Cowboy’s Fortune (Artemesia Publishing, January 2024) is his newest fiction release and the second book in The Kelly Can Saga set in early twentieth century Oklahoma. You’ll find Joe on his website EJoeBrown.com and Happy Trails blog, as well as on Facebook and his Amazon author page. For more about his work, read his 2022 SWW interview.

Distill the story you tell in A Cowboy’s Fortune into a few sentences.
The main characters, Charlie and Susan, are recently married and we follow them as they take charge of The Kramer Group (business empire of Walter Kramer, Susan’s father) and grow as people as they expand the business. They deal with some very bad people along the way.

For those who aren’t familiar with book one in the series, A Cowboy’s Destiny, tell us about your main character.
Charlie is a young ambitious cowboy who meets his future bride Susan as he travels across Oklahoma heading to the Miller’s 101 Ranch, the largest and most famous ranch in the state. Charlie proves himself as a cowboy, a man, and a leader at the 101.

Did your characters surprise you as you wrote their story?
Yes. I had ideas as I began, but I let my characters tell me the story as we moved through the pages.

Two books into The Kelly Can Saga, what have you found are the most challenging aspects of writing a series?
The research required to keep the story honest to the time frame as I incorporate real people into the storyline.

Is there a scene in either of your books you’d love to see play out in a movie?
Actually several. There are action scenes where Charlie shows his character, and there are scenes where you see his romantic side and Susan’s response that would jump off the screen in my opinion.

What makes this novel unique in the historical fiction market?
I don’t know of any other novel that focuses the reader on what was happening as society transitioned from ranching, farming, and rural life into what we call the Industrial Revolution. At least not in Oklahoma.

Was there anything surprising you discovered while doing research for this book?
The oil business and the overall population exploded during this exciting period in my home state of Oklahoma. After World War I many folks came West and homesteaded 160-acre parcels.

What did you learn in writing/publishing A Cowboy’s Fortune that you can apply to your future projects?
I continue to learn more about time management as an author. It takes a lot of time to write, revise, edit, and market a book.

What is the best compliment you’ve received as an author?
People have told me time and again how much the enjoy the storyline and how readable my writing style is.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?
I love the creative side and truly enjoy research. I’ve always enjoyed history.

What advice do you have for writers still striving for publication?
Attend conferences and conventions and meet publishers. It helps when you develop a relationship with a publisher.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m writing book three of at least five books in The Kelly Can Saga. I’m also working on more memoirs.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
I appreciate my readers more than I have the words to express.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. Kat has a speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author E. Joe Brown

Posted on by

E. Joe Brown is an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and memoirs whose work is featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. His debut novel, A Cowboy’s Destiny (Artemesia Publishing, August 2022), is the first book in The Kelly Can Saga inspired by his grandfather’s stories about life on Oklahoma’s historic 101 Ranch. You’ll find Joe on his website EJoeBrown.com, on Facebook, and his Amazon author page.

What is at the heart of the story you tell in A Cowboy’s Destiny?
Circa 1917, a young cowboy in his late teens wants to chase his dream of becoming a “Top Hand” on the world famous 101 Ranch in northern Oklahoma.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Combining some real happenings in my late grandfather’s life with the story I wanted to tell. My grandfather was a cowboy on the 101 as a teenager.

Who are your main characters, and why will readers connect with them?
Charlie Kelly is an ambitious young man with a strong desire to live by the cowboy code: “Your words your bond, your handshake is as good as a contract, and you’ve always got your buddies back.” Susan Kramer-Blackaby is a young, beautiful lady Charlie meets along the way. She’s also ambitious and has a mind of her own. She’s a strong-spirited young lady.

What part does your main setting play in the story?
The 101 Ranch becomes a character in the story as do several communities in Oklahoma before 1920.

How did the book come together?
During COVID I wrote the story and much more (about 400,000 words). At the same time, I was in discussions with Artemesia Publishing who became my publisher. We decided to go on contract in July 2021. We have worked together since then to release this first installment of Charlie Kelly’s story in August 2022.

What advice did your publisher give you in preparation for the release of your debut novel?
My publisher and I brainstormed several ideas on how I could enhance my chances at reaching a large readership. We agreed I should do the following:

  1. Create a Social Media presence utilizing active Web, Facebook, and Instagram sites to function as my primary communication tools. The Website functions as my hub. I have a social media professional working with/for me to insure I do things right.
  2. Develop a PR program to assist me in creating a brand. I have a professional publicist working with/for me.
  3. Use my short stories/memoirs as tools to acquaint more people with me. I have several already for sale on my website and my Amazon author page. I have a KDP publishing professional working with/for me. These eBooks have a wide variety of key words associated with them that help potential readers find me.

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting this project together?
I enjoy the storytelling/writing process.

Your writing takes several forms – short stories, novels, memoir, and songs. Is there one form you’re drawn to the most when you write?
I don’t know that I’m drawn to one stronger than the others, but I’ve been so fortunate to have many wonderful experiences in my life and I want to share them. So writing memoirs/short stories will always be something I will do.

How has the creativity and discipline you employ as a musician helped you in your writing journey?
You must do it. You can’t perform or create music just thinking about it. Practice – play – practice some more. Writing is the same. You must write – revise – and write some more.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Novel two of the Kelly Can Saga and some memoirs that will become eBooks.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. Kat has a speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



In Archive