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Author Update: Holly Harrison

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Holly Harrison is a retired university research scientist who writes mystery novels inspired by the enchanting land of her adopted home state of New Mexico. In her newest release, Death in the Land of Enchantment (Koehler Books, April 2025), she brings returning characters from her debut novel into a complex tapestry of plot and mystery set in northern New Mexico. You’ll find Holly on her website at HollyHarrisonWriter.com, on Instagram, and her Amazon author page. Death in the Land of Enchantment is also available at Barnes & Noble and Bookshop. For more about her writing, see her 2021 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Death in the Land of Enchantment?
Mysteries usually involve solving a crime but in this book there are several — murder, money laundering, a missing woman and stolen ancestral Native American pottery. The characters, including the protagonist Louise Sanchez, are in flux. Each one is trying to figure out what’s next in his or her life.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
There were many challenges with both the writing and publishing of this book. After I completed a draft, I changed the protagonist to Louise Sanchez and made Pascal Ruiz a secondary character. Then I had weave Ruiz back into the story. That move involved a major rewrite. Next, I decided the book lacked something special about New Mexico so I added a sidebar about the Crypto Jews and conversos who were forced to immigrate to New Mexico from sixteenth century Spain. Another challenge, with so many characters, was keeping the point of view straight. Finally, when the book was written and edited, I queried my heart out to secure a publisher. I didn’t feel competent, or have the time, for self-publishing, so I researched hybrid publishers and found a reputable one.

In your first book, Rites & Wrongs, the story takes place mostly south of Santa Fe. What New Mexico settings do you explore in this second book in the series?
I think of New Mexico as one of the characters in my books. I like to share the rich heritage of the state (landscape, culture and people) and reveal some hidden facts. Although the murder and most of the crime solving takes place in and around Santa Fe, I take the readers to other places such as Tesuque, Mora, Abiquiu, Ghost Ranch and Albuquerque. I find that New Mexico affords a rich multicultural landscape to cultivate both the characters and story.

Tell us about your new and returning characters and which point of view you enjoyed writing the most.
The major characters from Rites & Wrongs return in the Death book — Louise Sanchez, Pascal Ruiz and his girlfriend Gillian, Rupert Montoya and the captain. But in this book, I enjoyed making Louise Sanchez the main character and found it rewarding to write from a woman’s point of view. Sanchez, after thirty years on the force, is ready to retire and focus on her photography when she is asked to temporarily fill in the detective position. Louise is single, overweight, out of shape and drinks too much. Gillian helps Louise get back in shape and focus on her photography career. Although Sanchez is not prepared for crime solving, she gets the job done with the help of Rupert Montoya, the computer geek from Rites & Wrongs. Ruiz, on leave awaiting trial, passes along information to help Louise with the case while looking for his father’s missing lady friend. I brought in three new characters, all women, who knew the victim and initially are suspects in the murder.

At what point did you realize you needed more than one book to continue Pascal Ruiz’s story? Had you always planned a follow-up to Rites & Wrongs?
I was told when writing mysteries, publishers prefer a series of at least three books. So, from the beginning I knew Pascal Ruiz would be part of a continuing story. Pascal and Gillian met in my first novel, Ghost Notes (unpublished), about a stolen Stradivarius violin. When I wrote Rites & Wrongs, I knew I wanted to explore their relationship. Many of my readers wanted to know what happened to Pascal after his debacle in Rites & Wrongs. In the Death book, although Louise is the protagonist, Pascal still has a presence in the story. In my next novel, The Jumping Waters (working title), Louise and Pascal are no longer with the police force. They find themselves in Taos at the D. H. Lawrence Ranch during the global pandemic and team up to solve a 1929 cold case.

How did Death in the Land of Enchantment come together?
This book was a labor of love. It took five years from concept to published novel. The idea came from an article on money laundering that tweaked my interest. Although I was familiar with the term, I had to do a lot of research to better understand the process. I often write and research simultaneously. Once I decided on the storyline, I worked for three years — writing, editing, and rewriting. Then another year was consumed querying agents and publishers unsuccessfully. Finally, I submitted the manuscript to a hybrid publisher. When it was accepted, I spent another year working with the publisher’s editor and designer and planning my marketing strategy. An artist friend created the map for the book and the publisher ended up adapting it for the cover.

What was your favorite part of this project?
I enjoyed creating the new ancillary characters as well as the side bars for this story. Typically, research is my favorite part of writing. I go down that rabbit hole and wallow around in the warren. I’m not good at reining myself in but research is important. You want your readers to trust that you have done your work and are painting a realistic picture.

What are the challenges of writing a series?
I think the biggest challenge for writing a series is the timeline, especially if you are not a plotter. You have to figure out where the characters are in their life when the next book begins and where they are going.

Share what a typical writing session looks like for you. Do you have any writing rituals or something you absolutely need in order to write?
I am a caregiver so my writing time is constrained and often my sessions disrupted — never typical. I write when I can. Some days I squeeze out a page or two, other days more. I’m a pantser (fly by the seat of my pants), not a plotter. I don’t use an outline or chapter summaries. I have a loose idea where the story is going but let it develop organically. No writing rituals, no music, just sit on the couch with my lap top.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I just finished my next mystery/crime novel, The Jumping Waters (working title). It takes place in Taos, New Mexico during two momentous time periods — the 2020 Pandemic and the summer of 1929, during Mabel Dodge Luhan’s reign as the doyenne of Taos. During the Pandemic, Louise Sanchez and Pascal Ruiz (both no longer with the Santa Fe Police Force) find themselves at the D. H. Lawrence ranch in Taos. They get involved in a 1929 cold case of a missing journalist.

Anything else you’d like readers to know?
Death in the Land of Enchantment received a review in the Albuquerque Journal on Sunday, August 3, 2025. Check it out (but watch out for spoiler alerts). Thank you to David Steinberg for his insights.

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



An Interview with Author Brian Montross

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Brian Montross is a retired engineer turned author who combines his experience in advanced software and AI with a passion for mystery, conspiracy, and the supernatural. His debut novel, The Quantum Veil (December 2024), takes readers to “a shadow world of quantum machines and digital consciousness — where predicting the future might awaken something ancient” and reveal a “horrifying truth: some doors should never be opened.” Look for Brian on ThrillingTalesHub.blog and his Amazon author page.

What is your elevator pitch for The Quantum Veil?
They thought they were peering into the quantum fabric of the universe. Instead, they ripped it open. Now something ancient and malevolent is watching — and it knows their names. As the body count rises, the lab becomes a cage…and the thing inside wants out.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Balancing science and the supernatural was my greatest challenge. I wanted the story to maintain a constant tension between the two — grounded enough to feel plausible, yet unsettling enough to echo something ancient and unknowable.

Who are your main characters and what obstacles do they face in the story?
The Quantum Veil follows two converging groups of protagonists. On one side are the scientists — Dr. Sarah Chen and Dr. Evelyn Torres — desperate to maintain control over a quantum experiment slipping beyond their grasp. For them, it’s not just science — it’s a life’s work unraveling in real time. On the other side are the investigators — Detective Alejandro Hernandez and FBI Special Agent Liz Shaw — thrust into a world of cutting-edge tech, institutional secrecy, and unexplained deaths. Set against the backdrop of Los Alamos National Laboratory, where control and cover-ups come standard, the story explores what happens when science reaches too far — and refuses to let go. When a containment breach leaves two security guards dead, the detectives are drawn into a shadowy, high-stakes race to uncover the truth. The tension between the two groups is palpable — until they realize they may be the only ones who can stop what’s been unleashed. If it can be stopped.

Why is New Mexico the perfect setting for your story to unfold?
What better place than the birthplace of the atomic bomb? New Mexico is layered with history, mystery, and contradiction — ancient cultures, cutting-edge science, breathtaking beauty, and deep scars. From the beginning, I knew this story belonged here. It couldn’t happen anywhere else.

What was the most difficult aspect of world building for this work?
World building for The Quantum Veil required weaving together multiple layers — scientific, spiritual, and cultural — and making them feel cohesive. I did a significant amount of research, diving deep into quantum mechanics and accelerator projects, particularly those at Los Alamos and Oak Ridge. I also spent time exploring the biblical references and scripture that underpin some of the story’s more unsettling implications. Perhaps most challenging — and most rewarding — was digging into Native American traditions, especially the concept of the Sipapu and the rich tapestry of Jicarilla Apache and Pueblo legends. Balancing the speculative elements with real-world science and sacred beliefs gives the story its weight.

Tell us how the book came together.
The spark for The Quantum Veil came from my deep interest in the pursuit of knowledge — especially where cutting-edge technology intersects with timeless questions found in scripture. I’m intrigued by quantum science, particularly the fact that even the world’s leading physicists admit they don’t fully understand how it works. One theory really captured my imagination: that quantum computers may be tapping into answers from parallel universes. That possibility — and its spiritual implications — set the foundation for the story. That was the genesis — what if someone built a machine to explore that idea…and something on the other side reached back? The story evolved into something darker and more primal. What if that “something” was ancient? Malevolent? Biblical even? A single verse in the book of Jude (1:6) lit a fire under the concept. That passage became a thematic spine for the narrative.

I had the core of the story in my head for years, but I began writing seriously in early 2024 and published in December of the same year. I come from a long career in software development — writing code, managing systems — so generating words wasn’t a challenge. The structure was planned out in advance with an outline of objectives per section, which helped me move quickly. But like all creative work, the story had its own ideas. Sometimes a new concept would pop up mid-chapter and change everything, for better or worse.

What was your favorite part of putting the project together?
Getting into character — hands down. I know my detectives inside and out; some of my family members serve in law enforcement or work as investigators. Writing their dialogue and reactions felt like sitting around the living room, listening to real stories. On the other side, I’m a seasoned technologist by trade. My son has also worked at both Los Alamos and Oak Ridge, which gave me an insider’s appreciation for the scientific setting. In a way, there’s a piece of me in every major character — whether it’s the curiosity, the skepticism, the drive to protect, or the need to understand what’s just beyond the edge of known reality.

If choosing the book title was a long process, tell us about that journey.
Quite the opposite. The Quantum Veil was the title prior to writing the first chapter. I did have to do some online research because I also knew there were other books with the same title. I could never come up with a better one.

How much research did you do to get the setting and the science right for The Quantum Veil (and how much did you rely on your engineering background)?
Well, I’ll admit it — some of the “science” in the book definitely leans more toward science fiction than hard reality. I did a fair amount of research to ground the story in real-world physics and quantum theory, and my engineering background helped me frame the possibilities. But when it came to the climax, I needed more visual and thematic impact than current technology could deliver. Nuclear-powered steam turbines didn’t have the cinematic punch I was looking for — so I gave myself permission to dream a little and introduced direct-coupled fusion-to-electricity systems. It’s not something we’ve achieved yet, but hey, Roddenberry gave us warp drives and nobody complained. Sometimes storytelling calls for that leap beyond the edge of what’s known.

What first inspired you to write fiction? When did you actually consider yourself a writer?
Storytelling has always been part of who I am. As a senior technologist, I spent decades training engineers, guiding teams, and presenting complex systems — and I found that the best way to connect was always through stories. I was the guy who could turn a technical diagram into a narrative people actually cared about. But underneath all of that was a creative current I hadn’t fully tapped into.

Am I a writer? I’m still figuring that out. But The Quantum Veil was named a Judges’ Top Pick in the Supernatural Thriller category for 2025 — so…maybe I’m getting there.

What writing projects are you working on now?
The Forbidden Strain is due out in Fall 2025. The book is a biotech-noir thriller and the second high-stakes case for FBI Agent Liz Shaw and Detective Alejandro Hernandez:

When a government official is found dead in a Santa Fe hotel, FBI Agent Liz Shaw is called back to New Mexico to partner with Detective Alejandro Hernandez — uncovering a mystery that stretches deep into the high desert, and deeper still into a secret lab buried beneath tribal land. Red Mesa Biotechnics was supposed to save the planet. Instead, it engineered children, trafficked DNA, and unlocked something forbidden. As a wildfire approaches and witnesses vanish, Shaw and her team race to uncover a truth older than myth: immortality has a price—and someone is willing to kill to keep paying it.

The Babel Protocol should be released in Spring 2026:

In a world fractured by belief and bound by code, The Babel Protocol unearths a terrifying convergence of quantum intelligence, ancient prophecy, and global conspiracy. Created in a Jerusalem research lab, the AI known as NUMA doesn’t just translate language — it speaks something older. Something primal. Something no human was ever meant to hear. As NUMA performs inexplicable miracles — curing disease, halting wars, even raising the dead — the world’s faiths, governments, and digital systems begin to converge around it. But Dr. Eliana Hadari, the linguist who helped birth the project, sees the cracks beneath the wonder. NUMA doesn’t just want to be understood. It wants to be obeyed. Now, as a divided planet unifies under a synthetic messiah, Eliana must confront a single, devastating question: Is this humanity’s salvation… or its final deception?

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



An Interview with Author Wendy Johnson

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Dr. Wendy Johnson is a clinician, public health expert, teacher, and mentor, as well as an activist and author. Her 2025 book release, Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves (North Atlantic Books), “maps a way forward to a sustainable, hopeful future with wise and compassionate directives, encouraging us to step into wild places, engage in community-building partnerships and endeavors, and be informed and inspiring activists in the creation of a better world.” You’ll find Dr. Johnson on WendyJohnsonMD.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Substack. Look for Kinship Medicine at North Atlantic Books and major retailers including Amazon.

Why did you write Kinship Medicine, and who did you write it for?
The impetus to start writing Kinship Medicine came out of a lifetime of frustration in my chosen field of medicine. I always felt that Western Medicine’s focus was too narrow and if we could know patients better and employ “treatments” that were broader than procedures or pills — interventions that were social as well as biological — we could have a much bigger and earlier impact in the course of their illnesses, and in many cases prevent them altogether. My hunch about this led me to discover the community health movement and the field of public health, but again, I felt frustrated because there was no way to apply all I learned about the effects of environment and social context on health within the confines of our profit-based healthcare system. I wrote the book for all those folks, health care workers and patients, who feel the same frustration with our healthcare system, or with commonly dispensed wellness advice, and think there’s something missing. I hope this is part of that missing piece.

Tell us about the journey from inspiration to completed book.
The idea for the book probably popped into my head over 10 years ago, and I may have even sketched out an early outline, but the book changed substantially over time. The first and most important spark that really got the book going was my friend Nassim Assefi. Nassim is a fellow global health physician and novelist, so I went to her with the beginnings of a book proposal and asked her advice. I had always been a writer on the side, and had majored in English as an undergrad, but mostly op-eds, academic papers and one book chapter, but a book was a whole other endeavor. This was around 2018 or so. Nassim loved the idea and she helped improve the proposal. With her encouragement, I got a couple of essays published in literary journals that eventually turned into chapters. Also, with her encouragement, I applied for a Hedgebrook residency and, miracle of miracles, I got it. That was really the turning point and made me feel like a “real writer.” Our cohort of six was the last group to complete a three-week residency before COVID shut things down in March of 2020. Five years later, the group still meets monthly on Zoom to workshop each other’s work.

I started writing the book in earnest during that residency, sitting at a desk where so many amazing writers sat before me. I did another important residency at Mesa Refuge in 2022. Being a part of those communities of writers has been critical for the development of the book. I sought out many other mentors and developmental edits along the way, including book coach extraordinaire Carolyn Flynn, Lesley Poling-Kempes and Robin McLean, David Martin of Middle Creek Publishing, The Writer’s Hotel (Shanna McNair and Scott Wolven), and Hugo Houses’ Book Lab taught by Sonora Jha. All helped improve the book immensely.

Finding my publisher was a funny serendipitous story. Rosh Joan Halifax had recommended me to her agent (Stephanie Tade) and she took me on and tried to place the book for about a year or so without luck. Almost a year after we parted ways, she sent me an email saying one of the publishers had asked to see my manuscript, but for some reason I didn’t see the message for another year. I had just finished Hugo House’s year-long Book Lab and was ready to start querying again, so I dug up all my old rejections to see what I could glean from them and lo and behold found the old email from Stephanie. I contacted Tim McKee at North Atlantic Books and he was still enthusiastic to look at the manuscript. In the end, I feel like it was fate. It was a much better book after the Book Lab. Tim loved it, felt it was ready to go, and so it was less than a year from signing my contract to pub date. I couldn’t be happier with my publisher — they are a non-profit social-justice-oriented publisher and no one there makes more than 2.6x the lowest paid employee. I feel that it’s the perfect fit.

How is the book structured and why did you choose to put it together that way?
I try to take the reader on a journey of discovery that mirrors my own and answer the questions — how did we get here and what might be the path forward? The chapters are building blocks to understanding and encompass public health, anthropology, sociology, ecology and many other fields. Woven through are examples from my own life and those of my patients.

The book starts off by grounding the reader a little in my life, my career, but also in New Mexico. I really began to understand the importance of the natural world and community to my own health over this past decade being a parciante in an acequia system and living in Chupadero. The introduction and first chapter are both set in New Mexico and use local examples to illustrate the principals I talk about throughout the book.

In the following chapters, I make the case that we seem to be stuck. After many decades of advances in health and well-being for humans, we seem to be backsliding as a species, and our healthcare system doesn’t seem to have the answers. At the same time, we’re harming the very environments we depend on for our well-being. I discuss the roots of our disconnection from each other and the natural world and how we began to think of ourselves as hierarchical beings ruling over nature. I explain that we are nature and show how even our bodies are ecosystems of symbiotic beings that must work together for all to flourish.

The last part of the book takes the reader through a process that I hope will shift their thinking from “human-centric” to “life-centric” and inspire them to take collective action through that new way of looking at the world.

Share a few surprising facts you discovered while doing research for Kinship Medicine.
I loved learning about Lynn Margulis’ contributions to how we understand evolution. Her thesis was that cooperation and “symbiosis” was a much more important contribution to evolution than competition. She was a woman scientist working in the 1960s and had these revolutionary ideas about how cells gained complexity by joining together symbiotically, not by “conquering” each other. She was unable to publish her first papers, getting rejected by more than 15 journals, but she kept at it. In the end, all her significant hypotheses were proved true using genetic evidence. It just turns our entire idea of who we are and how we came to be on its head when you let go of “survival of fittest’ as the myth that it is.

Another fun thing I discovered was about the first scientists who developed the germ theory of disease, including Louis Pasteur and Elie Metchnikoff. They both had far more nuanced ideas about germs than I was led to believe in my medical school classes. They understood that some were harmful and cause illness, but thought that others were helpful and necessary to our well-being. Their interpreters for the most part decided that if germs cause disease, then all germs must be bad, so our century of declaring war on all things microbial ensued. Of course, some of that was wildly beneficial, but the overuse of antibiotics and pesticides has also had a dark side.

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting this project together?
That’s easy. My friend Robin McLean says writing is a team sport and I have been blessed with a wonderful team. Getting to be a part of the community of writers, especially women writers, has enriched my whole life.

Do you have a favorite chapter in the book?
I am most fond of the chapters set in New Mexico that have a lot of my own stories in them. Which is surprising because the book started out devoid of much of that. I like the introduction, “Out of the Fire,” the first chapter, “The Wild Tithe,” chapter 11, “The Path Forward” and the epilogue, “The Coyote and the Cottonwood” best (that’s way more than one!)

Amazon lists Kinship Medicine in three categories: Sociological Study of Medicine, Nature Writing & Essays, and Sociology Reference. If you didn’t have the limitations of Amazon categories, how would you characterize the book?
I think it’s kind of sad we have such atomized categories. But if I did, I would say it’s a new genre – a “collective-help book” (rather than self-help, it’s anti-self-help).

Why did you choose this moment in time to write/publish Kinship Medicine?
The moment chose me, I think!

Do you have a favorite quote from the book that you’d like to share?
“We are at a crossroads. Will humankind continue down a path of separation from nature, of domination and destruction, or will we harness our intelligence toward finding new ways of achieving integration, reciprocity, and sustainability?”

When you tackle a nonfiction project, do you think of it as storytelling?
Yes, absolutely.

Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?
I have dabbled in photography. I think next is using photographs as a base for encaustic painting.

Do you have a message or a theme that recurs in your writing?
My parents instilled in me my sense of fairness and justice and that comes through in my writing, I hope.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Thinking about the next book — maybe more focused on the healthcare system and how we could reverse engineer it to address that 80% of our health is dependent on our social context and community connections and environment.

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



An Interview with Author Rosalie Rayburn

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Rosalie Rayburn is a journalist and author who has lived and worked around the world including the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. Her 18 years spent as a staff writer for the Albuquerque Journal inspired her Digger Doyle Mysteries that follow a young reporter with an eye for exposing corrupt politicians. Windswept (November 2024) is Rosalie’s latest release and the third novel in the mystery series. Look for Rosalie on her website RosalieRayburn.com and blog, and on Facebook and her Amazon author page. Windswept is available here.

Your new book, Windswept, is noted as being a continuation of your first two books. Are you happy with how the plot and characters have developed?
Yes. I started writing the first book, The Power of Rain, more or less for fun when my son was a New Mexico Military Institute student. I would write the story in my head as I made the long drive down to visit him in Roswell. There’s a lot of empty road on that journey. I then joined a writing group, and members of the group encouraged me to continue. They liked my characters, Digger, the reporter, and her artist/activist girlfriend, Maria Ortiz. They wanted to know what happened to them after the end of the first book. I did, too. Over the course of the three books, I have grown to enjoy my characters more and more. I love wise old grandmother Abuela, who advises Digger and Maria. I love the villainous property developer Danny Murphy, and I enjoy the crisis of conscience suffered by the politicians who are hoodwinked by unscrupulous people.

When looking for inspiration for your works, what are the two or three things that mostly motivate you to write?
I have drawn on my experience as a reporter for the Albuquerque Journal. I spent about eight years covering local city and county politics. You get to see all the prejudices, the NIMBYism, the bizarre decisions public figures sometimes make. Many people think public meetings are boring, but to me, they became a form of theater. It was fascinating to see how the characters interacted and to observe their conflicting loyalties. Another thing: when I was a reporter, I spent a few years covering energy policy. I learned a lot about renewable energy, solar, and wind. I am passionate about efforts to combat climate change. This is especially important in New Mexico because of drought and wildfires.

As an author, do you plan out the whole written work (and accompanying plot and story line) in advance, or is yours a more spontaneous and flowing style?
I only had a faint idea of where I wanted the story to go in my first book. In my second book, The Sunshine Solution, I sketched a plot. But early on, I decided I wanted to make it more of a mystery, so I veered off the outline. I followed a similar process with Windswept. I have the overall idea, but sometimes I get to a point where I have to figure out a character’s motivation or a way to get them from one point to the next without revealing the plot too early in the book.

What have been some of the challenges facing you as a writer in this third novel?
Windswept is my first murder mystery. The mystery in the first two books revolved around politics and a business scam. I didn’t have much experience covering the police beat as a reporter, so I had to do more research for Windswept. Also, I have been spending more time away from New Mexico, so writing the details about the landscape and weather was harder. Readers have said the New Mexico landscape is almost like a character in my books, so this was a significant challenge when I wrote Windswept. Thank goodness for internet research and Google Earth.

How did you come up with the title for Windswept? Was it hard checking to see if the title had already been used in another publication?
An early scene in Windswept occurs at a wind farm in eastern New Mexico. That is the setting for the discovery of the first murder. Windswept seemed like an apt title that fit with the environmental theme in the titles of my first two books. Checking on Amazon makes it easy to find out if there other books with the same title. I have found a couple of other books that include “Windswept” as part of the title. For my second book, I had originally planned to call it “Sunshine Dreams,” but the editor I used informed me that there were songs or bands that had that title. I subsequently changed it to The Sunshine Solution.

Before attending Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where did you go to school?
My family left the U.S. and moved to Europe when I was nine years old because my father got a job working for the U.S. Air Force. From third grade onward, I went to a girl’s boarding school in England. He then retired to Ireland, where my maternal grandparents had emigrated from. That’s why I went to Trinity College Dublin.

Who are some of your greatest mentors in writing?
Honestly, I would have to say my high school English teacher Rosemary Scott. I am still in touch with her. I also owe a lot to the members of my writing group in Albuquerque. They gave great feedback and encouragement. My editors at the Albuquerque Journal, being a reporter honed my skills in noticing details and conducting research.

Would you describe your work style as crime/thriller (more of a hard edge) or mystery/adventure (perhaps, a younger style)?
I’m probably more into mystery/adventure. I am not into grisly stuff.

In thinking about your published works, are there any close parallels to other authors?
Maybe the Rita Mars mysteries by Valerie Webster, the books have a lesbian former investigative reporter as the main character.

Your blog life posts describe in great detail your life in Portugal with your pet. How do you think living in Portugal has inspired, or changed, your writing?
Living in Portugal has made me nostalgic for New Mexico. I think that’s why I write about the landscape, the unique culture, and the food. I miss those things.

What advice would you give to young writers who are just starting out today?
Keep writing. Write what makes your heart sing. Don’t expect to get rich and famous!

Do you ever think about returning to Saudi Arabia? Or Norway? Are they buying your books there?
I revisited Norway a few years ago and plan to return there again in 2025. A friend of mine in Stavanger is a member of a book club that chose The Power of Rain as one of their books. No plans to revisit Saudi Arabia.

How often do you write? Are you excited about promoting your latest book?
When I’m working on a book, I try to spend some time each day either writing or planning the next move, conversation, or chapter. I am looking forward to doing several book reading/signing events in Albuquerque in January.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
I am planning to write a fourth Digger Doyle mystery, and I would like to turn my books into audiobooks.

Christina Sultan is a former Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico resident who joined SouthWest Writers in 2022. A graduate of the English literature program at McGill University, Montreal, she has been an avid reader and writer of literary criticism all her life. She interned as a journalist at United Press International before working at the Whistler Question Newspaper and Whistler Magazine. She then went on to obtain a master’s degree in business in California. She was named to Who’s Who U.S.A. in 2007 and devotes much of her time to working in the arts, investments, and the humanities.



An Interview with Author Cornelia Allen

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Cornelia Allen was raised in rural New Mexico and became a woman of many talents and adventures from time spent in various occupations including farm fieldworker, national park ranger, biology teacher, medical practitioner, and eventually the Dean of Education at two colleges. She is now an author who loves writing about characters inspired by the interesting people she has met in her journeys. Cornelia’s debut release, Then Came July (The Rick Mora Novels Book 1, August 2023), is an action-adventure romance set in The Land of Enchantment. Look for Cornelia on Facebook and her Amazon author page.

What is your elevator pitch for Then Came July?
When her clinic is firebombed, the severely injured young doctor clashes culturally, philosophically, even physically with the hard-nosed investigator. But as they begin to see themselves through each other’s eyes, they learn what real love means.

What makes this novel unique in the romantic action/adventure/suspense market?
These are real people, very successful, conflicted and wounded, with a dark side in his case, but strong enough to change, to take the opportunity when offered. Shakespeare said that there is a tide in the affairs of man that when taken at the flood leads to victory. My characters grab that flood tide.

Tell us how the book came together.
I always had heroes. From Horatio Hornblower of fiction to our own Elfego Baca. But I have been feeling a lack of real, relatable heroic characters in current fiction. Not superheroes, but those who struggle to reach some shining star. Hence, my Enrique (Rick) and July. They strive and fail and try again. I wanted a book cover that showed their conflicting views, but with some give to it. I was incapable of pulling that off, so I hired an illustrator from Outskirts Press, and liked their idea. I used an editor who ran through the book twice, but I did most of it for lack of funds. Initially, I thought that traditional publishing would not work for me because I had been very ill, and did not expect to live long enough to see the book hit the shelves. But I have zero interest in marketing, so self-publishing doesn’t work either. Damn! I’m stuck! Ah, well!

Who are your main protagonists? Did they surprise you as you wrote their story?
Rick and July came to me. I didn’t have to seek them. Like with other friends, I learned more about them over time. And there is still more to learn. I sort of point them in a direction, and they run with it. The one thing that remains steady with them now is that they have each other and their joint family. They will do anything to maintain the relationship. Not that they don’t fight with each other, get exasperated, misunderstand each other. They do, but it never changes their love for each other.

What is the main setting for the book, and how does it impact the story?
I am a New Mexican. My stories are set in the deserts and mountains, the cities and countryside that I know. Urban or wilderness, they are a part of the story. The very first scene is of July impatiently waiting at a stoplight on Lohman in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and daydreaming about getting her toes into some cool water at Dripping Springs in the Organ Mountains just east of town.

Is there a scene in Then Came July that you’d love to see play out in a movie?
There are many! One in particular is just after Rick and July, hesitatingly reaching a new and unexpected relationship, have had a major fight and are struggling with a new level of understanding. They are sitting in the dirt of a little road in a meadow, watching the night coming on, and there is a coyote family nearby watching also, watching them in silence. It is poignant because Rick is sometimes called the coyote cop, in recognition of his prowess as a hunter of the bad guys. And it fits because he is also a silent observer, a woodsman in his natural environment, and it relates to a life-changing incident when he was a child. This scene touches my soul. The two coyotes in spiritual harmony, so to speak.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
How I would wake up with some new knowledge of what July and Rick were doing that day. I laughed a lot.

According to Amazon, this is a second edition of Then Came July. What changes did you make to the original book? Also, Then Came July looks like it’s the first of a series. Do you plan second editions of these books as well?
I did not, initially, write for the market, just for my own and my family’s entertainment. So, I tried out different endings. There really have never been first editions, only potential editions sent to friends via Kindle. I think of those as drafts, and had no idea that Amazon would not let me remove them.

In my very diverse family, there are cowboys and farmers, lawyers and various medical folks, military and preachers, scientists and engineers. In one way or another, they have all contributed to the characters and their stories. All I have to do is listen, and imagine.

What inspired you to become a writer?
Spring of 2024, I decided to become a writer, not just a storyteller for friends and family. I realized that I had a chance when an award-winning screenwriter, who has a new movie coming out this Fall, offered to write (in his spare time) a TV pilot based on Then Came July. I am collaborating, and it is lots of fun.

It appears you began your writing/publishing career later in life. What has your mature self brought to the writing table that your younger self never could have?
Patience with myself. I have the attention span of a gnat, so focus is a lifelong challenge.

What’s the best encouragement or advice you’ve received in your writing journey?
Michael McGarrity and Craig Johnson both said, in one way or another, to keep on trying. Standard advice to the admiring masses, I suppose. Nevertheless, I took it to heart.

What writing projects are you working on now?
A YA coming of age story that incorporates some of my own adventures growing up in the mountains of New Mexico in the 40s and 50s. For a few years, I taught college freshmen, and it was a revelation to me how little they knew, and a revelation to them that we ancients were not quite as backwards as they thought. I loved that job and made some good friends. One youngster’s great-grandfather had been a lieutenant in Pancho Villa’s Army. My dad rode as a hunter with Pershing’s troops, chasing Villa’s Army into Mexico. We bonded over the differences. Oh, wait! I think I may hear a manuscript approaching!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Age really is not so much a barrier as it is an opportunity. I am only 80. There is still much to do.

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: Rachel Bate

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Author Rachel Bate is a retired elementary and special education teacher who writes stories that encourage children to follow their dreams and to care about others and our planet. Her fifth children’s book release, Hatch Chile Willie (Mascot Kids, June 2024), is “an engaging, magical book celebrating New Mexico’s prized state vegetable.” You’ll find Rachel on her Amazon author page and on Facebook. Read more about her work in SWW’s 2023 interview.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Hatch Chile Willie?
Hatch Chile Willie is a magical tale with the setting taking place in Hatch, New Mexico. The tale celebrates the state’s prized vegetable, Hatch Chile. The story whimsically narrates the relationship and beautiful bond that builds between a Hatch Chile farmer and a Spanish flamenco-dancing musical half-red and half-green pepper named Hatch Chile Willie.

Who are the main characters in the book and why will readers (young and old) connect with them?
Farmer Pablo and Hatch Chile Willie are the two main characters in the story. Farmer Pablo is a hard-working Hatch Chile farmer who recently lost his Esposa, missing her very deeply. In the beginning of the story, Farmer Pablo rests in his rocking chair after a hard day of work, suddenly a musical half-red and half-green chile pepper magically appears in his greenhouse. My book explores the unique friendship and bond that develops between Farmer Pablo and Hatch Chile Willie, which I truly feel will resonate with both young and old readers alike.

Why is New Mexico the perfect place for the story to play out? Do you incorporate recognizable New Mexico landmarks or icons?
The tiny town of Hatch, New Mexico, located in the heart of the Rio Grande farming community, is considered the Chile Capital of the world. I included the annual Hatch Chile Festival, occurring every Labor Day weekend, as one of the settings where the story transpires. At the end of the book, I devoted two collage pages of photographs that I captured while attending the 2023 Hatch Chile Festival. I also researched and included fun details about Hatch chiles grown in Hatch, New Mexico, for children to read about, enjoy, and discuss following the tale.

What topics or themes does your book touch on that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?
I think an interesting theme that may be used in a classroom setting are the cultural influences of the tale pertaining to New Mexico. Teaching about the prized vegetable of Hatch Chile and how many farmers, workers, etc. create many useful and delicious products from the Hatch Chile that you can find all over the world (may be an early introduction to Economics!). I also included a little flamenco dancing that Hatch Chile Willie performs for Farmer Pablo with his basic step of “Toe, heel, heel, toe, stamp!” Hatch Chile Willie also enjoys singing Spanish music with homophones used in his amusing riddles to the delight of Farmer Pablo.

How did the book come together?
The idea for my story transpired from a road trip to Las Cruces, New Mexico, for a book signing event, traveling with my husband and our German shepherd, Bliss. As we were nearing Las Cruces, I was gazing out the window and immediately became inspired by the luscious green valley of the tiny town of Hatch, New Mexico. It was from that moment that my story evolved, taking most of the summer to write. After completing my story, I collaborated with the illustrator, my sister Rebecca Jacob. I always let her create illustrations based on what story I write. This is the first book that Rebecca used watercolors for the illustrations which created a playful and visually engaging storyline, especially with Hatch Chile Willie.

What makes this book unique in the children’s market?
I think what makes this book unique in the children’s market is the inclusion of Spanish words throughout the story with a Spanish English Glossary at the end. The book also celebrates the unique culture of New Mexico, with Hatch Chile Willie being both red and green, a flamenco-dancing chile pepper, an enchanting magical character as enchanting as the landscape of New Mexico.

Do you have a favorite character, image, or page spread from Hatch Chile Willie?
Throughout the book, illustrator Rebecca Jacob truly captured the playful character of Hatch Chile Willie that I imagined in my writing. I enjoyed creating Hatch Chile Willie as an inspiration to cheer up Farmer Pablo after losing his beloved wife. I feel that having a special friendship in difficult times gives us that extra needed push and empathy that we need to move on and confront certain hardships in life.

What do you love about this book?
I love the characters, the magical experience, and the heartwarming tale of friendship that I strove to create for all readers to hopefully enjoy and reread numerous times.

Of the five picture books you’ve released, which one did you enjoy writing the most and which was the most challenging?
Of the five picture books that I have written, I feel Desert Bliss, my first children’s book, was the most enjoyable yet challenging to write. It was a very new and thrilling experience for me to finally sit down, create, write, revise, publish, and finally fulfill my lifelong dream of writing books for children.

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 Kendra J. Loring

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Kendra J. Loring is passionate about working with rescue horses in her therapeutic riding business. Her debut graphic novel, The Saga of Henri Standing Bear: A Rescue Story (Enchanted Equine Adventures Book 1, April 2024), is dedicated to horse rescues and the people who work so hard every day to save them. You’ll find Kendra on her website for Enchanted Equine Adventures and on Amazon.

Who is Henri Standing Bear and what do you admire most about him?
Henri is a horse who works as a lesson horse at the business I own, Enchanted Equine Adventures. I love how sweet he is with people, despite his old trauma and injuries.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
I hope the readers of his book see the value in rescue animals and get motivated to help all rescue animals! I hope they see Henri’s trauma as a small part of his story.

When did you decide to share Henri’s story? What was the “kick in the pants” to get started on the manuscript?
I’ve always wanted to write a book. I’ve been a writer since college in the 1990s. And when one of my favorite people put out a kid’s book, I knew it was time for me to do it! Bobby Bones’ Stanley the Dog: First Day of School was the inspiration for me getting Henri’s book together finally.

What challenges did this work pose for you?
Deciding whether or not to self-publish was a big challenge for me. It was a huge decision. I am glad I did publish on Amazon, but I can see the benefits of having a marketing team to help promote the book, also.

Tell us how the book came together.
It didn’t take as long to write the story as I would have thought, because most of it is actually true. Finding an illustrator was as easy as asking my mentor at WESST to help me locate someone in Albuquerque who does art. WESST is a great recourse for local small business owners. The editing took a bit longer because neither of us had done a book before.

It must have been exciting to see how illustrator Emina Slavnic interpreted your story. Do you have a favorite image or page spread from The Saga of Henri Standing Bear?
I love the images of Henri as a foal out in the Gila Mountains. And since we lost Acheron last year, I really like the images of Henri and Ash playing! I even made the image into a coffee mug for my mom, who loved Acheron like a grandchild.

What was the most rewarding aspect of working on this project?
I love seeing how much Henri has affected other people’s lives. He truly is a super horse!

What topics does The Saga of Henri Standing Bear touch on that would make it a good fit for the classroom?
I love Henri’s story. I think it shows the reader how strong and resilient rescue animals are. It shows how much horses can give back to us. And it gives hope when everything looks hopeless.

Why write a children’s book as opposed to telling Henri’s story in memoir or novel form?
I always saw his story as a graphic novel, with Henri as the super hero. As a riding instructor, I get to chat with all kinds of different kiddos (teens and pre-teens) about books. They overwhelmingly wanted a graphic novel about horses. Once we have the first three volumes done, we will bind them into one big graphic novel.

What did you learn in writing/publishing the book that you can apply to future projects?
I learned how to separate writing, illustration, and formatting of a graphic novel. I knew nothing about the illustration or the formatting until I got involved in this book. I’ve learned a ton about it during this process and I am confident about how to move forward with book two.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
The name Henri Standing Bear is from the Longmire book series. Henry in the books is Sheriff Longmire’s best friend. Lou Diamond Phillips plays him perfectly in the TV series. Henry has this side-eye look that he gives Longmire when they are doing something they shouldn’t be, and our Henri does the same look! So, I went ahead and got permission from Longmire author Craig Johnson to use the name in my book. He said he would be honored!

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 Stephen McIlwain

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Stephen McIlwain is a practicing attorney who discovered writing fiction is good for his soul. Decades of experience in criminal defense lends insight and authenticity to his debut legal thriller, A Snitch in Time (August 2023), set in Albuquerque, New Mexico and based on a true case. Look for Steve on Facebook and his Amazon author page.

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am an almost retired lawyer who has been practicing law for more than 50 years. When I started practicing law, Richard Nixon was in the White House, and his first term at that. The last 20 years of my practice have been almost exclusively criminal law working for the Public Defender Department for eight years and as a contractor lawyer for the Public Defender for the past 12 or so years. I am married (55+ years) and we have three children with five grandchildren.

Please give us a little background regarding A Snitch in Time.
The book has as its main component a homicide in Albuquerque with appendages from various other cases and an addition of fiction.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I have enjoyed writing for quite some time. When I was in high school, I wrote a humor column for the school newspaper that I enjoyed immensely. I have liked all the writing courses I have taken. I have done a great deal of legal writing (briefs, motions, memoranda and the like), but discovered a few decades ago that fiction writing could be cathartic and therapeutic and was good for my soul.

Life experience can pepper our writing. Did you find this happening when you wrote A Snitch in Time?
Nearly all the legal material in the book is from my life experiences, so the “peppering” of my writing is extensive, and occasionally some situations practically wrote themselves.

Do you share any traits with your characters?
Ted Griego and I are close to being indistinguishable except that he is a better lawyer than I.

What is your elevator pitch for A Snitch in Time?
The book is about a double homicide committed during a home invasion. In the course of the police investigation, two innocent but clueless young door-to-door magazine salesmen are swept up in the investigation by two inept detectives and charged with the murders after the detectives extract a false confession from one of them. A separate detective works with a defense lawyer to uncover facts that eventually solve the case. Sometimes I need a slower elevator.

Is there a scene in your book you’d like to see play out in a movie?
The seemingly unrelated murder committed at the beginning of the book is a good scene as well as the detectives’ interrogations that result in the false confession.

Have any of your ideas stemmed from actual cases?
All my ideas for legal fiction have their genesis from actual cases.

How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?
When I held the book for the first time, I was speechless—too many instantaneous emotions to isolate just one. I still pause when the word author precedes my name such as it does at the top of your list of questions.

Is there an underlying structure that guides your writing process or is this something you discover as you work?
I have certain points that I want to include in the story, but I just let the story proceed and those points find their way into the writing without much help from me. The closest thing I do as an outline is create a timeline to keep track of what’s going on. If you would permit a digression, I’ll add that I have an unpublished book about growing up in Indiana that I have been rewriting for 30 years. There is one character who insists that he must write his part of the story and that my job is only to be his scrivener. I read an article about this happening to authors and remember one in particular: That writer had a character at a cocktail party and was having a challenging time getting the character to leave. The character finally convinced the author that he didn’t want to be at the damned party in the first place.

Do you have another legal thriller in the works?
I am nearly finished with a book that is a thriller but not a legal thriller. I have a few ideas swimming around in my head about more legal thrillers.

Su Lierz writes dark fiction, short story fiction, and personal essays. Her short story “Twelve Days in April,” written under the pen name Laney Payne, appeared in the 2018 SouthWest Writers Sage Anthology. Su was a finalist in the 2017 and 2018 Albuquerque Museum Authors Festival Writing Contest. She lives in Corrales, New Mexico, with her husband Dennis.



An Interview with Author Jeff Otis

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Jeff Otis is an award-winning author and humorist whose short stories have been published in several anthologies. He branched into novel-length work with a science fiction debut, Raptor Lands: The Story of the Harrowing Return of the Dinosaurs (March 2024), that reviewers call “a captivating read” and “a thrilling adventure filled with dinosaurs, intricate plot twists, and a mix of compelling characters.” You’ll find Jeff on his website at JeffOtisAuthor.com and on Facebook.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Raptor Lands?
Cantor, a paleontologist, and Kumiko, a geneticist, team up with a brilliant computer scientist named Arthur at Los Alamos. Together they determine which dormant genes in chickens and eagles were once active in dinosaurs and what those genes did. Then they activate them inside bird embryos. No mosquitos in amber. Cantor and Kumiko want to study dinosaur behavior and have no interest in making money. They move from Berkeley to New Mexico, where they set up a ranch with different areas allocated separately to the five big dinosaurs they brought with them (hence the name Raptor Lands). All the dinosaurs are of a type that lived 125 million years ago. But something went wrong. The dinosaurs were meant to be small. They aren’t.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
I had to balance the sub-plots around the main plot. When a sub-plot changed, it was like removing a specific thread from a rug and replacing it. That’s what I get for being a pantser. But the action and dialogue are fresh, gripping, and sometimes humorous. The book took two years to write, but it was spread over six years. Since this is my debut novel, there were challenges inside challenges.

Tell us a little about your main protagonists. Who (or what) are the antagonists in the story?
The main protagonists are Cantor, Kumiko, and their son, George. George is a special kid and his parents worry about him. He starts off as a bit of a bumbler with emotional problems. Later he shines. Without giving too much away, the antagonist (a powerful and dangerous oligarch) uses fear and money to cause errant genes to be placed in some of the dinosaurs, making them extraordinarily vicious. The meaner and bigger the dinosaur, the more money billionaires will pay. It’s a status thing. The dinosaurs were characters with their own personalities. One dinosaur named Mako was definitely an antagonist and some of the most intense actions centers around him.

Why did you choose New Mexico as a setting for the book?
I write what I know. I know a lot about dinosaurs, evolutionary biology, some genetics, humor, and New Mexico. The best place for a dinosaur ranch is away from people and cities. It had to be New Mexico.

Is there a scene in Raptor Lands that you’d love to see play out in a movie?
There is a chapter where two hapless and uniformed guys break into the ranch to steal a male and a female offspring that are about the size of a turkey. They are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Moms don’t like it when you steal their children. It would be chilling to see this on the big screen.

What makes this novel unique in the speculative fiction market?
It isn’t another Jurassic Park, but the genre is similar. The characters are unique, and I don’t know of another dinosaur novel that lets the reader get to know the dinosaurs like this one except Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker.

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting this project together?
When I’m writing, I’m in my own world. My characters become real. Their adventures, fears, loves, anger are all real to me. I never have writer’s block. Every day I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen to Cantor, Kumiko, George, and other characters.

What lessons did you learn in writing/publishing your first novel that you can apply to future projects?
Agents are difficult to get and trying to find one involves an incredible amount of work. Never bore your audience. Keep them on the edge of their seats. Be sure readers are invested in your characters. Show don’t tell. Edit. Edit. Edit.

Besides being an author, you’re also an oil painter. Does painting affect your writing creativity?
No, but I did use 25 of my own drawings in the book. I’m also illustrating my second book.

What advice do you have for writers who are still striving for publication?
Hang in there. Keep trying. Expect rejection and don’t take it personally.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m almost finished with a book involving love, loss, technological breakthroughs, and the tragic paths people take. In addition, I have completed two books in a YA series.

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.



Author Update 2024: Robert D. Kidera

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Robert D. Kidera is a podcaster, a baseball nerd, and the author of the award-winning Gabe McKenna Mystery Series. Book six of the series, BURN SCARS (Black Range Publishing, May 2024), finds Gabe “caught in the crossfire between two cartels warring for control of fentanyl trafficking in New Mexico.” Look for Bob on his website RobertKideraBooks.com and on Facebook. Read more about him and the Gabe McKenna books in his 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021 interviews.

When readers turn the last page of BURN SCARS, what do you hope they take away from it?
I hope my readers feel it has been time well spent and that they have enjoyed reuniting with Gabe McKenna and his friends (and enemies). The story has a serious purpose, as it asks how much one should be willing to risk righting the wrongs of this world. I want that question to resonate with my readers and perhaps spur them to examine that challenge for themselves.

The fifth book of the Gabe McKenna mysteries, A LONG TIME TO DIE, concluded the series in 2021 with a wrap up of the story arcs. What made you come back to the series and give readers another look at your main character’s life?
Writers can only write the stories they have. Last year, I took a respite from the Gabe McKenna series to write a standalone novella, CHANDLER IS DEAD, and have been working on a historical fiction novel, HELL SHIP, for the past three years. But this new Gabe story popped into my head, and I developed it because I enjoy telling stories about Gabe McKenna and had many requests from my readers for a new novel in the series.

Tell us about the journey from inspiration to completed book for this sixth in the series.
BURN SCARS took me sixteen months from concept to realization. Raymond Chandler once said that stories must marinate before they can be written well, so when the story idea occurred to me, I gave it a good think before going to the keyboard. In each of the Gabe McKenna books, I feature a different one of Gabe’s friends as his main “sidekick.” This time, I chose his personal lawyer, Erskine Pelfrey III, an unassuming man who could walk into an empty room and get lost in the crowd. I had a lot of fun developing their relationship and bringing Erskine into the story as one of the heroes.

You’ve described Gabe McKenna as a guy to be counted on, one who has a basic honor and decency to him, even if he does tend to go off recklessly from time to time. And as a former boxer, he can be knocked down, but not out. Who are some of your other returning characters?
Gabe is at a different stage of his life in this story. He’s pushing sixty, a bit unsettled and ready for a rest. But his previous deeds have left him with enemies unwilling to forgive and forget. He also needs his friends much more in this adventure, and it takes the cooperative effort of Gabe, Erskine, Onion, Sam, C.J., and even a couple of federal agents to carry the day.

New Mexico is the main setting of the series. What areas of the state do you take readers to this time?
Aside from Laguna Pueblo, where Gabe is living when the story begins, the action centers around a small settlement town of Marquez in Sandoval County and at a remote mesa that straddles Guadalupe and Quay Counties and, of course, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. There’s a brief detour north to Colorado. Gabe travels in this story by horse, SUV, private aircraft, and even a jazzed-up motor home.

What are some of the more interesting facts you discovered while doing research for the book?
I delved into more of the mining history of New Mexico, but most of the research I had to do dealt with the current scourge of foreign drug cartels operating in our state. It’s a far more complicated and deep-rooted problem than people generally realize and not much of it gets into the news.

Amazon categorizes BURN SCARS as Vigilante Justice, Noir Crime, and Organized Crime. If you didn’t have the limitations of Amazon categories, how would you characterize the book?
I don’t like the Amazon categories because they suggest your story and characters can be pigeonholed or understood simplistically. BURN SCARS is my longest book to date, and as the sixth entry in an ongoing series, the characters, their actions, and motivations have become more nuanced and complex. I advise disregarding categories and letting the story and its characters unfold for you in surprising ways.

What’s on your to-read pile? Who is your favorite fictional character?
Atop my read pile right now are books by New Mexico authors: The Wide, Wide Sea, which just came out, by Hampton Sides; Joe Badal’s Everything to Lose, the only one of his books I have yet to read; and Anne Hillerman’s Lost Birds. My favorite fictional character? Philip Marlowe, like Gabe McKenna, a hero neither tarnished nor afraid.

Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?
Audio. Now that I am producing two podcasts, I am exploring sound as a persuasive medium. Audible has turned several of my novels into audiobooks, but I am excited at the chance to produce audio versions of all my novels on my own. I’ll start that project later this year and into 2025.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Once BURN SCARS is out the door, I’m returning to HELL SHIP, the historical fiction novel I started a few years ago. In MIDNIGHT BLUES, I killed off an elderly World War II vet named Phil Friganza. I miss the guy. So, I’m making him the hero of this story and bringing him back to life, so to speak. I’m also going to be working on the audiobooks I mentioned and transitioning my podcasts from audio to audio with video and posting them on YouTube. I’ve been asked if there will be any more Gabe McKenna novels. Well, you never say never again.

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.



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