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An Interview with Author Wanda W. Jerome

Posted on March 10, 2026 by

Award-winning poet and nonfiction author Wanda W. Jerome has been channeling spiritual messages in fixed and free poetry and prose since 2022. Her newest memoir in verse, After the Journey: Returning the Heart to Home (The Journey Book Series 2, September 2025), bids readers to “experience her heartful transition back from a spiritual journey to her home place.” Look for Wanda on her website Awakeful.life and on Youtube at @MagicalMorningMoments and @Awakeful. Her books are available on her Amazon author page.

Why did you write After the Journey, and what do you hope readers will take away from it?
After the Journey is the second memoir in verse of my Journey Book Series. I wrote this book to share with readers the continuation and final portion of my spiritual awakening journey. Coming back down to Earth after such a profound experience was more difficult than I’d imagined.

The beauty of our natural environment here in New Mexico provides the foundation for my experience across the series. The desert with its flora and fauna influence my soul’s expression in both poetry and prose. I hope readers will resonate with the natural world I call home. In this book, I eventually settle into manifesting my soul’s purpose for the remainder of my lifetime. I desire to leave readers with a strong sense of hope and faith in their capacity to choose a bountiful, beautiful lifetime while they’re here, and through my writing, I want to help readers build that capacity.

How is the book structured?
The book begins with my return to homeplace — to a normal life. The second section revisits the darkness and confusion associated with living partly in Heaven on Earth and partly in the darkness, struggling to cope with the chaos and destruction in our world. The third section brings me full circle — finding the light in the darkness, learning both are important and necessary for a fulfilling human life on Earth.

Is there one poem from the book that gets to the heart of the whole?
Yes. Here is a poem and piece of prose that touch the entire vision for the series:

WATER ON STONES (Haibun)

Moist desert air from last night’s storms floats,
hovers over steep mountain pathways. I see
distant highways to heavenly places, tucked
behind mists cascading into deepest green.

In their midst, I feel drops of liquid gold effervesce;
leave tiny sand patterns of water on stones. Ah, ah,
breathe deep. Take your deepest yet. Fill hungry
lungs with the rarest of these morning breezes.

Hear the birds sing for their pure joy. For your joy!
Revel in this moment. Before it disappears, escapes,
evaporates – back to where it started from, where it
was born – high in your desert mountains.

What a scene! Quick! Feel your each and every
sensation! Savor the tender nature of your life, your
tendermost dream – so timely, temporary, temporally.
Like water on desert stones.

let this place, this peace
rest in your happy heartspace
and never forget

WHAT I’VE LEARNED

I never knew, until it was time for me to know, the perfect
nature of God’s love.

I’d heard people talk about an all-knowing, all-forgiving,
all-encompassing love for years but had no vision of what
it was or what it could possibly truly feel like. Until it did.

Well, it shimmers.
It envelops your soul in shivers of joy and happiness.
You aren’t hungry or thirsty.
You have no needs.
You are totally perfect.
You are in bliss.

And, no – this isn’t alcohol. This isn’t mind-altering drugs.
This is real – Reality with a capital R.

So, how can a person live and walk in this work-a-day
world and know these feelings, think these thoughts, and
behave accordingly?

Try as I might, mere mortal words fail me here, but in a
sincere attempt to convey what it feels like to know God’s
love personally and deeply, I’ll try.

I’ve learned in my seventy plus years of living that
forgiveness is the only way to go home. Forgiveness
removes the veil that separates us from each other.

And, when we forgive ourselves, love touches our souls
and lets itself in. After that, it grows and grows.

I believe this is our work, our service to humanity:

… to forgive the unforgivable,
… to love the unlovable,
… to embrace the unembraceable,
… to hold the unholdable,
… to see the unseeable,
… to know the unknowable, and then,
… to let it all go.

So, let God move through you, give through you to heal
humanity as part of the Divine’s plan. It’s not that hard to
understand once you know.

That’s why I thought I’d help lift the veil for you a little, so
you could take a peek at what’s in store. All you’ve got to
do – is to want to – more than anything else in the whole wide
world. And there’s nothing more than that to where it’s at.

How many poems did you write specifically for After the Journey and how many were already written?
My journey from retirement through Covid-19 and sobriety has enabled my writings to flourish. Most of these poems were written after the first book, Journey Beyond the Veil, was published in 2024, though a few were kept out of the first book to keep the length in check. As my poems and prose are almost always channeled messages I receive during morning meditation, they kept coming as I was completing the first book’s publication. So six months after the first book was for sale online, I started compiling this second book, which was published in 2025. There are over 200 poems and prose pieces in this book.

Tell us how the book came together.
September 2025 was publication month for After the Journey. It took ten months to finish the content, organize, edit, design, and publish the book. My dear friend Jasmine Tritten once again gave me permission to use her image of the hand-painted mask for the cover, and my husband Ric Speed digitized various colorful masks based on that image for artwork throughout the book. Importantly, this book required more time for detailed formatting due to my increased use of visual poetry. I discovered that certain software I’d come to depend upon with my earlier books did not accommodate such formatting. Nevertheless, I was pleased with the result — eventually.

Did you ever worry you were revealing too much about yourself through your writing?
This is an interesting and important question. I did reveal quite a lot to help my readers see where I came from and where I ended up. Fortunately, I am not afraid or embarrassed about anything I have done in this lifetime, though I know there were many times I could have been a more loving person (including of myself) along the way. As a recovering, grateful alcoholic, I am used to sharing deeply personal information in my A.A. meeting groups with other women, and so I understood that I needed my readers to know who was sharing her story. Growing up and being alone a lot, plus traveling abroad during my adulthood as a flight attendant and singer-songwriter/musician on the road, made for quite the ride.

What was the most rewarding aspect of completing this project?
My soul’s purpose is to share these channeled poems and prose pieces in order to help others see that Heaven can be here on Earth if they choose. This is a hard place, this Earth School, and to learn that love is why we are here, what we are a part of, and to whom we will be returning — to share this with others is my mission. This is the most rewarding aspect of my work on the Journey Series project.

When you began the first book in the series, Journey Beyond the Veil: Awakening the Heart to Love, did you plan on writing After the Journey: Returning the Heart to Home?
Not at first. But it became clear that the messages were continuing, life was getting more challenging, and the poems and prose would want another book.

Looking back to the beginning of your writing/publishing career, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
I wish I’d understood that by self-publishing my work, I can submit few, if any, poems I’ve already published to traditional publishers, literary journals, and contests. This was news to me, and I imagine it may be news to other emerging author-publishers. Recently, I purchased a major literary magazine known for its multitude of contests and writing retreats and was shocked that the opportunities listed for submissions included the words “accepting unpublished work only.” In addition, many require fees for submission, though the fees are minimal.

The good news is it does seem that opportunities for small independent presses are expanding and this is extremely hopeful for emerging writers. Also, a number of organizations offer awards contests, recognition and reviews for independent publishers and author-publishers. More every day are reaching out to those of us who self-publish. After the Journey has received recognition recently from Literary Global and some lovely reviews from Reader Views. One caveat is that these organizations often require substantial fees along with submissions. From my experience, it’s best to be selective in your choosing. Do research before submitting your work, and consider these efforts as part of the marketing strategy for your work.

Do you remember what inspired you to write your first poem?
My first real poem was about the view I could see out the airplane windows at night when all the passengers were asleep. Back in the 1970s, there were usually empty seats in first class, and I could snuggle up by the windows and see the lights sparkle across a beautiful world. No fences, no state lines — just our beautiful planet. As a 19-year-old flight attendant for an international airline, I discovered many people, places, and things to write poems about. That’s when my writing really took off!

What do you consider the most essential elements of a well-written memoir? A well-written poem?
For me, I think the essential element of memoir and poetry is to speak from your heart directly to the heart of your reader. To share enough of yourself that your reader finds a commonality to attach onto with their own heart and mind. Let them find themselves in your words.

How important is accessibility of meaning? Should a reader have to work to understand a poem?
Great question! I’m not sure about most readers, but I am basically bored if I can’t find anything to relate to in a poem. Some poetry seems like the rambling of a mind to whom I cannot relate. So, I guess, yes — for me to enjoy a poem (whether haiku, tanka, fixed or free), I must find something to which I can relate. If I learn something about myself in the process, I am fulfilled.

Is there something that always inspires you or triggers your creativity?
Our nature in New Mexico. Our delicious sunrises. Majestic mountains. Owls, geese, cranes, hawks, crows and ravens, songbirds, quail, roadrunners, cottontail bunnies, coyotes, dragonflies, bees, butterflies — our spring winds, dry summer heat, golden fall colors, blustery winter snows. We live in this most beautiful place. Let’s share it as often as we can with others who for whatever reasons don’t or can’t live here.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I have a large library of poetry waiting for a three-book series (smaller books in scope, possibly 100 poems each) all about hope. Faith in ourselves, in others and the future figure prominently, too. The title I’m considering is something like “Hope for a Hopeless World” — but I would rather not self-publish this time. My goal is to find a great New Mexico INDIE publisher who wants to work with me to get these books out to readers who need the messages they share.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
I believe poetry does not have to be stuffy, rigid, or scary. Poetry can be enticing, practical, expansive, purposeful, and meaningful in many different forms, including its formlessness. I am especially excited about visual poetry — using the white space on the page to inform how words are read and which ones to which the reader’s eyes are drawn. The year 2026 is a wonderful time for poets! So many rules and requirements are flexing. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for poetry.

To me, poetry is the language of the heart. My sense is we need more of that these days.

KLWagoner150_2 KL 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: Keith Pyeatt

Posted on February 24, 2026 by

Keith Pyeatt is a retired mechanical engineer who writes “horror with heart”—a combination of psychological thriller, paranormal horror, and dark fantasy. His newest novel, The Sirens of Sayhurn (December 2025), brings readers relatable characters and a fresh take on mythical sirens. Look for Keith on KeithPyeatt.com, Bluesky, Facebook, and Goodreads, as well as his Amazon book store. To learn about his previous novels, go to his 2015 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in The Sirens of Sayhurn?
The Sirens of Sayhurn is my fifth published novel. It’s an urban fantasy that reimagines the mystical role of sirens in a dark tale of passion, addiction, and sacrifice. A subtle love story with a long arc runs through the novel, giving it some overlap into the romantasy genre. The novel’s setting is right here in Albuquerque with frequent trips to an alternate world in peril.

Who are your main characters, and why will readers connect to them?
Clayton’s an easygoing handyman and maintenance worker who is too closed off to experience passion. Three events initiate change. First, he hears a duet of feminine voices singing a haunting melody that tugs at his heart and lingers in his mind. Next, he meets Brent, a troubled boy who reaches out to Clayton for help. Finally, he develops feelings for Erin, a woman with troubles of her own. These flawed, sympathetic characters are all on the cusp of a life change, and they give readers people to identify with and pull for.

And then there’s Ayanna, one of three sirens in the parallel world of Sayhurn. She’s different than the other sirens, with needs the others don’t feel. When Ayanna satisfies a forbidden passion, she inadvertently exposes her idyllic world to an outside force that corrupts and endangers Sayhurn. Ayanna suffers through a tough time, but she never feels wrong about being who she is or what she feels, and she does everything in her power to repair her world. I love Ayanna’s strength, independence, and heart, and I hope readers will too.

What themes do you explore in the book?
I play with several themes, most notably how introducing greed and addiction into an idealized world can quickly corrupt and endanger it. Passion is another dominant theme—the need for it, the power it holds, and the trouble it can cause. Compassion gets plenty of play as well. A lack of it creates a fiendish villain, and an abundance shapes heroes.

What was the most difficult aspect of world building for The Sirens of Sayhurn?
Defining the culture took effort. Even after I decided to make Sayhurn an idyllic world, I needed to establish the siren’s surprising role in the society, define how this world interacts with Earth, and come up with the details of day-to-day life on Sayhurn. I ended up planting a past crisis in Sayhurn’s history that shaped how they function today, and that helped link all the variables together. Then I faced the familiar task of working backstory into the narrative without stopping the story for a history lesson, always a challenge.

How did the book come together?
Many years ago, when I lived in the rural woods of Vermont, I had a very noisy propane water heater in the basement of my little cabin. If I was in the basement when the heater kicked on, somewhere behind its echoing racket, I’d swear I could hear feminine voices singing to me. The singers didn’t consistently harmonize, but their voices weaved together a strange melody, and I’d stand still and listen to them until the water heater shut off and their song evaporated. That experience inspired this novel. It’s also the first scene.

The Sirens of Sayhurn took either sixteen years or eight months to write, depending on how you look at it. I began writing it the first time we lived in Albuquerque. When we moved away, I stopped writing. Fifteen years later, we returned to Albuquerque, and lo and behold I soon began writing again. I salvaged about 15,000 words of my original effort and hammered out a first draft in four months. Another four months of editing, and I had a novel that made me proud.

I made my own cover. AI doesn’t touch my writing, but I turned to it for the cover image I wanted. Then I modified that image to suit me using paint.net, just as I used to do when I bought the rights to photos to use in my other cover designs.

Tell us about the challenges this work posed for you.
World building was a challenge I didn’t see coming. I’m comfortable writing dark fantasy thrillers and creating alternate worlds like the mind-world in Dark Knowledge and the first stage of the afterlife in Above Haldis Notch, so I thought creating Sayhurn would come naturally. It didn’t. My previous alternate worlds were as abstract as I wanted them to be. I made all the rules there. But Sayhurn functions in a way that’s similar to Earth, so the world needed an established, somewhat recognizable infrastructure and society. The weird mix of freedom and boundaries caused a lot of head scratching.

What was your favorite part of putting the project together?
I always enjoy the editing process, taking the raw material, cutting the excess, and sharpening the rest into a compelling story. In this novel, I stumbled into a hybrid writing style that made writing the first draft a favorite part of the project too. I went full “pantser” to begin with—no outline, no restraints, and only a glimmer of an ending in mind. The unfolding story led me, and if walk-through characters tried to stick around and expand their roles, I let them.

Being a pantser stimulates my creativity, but it often creates problems down the road. Sure enough, I stalled halfway through the first draft. Once I saw that the storylines, character arcs, and timelines didn’t mesh, I couldn’t move forward. I did a 180 with my writing style and went full “plotter” by creating a detailed timeline and flowchart. Those tools helped untangle my mess, but they also left me with some major rearranging to do, moving blocks of text around and then building bridges to tie it all together again. It was a chore but a surprisingly pleasant one, like a writer’s version of a jigsaw puzzle, except if the pieces didn’t fit, I could alter them. The experience taught me something important about the pantser vs. plotter debate: The best writing process for me might not lie in one camp or the other, but in a space where they overlap.

Do you have writing rituals or something you absolutely need in order to write? What does a typical writing session look like for you?
I don’t have rituals, but I’m intense when actively writing. I like to write every day, preferably for long stretches of time.

What usually comes first for you, a character, a scene, a story idea? How do you proceed from there?
I start with a story idea and overall theme. Then I define main characters (subject to change as needed). If scenes pop into my head as I ponder, I make notes and often incorporate those scenes in the novel. When an opening scene shows itself, it’s usually time to start writing. As I mentioned earlier, I vary between using outlines and writing without boundaries, whatever it takes to get me typing words. You’ve got to write to be a writer.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m planning a sequel to The Sirens of Sayhurn. I left myself many directions I could take with it. I have a long list, in fact. I keep poking at my ideas, mixing, matching, and expanding on them. So far, that opening scene I need to begin writing still eludes me, but I’m closing in. Maybe if I think back on my days in Vermont, I’ll find my focus. It worked before!

An Interview with Author Sondra Diepen

Posted on February 17, 2026 by

When author, artist, and photographer Sondra Diepen wondered what to do with the hundreds of photos that documented her travels along New Mexico’s section of Route 66, she discovered a lack of details for the Land of Enchantment’s contribution to the Mother Road. To fill that gap, she released Route 66 New Mexico: A Visual Tour (Sunstone Press) in May 2024. The guidebook is filled with photographs, maps, stories, and interesting facts about 51 locations along the historic route from the New Mexico/Texas border to the Arizona state line. Look for Sondra on her website at Route66InNewMexico.com and on Amazon.

You spent over a decade traveling Route 66 in New Mexico and keeping a photographic record of the treasures you found. At what point did you think about putting it all together in a guidebook? What was the push to begin the project?
After exploring every length of Route 66 I could find here in New Mexico, I had hundreds of photographs now residing on my desktop. It felt like I should do something with six years of photographs. But what? A friend loaned me a new book she was given about Route 66, full page photographs of different sites, scattered along Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. I thought: I could put together a book of photos of Route 66 that would be only of New Mexico’s sites. I would arrange them in driving order from the Texas to the Arizona state line.

Why was 2024 the perfect time to publish the book?
The publishing of this book just happened to coincide with the Centennial of Route 66. I started organizing and writing this book just as Covid entered this country. It became my focus as I endured the years of being shut in because of Covid.

Route 66 New Mexico was “Book of the Week” in the August 6, 2024 issue of Albuquerque Journal. How did seeing that review make you feel?
Of course I was pleased. Sunstone Press initially contacted the Journal and David Steinberg read the book and called me for an interview. In a couple of weeks his article appeared in Albuquerque Journal. This was a great launching point for the book.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Everything was basically a challenge since I had never considered writing a book. Selecting photographs. Researching histories. Writing interesting narratives. Finding an editor. Looking into laws and regulations pertaining to publishing a book. How to publish a book. Finding a publisher. Promoting a book.

Tell us more about how the book came together.
I designed the cover of the book with Photoshop help, laying out the design. The bulk of writing and assembling the book was done during the years of Covid.

Any surprising discoveries while doing research?
I didn’t realize the extent of the craze for the Wild West and the Cowboy Culture during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. (Even though growing up in the 50s, I was caught up in it too. I had a Hopalong Cassidy outfit that included a shirt, cowboy hat, chaps, holsters with cap guns, Levis, and Acme boots, and I had a real pony named Tony.) I found this craze played a great role in luring tourists driving Route 66 to stop, relax. and spend their money. There were many trading posts and frontier themed amusement stops with rattlesnakes, Navajo jewelry, museums, Gay 90s bars, and a cold Nehi, that were dotted across New Mexico.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
That’s the easy question. I loved driving out with maps I had accumulated, with a ladder and pruners in the back, my dog Zephyr in the front, and two Nikon cameras, to start trolling these sections of Route 66. I looked for sites with an abandoned building, a fragment of walls or a concrete pad that once supported gas pumps. Many times a site was overgrown with weeds and Chinese elms, so the pruners came in handy. I would then grab my camera and start taking photographs at different angles and times of day. When I got home I’d begin searching the internet, hoping to find any information about that site. More than once I went back to the same place for even more photos.

What makes this book unique in the Route 66 market?
I started accumulating books about Route 66 and found New Mexico was hardly mentioned. Since I had discovered over 50 locations and had read about these places, I realized the vast contribution New Mexico had made to the history of Route 66.

To make this history available for people fascinated with Route 66, this book was designed not only as a photographic and historical record but as a way for tourists to visit these sites and read about their history. So for those traveling from the New Mexico/Texas border to Arizona’s state line, it can be a tour guide with photos, maps and directions to these various locations. The tour is divided into six parts—each could be an outing for a day trip.

Do you have a favorite spot on the Mother Road or a favorite stretch of the Route?
Yes. From Grants to Thoreau. There were several trading posts and curio shops that not only catered to the tourists passing by but they also supplied, traded with, and hired the Navajos living in the area. Claude Bowlin, original owner of the Old Crater Trading Post in 1936, even organized races and entertainment that drew in people from the surroundings to participate and enjoy the fun.

Looking back to the beginning of the project that became Route 66 New Mexico: A Visual Tour, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
Before making my first discovery that was Bowlin’s Old Crater Trading Post, all I knew about Route 66 was that it was a road and a song. I wish I had paid more attention to the route in the past. As a child my parents would never stop at these places. They called them ‘tourist traps.’ As a young adult traveling on Route 66, my parents’ words kept echoing in my ears, and I drove right on by.

What advice do you have for beginning or discouraged writers?
To keep in mind there is a tremendous amount of work involved to writing a book. But when it’s complete, there such a good feeling of accomplishment and pride in what you’ve been struggling to do.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m just involved in promoting my book, giving talks, showing slides and having book signings. After the dust settles, and if I begin to feel bored, I might start writing about being Born Before Plastic.

An Interview with Author Bryan James Beck

Posted on February 10, 2026 by

Author and artist Bryan James Beck has always believed that storytelling has the power to transform lives, and as a storyteller the genres he loves to write are as varied as his reading interests. To that end, he published five novels in a five-month period from late 2025 to early 2026. His debut, A Debt in Time (September 2025), is book one in the time travel Ancestral Debt Anthology, with A Debt Remembered (October 2025) and A Debt Returned (February 2026) making up books two and three, respectively, in the ongoing series. He also managed to release the murder mystery Blood & Wine (Michael Flaherty Noir, Book 1) in November 2025 plus a secret novel in January 2026 written under a pen name. Look for Bryan on Facebook and his Amazon author store.

How did you manage to publish five books in less than six months?
To be fully transparent, I’m diagnosed as AuDHD, and I experience intense periods of hyperfocus. When I lock into a story, I am fully absorbed in it until it’s finished. Even while working a full-time 9–5 job as a bank manager, I’ve been putting an additional 40–80 hours a week into writing, editing, and marketing.

I’m also a perfectionist, and I hold myself to a very high standard. While some of these books were written quickly—sometimes in as little as a week—I spent anywhere from a month to several months editing each one. By the time I published my debut novel, I already had several strong rough manuscripts completed. I simply chose the one I felt was strongest to lead with, which made the publishing schedule much more manageable.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in the Ancestral Debt Anthology?
At its core, the anthology is an emotional story about family legacy and learning to believe in oneself. It isn’t afraid to explore deeper emotional truths about life—and the thin line that separates life from death. It’s about the cost of time travel, and how one family’s destiny is intertwined with a mysterious chest that passes from generation to generation. It also explores the debts and karma we inherit from our ancestors, alongside the treasures they leave behind.

Family legacy is woven throughout the series, and while these are the first three books, they represent only the beginning. Each novel follows a different character’s journey through time, and there are many more stories still to come.

Who are the main characters, and why will readers connect to them? Is there one point of view you enjoyed writing more than another?
The first book, A Debt in Time, follows James Manning, a capable but brokenhearted young man who inherits the ancestral debt after his great-grandfather’s death—along with a strange, magical chest. At the beginning, James doesn’t believe in himself, but through his travels, he learns that he’s far more capable than he ever imagined. He also discovers that he’s more worthy of love than his ex-girlfriend led him to believe.

The second book, A Debt Remembered, follows Robert Gagne, James’s great-grandfather. Robert survives his journey through time using a different kind of strength. He relies on wit, intelligence, and sheer determination. He isn’t a fighter like James; he values love and knowledge above all else. His heart aches across centuries, and ultimately, he realizes that the love he truly wants is the one he left behind.

A Debt Returned, the third book, follows both Ivy Manning and Lucien Vireon. Ivy is James’s great-granddaughter, and the inheritor of his chest after him. Lucien is a distant cousin who believes he is entitled to the chest and its power. Ivy is a young girl who ends up taking the most difficult path yet, becoming much more than she ever thought she could be.

My favorite POV has been Ivy, although I enjoyed all of them thoroughly. Even Lucien was fun to write.

What themes do you explore in the series? Are they important to you on a personal level?
The first book is very much a coming-of-age story about learning to believe in oneself. The second book leans more into the emotional and historical cost of time travel while expanding the world’s depth and lore. It focuses on the yearning for connection across generations—sometimes a connection that is impossible without time travel. The third book explores the true cost of time travel and the legacy of family. It’s about sacrifice—what we give up to save the people we love. It also examines love versus darkness, and who truly has the right to wield the power of the chest.

These themes are deeply personal to me. They reflect how I think about family, responsibility, and the weight of choices passed down through generations.

Tell us more about how the Ancestral Debt Anthology came together.
The spark for the story came while researching my own family tree. I discovered that I’m a descendant of Charlemagne—and from there, I learned that most people in Europe, and therefore America, are as well. I also traced my ancestry back to Ireland and Scotland. That inspired me to write a story that stretches through time, showing what life might have been like across different eras of my own family’s history. I’ve always loved time travel stories, but I wanted something unique in how the magic worked. I didn’t want science fiction—I wanted magic. That’s where the concept of the Ancestral Debt and the time-traveling chest was born.

I began writing A Debt in Time in January of 2024. The book was ready by July 2025 and scheduled for publication on September 15, 2025. Much of that time was spent editing. I worked with a professional editor, a critique group through SWW, and did extensive self-editing. I also spent nearly a year reading over a hundred books across genres—from craft books to fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, horror, historical fiction, romance, and erotica.

Shortly after book one was ready, I went on an annual camping trip with my family—a tradition filled with love, laughter, and reflection. When I returned, I was inspired to write the sequel, A Debt Remembered. I wrote it in one intense week—about 100 hours of nonstop writing—followed by four weeks of focused editing. It was ready for publication even before A Debt in Time was released in September 2025, so I scheduled book two for October 2025.

I started writing A Debt Returned on December 8, 2025 and finished editing and ordering ARCs by January 7, 2026. Honestly, I think A Debt Returned is my best work yet. Even though I write quickly, I don’t believe I’m sacrificing quality. If anything, I’ve learned how to balance speed with care.

What makes the series unique in the time travel genre?
The series centers on a magically inherited time-traveling chest—one that forces its inheritors to travel through time, even when they don’t want to. It doesn’t treat time travel as an adventure without consequences. Instead, it fully embraces the emotional cost of being displaced from your own life, your own time, and the people you love.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
My favorite part was the research. I loved learning about different eras—the food, the architecture, the history, the people, the language. It was incredibly immersive, and sometimes it was honestly hard to stop.

With time travel you are essentially writing historical fiction. What sort of decisions did you make in order for your time travel books to work?
When choosing eras for each character’s journey, I made sure they made sense in terms of why the magic would send that particular person to that moment in time. Each character has skills—whether or not they realize it—that allow them to save the life they’re sent for. With Robert, I focused on knowledge. With James, physical strength. And with Ivy, learning and love.

Did you learn any lessons from writing/publishing A Debt in Time and A Debt Remembered that you applied to book three, A Debt Returned? How about Blood & Wine, the first of your murder mystery series?
Absolutely. Each book has taught me something new. Through editing and critique, I’ve learned how to better balance showing versus telling, how to establish a stronger character voice, and how to trust emotional moments rather than over-explaining them. I genuinely believe my writing has improved with each release. A Debt Returned is the strongest book I’ve presented so far, and that growth carries into Blood & Wine as well.

What challenges did you encounter in writing your series? Did the challenges surprise you? How did you negotiate these possible stumbling blocks?
I expected writing a series to be more difficult than it has been so far. When I wrote A Debt Remembered, the story flowed naturally—I already knew the world and loved the characters. With A Debt Returned, it felt like the story demanded to be told. That said, I do recognize long-term challenges: running out of ideas, losing momentum, or creating plot holes—especially with time travel. That’s why I’ve begun planning the overarching arc in advance. I currently have the next twelve books planned for the Ancestral Debt Anthology, along with multiple books planned for the Michael Flaherty Noir series and my pen-name series. What’s funny is that I also have several unpublished series waiting in the wings, all with strong characters capable of carrying long arcs.

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 wake up early every day—around 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. Since I don’t need to leave for work until 7:30, I write until it’s time to get ready. When I get home, I write again from about 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. That’s typically 4–6 hours a day, on top of my full-time job as a bank manager. On days off, if I don’t have family events or errands, I’ll write from early morning until late evening—sometimes 16 or 17 hours.

I have a dedicated writing space: a specific seat, desk, and tablet, surrounded by bookshelves. In the morning, I write with coffee. In the evening, it might be tea—or sometimes a scotch, Irish whiskey, or a Guinness. Then I disappear into story.

How has the creativity/discipline you employ as an artist helped you in your writing journey?
I used to tell stories with a single image, spending five to ten hours capturing fine details and the essence of a person. I now apply that same eye for detail to my writing. I want my prose to flow, to hook the reader, and to make them feel something. I also design my own book covers, and I plan to release special editions someday featuring artwork for each chapter.

As a noir murder mystery, Blood & Wine is a huge departure from the time travel fantasy genre of the Ancestral Debt Anthology. What made you choose this different genre?
I love thrillers, noir, and mystery novels, and I want to write in all the genres I love. So far, that includes time travel historical fantasy, noir murder mystery, erotica, science fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, and even children’s stories.

Share your elevator pitch for Blood & Wine.
A disfigured former Navy SEAL comes to a quiet New Mexico wine town to disappear—only to be framed for murder. Teaming up with a traumatized local investigator, he uncovers a conspiracy of corruption, missing women, and violence that’s been fermenting for years. Blood & Wine is a gritty noir about scars you can see—and the ones you can’t.

What do you like or respect most about the mystery’s main character?
Michael Flaherty wants peace. He’s seen the worst of humanity and wants nothing more than to disappear. But when people need help, he can’t turn away. He has the skillset, the instincts, and the burden of someone who knows what happens when he doesn’t act.

What writing projects are you working on now? Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
My current focus is Blood & Ice, the sequel to Blood & Wine, which continues following Michael Flaherty and Gracie Kim on their journey together.

I’m also planning to attend as many events as possible this year, including ABQ Collective events, Southwest Comic & Creators Con, Bubonicon (if accepted), and local bookstore signings. I’ve already held a signing at Books on the Bosque and have two scheduled in April 2026—April 25th at COAS Bookstore in Las Cruces, New Mexico and April 26th at Avalon Bookstore in Silver City, New Mexico.

An Interview with Author Ruth Wilson

Posted on January 27, 2026 by

Ruth Wilson, Ph.D. has devoted most of her wide-ranging seven-decade career to connecting young children with nature. Among her varied positions, she worked as an educator and teacher educator, as a consultant on projects for Sesame Street and Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo (to name a few), and as the curator for the Children & Nature Network Research Library. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications and she is the author of ten nonfiction books. Ruth’s most recent release, Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years (Routledge, October 2025), illustrates “ways nature and spirituality can contribute to quality of life during the early childhood years and beyond” and “emphasizes the idea of children’s whole-body engagement, challenging the idea that spirituality is relevant to the mind and spirit only.” Look for her on her website ChildrenAndNature.org. Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers.

When you began writing Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years, what did you hope to accomplish? By the end of the journey, do you feel you were successful in your goal(s)?
My hope in writing Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years was to highlight the importance of the spiritual dimensions of children’s connectedness to nature. Interest in connecting children with nature has grown at a dramatic rate over the past few decades, but only limited attention has been given to the spiritual dimensions of nature connectedness. I feel I’ve been successful in articulating the meaning and importance of these spiritual dimensions. I also feel I’ve identified some specific ways to nurture children’s spiritual development through nature engagement. My feelings about the success of this book was recently reinforced by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley recognizing it as one of their favorite books for educators in 2025.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
I knew from the beginning that I would have several challenges to deal with. The first challenge relates to the way in which many people equate spirituality with religion. This misunderstanding leads to concerns about promoting spirituality in public education programs. Another challenge relates to the definition of spirituality. Trying to define spirituality in a way that is understandable to different people is difficult. A third challenge relates to current trends in the curricular standards for education. Spirituality is rarely addressed.

How is the book structured and why did you choose to put it together that way?
The book is structured around three main areas: the meaning and importance of nature in the lives of children, the meaning and importance of spirituality in children’s lives, and ways to nurture children’s spirituality through nature engagement. I chose this organizational format to clarify the meaning of nature and spirituality and to offer some practical ideas on how educators might apply the information to their work with children.

Tell us about the journey from inspiration to publication.
This is my tenth published book. In some ways, it pulls together many of the ideas I addressed in previous books and articles. The idea of pulling these thoughts together and highlighting what I thought was most important in my previous work was a primary motivation in writing this book. I had written about nature and spirituality in other books and articles but never really did justice to the integration of these two areas. My real push to begin goes back to conversations I’ve had with others working to connect children with nature. I’ve been impressed with their zeal and dedication. Through conversations, I realized that some of what they were doing and noticing in their work with children needed clearer articulation in the literature. After I arrived at a vision of what I wanted this book to accomplish, it took me about a year to write it. Finding a publisher wasn’t difficult, as I had written several other books for this publisher (Routledge). I knew who to contact and was familiar with the types of books they were interested in.

Do you have a favorite quote from the book that you’d like to share?
“What we all seem to be yearning for are deeper and more soul-ful connections with the world around us.” (p.3)

Any “Oh, wow!” moments while doing research for this book?
Research for this book included investigations into different worldviews. This research led me to a deeper understanding of how much the way we view the world impacts our nature-related feelings and actions. I realized, for example, that the dominant culture in Western countries tends to be a “culture of functioning.” Such a culture allows for ”take-what-you-can” behaviors. A kinship-based culture, on the other hand, prioritizes co-existence, peace, and reciprocity.

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting the project together?
The most rewarding part for me was the support and feedback I received from colleagues who reviewed an early draft of the book.

Of all the books you’ve written, which one was the most challenging and which was the easiest (or most enjoyable) to write?
Of the ten books I’ve written, this one was the most enjoyable—and maybe the easiest. I had my earlier work to draw from, and experiences from writing other books helped me organize the material for this book. I had more resources and a better understanding about how to keep the process of writing organized. I also enjoyed the freedom I gave myself to articulate ideas that were important to me.

What do you want to be known for as an author?
I’d like to be known for honesty in my work and for highlighting the role of our spiritual connections with nature.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working on two different writing projects: one, an academic book on ecological identity; the other, a hybrid memoir integrating stories from my life with stories from my deceased husband’s life. I’m also investing time and energy into writing more original poetry.

An Interview with Author O’labumi Brown

Posted on January 13, 2026 by

O’labumi Brown is a retired teacher turned memoirist who is committed to writing with joy and honesty. Her debut memoir, Hairalujah (June 2025), uses a “unique blend of poetic prose and unflinching honesty” to explore “generational wounds, queer identity, recovery, and redemption. It’s a story about the messy, beautiful process of healing—and the courage it takes to reclaim your own narrative.” You’ll find O’labumi on her website Olabumi.com and her Amazon author page. Hairalujah is also available at the independent bookstores Page 1 Books and Organic Books in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Why did you write Hairalujah and who did you write it for? When readers turn the last page of the book what do you hope they’ll take away from it?
Hairalujah (without my realizing it) started as a grad school assignment when the professor asked the class to tell a personal story about ourselves. So, the first pages were for school. My hope is that readers will walk away holding my testimony of transformation and know that even the most broken pieces in a person’s life can be forged into something divine.

What prompted the push to begin the project that became your memoir?
My life was in a shambles. I was suffering emotionally. My mother was dying, my sister was in a wheelchair and awaiting a double hip replacement, and I was going through divorce. I was desperate to find a healing comfort I could trust. One evening amid sobs, I felt myself returning to that school‑day when I felt a spark and my words caught fire as I began to write about me. Rejoicing in this memory I pulled up a chair and started to write.

Did you ever feel you were revealing too much about yourself while you were writing Hairalujah?
No. Before I started writing Hairalujah I promised myself to tell it like it was or not at all.

What did your mature self-bring to the writing table that your younger self never could have?
Living long enough to have passed through the fire and emerge whole, still glowing, and ready to reveal how I found myself on the other side of the flames.

Tell us how you decided on the book’s structure as well as how to end it. Who designed the book cover?
Honestly, when I started this literary journey, there wasn’t a structure. I picked up a pen and just started writing. Later I joined writing workshops and started learning about the cycle of shaping, reshaping, and being reshaped by this work. After my mother passed my sister found a letter she’d written to me and never mailed. As soon as it landed in my hands, I knew it was the book’s finial note. My vision for the cover design emerged as I collaborated with my good friend Lee Stringer. The self-taught graphic designer finalized the book cover.

How did you choose the title of the book?
Since the memoir dances metaphorically using images of black hair culture, I wanted the title to reflect that. In the initial stages the title kept combing through itself, shedding strands until “Hairalujah” finally let go of its split ends.

What was an unexpected benefit of writing Hairalujah?
When my short story from the memoir, “Romance on the Ironhorse,” was published in Between the Covers: An Adult Romance Anthology.

What was the most difficult aspect of publishing your memoir?
The most traumatic and unexpected thing that happened at the time of Hairalujah’s publishing was my sister’s death. So instead of celebrating, I mourned.

Do you have other creative outlets outside of writing?
I adore narratives of psychological suspense, thrillers, historical fiction, dark fantasy, traveling, meeting cool new people and losing myself in the thump and swirl of house music.

What is the best encouragement or advice you’ve received in your writing journey?
Early on, dyslexia froze my passion for writing. I was, and still am, a horrible speller and I used that as proof that I wasn’t meant to write. Until another writer gently reminded me, that a writer doesn’t have to be everything.

2025 New Releases for SWW Authors #6

Posted on December 23, 2025 by

Chris Allen, Gency Brown, Donna Pedace, Keith Pyeatt, and Sharon Kayne represent the genre-diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW). Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for most of these authors.

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

The Music of Creation (Artemesia Publishing, November 2025) by Paul J. Knight and SWW member Chris Allen.

In a universe where music is a narcotic, an alien must protect a brilliant Irish composer from abduction. Music from Earth has a profound impact on alien species who use it as a mind-altering drug. A ruthless off-world cartel called the Abductors hunt musicians to sell as commodities. But the Protectors are dedicated to guarding musicians from these ruthless traffickers. When brilliant teenage composer Ryan (a boy whose music can alter space) is discovered in Ireland, the Abductors plot to capture him, and novice Protector Lindsey is sent to protect the boy and his family. Against the turmoil of an intergalactic war, Lindsey must succeed before Ryan’s ability destroys the universe.

You’ll find The Music of Creation at Artemesia Publishing, Bookshop, and Amazon.

Light in the Dark Forest (November 2025) by Gency Brown.

Ava Hardy yearns for more than her job as a Tulsa Herald reporter. Her life, though comfortable, leaves questions about her future. Seeking clarity, she embarks on a sabbatical to a remote cabin in the mountains of Eastern Oklahoma. Surrounded by the breathtaking landscape, Ava finds new friendships, a budding romance, and solitude, which all inspire her creative spirit for writing her second novel. But her peace is shattered by a murder that unearths hidden truths from her past. Will it all lead to a greater understanding of her father and her destiny?

Look for Gency on her website at GencyBrown.com and on Facebook and Instagram. Light in the Dark Forest is available at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and her Amazon book store.

Women Warriors of WWII: Nancy Wake, The White Mouse (RMK Publications LLC, November 2025) by Donna Pedace.

Nancy Wake was one of the most decorated women of World War II and a symbol of courage and defiance against the Nazi occupation of France. As a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent working with the French Resistance, she organized sabotage missions and worked with thousands of Maquis fighters in guerrilla warfare ahead of the Allied invasion. Known to the Gestapo as “The White Mouse” for her uncanny ability to elude capture, she became a legend during her own lifetime. Wake’s fearless leadership and unwavering determination shattered the gender expectations of her era, making her an enduring icon of bravery and resilience. Her remarkable life — before, during, and after the war — is an inspiration to all who cherish freedom and justice.

You’ll find Donna on Facebook and her Amazon book store.

The Sirens of Sayhurn (December 2025) by Keith Pyeatt.

Passion can save a world… or destroy it.

In Sayhurn, sirens summon men not to doom them but to sire children and keep their fragile world alive. When one siren succumbs to forbidden desire, she inadvertently exposes her world to a charismatic opportunist who introduces drugs, addiction, and devastation to Sayhurn, threatening all they hold sacred. Erin, a woman scarred by betrayal, and Clayton, an unassuming handyman, are drawn into a battle for Sayhurn’s survival. Ultimately, it falls on Erin and Clayton to rescue the world they’ve come to love in this story of passion, addiction, and personal sacrifice.

Visit Keith on KeithPyeatt.com, Bluesky, Facebook, and Goodreads, as well as his Amazon book store.

Variations on a Romance (December 2025) by Sharon Kayne.

This spicy, slow-burn, second-chance historical romance is set in 1898 Colorado against the backdrop of the rugged West. Lily doesn’t know her husband Peter at all anymore. Eight months into her marriage, a horse-riding accident has left her with partial amnesia—she has no recollection of the past two years, which includes all of the time she’d known Peter. Lily wants desperately to fall in love with him again, and that need becomes even more crucial when she discovers she’s carrying his child. Peter is a quiet man. Courting Lily was difficult enough the first time. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her heart again, but running his ranch can’t just stop for a second courtship. After he loses one of his cattle to a wolf attack, Peter finds he has other matters—and dangers—to face. The book explores themes such as grief, need, and responsibility. Inspired by a true story.

Look for Sharon on her website SharonKayne.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her Amazon book store.

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

2025 New Releases for SWW Authors #5

Posted on December 9, 2025 by

Kathleen A. Hessler, Diana Lee, Brian Montross, Rose Marie Kern, and Joseph Badal represent the genre-diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW). Their new releases couldn’t fit in this year’s interview schedule, but look for 2026 interviews or updates for most of these authors.

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

Promise Me, Daughter: A Nurse Attorney Navigates Her Mother’s Early-Onset Alzheimer’s (October 2025) by Kathleen A. Hessler, JD, RN. Promise Me, Daughter highlights the heartbreaking dilemma that adult children often face when their parent is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease or other debilitating conditions—along with a loved one’s cry of “Promise me, promise me, that you will never, ever, put me in a nursing home!” A blend of a daughter’s journey, her mother’s story, and enlightening anecdotes, this memoir offers invaluable insights into many of the medical, healthcare, and legal issues that families may encounter during the course of a devastating disease. While not a self-help book, the author hopes the reader will gain practical insights and nuggets of comfort, courage, and confidence.

Look for Kathleen on LinkedIn. Promise Me, Daughter is available on Amazon.

Blood on the Ball (October 2025) by Diana Lee.

Blood on the Ball is a cozy (ish) flyball murder mystery. Sylvia is launched into the world of dog sports when she tries to find a way to occupy her cattle dog puppy, Cyrus. Flyball is a uniquely collaborative team sport. The experience starts off promising, and she begins making friends and learning the sport, but then Cyrus finds a human foot at practice and this launches an investigation into who the foot belonged to and what happened to the person. Finding those answers leads to uncovering secrets no one wants to know and coming to terms with the consequences.

You’ll find Diana on Facebook and her Amazon author page.

The Forbidden Strain (October 2025) by Brian Montross. Someone is rewriting the human genome—and the future of humanity. When a high-ranking government official is found murdered in a Santa Fe hotel, FBI Agent Liz Shaw and Detective Alejandro Hernandez are pulled into a case no one wants solved. Their investigation leads to a remote facility hidden beneath tribal land—Red Mesa Biotechnics—a company that claims to develop sustainable technology but is actually perfecting a serum that could extend human life for a thousand years. Children, missing from the reservation, are used as unwilling test subjects. Over it all, a new kind of intelligence is watching: EVE, a quantum-engineered bio-AI designed to manipulate DNA at the molecular level. Shaw, Hernandez, and their team must unravel a conspiracy older than science itself—one built on stolen gold, buried identities, and the bodies of the innocent.

Look for Brian on ThrillingTalesHub.blog and his Amazon author page.

The Trails and Trials of Father Theodosius Meyer (November 2025) by Fr. Theodosius. Rose Marie Kern, editor. In July 1914, a newly ordained Franciscan priest received orders to travel far from the small town of Oldenburg, Indiana where he’d grown up to the newly minted state of New Mexico. For nearly forty years Fr. Theo, strove to understand a wide diversity of cultures and languages in order to provide spiritual guidance to remote Catholic missions. He also built and renovated churches, schools and bridges throughout northern New Mexico, including the renowned St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe. He became the official chaplain to the New Mexico State Legislature and head of the committee which managed the annual Fiesta de Santa Fe. This memoir contains a first account view of life in a place just beginning to grow. The views and language reflect that of the era. Footnotes have been added by the publisher to enhance perspective.

Visit Rose on her websites at RoseMarieKern.com, SolarRanch.com, and RMKpublications.com. The Trails and Trials of Father Theodosius Meyer is available on Amazon.

SOULLESS: Curtis Chronicles Book #4 of 4 (Black Range Publishing, November 2025) by Joseph Badal. SOULLESS features Eddie Parnall and Tatiana Borodvic who were introduced in Joseph Badal’s novel JUSTICE, the third book in the Curtis Chronicles series. Parnall, a retired CIA agent, and Borodvic, a former Bulgarian Special Operator, join a high-octane cast of characters who starred in previous books in the Curtis Chronicles series. Joseph Badal introduces diabolical villains whom the reader will love to hate, while cheering on the good guys as they work to bring down evildoers. At a time when human trafficking has become a $150 billion-dollar annual business and a global catastrophe, SOULLESS offers a picture of the extent of this crime against humanity and puts the reader on a roller coaster ride of tension and suspense. The story is presented via well-drawn characters and dynamic dialogue that will entertain the most demanding thriller and mystery fans.

You’ll find Joe on JosephBadalBooks.com, on Facebook and Twitter, and on his Amazon author page.

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

2025 New Releases for SWW Authors #4

Posted on December 2, 2025 by

Roger Floyd, Bryan James Beck, Wanda W. Jerome, and Ruth Wilson 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 most of these authors.

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

Traveler: Part II of the Anthanian Imperative Trilogy (September 2025) by Roger Floyd.

In this sequel to Explorer (August 2024), twenty-two years have elapsed since Lilea Kalatarian and Jad Til-Lentos have returned from a disastrous expedition to the Blue Planet. Lilea now lives as a single mother in the city of Kalarias on the planet Anthanos with her son Leos, born during the return trip on the immense spaceship Star Voyager. At twenty-two years old, Leos is ready to launch into his own life when he receives an unprecedented invitation. Visitors from another world welcome him to visit the spaceship that carried them to his planet. Intrigued, Leos goes with them. Thus begins a journey of honesty and deceit, friendship and enmity, peace and violence, even love and hatred that carries Leos through three other worlds, each inhabited by friends and foes who will shape Leos’s life for many years to come.

Look for Roger on his website RogerFloyd.com. Traveler is available in most bookstores and from Amazon.

A Debt In Time: Ancestral Debt Anthology: Book One (September 2025) by Bryan James Beck.

What if your family’s debt spanned centuries—and the only way to pay it off was by saving lives in the past? James Manning is stuck in a dead-end job, barely scraping by—until a mysterious chest rips him out of the present and drops him into the heart of history. Thrust into a centuries-old curse, James becomes an unwilling time traveler tasked with saving lives across the ages to repay an ancestral debt. From medieval Scotland to WWII dogfights, from pirate ships to ancient Celtic magic, James must face ruthless enemies, forge unlikely alliances, and uncover the truth behind a forgotten deal between his bloodline and the witches of Ireland. But the hardest part? Believing he’s worthy of the journey fate has chosen for him. A Debt in Time is a fast-paced, emotionally rich adventure about family, legacy, and finding courage when it matters most.

A Debt Remembered: Ancestral Debt Anthology: Book Two (September 2025) by Bryan James Beck.

When James Manning gives his great-granddaughter Ivy a journal from Grampy Robert, the last thing she expects is… a story left untold. Ivy grew up on tales of time travel—of lives saved, battles fought, and the magical chest that carried James through history. She’s waited her whole life for the chest to call her next. But when that moment finally arrives, it isn’t James’s path she’s meant to follow. Hidden in Robert Gagné’s journal are secrets he never shared: a love lost in ancient Éire, a desperate journey through famine-stricken Dublin, and the chilling truth of a second chest—one born from corrupted magic. Sinister forces still hunt it… and Ivy may be the only one who can stop them. What begins as a long-awaited adventure becomes a race to rewrite the past and protect the future. Ivy must finish what Robert started—before time runs out. Legacy, sacrifice, and magic collide in this unforgettable sequel to A Debt in Time.

Blood & Wine (A Michael Flaherty Noir Book 1, September 2025) by Bryan James Beck.

A Purple Heart veteran framed for murder in a town that sees only his scars. Scarred inside and out, Michael Flaherty came to Ruidoso to disappear. The small mountain town felt like the perfect place to bury his past—until a brutal crime drags him back into the spotlight he’s been running from. When the sheriff names Michael a suspect, Officer Gracie Kim isn’t sure what to believe. The man with the ruined face looks dangerous, yet something in his eyes tells a different story. As secrets seep through the town’s polished veneer—affairs, debts, old grudges—Gracie is torn between duty and instinct. In Ruidoso, everyone hides something. And when the truth surfaces, no one walks away clean—not even those chasing redemption. Set against the haunting beauty of New Mexico wine country, Blood & Wine is a gripping noir about how we see others—and how we choose to be seen.

You’ll find Bryan on Facebook and his Amazon author page.

After the Journey: Returning the Heart to Home (Flying Fancy LLC, September 2025) by Wanda W. Jerome.

From the author of Journey Beyond the Veil: Awakening the Heart to Love (July 2024) comes her next memoir in verse — After the Journey: Returning the Heart to Home. Through her poems and prose, experience her heartful transition back from a spiritual journey to her home place — her return to a mundane world of daily human drama and existential crises. Walk with her as she finds strength to commune with her Soul Self after an intense heart-journey beyond the veil of transmutation. Does she live a mystic’s life in the skin of a human being who remains above the social fray? How does she sustain compassionate forgiveness? How does she serve a world needing more than she can ever give when her heart lives a sporadic loneliness? Come home along with her and see for yourself. Live the challenge of finding your own Heaven here on Earth. She says, Together, we can both find and keep it.

Visit Wanda on her website Awakeful.life and on Youtube at @MagicalMorningMoments and @Awakeful. Her books are available on her Amazon author page.

Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years (Routledge, October 2025) by Ruth Wilson.

This practical and easy-to-read guide shows you how to integrate nature connectedness and spiritual development into your early childhood teaching, whether in a nature-based forest program or a more traditional one. It uses a research-based framework to illustrate ways nature and spirituality can contribute to quality of life during the early childhood years and beyond. Detailing favorable conditions for supporting children’s connectedness to nature and spiritual development—including positive relationships with adults and peers, violence-free environments, and respect for other living things—the book emphasizes the idea of children’s whole-body engagement, challenging the idea that spirituality is relevant to the mind and spirit only. This guidebook is essential reading for all early childhood educators, program directors, families, and anyone working with children and young people.

You’ll find Ruth on her website ChildrenAndNature.org and her Amazon author page.

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

2025 New Releases for SWW Authors #2

Posted on November 18, 2025 by

Vicki Turpen, Kris Bock (aka Chris Eboch), Léonie Rosenstiel, and Lynne Sturtevant are a few examples of the genre-diverse membership of SouthWest Writers (SWW) who had 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 many of these authors.

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

Kat’s Dilemma: An Historic Tale of Principle and Prejudice (Austin Macauley Publishers, March 2025) by Vicki Turpen. Kat’s Dilemma is a work of fiction created out of bits and pieces of research into the social and cultural challenges encountered by women and men in America at the turn of the last century. The people of that era (and ours), influenced by societal norms or religious dictates, never fully understood the real meaning of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Therein lies the promise and the struggle between principle and prejudice in Kat’s Dilemma. Katherine Gehm was the author’s great grandmother. Some of the known family incidents and resulting emotions are reflected in the character Kat.

You’ll find Vicki on her SWW author page. Look for Kat’s Dilemma on Amazon.

A Stone Cold Murder: A Paranormal Murder Mystery with Psychic Sleuth (Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery Book 1, Tule Publishing, April 2025) by Kris Bock (aka Chris Eboch). She hates her gift—but it just might save her. Geologist Petra Cloch can touch an object and sense the emotions of the people who’ve held it. It’s a miserable way to live. She studied rocks because they rarely ‘talk’ to her and she’s dodged friendships so she won’t need to explain her gift or feel like a voyeur. But when she takes a job as the rock and mineral curator at an unusual western history museum and picks up a jagged crystal in her new office, flashes of rage, fear and death hit hard. Everyone says her predecessor died in a car crash, but what if he was murdered…what if he died because of something he did on the job? She could be next. Petra knows she’ll need evidence, not her psychic sense she hides. If you love mysteries with a paranormal twist, smart heroines, and small-town intrigue, this book will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Death at Rock Bottom: A Paranormal Mystery (Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery Book 2, Tule Publishing, July 2025) by Kris Bock (aka Chris Eboch). After solving the mystery of her predecessor’s death, geologist Petra Cloch wants to focus on her new job as the rocks and minerals curator at a quirky, small-town New Mexico museum. But her friend and colleague Liberty is suspicious of the “accidental” death of Frank Underwood, a retired petroleum engineer and rockhound who unexpectedly died while hiking. Frank acted odd and secretive in his last weeks—mumbling about an incredible find in the desert and aliens. Was he showing the first signs of dementia, or were more sinister forces at work? Petra agrees to help excavate the truth, and soon, instead of meeting for book club, she and her friends become amateur investigators. Petra uses her psychic gift and her brains to sort through the contradictory stories and confusing clues as she and her friends dig for answers.

Visit Kris Bock on KrisBock.com (and Chris Eboch on ChrisEboch.com), Instagram, and Goodreads. You’ll find her books on her Amazon author page.

They’re Coming for Your Elders and Your Inheritance: Ways to Protect Your Family, Mitigate the Damage, and Change the System (Dayspring Resources, April 2025) by Léonie Rosenstiel. Legal guardianship often feels like a swamp (and that’s how guardianship is described in the author’s award-winning book Protecting Mama: Surviving the Legal Guardianship Swamp). If guardianship is a swamp, then elder care is a jungle. Is your bank account prepared for the trek? Even wealthy elders see their nest eggs dwindle, sometimes to zero, as they battle chronic diseases or catastrophic accidents. Do you worry about what might happen to one of your older loved ones, should that person no longer be safe living independently? You should also take precautions to protect yourself. Particularly if you still have children to consider, you are financially and emotionally vulnerable from both ends of the age spectrum. Do you think you don’t need protection too? Some family members are hauled into court by the institutions that cared for Mom and Dad. Many states allow them to sue for payment from next of kin (and judges will enforce this). See the take-aways inside this book for more information.

Look for Léonie’s books on Amazon here and here, as well as on Barnes & Noble.

The Witch Jar (The Off-Kilter Chronicles Book 3, April 2025) by Lynne Sturtevant. Strange things are happening in Black Hand Holler, West Virginia. Mysterious lights flicker deep in the forest. Knocks echo from long-sealed coal mines. Even the bees in the abandoned orchards and the crows on the ridge tops are agitated. When a wealthy woman swoops in with plans to evict the elderly residents and transform the holler into an upscale resort, the supernatural disruptions intensify. Is the backwoods witch who hexed the holler a century ago to blame, or is something much older and deeper at play? Home health aide Ginger Stewart turns to Birdy, a granny woman with Appalachian folk magic coursing through her veins. Does the key to the holler’s survival lie in the secret ways of the mountains? Can they find it in time?