Pearl Burk's new historical novel, Crossing
Sand Creek (Publish America), takes place in
1877 in Newton, Kansas and tells of a family
forced by circumstance to abandon a life of
security and plenty in South Russia. As
immigrants in Kansas, they encounter
rejection, estrangement, jealousy, hatred and
murder. Crossing Sand Creek is available
through www.publishamerica.com, local
and online bookstores.
Jane Candia Coleman's latest novel, Lost
River, is out from Five-Star. In it, Sidra Givens,
a woman photographer hired to document an
archeological "dig," finds herself in the middle
of a range war and in love with a photographer
priest. (There really was a priest like this one
in the early 1900's.)
L.D. Clark's twelfth book is now available.
Bittersweet Christmas (Plain View Press), in
which a joyful Yuletide celebration is darkened
by the reawakening of an ancient family
tragedy, is a novella set in his native North
Texas. L. D. also presented a number of
readings from his collection of short stories,
which explores extraordinary states of mind,
Lone Journey & Other Questing Stories
(Panther Creek Press, 2003). Since last June,
L. D.'s Moransaga has been serialized on
www.readwest.com. L.D. received the 2003
Distinguished Alumnus Award from North
Central Texas College in Gainesville and has
returned from a tour of readings and signings
which included: the University of Mary Hardin
Baylor, the Convention of Texas Teachers of
Creative Writings, the Texas Book Festival in
Austin and other book festivals in Salado,
Manchaca, Brenham and Fayetteville, Texas.
Check out these and L. D.'s many other titles
on his wonderful website:
www.ldclark.net
LaVerne Harrell Clark's informal portraits
of twenty-five of more than five hundred
writers she has photographed, remained on
display from Sept to Nov at the TWU Library,
Denton, Texas. The show opened with a
formal presentation to the audience by
LaVerne. In addition, one of LaVerne's short
stories has been published in an anthology,
Listen To This, edited by Lou Rodenberger and
Sylvia Grider (Texas A&M University Press).
The anthology features twenty-one Texas
women. Recent articles and photographs by
LaVerne about Mari Sandoz appeared in the
Journal of The West, the quarterly of Kansas
State University, Manhattan, and in Western
American Literature, the magazine of the
Western American Literature Association,
published at Utah State University, Logan.
Eric Eaton, returning from a national
convention of entomologists in Cincinnati,
discovered his insect illustrations have been
set free in Daniel Mathews' new book, Rocky
MountainÜNatural History: Grand Teton to
Jasper (Raven Editions, 2003). The unique
field guide is readable and entertaining, says
Eric. Check out Eric's illustrations in the
Rocky MountainÜNatural History field guide,
available on www.mountain-press.com, and
on Eric's own website:
http://community.webtv.net/bugeric/BugEric
Marjorie Ford's story, "Perhaps Like This
Again," appears in the newly released
anthology Making Connections: Mother-
Daughter Travel Adventures, edited by Wendy
Knight and published by Seal Press, an imprint
of Avalon. The anthology is available at
Readers' Oasis, Tucson and Amazon.com
Randolph (Pat) Jenks published a new book,
Leaving the Golden Age of the 1920s for
Adventures in the West. This unique nonfiction
book was created from original student
diaries about treasure hunting and student life
at the University of Arizona. Pat recounts tales
of the fellowship of students from Sonora and
Tucson and their Hands Across the Border
adventures in the remote mountains of Mexico.
On Sunday, Dec 28th, 3 to 5pm,
Pat, long-time SSA member and
local rancher, invites all SSA
members to join him at his
book launch
at The Old Flying V Ranch, behind
the Lowes Ventana Canyon Resort.
Leaving the Golden Age is available from
Randolph Jenks at 2146 E. 4th Street, Tucson
AZ 85719 or ph: (520) 623-5305.
Ed Kostro has been honored as a Backyard
Hero and awarded a True Grit Certificate by
GRIT Magazine for his 30-year government
career assisting veterans and for his animal
rescue work. The article can be found in the
November 2003 issue of GRIT Magazine,
which features several Backyard Heroes. Ed's
new book, Curious Creatures Ü Wondrous
Waifs: My Life with Animals, has been
professionally reviewed by Steve Dale,
Tribune Media syndicated columnist and host
of Animal Planet Radio. The review is on the
Animal Discovery Website at:
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/radio/
more/fall03books.html
Mabel Leo has been criticized for not
following one of the top rules of writing;
finding your genre and staying in it. She writes
non-fiction, children's fiction, adult romancesuspense
fiction, biographies, whatever comes
when the "muse" strikes. Proof that writers
must follow their instincts is evident in her
speaking engagements. On Monday, Feb 2nd,
2004, Mabel will speak on her first biography,
The Saga of Jack Durant, before the Biltmore
Ladies Luncheon at McCormick & Schmick's
Seafood Restaurant on Camelback, Phoenix.
On Thurs Feb 19th, Mabel Leo will
present her romance-suspense series
of three novels at the Mystery Writers
Book Signing at Barnes & Noble, Shea
& Pima Road in Scottsdale.
Robert Lewis has just published his second
book through Xlibris. The Stalkers is a
suspense novel with a thread of romance and
a strong element of mystery that builds with
each chapter to a shocking conclusion. The
book is available from the publisher, the major
on-line booksellers, or the author.
Kaye Patchett's new book, Eli Whitney, in
the Blackbirch Press "Giants of Science" series
is now available from Amazon.com, or order
it from your local bookstore. Also, check out
the library in any local school ,and if they don't
have it, ask for it! The series consists of
biographies of famous inventors and is for for
middle school readers. Kaye is currently
writing another biography in the same series
and a book for the Blackbirch "Building World
Landmarks" series, about the Akashi-Kaikyo
Bridge, the longest bridge in the world.
Bev Van Horn's new narrative non-fiction,
Best Friends Are Like Suspenders: They Hold
You Up When You Are Falling Down
(Beverly's, Ltd., 2003) shows the importance
of friendship to women's well-being, when
they go through crisis; in this case a woman's
daughter dies of AIDS. The book is available
from Amazon.com and in Tucson from Limited
Additions at St. Philips Plaza.
Successes and more!
Don't believe "downers" when they tell you,
"Books aren't selling!" That's not true.
Another seven SSA authors received rave
reviews in J.C. Martin's column, "Southern
Arizona Authors," in the Sunday Arizona
Daily Star. They include: Jerry Jones, The
Sugarbush (1stBooks); Ed Kostro's animal
memoir, Curious Creatures?Wondrous Waifs
(Publish America); Mabel Leo's mystery, Dark
Secrets; James Sandefer's Rambling Thoughts
(1stBooks); Chiricahua Mountains: Bridging
the Border of Wildness (University of Arizona
Press) text by Ken Lamberton; a new Trade
Ellis by Zeke Browning titled Traggedy Ann
(Dell Paperback); and Mary Anne Butler's The
Good Wife (1stBooks).
Several of us made it to Jane Coleman's book
signing at Green Fire Bookshop, a new store
in Tucson specializing in the Western genre,
Southwest History and Culture, Native
Americana, Nature, Gardening and a full range
of general interest books. Jane's seventh novel
is Lost River (Five Star Press).
The Write Word
published bi-monthly by the Board of Directors
of The Society of Southwestern Authors
P.O. Box 30355, Tucson, AZ 85751
President
Chris Stern: (520) 743-0940
4stern@mindspring.com
Vice-President & Membership Chair
Penny Porter: (520) 296-5299 (FAX: 296-0409)
wporter202@aol.com
Recording Secretary
gael Mustapha
tutugael@cox.net
Treasurer
Jay McCall: (520) 887-7847
jmccall415@msn.com
Luncheon Forum Chair
Connie Kazal: (520) 682-8009
Write Word Editor
Jean Walsh: (520) 744-0552
e-mail: SSAwriteword@aol.com
Associate Editor
Diane Vanover
SSA Home Page:
http://www.azstarnet.com/nonprofit/ssa
Webmaster
Mike Rom: (520) 410-1294 (beep)
mike_rom@hotmail.com
Deadline for next issue is
the 21st day of January
