Celebrate Authors 2016

Synopsis of Author Entries

Shelley Armitage

Walking the Llano:  A Texas Memoir of Place

This memoir “charts a unique rediscovery of the largely unknown land, a journey at once deeply personal and far-reaching in its exploration of the connections between memory, spirit, and place.”  It shows how the landscape can lead us to greater understanding of ourselves and others.

Chris Blazina

When Man Meets Dog

When Man Meets Dog is a memoir with a purpose.  Chris shares his very personal story of how two shelter dogs not only changed the direction of his life, but also how he defines what it means to be a man.”

Winner 2016 – National Indie Excellence Awards – Men’s Health

Carroll De La O

Border Days:  The Adventures of Gus and Woody

Two border collies, Gus and Woody, urge the animals of the peaceful Mesilla Valley to defend it against a rogue coyote who is turning the community into a place of terror.

Paul E. Garcia

SuperZander

“Can SuperZander stop Diesel, the school bully, from eating all of the ice cream cones?  Find out what happens in this action-packed picture book!”

Robert L. Getz

Vatican Wealth and a Pope’s Pipe Dreams

What might happen if the Pope decided to sell all the treasures of the Vatican vault in pursuit of world peace?  This novel is the result of twenty-two years of developing how a believable, workable plan might unfold.  Could world peace be purchased?

George Hackler

The March of the Mormon Battalion through New Mexico

This march took place in 1846, starting in Council Bluff, IA and ending in San Diego, CA. The author, a life-long resident of southern NM, brings alive the harsh and forbidding land that had to be traversed.  Photographs and maps help the reader trace the route.

Ron Hamm

Ross Calvin:  Interpreter of the American Southwest

This biography examines the life and writing career of acclaimed New Mexico Episcopal priest, Ross Calvin, who wrote Sky Determines, in 1934, and River of the Sun, in 1946.                                It celebrates Calvin’s reputation and legacy.

Rosemary M. Leyva and Dawn Moore Santiago

The Heart of Las Cruces, History of St. Genevieve’s Church

This work includes ten essays that tell the story of St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church, both from a geographical and spiritual perspective.  It details the complex and intriguing story of the establishment, growth and expansion of the church from the physical “heart” of Las Cruces to a renewal of faith centering on the new building.

Timothy McKimmie

Farms and Foods:  New Mexico’s Agricultural Legacy

This book is designed to appeal to anyone who cares about local foods, New Mexico’s history, landscape and agricultural heritage.  Chapters include a focus on fruits and vegetables grown locally, water, organic production, livestock and more.

Patricia Mihok      

A Glimpse of the Chihuahuan Desert

The Chihuahuan desert is the third most biodiverse desert in the world.  This book describes the climate, weather, landforms, eight ecosystems, plants and animals found in this desert.  Over 100 color photos as well as maps of other deserts are included.

First Place for Children’s Non-fiction, in the New Mexico Press Women 2015, Communication Contest.

L.A. Miller

Quests of Shadowind  (Series)

In this book, two teenagers wake up one morning in a land where anything can happen!  To survive, they must find their parents and discover their way home.  The quest to freedom is filled with obstacles, heartaches, hardships and betrayal.

Frank C. Newby

A Path to War

In 1918, the Japanese expected to be rewarded for their participation in World War 1, along with the other world powers.  They were stunned when they only got a few islands in the South Pacific and were limited in the number of warships they could build.  Japan was overcrowded and needed natural resources to make their economy flourish.                             Did the Allied leaders build a powder keg?  Read and find out.

Tim Staley

Lost on My Own Street

This 100 page book contains 51 poems with the theme of “waiting.”  The topics range from pregnancy to questions about God, and also include poems about dreams, love, death and sickness.  The poet attempts to deal with these issues with humor and adroitness.

David Lee Summers

The Brazen Shark

This novel is the third of the Clockwork Legion Steampunk series.  It concerns an alien who comes to Earth and interferes with history.  Onofre Cisneros travels to Hawaii and Japan, where he is embroiled in a plot with a samurai to overthrow the Japanese Emperor.  History and fiction mix it up in this explosive story!

Timothy F. Wright and Catherine A. Toft

Parrots of the Wild:  A Natural History of the World’s Most Captivating Birds

Parrots are among the most intelligent and rarest of birds.  This book presents knowledge about parrots from the authors’ own research and other scientific studies.  It includes nearly 90 color photos of wild parrots in their natural habitats.  It hopes to “inform and delight a broad audience.”

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