From These Roots

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This is the story of my own grandmother and great-grandmother as written by my mother, so, naturally, it means a great deal to me. During the final stages of it’s production, my cousins met for lunch to discuss the book. Depending on who their mother was, they had different understandings of the events. Some were incensed by the slant of the story and others had no idea that any of this happened. The more worldly ones knew even more of the details. For me, it was pieces of the puzzle being put into place to solve some niggling little mysteries. What I came away with from that lunch, was a clear understanding that it does no one a favor to paint their kin as saintly and untainted souls. The ancestors have earned the right to their true virtues and we have an obligation to take heed and learn from the lessons these stories can provide.

Beyond the Roadhouse: Murder in the Wild Horse Territory

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This was my first novel and it chronicles the adventure that launched my career as a psychologist and an author. Yes, I wrote it on a long series of yellow legal pads while I was sitting in the Rio Arriba County jail. Jail is actually one of the best places in the world to write (as long as you don’t have bad roommates). I hope you have read it.

Another Damn Newcomer

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When Audrie wrote this book, she focused on all the nice things and the nice people. She had a pro-social attitude, but when I, as her editor and daughter, read it, I reminded her that Reserve, New Mexico, wasn’t anything like that. It was a small-minded and mean place. So she added some of the real story, which diminished the charm of the town and her book about it. It’s a real story of the way things really were. Can’t say that I miss the place.