Mancos Colorado and Surrounding Area

Post (C) Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Image (C) Doris McCraw

This is a repost from earlier.

How many have heard of Mancos? For those of us who live in Colorado, it is the name of the town and river in southwest Colorado.

The name, Rio de Los Mancos, first appears in the records of the 1776 Dominguez-Escalante expedition. The story is that one of the writers fell and hurt his hand; thus the word 'mancos' which means left-handed or one-armed.

The Mancos River, originally called El Rio de San Lazaro,  begins Northeast of the town of Mancos. At that point, the West Mancos and East Mancos rivers join and continue South through that part of Colorado into northern New Mexico, near the Four Corners region.

Mancos and surrounding area
from Wikipedia 

For some of you, this may sound familiar. Why? It is also one of the entrances to Mesa Verde National Park. Along with the Ute Mountain Ute Mancos Canyon Historic District, a private park, it makes up one of the largest archaeological preserves in the United States. This region is important as a window into the culture of the Anasazi present in the area before the influx of the Spanish, English, and others.

The Mancos Valley, where the town of Mancos is situated, was described in an 1897 article as “lying along the eastern border of the county of Montezuma. It is about twelve miles long and two to three miles wide. It is the county's oldest farming section, first settled around 1877. Probably three thousand acres are under cultivation in this valley, which is famous for its immense yields of alfalfa, wheat, and oats.”  The article also says the town of Mancos is incorporated and has all the different branches of business and industry that make up a thriving western town. It is a supply point for the La Plata mines in Montezuma County. Ranching also took place in the general area.

During the recent devastating flooding in Southwestern Colorado, Mancos was less impacted than some other areas.

As I research my next book, I will continue my search in Montezuma County, Mancos, Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park, and the stories this historically rich area has to offer.

Until next time:

Stay safe - Doris

Angela Raines - Amazon

Doris A. McCraw - Amazon

A Look Back - Planning Forward

Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Image (C) Doris McCraw 

2025 is about to be a scene in the rearview mirror. Here is a look back at the year of blog posts:

January - I began the year on a Thank You: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/01/thank-you.html

February - A look at my reading list and the importance of stories: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/02/and-next.html

March - Relevance and a rant of sorts: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/03/relevant-it-depends.html

April - The upcoming A250-C150: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/04/150-250.html

May - A look at AI and its influence? :https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/05/andi-share.html

June - Some of my favorite opening lines: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/06/opening-lines.html

July - A look at some of the painters and photographers of the Old West: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-other-side-of-west.html

August - A deep dive into the people that caught my reading attention: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/08/research-reading-deep-dive.html

September - A bit about the man made 'famous' in Isabella Bird's book  "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains": https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/09/rocky-mountain-jim.html

October - A look at a man who impacted early Colorado: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/10/sir-st-george-gore.html

November - Dr. Dunlop and her connection to the Lake County War: https://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/2025/10/sir-st-george-gore.html

As I plan 2026, my thought is to deep-dive into the people who were involved in the effort to secure Colorado's statehood in 1869, the results, and the process that led to Colorado becoming the Centennial State. For those who have the time to read these blogs, as well as the others who post here, we hope our offerings are of some use and enjoyment.

Until next year, 

Stay Safe, Stay Creative, and Stay Happy,

Until Next Time,

Doris

Angela Raines - Amazon

Doris A. McCraw - Amazon

And Next?

Post (C) Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Image (C) Doris McCraw

As I ponder what I am going to write in this monthly post, my mind runs through all the research and reading I have been doing. I just finished the Patrick K. O'Donnell book: "The Unvanquished" and have Mosby's Rangers and Jessie Scouts' exploits during the Civil War and beyond swirling around in my mind. 

Add that to the research on the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902, an offshoot of the Spanish-American War, for another story I'm working on, and my mind is swirling with reading about the violent history of our country. 

To balance this history, I'm continuing to work on early Women Doctors before 1900 and have added women artists and mountaineers in the West during that same period. It does provide a good balance. I confess that when studying and sharing history, I aim for balance. It is not easy to share history in a way that is engaging while keeping moral and modern sentiment out of the equation. No matter how hard I try, the information is still filtered through my life experiences. 

Photo (C) Doris McCraw

There is also a paper on the statuary, mausoleums, and headstones in Evergreen Cemetery, all of which seem to tie together in my mind.

When we read a book, fiction or non-fiction, we get out of it what we see through our own personal filters. To me, that is why the stories we share as writers are important. We never know when a sentence we've written will make a difference in someone's life. For that reason alone, we need to keep sharing our stories. The reader who needs to read what we've written will find it one way or another. This I do believe, for I've seen it happen, even if the author has passed on.

For those who may wonder, I'm getting ready to read "Man on Fire" about Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a mentor to Helen (Hunt) Jackson, Emily Dickinson, and commander of an all-Black unit in the American Civil War, among other activities. 

Until Next Time - Keep Telling Your Stories

Doris

FINDING STORY INSPIRATION FROM THE NEWS

Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Photo (c) Doris McCraw

Have you ever seen a piece of news that just begged for further research? Sometimes you find enough for a nonfiction piece. Other times it ends up being a nugget for a story.

The below clipping is from San Franciso, CA. newspaper in 1879  that inspired a nonfiction piece on the death of Lafayette Shidleler and his murderer Joe Ward. 

That same Joe Ward was the model for one of my characters in the novel, "The Outlaw's Letter".

There are some other tidbits that may warrant further investigation. We will see. In the meantime, the Smoky Hill River Trail has caught my eye.

How do you find your story inspiration? I'd really like to know.

Until Next Time: Stay safe, Stay happy, and Stay healthy.

Doris

 

Dr. Kate Yont - A Life of Service

Post by Doris McCraw aka Angela Raines

Headframe - Cripple Creek/Victor Mining area
Photo (c) Doris McCrw

In 2014 a friend from the museum in Victor, Colorado, gave me the name Kate Yont. The museum had been given some of her items but they had no record of her in the area.  To me, that was like being given the keys to the kingdom. Off I went on the journey to find this woman and what connection she had to Victor. The following is what I found on the journey of exploration.

In 1873  Katherine Eliza Geiger was born in Jackson, Michigan to John and Mary (Ver Planck) Geiger.  She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and graduated in 1896. She moved to Denver, Colorado in 1897. That same year she received her Colorado license #2514 to practice medicine. She was twenty-five at the time.  1897 also saw her marriage to Jesse Grant Yont, an 1895 graduate of the University of Michigan.

Jesse Yont, according to some records graduated with a law degree, but he also played football while in college and with two ‘professional’ teams in Denver: Bently football 1894

Around 1900 he was living in Victor. His family probably came with him. While there is no record of Kate practicing medicine in the area, there is a high probability she did in some capacity.

Jesse in a football uniform

The next time we hear of Kate is when Jesse fell about 60 feet in the Strong mine in the Cripple Creek/Victor area on June 6, 1903. The newspapers state he was scalped from the fall but did not crack his skull. There was some question about whether he would survive. He did recover but according to family stories, he was not mentally the same after. This was also the first record I found of Kate in the area.

The family returned to Denver and Kate resumed her practice. The couple separated/divorced around 1920. There were two children from the union and they both remained with Kate, however, family stories do say the son would. periodically visit his father.

While in Denver Kate was the assistant gynecologist at St. Anthony’s Hospital. She also was involved with the Flower Mission, a nucleus of the Visiting Nurses Association, worked as the resident physician at the Florence Crittenton Home, and was well-known to the Italian community for helping in their naturalization process.

She died December 7, 1943, in Denver. Colorado.

As I said, an unexpected journey and a story of an almost forgotten woman.

Until Next Time: stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy.

Doris

It all Began with a Headstone: Who was Jane Kirkham?

Post by Doris McCraw aka Angela Raines 

Photo property of the author

Jane Kirkham - It all began with a headstone. 

Image from the Loveland Reporter-Herald

Along Highway 24 near the junction of Highway 82 on the east side of the Arkansas River, you will find a lone headstone. This area is near the old stage road between Buena Vista and Leadville. Should you get out of your car and walk to this small white grave marker you would read the following:

My wife — Jane Kirkham, Died March 7, 1879, Aged 38 years, 3 months, 7 days.

But who was Jane Kirkham? No one seems to know for sure. Therein is where myths, legends, and stories begin. This post hopes to look at some of the more prevalent stories and a couple of possibilities.

Searches so far the exact date the stories began has not been found. What has been found are various stories about who she was and why the headstone is located where it is.

In John Halfor's book "Strange but True, Colorado: Weird Tales of the Wild West" he tells the tales of a gold shipment being held up in a spot where there were other hold-ups. The guards shot the robber and when they pulled the mask off the robber they saw it was a woman. She also was the wife of one of the guards who was so ashamed he buried where she fell. 

Most of the stories follow this story with the 'husband' being the sheriff, or some other authority figure who kills his 'wife'. 

It's the book "Forgotten Tales of Colorado" by Stephanie Waters that has the sheriff pursuing the bandit and bullets ricocheting off rocks like lightning that really makes it 'come alive'. She ends her story with the line, "...but at least he had the decency to erect the lonesome tombstone..."

Lest you think the story ends there, Jane Kirkham's name shows up in a court case in the town of Rosita in Custer County as having property in that town. 

There are also those who have tried to find out more about the person whose name appears on that stone. There are no newspaper reports about the stories mentioned earlier in the post, nor does her name appear in any census records in that area. 

There is also a story that she was a woman who was riding the stage and died in childbirth and they buried her there.

One person suggests, after doing ancestor research, her name was Eliza Jane Harris, born in 1840 in Iowa. Here is the link to that story: https://www.tamatoledonews.com/opinion/editorials/2022/10/21/a-history-mystery/

A YouTube video from 2018: https://youtu.be/FQmzW7E2OnY

and the article the above photo came from: https://www.reporterherald.com/2018/02/16/jane-kirkham-grave-remains-a-mystery/

I leave it to you and your research or imagination to answer the question - Who is Jane Kirkham?

Until next time: stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy.

Doris

Collaboration -Invaluable

 

Post by Doris McCraw aka Angela Raines

McAllister House
Photo Property of the Author

Preservation and presentation of history is a vital foundation for civilization. While we think of history as something solid from the past, it is fluid. Its very fluidity adds to the richness that has come before. Much like the story of the early women doctors in Colorado that I myself have been researching for the past ten-plus years, this additional information, and fluidity if you will create a story that people can connect to. These connections we can find by sharing information will continue to give us a solid foundation upon which to grow our future.

As an example, the common story is that William J. Palmer founded Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is true, to a point. The city was his dream. The truth, he needed help to make that dream a reality. The collaboration he received was invaluable to creating the dream. Originally "The Fountain Colony" was a 'membership organization that one joined to purchase real estate during the city's formative years'.

Some of the people who helped Palmer realize his ambition to create a town at the base of Pike's Peak might have been lost to time had they not left legacies of their own.

Dr. William Bell had been part of the original survey party in which Palmer first saw the region. Dr. Bell was born in Ireland, studied at Cambridge University, and had a practice at St. George's Hospital in London. Dr. Bell was in the United States to continue studying homeopathy when he became part of Palmer's party. He continued with Palmer as the two along with others created the resort town of Colorado Springs and the health mecca Manitou Springs.

Pikes Peak
Photo Property of the Author

Henry McAllister, Also a Quaker who was also from Pennsylvania and a member of General Palmer's 15th Pennsylvania Calvary during the Civil War and rose to the rank of major. McAllister had a job as the secretary of the American iron and steel Association when he accepted Palmer's invitation to be a part of the founding company of Colorado Springs.

William Sharpless Jackson, also a Quaker from Pennsylvania, was part of Palmer's founding organization. He was working for a railroad in the Midwest when tapped by Palmer. It was Jackson who spent years in banking, was a Denver and Rio Grande railroad executive and like McAllister and Bell along with Palmer had a part in the creation of Colorado College.

Both Jackson's and McAllister's sons continued the legacy started by their fathers but their story is for another time.

As you can see, one person can have an idea, but in order to realize that idea it takes collaboration, it takes people willing to become part of something bigger. It is through the work of these men, their families, and researchers/historians that we understand how invaluable collaboration is. The more we know the richer our history becomes.

Perhaps you have a project you're working on, collaboration, asking for help, is invaluable. Growing this organization, and keeping it vital, takes more than just one person. Keep up the good work, we're on our way and with everyone's help will make it to the top.

For those who would like to know more here is a YouTube video from the director of "The McAllister House Museum" on 'The Development of the Fountain Colony...' Fountain Colony

Until next time.

Doris McCraw

A History of "Ghost Riders"

  Post by Doris McCraw aka Angela Raines

Photo (c) and Property of Doris McCraw

Halloween = Ghosts, Goblins, and all things scary. Since I love music, comics, and history who knows where this post will end up.

History: Let's start with the 'Wild Hunt'. Wild Hunt is a folklore tail, popularised by Jacob Grimm, who coined the term 'Wild Hunt', which is a part of many northern European cultures. The story typically involves a chase led by a mythologic,  historic, or biblical figure. This leader is usually followed by a ghost or supernatural band of hunters. The hunters were usually composed of the souls of the dead, possibly ghost dogs, or in some cases depending on the composition of the believers could've been fairies, valkyries, or even elves.

In those cultures seeing the Wild Hunt was usually thought to presage some catastrophic event such as a war, a plague, or possibly the death of the person who witnessed it. For some people there was the belief that if you encountered the hunt you could be abducted and taken to the underworld or a fairy kingdom or your spirit was pulled away while you were sleeping to join the hunters behind the leader.

Comics: 'Ghost Rider'. Anyone who has read comic books has probably heard of Ghost Rider. This comic debuted in 1967 and was put out by the Marvel Comics Group. The original comic was actually a Western with the title character named Carter Slade. This particular series with Slade as the rider only lasted seven issues.

The next time we see Ghost Rider the title character had the name, Johnny Blaze. This character rode a motorcycle. Some of you may remember the movie of the same name that starred Nicholas Cage.

I believe the original seven Ghost Rider comic stories may have been renamed Phantom Rider, but I can't verify that.

And this brings us to the music part of the post.

Music: The song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" was written in 1948 by songwriter and actor Stan Jones. This song has been recorded by numerous singers, including Jones. According to Wikipedia, Jones claims that he was told the story,  at the age of twelve, of ghost riders by a Native American who was living near his hometown of Douglas, Arizona. The story was that when the soul left the physical body it resided in the sky as a spirit. To Jones, the cloudy shapes that he saw when he looked up in the sky resembled the "Ghost Riders".

The song reached number one on Billboard magazine's chart as recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1949. It also made the charts when sung by, The Outlaws, Bing Crosby, Frankie Laine, Peggy Lee, two different versions by Burl Ives, Marty Robbins, The Ramrods, and Johnny Cash. Even Lawrence Welk recorded the song. 

Western Writers of America chose it in 2010 as the Greatest Western Song of all time.

Peggy Lee Version

Stan Jones Version?

Vaughn Monroe

Latest Version

So as the season progresses you can always take a trip down the rabbit hole that is YouTube and listen to all the versions of this song you can find.  Have a wonderful October.

For those who wonder what I've been up to, I've released two non-fiction works under the name Doris McCraw:

"Under the Stone: EarlyWomen Doctors in Evergreen Cemetery" and "52 Haiku: Reflections From Life in Colorado"

Amazon

Amazon

Now, back to the work in progress. Here's to a productive fall and winter for all.

Doris McCraw

Engaging Readers and Our Love of Westerns

Post by Doris McCraw aka Angela Raines

Photo property of the author

The regularly scheduled post has been preempted by this short post. If I've done my job, it should be a 5-7 minute read.

How do we engage people to want to learn history, read history, and the stories we tell about the history of the West?

We have a short window of time to pique interest. We want to share our love, our passions, and our stories. Unless they are already a fan, the information dump is usually a turn-off. Leaving people wanting to know more, well, I think that is more of a win.

I liken this to the 'crisis' class I was semi-required to attend today. In a crisis, you narrow in on the event that is the issue. You tell the authorities what they need to know, leaving out the minute details that are not important at that time. Later, when the crisis is no longer threatening, you will have time to add the other details. If the media is involved, and they try to be first on the scene, you have to ignore their demands and focus on taking care of business. You talk to them later.

It may be better to be brief, leaving people wanting to know more so that they will engage. Once you have engagement, you are far more likely to build a long-term relationship with the reader of your blog, your essay, or your book. 

The other lesson from the class today? Dealing with situations is usually a team effort. As writers, we are used to going it alone. When I decided to pursue this 'next' career, I purposely sought out others who were writing what I was at the time. I connected to a group that was writing a series. By doing so, I was able to not only learn from them but also connected with a wider audience. Never a bad thing as an author.

Those are the thoughts for now. With luck, the regularly scheduled post will show up next month. For now, it back to the book "Under the Stone, Women Doctors in Evergreen Cemetery". It's due soon, so, until next time...

Mock-up of the book cover

Doris McCraw

Rashomon - History and the Stories We Tell

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

Photo property of the author

Have you seen the 1950 Akira Kurosawa movie 'Rashomon' based on the 1922 short story, "In A Grove" by Akutagawa? I can hear the gears in your head going, 'What do a Japanese movie and short story have to do with the West? Let me explain.

Both the story and movie are based on the 'stories' told by those involved in a murder of a samurai. As you can expect, each story is a different retelling of what happened. Whether the people involved are lying is up to the viewer/reader. What is most telling is the idea that the various narrators are telling the story they need to tell.

We as storytellers and historians try to tell the best most authentic story possible. Let's face it, names, dates, etc. can be very boring. However, it's in the telling that we can do more damage than good if we are not careful, and those of us who read those stories do well to remember that.

Japanese poster for Rashomon
from Wikipedia

I give you an example. In college, we had a troupe of convicts on campus who were traveling the country performing a play. I'd seen the play so knew who they were and what they had been incarcerated for. While walking to class I met and spoke with one. Here are the facts:

1. I was on campus

2. The convict was allowed to walk around

3. We spoke

4. The man was a pimp and had been sentenced on that charge.

Anything beyond those facts would be my interpretation of the event. Is that wrong? No. Would someone who's reading my story of that event realize it was one-sided? Maybe, maybe not. 

We tell ourselves what we need to in order to make sense of things. That is normal. When looking at history, keep in mind the storyteller and if you really want to know more, read the stories about the narrator to get a feel for who they were. What in their lives would have them tell the story the way they did?

As for my story, well, here is my interpretation of that event.

Was I scared? No. I found the whole ten minutes fascinating. I was watching his eyes and from my perspective, I could tell he'd probably excelled in his chosen career. I learned he was spending time in prison in Hawaii. My instincts were he'd go right back to pimping when he got out. He struck me as someone who liked the power he could exude over people. Was he really like that? I'll never know but again, the story is from my perspective, his might be completely different.

So, if you watch the movie or read the short story, perhaps you'll look at history, both your own and what you read with a new understanding. It doesn't make the story wrong, just that there is more than one version and it depends on the teller. 

As we tell our stories, the more we tell the truth in our story, the more it resonates with the reader. In the film, you believe those telling their story, even while you wonder who's telling the truth. 

Here's to our stories. 

Doris

 

Wanna' Learn History?

Post by Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines

It's been a busy summer, and I've tried to keep up with my love of history and research. To help I've started making use of online programs and videos. They have become prevalent with the 'stay at home' of the last year. Add the sesquicentennial of Colorado Springs this year and it's been a great time. I've also thought, I shouldn't be selfish. I've shared some links, but with so much happening, I just have to offer the following. All are free and full of information.

Photo property of the author

The History Symposium is all online this year. The first session has aired, and there are three more to come. The main link is Pikes Peak Library District Symposium

Here is a link to Part 1, the topic and speakers: Part 1

Part 2, Saturday, June 26, 2021 will include: 

Susan Fletcher: Glen Eyrie at 150
10:10 – 10:30 a.m.

Tom Noel: The Broadmoor Hotel’s Beginnings: From Count James Pourtales to Spencer Penrose

10:35 – 10:55 a.m.

Eric Swab: Three Trails That Ring Cheyenne Mountain, Three Tales of Infidelity, Bribery, and Provocation

11 – 11:20 a.m.

Part 3: Saturday July 24, 2021

Leah Davis Witherow: A Story That Must be Told: Trailblazing Entrepreneur “Mama” Susie Perkins
10:10 – 10:30 a.m.

Eric Metzger: The McAllister House and its Place in 150 years of Colorado Springs History

10:35 – 10:55 a.m.

Greg Atkins: City Business: Colorado Springs and the Libertarian Party

Part 4: Saturday, August 28, 2021

Rick Sturdevant: Air and Space Forces in Colorado Springs: Their Bases and Memorable Characters
10:10 – 10:30 a.m.

Mark James: Edwin James, Pikes Peak, and the American West

10:35 – 10:55 a.m.

Kathy Sturdevant: The Quaker Trail: Moral Infiltration, Disintegration, and Revival in the Pikes Peak Region

11 – 11:20 a.m.

There are also many Youtube videos from the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, Rocky Mountain PBS-Colorado Experience, and History Colorado.

Photo property of the author

As you can see, I love the history of my state and constantly search for new pieces of history I'd not heard of before. With the option of videos to add to reading the old newspapers and books, I'm in research heaven. I do hope some of you may find something to trigger a new story or piece to add to your current work. 

Link to register: https://ppld.org/history-symposium

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Author of the "Agate Gulch" novellas and 

the "Kiowa Wells" novels.

Angela Raines - author: Telling Stories Where Love & History Meet

Books: Angela Raines Books

(c) Doris McCraw All Rights Reserved

 

Win Blevins - A Career in the World's Oldest Profession.

In this next 'author interview' post, Win Blevins lets us into his life as a writer in " the world's oldest profession - storytelling".  It is hoped you will come away with a feeling of pride, and excitement for not only Win's amazing accomplishments but what is possible for yourselves.

Photo from Amazon author page

What drew you to write westerns? 

The answer to this one surprises even me: I don't think of myself as writing westerns but novels set in the West. My characters are mountain men, Indians (especially them), Mormons, Mexicans, in one case a Buddhist nun kidnapped and brought to the U.S. for prostitution, and others. Some of my books (more than 40 of them) are fantasies: One is about Mark Twain coming back to earth to help out a modern Hannibal writer who's in trouble. There are no cowboys in my books, or not yet. But I love the West. Have lived here since 1966, two decades of that on the edge of the Navajo reservation. Loved climbing mountains, learning to ride, hunting, hiking, exploring ruins, everything. 

Amazon

Who are your favorite writers of the West? 

Some are Norman Maclean (author of the wondrous A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT), Rudolfo Anaya, Tony Hillerman, Edward Abbey, John Nichols, Larry McMurtry, Elmer Kelton... I grew up on the Saturday matinees set in the West and loved them, but those stories don't satisfy the adult me.

Pantser or outliner? 

Pantser all the way. I think outlining would close the doors and windows of my imagination and force me onto a predetermined path. I LOVE the adventure of going on to a new page and a new scene every day. I love to listen to my characters and let them surprise me with what they say. I don't put on shackles by deciding in advance.

What would you say is a short Win Blevins reading list? 

STONE SONG, my novel of the life of Crazy Horse, GIVE YOUR HEART TO THE HAWKS, the DICTIONARY OF THE AMERICAN WEST, and the RENDEZVOUS series, four novels that follow the life of one mountain man from leaving home to settling in California.

Where do you get your ideas? 

I don't get them--they chase me down, tackle me, and don't let go until I write them. One of those, my novel of the life of Crazy Horse, STONE SONG, took seventeen years of labor to produce, rewriting, and rewriting to get it right. It's probably my best-known, most popular book.

Amazon

Are all of your books fiction? 

No, I've written non-fiction books. HAWKS is a history of the Mountain Fur Trade, the DICTIONARY is clearly non-fiction, and there are others.

Do you collaborate?

I love to collaborate with my wife Meredith. Among other things, she gives my dialogue more pizazz. 

Amazon

What drew you to writing as a career?

I loved writing even in childhood. Later, I was following the wrong track, finishing doctoral work in English lit when the Rockefeller Foundation rescued me. They gave me a fellowship to study to be a music critic at the USC Conservatory of Music. That led to writing reviews of music and theater at the two big Los Angeles newspapers, again not the right track. Finally, I wrote GIVE YOUR HEART TO THE HAWKS. Half a century later HAWKS is still in print and bringing good royalties. 

In conclusion?

 I LOVE to write and still write every day. At 82 I recently published another novel, am in the midst of writing the next one, and won’t stop I like the daily process of sculpting yesterday's sentences into something more graceful. Like the surprises that my characters bring—good lines, good episodes, surprises in the direction of the story. I like to start by putting a character in a dilemma and see where he or she goes with it. Also, I like editing. Was an editor at TOR Books for fifteen years.

Thank you for an inspiring, thoughtful, and fun interview, Win. What a legacy.

For more about Win, and to find his books on Amazon: Amazon Author Page