Who is HeShe Sweet?  Or should we ask, Who ARE they?

The Money Garden, written by HeShe Sweet,  is set in the deep canyons and red mesas of Jemez Springs, New Mexico. One day librarian Jonathan Brooks happens upon almost a million dollars flowing into his garden from the irrigation ditch. Should he keep the money a secret and indulge himself on a giddy spending spree? Or turn it over to the town cop? Lucid dreams, a blossoming love interest, and DIY spirituality attempt to keep Jonathan grounded while the complicated money dilemma entangles his life and everyone in it.

Click here for more information.

A Sniper’s Odyssey

     Saga of Remorse, Romance, and Redemption

He kills a Japanese officer during the desperate battle for Iwo Jima. Already wounded and suffering from combat fatigue, the teenager succumbs to PTSD after discovering a poignant letter from the man’s widow.

Haunted by guilt and plagued by flashbacks, Jimmy Baker returns home deeply depressed. Searching for salvation, he enters the priesthood and soon finds fame as a charismatic cleric. But alcoholism and romantic temptations lead to a scandal that threatens to destroy him.

This novel explores the lasting impact of the war, the profound friendships it forges, and the consequences of spiritual hypocrisy in one man’s agonizing quest for forgiveness

For more information on books by Al Diehl Click Here

Kathleen Hessler’s book  “Promise Me, Daughter” was named a Finalist in the international  2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. 

Click Here for more information about the book!

Click here to view the 2026 winners – check out the Memoir (Other) division

Promise Me, Daughter

Book Reviews

“With kindness and compassion, Kathleen Hessler guides her readers through the complex maze of options that must be considered when caring for a loved one suffering from dementia. Both  lawyer and  nurse, Kathleen is uniquely qualified to explain the legal and health challenges involved in this daunting process. Her book brought tears to my eyes, but also warmed my heart and made me laugh out loud. Read it. You won’t be sorry.”

Judith Schiess Avila, co-author of the NYT bestseller: Code Talker: The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers of WWII

*****

Kathleen Hessler takes her readers on the bumpy ride of caring for her mother. Many of her stories are humorous and others are poignant. I am glad I read Hessler’s memoir before I became tasked with caring for a relative with dementia.

Sherri Burr, author of over 30 books including Complicated Lives: Free Blacks in Virginia, 1619-1865

Click Here for more information about the book!

Click Here for more information about the  Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

In 1915 a young Franciscan Missionary was sent from the Midwest to serve in the newly formed state of New Mexico.  He fell in love with the beautiful land and its people,  and chose to spend the rest of his career serving here.   Father Theodosius Meyer, (Fr. Theo) kept track of all the missions, churches and communities he served and upon his retirement in 1953 he wrote a memoir about what it was like to live in a state where roads were few and travel was often by short rail, in the back of a farmer’s wagon or on foot.

He fell in love with the varied peoples and the history of the state.  Because of his family training as a carpenter he was frequently called upon to build or restore the churches he served and was the driving force for road building in some areas. This included the restoration of St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe. He also chaired the Fiestas de Santa Fe committee. During his career he wrote a number of articles for newspapers around the state, frequently on controversial subjects, earning him the unofficial title of “Voice in the Wilderness”.

Fr. Theo brings rich personal insights into everything from what kinds of crazy bugs he encountered while hiking to what it was like to be doing repairs on a cathedral in Santa Fe, just to discover 30 graves beneath the floor! Wearing the brown robes made him easily identifiable to friends…and to enemies who did not like what he had to say.  He was threatened on more than one occasion and a was shot while fishing in a local stream.

After his death his effects were claimed by family in Indiana.  A young nephew whom Theo had never met, found the memoir being stored in a family member’s home and felt the stories and history compelling.  Leo Meyer asked me to look into the possibility of  publishing it.. and now, after two years of research to verify the information in Fr. Theo’s typewritten notes, his story can be added to the rich history of New Mexico.

The Trails and Trials of Father Theodosius Meyer is available on Amazon in book and ebook formats.

Fr. Theo’s Timeline

November 24, 1882 – Born Frank Joseph Meyer at home in Batesville, Indiana

September, 1903 – Enrolled in St. Francis College.

August. 15, 1906 – Entered the Novitiate at Mt. Airy Seminary, Cincinnati, OH.

June 17, 1914 – Ordained a priest at Holy Family Seminary in Oldenburg, Indiana by Bishop Chartrand.

July, 1914 – Sent to the Franciscan Chapter House in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a few months.  Then given his first parish assignment.

1916- St. Peter’s church, Roswell, New Mexico.  He also performed Mass and visited the sick at St. Mary’s Hospital (open 1912-1916) in Roswell.   He made regular trips to surrounding parishes:

• Our Lady of Guadalupe Church – Clovis, NM
• Hagerman, (Pecos Valley south of Roswell)
• Carlsbad: St. Edward Parish.
• Portales, NM. St. Helen Catholic Church, and missions surrounding at Melrose, Portales, Elida and No Man’s Land

July, 1917 –1920 Sent to Minonk, Illinois (Benson, Roanoke?)

Summer of 1920 – Assigned to the Santa Fe Archdiocese in New Mexico, said Mass and gave instruction in the following towns and missions:

• St. Catherines – Santa Fe.
• Anthony Parish – Albuquerque
• Cienega
• Pena Blanca
• Bajada
• Lamy
• Rio Tesuque
• Tesuque Pueblo
• Rio in Medio
• Embudo, (West of Cienega)
• El Vado
• Park View

1921 – The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe – headed renovation of the cathedral.

1921-1926 – Santa Fe:   served as head of the Red Cross, took part in the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce activities and served several terms as Chaplain of the New Mexico State Legislature.

July 1926 – Assigned to St. Francis of Assisi church in Lumberton, NM (Rio Arriba County), with weekly trips to Tapiecitos.   1930 – Renovated St. Francis Church in Lumberton with stained glass windows from the Franz Meyer Company.

1934-1939 – Renovated St. Joseph church, Park View, NM

1945-1947 – Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, Pena Blanca, NM

1947 –1950   Farmington, NM and Cuba, NM (Diocese of Gallup)

July 1950 – Moved over to St. John’s Parish in Roswell, NM

July 1951 – moved to St. Peter Parish in Roswell, NM

January, 1953 – Assigned to St. Francis Parish in Gallup, NM

July, 1955 – Assigned as Superior of the Franciscans in Emporia, KS

Died 1958- Funeral services held in Sacred Heart church. Buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Emporia, KS.:  Section 0, plot 1, space 2.

Southwest Contemporary online magazine did a feature on the growing landscape of Indie Book Publishing in New Mexico.  The article gives an overview of the growth then mentions some of the leaders, including RMK Publications!

Released December 2024 – author Monika Dziamka gives a comprehensive view of the subject.  She also contacted Rose Marie Kern directly to include her views both as an Indie Publisher and as the former President of SouthWest Writers.

Click on the title below to enjoy reading this delightful piece.

New Mexico is in the Midst of an Under-the-Radar Indie Book Publishing Renaissance

Mary Lou Dobbs

For all of you who engage in self-publishing, the toughest part is marketing and figuring out printer timing.  Whether you already have books out there, or you are thinking you want to have your book done in time for that whirlwind gift-giving season coming up in December….NOW is the time to ensure the product will be complete and available to the public.

eBooks can be purchased and immediately downloaded to a phone or computer.  It is the print versions that are tricky.  Whether you use Amazon, Ingram, Bookbaby or any other printer/marketer, they will get loaded down with the sheer amount of orders that come during that time.  So what should you do?

If you already have published a book but want to order author copies at the lower prices – do so before October 30^th, especially if you plan to get 30 copies or more. You may even want to order them in batches of 20.  Why?  Because these self-publishing houses print in order of importance – so the first ones printed every day are the ones ordered by customers at full price – those are the ones they will make money off of.

Author copies are printed at cost – which means the printer/marketer won’t make any money from them.  Those are the last priority. I had a client who ordered 50 author copies of his book on Dec 1.  It was not shipped to him until January 12^th of the next year.

If you are still in the process of writing a book you want out in time – have it done and formatted by Oct 15.  Get it on the shelves by October 30^th and start up with the marketing immediately.

Something you may not realize is that November is NaNoWriMo – Novel Writing Month around the world.  Those thousands of authors finish their books by November 30^th, and the next day they begin the self-publishing process.  This slows the whole system down until late January – world wide!

I’d like to recommend that you look at this online article about Holiday Marketing from Bowker. It may be just the first of September, but don’t be surprised at how fast the next few months will fly!

Rose Marie Kern

The first in a trilogy of books chronicling life as a bush pilot in Alaska, Fatal Skies follows Mick Batt’s adventures in and around the town of Dillingham.  Located on the southwestern part of Alaska, Mick began his life there working for the Federal Aviation Administration as a Flight Service Specialist.   His personal piloting experiences combined with stories from others who braved the regions terrain, weather, and wildlife create an exciting and sometimes terrifying look into one of America’s last frontiers.

Click here for more information.

Dodici Azpadu, a gender queer American born of Sicilian-Arab ancestry, has released a new novel dealing with issues related to gender/sexism and class consciousness.  Dead of Winter follows Sandréa Sorano, who moves to the small town of Heartland, Mississippi in the late 1960’s.    (1st Chapter below)  Accustomed to an East Coast multi-racial and multi-lingual environment,  Soriano arrives in the predominately white Heartland hoping to rebuild her life in a women centered community. With each episode and relationship, Santa struggles with ethics and politics. She encounters criticism for acting alone to redress a racist incident. At her dismal factory job, she makes a friend who becomes the victim of a murder-suicide. She helps care for a neglected child; resists the opening of a porn shop; buys guns; and deals with a restaurant owner who rapes the waitresses who work for him. Dealing with the cold, damp of a southern winter perfectly frames the issues Sorano will encounter and must deal with in this southern community.

Dead of Winter is now available in Paperback and eBook formats through Amazon.   

Dead of Winter – Opening Chapter

I hugged a duffel bag filled with all I owned against my chest to keep warm and took cautious steps on the salted icy pavement. Heartland had gained new storefronts since my visit ten years before. I, on the other hand, had lost ground—a partner, a good job, a home, and a city of familiar faces and streets. Now that there was no turning back, I had no idea why I was freezing in Heartland.

In the overcast afternoon, fluid in my nostrils was nearly solid. Puffing along several streets lined with leafless trees, I recognized the two-story clapboard house that was my destination. To the alley side of the front porch where no one had shoveled, my ankle-high desert boots sank into crusty snow that seeped over their tops. Five more brutal steps led to a door that opened with a turn of the knob.

Squishing in the boots, I fought my possessions down nine steps but tumbled on the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth steps—the canvas bag cushioning my landing on the cement basement floor. “I could have stayed in New York for this.” Shouting helped. Not fifteen minutes prior, stepping off a cross-country bus, I’d slipped on a money clip and landed on my butt. “Are you alright, sir?” added to my irritation. I am not a sir. At least at the bus depot, I had the wit to palm the find and pocket it as I got up. I had nothing to show for this fall.

I shifted to the bottom step, took off the wet boots and tossed one after the other against the cement wall. Rummaging in the duffel, I found dry socks and replaced my wet ones. Icy toes made it too risky to kick the bag. Up gingerly. A wall switch controlled a light bulb in yellow metal housing. It hung from an extension cord over a series of J-hooks screwed into beams; obviously designed to be moved and shed light where needed.

“You and me, baby,” I said to the caged bulb.

Everything in the basement was unpainted wood: benches, shelves, stools, and a pallet bed. A canvas curtain hid a utility sink, a toilet, and a rudimentary shower graded to a floor drain. A key on one of the workbenches anchored a note. I carried both to a stuffed chair that sank almost to the floor when I sat.

January 4, 1972

Happy New Year Sandréa. Welcome to the dead of winter. Daniel and I have no idea if the key opens or closes anything. We’ve never used it. The place is yours for as long as you can stand it. The renters upstairs know you’ll be around. They access the other side of the basement as a tornado shelter. Your area is private.

Wear anything of Daniel’s that fits (in the shelves over the “dining room” stools.) We stored some winter things there for you. Once you’re settled, check out a place called the Kitchen. Women there will point you to likely employment and action (such as it is in Heartland.) I’ll write if I can. It’s doubtful. We’re liable to be overwhelmed with doctoring duties once we move from the lovely beaches of San Juan. Don’t expect to see many black or brown people in Heartland; you’ll be alone for the most part.

Hugs and kisses,

Lisa

I’d counted on Lisa to be in Heartland to grease my path, but her last phone call explained cryptically that the opportunity to get into Cuba by way of Puerto Rico happened more quickly than expected. Their plans were made. My plans were made.

Sorry. Sorry. So, they were warm and I was cold.

My arms hugged the humming furnace under the stairwell. A bicycle wedged behind it caught my eye. If I survived until spring, it’d be my ride. Heat from the furnace did not penetrate my parka. Using as little shelf space as possible—a trick learned as a foster kid—I unpacked.

I moved the light cage easily from its center hook to a hook over the bench Lisa had called the dining area. My sketch pads and graphite pencils and a Big Ben clock went there. The empty duffle fit on a shelf along with the money clip stuffed with tens that had embarrassed me in public. Ignoring the folded sheets on the single bed, I pulled the parka hood over my head, flared two army blankets over me, and lay down.

The thumping in my chest would pass. I’d found my prison; now I needed to find my crime.

For more information go to Dodici Azpadu’s author page. 

Results from the 2025 New Mexico Press Women Communication Contest have been announced.  Winning First Place in the category of  Non-Fiction Book for Adult Readers – Humor division, is Rose’s recently released book The Competently Quirky Parables of an Eccentric Master Gardener.   

Comments from the Judges who awarded a 1st place certificate read:  This book is both practical and charming.  I enjoyed the warm tone and your passion for the subject matter.  Clearly there is a great deal of expertise behind the gardening advice, which any serious gardener will treasure…   Overall, this would be a delightful addition to any home gardener’s library.

The New Mexico Contest is judged at the state level. First place winners in the state level contest are eligible to move to the national level of judging. This competition includes categories covering writing, editing, photography, graphic design, radio and television, web and social media, advertising, communication programs and campaigns, public relations materials, information for the media, speeches and collegiate/education.

I’ve been told my unusual methods of approaching the challenges of the garden are effective, and I’ve given lectures for gardening clubs on various aspects of gardening from creating microclimates in high desert areas to vacuuming squash bugs. My friends smile and call me eccentric, fellow gardeners acknowledge me as competent and my kids just think I’m kinda quirky.

Click here to read the first chapter. 

Available on Amazon.