Why write a book about sexual assault and healing? It’s personal

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I was a victim of sexual assault when I was a student in college. According to statistics gathered by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, over 23% of female college students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. All women between the ages of 18 and 24 are the most likely to be targeted by sexual predators. While it’s true that males are also sexual assault victims, the numbers clearly indicate that the vast majority –90% – of adult rape victims are female.

I taught high school journalism for 20 years, so my students and I often examined important and often difficult to discuss issues on a daily basis. Nothing was out-of-bounds. My students were encouraged to ask me anything. My promise was that I would always tell them the truth. Periodically, I was asked whether there was anything in my life I regret. And the answer was always the same.

I look back on that night in 1975 when I went on a dinner date with a sweet-faced farm boy I’d met in the dining hall. He was on crutches, convalescing from a football injury. If memory serves, he was about six-foot-three and probably around 260 pounds, still I never for a moment had a bad feeling, nor the least concern when, after dinner, he invited me up to his dorm room. The stare from his roommate still registers. Another member of the football team who would go on to play in the NFL simply picked up his typewriter, walked out, and closed the door. My date, in what seemed like an instant, stripped the clothes from my body. I fought, which made him smile. “You know I can do anything I want to you,” he said. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

This was the moment in my life I would come to understand that I couldn’t fight my way out of a situation. I’d always considered myself strong and athletic, so I resisted. But as he pinned me to the bed, I realized he enjoyed the battle. The more I struggled the more aroused he became. Strangely, I recalled something my father said before sending me off to college. He’d given me just one piece of advice. He looked me in the eye and said, “Nothing is worth your life.” When I didn’t respond, my dad repeated the message. “Nothing is worth your life.”

I stopped fighting my attacker, believing my father’s words. To my astonishment, the man backed off. “What’s the matter with you!?” he roarded. It was then I understood he wanted me to fight, to scream, to beg. I laid on the bed motionless. Nothing was worth my life. He got off me and threw my clothes on the bed. I dressed and ran, expecting him to reach out and grab me every moment until I reached my own room.

The next morning a small girl approached me in my dorm hallway. “Can I ask you a personal question?” she said. She wanted to know if I’d gone out with the man. I said I had. “Did he strip you?” she asked. I nodded. “He stripped me, too.” Our conversation ended there when she just turned walked away.

Later that day, a dear friend who played on the football team marched angrily toward me at lunch and pulled me aside. “Why did you go out with him?” he asked. “Everyone knows about him!” Clearly, he was wrong. I didn’t know there was a rapist living in the quad. Neither did the girl who approached me. But apparently others were aware. How many of them were victims? And if his behavior was common knowledge, why was he still living on a college campus?

So, what do I regret? According to the National Research Council, 80% of sexual assaults go unreported to law enforcement. Like the vast majority of victims, I said nothing. I locked the event tightly in the back of my mind and chose to forget about it. However, the advent of the Me Too movement brought that memory back, and I wondered if I might have prevented others from being assulated, had I found the courage to speak up. It didn’t take long for me to realized that most likely nothing would have been done. I’d been on a date. I’d had a few drinks. I willingly went to his room, so what did I expect?

Sadly, 50 years later, this attitude still prevails and we now face an epidemic, a plague with life-long effects. The following statistics come directly from RAINN:

• 33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide. 13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.

• People who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to use drugs than the general public.

• Sexual violence also affects victims’ relationships with their family, friends, and co-workers.

• Victims are at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

How can we change this paradigm? We must encourage victims to come forward, so the predators can face justice. The blame-the-victim attitude must stop. And sex education needs to be taught in every school, so that young people can be armed with the facts and fundamental principals of consent.

We need to start now.

THE CASTLE

ANNE MONTGOMERY

Suspense/Thriller

Next Chapter Publishing

Ancient ruins. Haunted memories. A ruthless predator. Can Maggie survive the ghosts of her past – and the monster hiding in plain sight?

When she returns to her job as a National Park Ranger at “The Castle”—a centuried-old Native American pueblo carved into an Arizona cliff—Maggie hopes the comfort of familiar ground will help her heal. Battling trauma and the grief of unimaginable loss, Maggie’s days are carefully measured, her life held together by the thinnest of threads.

But strange things are happening at the park. A mysterious child appears and vanishes without a trace. And a predator watches her every move, planning his attack.

With the help of friends, fellow survivors, and the land itself, Maggie begins to reclaim her strength. But the danger is closer than she knows, and soon Maggie will have to face a deadly threat… and her deepest fears.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK

AMAZON

APPLE BOOKS

BARNES & NOBEL

GOOGLE BOOKS

RAKUTEN KOBO

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Praise for The Castle

“A deftly written and riveting read from cover to cover, “The Castle” effectively showcases author Anne Montgomery’s genuine mastery of the Romantic Suspense genre.” – Midwest Book Review

“A slow burn thriller, mixed in with a touch of mystical realism…A true five-star experience!” – Sara Steven Chick Lit Central

“A beautifully considered, sumptuous novel from a skilled storyteller.” – SaraRose Auburn Writing & Reviews

“This is a novel about good rage, about channeling the injustices of the world around us and fighting to do some good with both words and deeds. Lucky for readers, it was penned by a maestra like Anne Montgomery, so that we got a tense, powerful novel in the bargain too.” – Jennifer deBie-Rosie Amber Book Reviews

“Ms. Montgomery manipulates uncomfortable subjects and dark suspense into a gripping tale with hints of romance and humor carefully guiding readers on an informative journey of survival and self-discovery.“ Tonya Mathenia InD’tale Magazine

“Soul-stirring. A brilliant book…Truly a masterpiece.” – Anu Menon Thought is Free Book Blog

“I was gripped from start to end.” – Katherine Hayward Pérez Just Katherine Blog

“Ms. Montgomery has an almost magical talent to draw the reader into the worlds she creates through her words. Her characters are interesting, vulnerable and strong. While describing the locations in which her books are set, she weaves history with vivid images, immersing the reader in a hard-to-put-down story full of history, beauty and mystery.” – Margaret Millmore Author

The Castle: A thriller based on the most heinous of crimes

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𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤, 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙭 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙒𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙, 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘾𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙, 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙡𝙚. 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝. 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙒𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 18, 2025. 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨.

The Castle, my first attempt at writing a thriller, tells the story of Maggie, a park ranger who suffers from depression and PTSD, the after effects of a rape and other personal tragedies. The reader follows Maggie through her anger, despair, and recovery, a journey she travels while working in the maginificent Montezuma Castle National Park in Arizona’s Verde Valley.

I fashioned Maggie’s character after researching rape survivors, noting the characteristics that bind them together. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, rape victims are overwhelmingly young women, though of course older females, children, and males can be victims of the crime, as well.

Maggie served in the the military where women have a high risk of sexual violence. They are most likely to be sexually harassed—which is defined as an act that does not involve physical contact—by someone in their chain of command. This behavior easily escalates into sexual assault and rape. Sadly, when these acts are reported, it’s the victim who suffers. Peers no longer want to work with them, fearing they too will be accused of sexual violence. Often, after divulging these attacks, victims are discharged from the service under less than honorable circumstances, while their attackers are rarely punished.

The fact that Maggie is also of Native American descent further ups her chances of being raped. Statistics show that 1 in 3 American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped at some point in their lives.

Sarah Deer, a professor at the University of Kansas and author of The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America said, “Native women have told me that what you do when you raise a daughter in this environment is you prepare her for what to do when she’s raped – not if, but when.”

According to RAINN, “Nearly every minute someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that someone is a child.” And yet, these crimes are rarely reported. One reason is the fact that many victims feel shame after their attack, as if they deserved the violence that was perpetrated against them. Perhaps the attack was caused by the clothes they were wearing, something they said, or because they’d been drinking. This, in turn, makes 80% of victims remain silent, so they have no closure, carrying the guilt and shame like a backpack stitched to their skin, which subsequently allows the rapists to go free to attack again.

So, what can we do? First, let’s stop blaming the victims. Let’s encourage them to come forward and report the crimes, then provide them with rape counseling advocates so they can recover from the trauma. Next, let’s do away with demeaning verbiage like slut and whore and bitch, words that firmly identify women as “less than” in regard to men. We must agree that jokes about sexual assault and rape are never funny nor acceptable. And, finally, let’s teach sex education in every school, so we can arm our young people with the facts and the fundamental principals of consent.

Rape is a cruel and messy crime, one with lifelong ramifications. It’s also a massively expensive problem. According to a report by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, the approximately 28 million rape survivors in the country will cost the U.S. more than $4 trillion dollars over their lifetimes, money spent on health care, criminal justice response, lost productivity, and other expenses.

Clearly, rape is crime we can’t afford, both in regard to the financial expense, as well as the horrific personal toll. We need to do a better job.

We need to start now.

THE CASTLE

ANNE MONTGOMERY

Suspense/Thriller

Next Chapter Publishing

Ancient ruins. Haunted memories. A ruthless predator. Can Maggie survive the ghosts of her past – and the monster hiding in plain sight?

When she returns to her job as a National Park Ranger at “The Castle”—a Native American pueblo carved into an Arizona cliff—Maggie hopes the comfort of familiar ground will help her heal. Battling trauma and the grief of unimaginable loss, Maggie’s days are carefully measured, her life held together by the thinnest of threads.

But strange things are happening at the park. A mysterious child appears and vanishes without a trace. And a predator watches her every move, planning his attack.

With the help of friends, fellow survivors, and the land itself, Maggie begins to reclaim her strength. But the danger is closer than she knows, and soon Maggie will have to face a deadly threat… and her deepest fears.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK

AMAZON

APPLE BOOKS

BARNES & NOBEL

GOOGLE BOOKS

RAKUTEN KOBO

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Praise for The Castle

“A deftly written and riveting read from cover to cover, “The Castle” effectively showcases author Anne Montgomery’s genuine mastery of the Romantic Suspense genre.” – Midwest Book Review

“A slow burn thriller, mixed in with a touch of mystical realism…A true five-star experience!” – Sara Steven Chick Lit Central

“A beautifully considered, sumptuous novel from a skilled storyteller.” – SaraRose Auburn Writing & Reviews

“This is a novel about good rage, about channeling the injustices of the world around us and fighting to do some good with both words and deeds. Lucky for readers, it was penned by a maestra like Anne Montgomery, so that we got a tense, powerful novel in the bargain too.” – Jennifer deBie-Rosie Amber Book Reviews

“Ms. Montgomery manipulates uncomfortable subjects and dark suspense into a gripping tale with hints of romance and humor carefully guiding readers on an informative journey of survival and self-discovery.“ Tonya Mathenia InD’tale Magazine

“Soul-stirring. A brilliant book…Truly a masterpiece.” – Anu Menon Thought is Free Book Blog

“I was gripped from start to end.” – Katherine Hayward Pérez Just Katherine Blog

“Ms. Montgomery has an almost magical talent to draw the reader into the worlds she creates through her words. Her characters are interesting, vulnerable and strong. While describing the locations in which her books are set, she weaves history with vivid images, immersing the reader in a hard-to-put-down story full of history, beauty and mystery.” – Margaret Millmore Author

Stress: There’s no avoiding it so young people need to adapt

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Not too long ago, I met a young woman who told me that after four years of working for the same company she’d been offered a managerial position.

“Good for you!” I piped up.

She shook her head. “Oh, no! I didn’t accept the job. There’d be too much stress.”

Then, the other day, the young lady at the checkout counter at the grocery store looked a little down, and since there was no one else in line, I engaged her in conversation. “Are you going to school?” I asked.

“No! School is too stressful.”

Note that both women were in their early twenties, which had me wondering where they might find themselves in a decade or two.

The thing is, we need stress in our lives. Yes, we hear constantly about reducing stress, but in reality some stress is good for us. The thing to remember is that there are different kinds of stress. Chronic stress—long-lasting pressure from family, jobs, relationships, traumatic situations, and ill health—is best to be avoided, when possible. But short-term stress, which is called eustress, is a survival mechanism that provides all kinds of positive effects. This type of stress helps us tackle challenges and boosts our focus and performance. Consider, for example, a pitcher facing a batter with the winning run on third, or an actor waiting off stage for a que, or going on that first date. Short-term stress helps us confront those types of challenges.

According to the article “The Benefits of Good Stress” by Dr. Elizabeth Scott, “When we feel good stress, our heart rate increases, our breathing rate increases…It’s a short-term change in our bodies that helps us to feel prepared, energized, and ready to perform at our best.” 

Short term stress can even boost our immune system and improve our memory. And without it, life can be, well, boring.

“Good stress…is the type of stress we feel when we are excited. Our pulse quickens and our hormones surge…we’d feel rudderless and unhappy if we didn’t have some stress in our lives—the ‘good stress’ variety.”

Studies show that our younger generations are suffering from significantly higher stress levels than previous generations, which had me considering those two young women, both acutely fearful of being placed in tense situations. I couldn’t help but worry about them. There is simply no way to avoid stress. It’s part of our daily lives. And like all other challenges, we need to practice how we respond to it. But how do we get young people to willingly put themselves in stressful situations?

We can praise effort over outcome, especially when they’re children. We can help them build resilience by showing them that stress is simply a manageable challenge not something to be feared. We can share the times we were stressed and how we coped. And we can point out that failure is nothing but a learning opportunity.

The point is, we need to experience stress and learned to tackle it early on, so that when life offers us opportunities we are confident enough to step up and give something new a try.

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Universal Book Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes and Noble

Google Books

Rakuten Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

I never met a microphone I didn’t like, so I love podcasts!

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Over the last two years, I’ve tried something different: Podcasts! I’m a bit too lazy to create my own, so I’ve offered myself to those lovely folks who take the time and effort to put podcasts together and it’s been great fun. I like talking about things: books and sportscasting and officiating, teaching and current events, rocks and cats. (Don’t judge.) And I’ve met so many cool people along the way.

Those who know me understand that I never met a microphone I didn’t like, so I’m ready for more. Now, pull up a seat, click on the link, and have a listen.

Anne Montgomery Podcasts

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Universal Book Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes and Noble

Google Books

Rakuten Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

70: A different type of milestone

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Why the flower? A wilted orchid seemed to have long since given up. Then, one day, rather magically, this flower appeared. I took it as a sign. No matter how old we are, something beautiful can happen.

Milestone birthdays are just that. Moments in our lives that appear to be harbingers of change. Think 18 when we become legal adults, despite how dopey most of us are when we’re still in our teens. Or 21 when we can legally belly up to a bar and say, “Yes, I’d like a sweet, minty, Mojito, please.” Turning 30 has us questioning whether we’re fully engaged in life—on the road to a successful and fulfilling career and considering whether we’re finally ready to start a family. Turning 40 sometimes smacks us in the face with a midlife crisis where we ponder our failures and wonder if we’re accomplished enough to head to that high school reunion. Thankfully, things seem to calm down when 50 rolls around. We know who we are and are less likely to worry about what others may think of us. Sixty skips by on the way to magical 65, when we get to retire from the daily grind. Which brings me to 70.

Seventy, for a reason I can’t quite pinpoint, is different. I mention this because I became a septuagenarian earlier this year, and I’m still trying to figure out what to do with that fact.

Dr. John Messerly in his article How Does Life Feel Different At 70,  was spot on when he wrote, “While I don’t feel old… there is still something about turning 70 that freaks me out. I feel like I’m about 40 on the inside, but that’s not what my birth certificate shows. It is just hard to believe that you were a kid or teenager and then, seemingly in an instant, are a senior citizen.”

Exactly!

“Life just looks different,” Messerly went on to explain. “You become increasingly aware of your mortality…You know that much of your life is not on the horizon but behind you. Much of the journey is over. This thought fills you with pride in what you’ve achieved and sadness for what can never be.”

When I look back at my life, I recall a roller-coaster of ups and downs with heart-stopping turns that required me to pause, consider, and change direction. Despite the failures, I’m rather amazed that I completed all I set out to. And still I sometimes feel there’s more I should be doing.

I recall speaking to a former boss when he sat in his office one day in shock. He’d been fired and was clearly distraught. In an effort to soothe him I said, “Work is what we do. It’s not who we are.” He brightened a bit. So, when that “What do I do now?” question hovers, I remember that sentiment.

When I googled the question about living at 70, I got the usual suggestions: eat well, exercise, maintain a healthy sleep routine, get annual medical checkups, and socialize. So staying upright, strong, and well adjusted appear to be the main goals in my seventh decade.

I’d like to say that at 70 I am content with my life and happy to sit and smell the proverbial roses. But that would be a lie. I always feel there is something more to accomplish. And maybe that is ultimately the point.

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Universal Book Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes and Noble

Google Books

Rakuten Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

Authors! Here are some things you should never do

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Writing can be glorious. However, the business aspect of being an author, not so much. Here are some things to think about.

I’ve been writing books for over 30 years. Today, I have six traditionally published novels, which means a publisher paid the bills for editing, proofreading, internal design, cover art, and, on occasion, advertising

However, authors must participate in marketing and promotional campaigns, including creating websites, attending book signings, eliciting reviews, writing blogs, appearing on podcasts, and coordinating media appearances, on top of having a robust social-media footprint. The manuscript writing required of an author pales in comparison to the public relations aspect of the job.

That said, I’d like to address some traps some of my peers stumble into. First, let’s look at those moments when authors scream “Best Seller!”, in an effort to get their book to pop on posts or when courting reviewers.

It used to be that a best seller was a book that racked up a lot of sales during a specific time frame and appeared on one or more of several well-known lists published by the New York Times, U.S.A. Today, or Publishers Weekly, for example. Of course, today there are many more outlets that issue such lists, like Amazon which defines a best seller as a book that appears in the top 100 in a specific genre category. If one’s book is so honored, the author can certainly lay claim to that accomplishment. However, all too often, the source of the “best seller” accolade remains a mystery. Is it a New York Times best seller? Is it a bestseller in your home town of 600 people? Is it a best seller because it sold more copies than any other book you wrote? Or is it a best seller because the author felt the need to gin up attention?

I mention this because I am a big believer in truth in advertising. If you can’t say exactly where your book was a best seller and why, it’s simply disingenuous to use the phrase in marketing.

Then there are reviews. I’ve seen posts that boast glorious verbiage: “Fantastic!” “I loved it!” 5 Stars! “A real page turner!” Then the source is revealed as “Amazon Reviewer.” I’m not saying the reviews aren’t real, but without a name, website, or media outlet, the reviewer could be the author’s mom or no one at all.

And speaking of reviews, it is never okay to ask friends and family members to review your book. I mean, geez, they love you, yes? Understandably, they would never admit your book is really bad, so any reviews from them would be disingenuous at best. Also, don’t say to a fellow author, “I’ll review your book, if you review mine.” That reeks of quid pro quo and is just plain awkward. And never be tempted to purchase fake reviews. Remember, Amazon and other media outlets have their own fake-review police, and you never want to find yourself squaring off with them. Yes, finding strangers who will take the time to read and review your book is a difficult and sometimes disappointing task, however there is no way around it.

I realize a lot of people have an idealistic and rather romanticized version of what being an author means. I’m just saying writing is like any other business where there are responsibilities and rules that need to be respected.

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

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Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

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What am I thankful for? The gift of curiosity

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As often happens this time of year, we are called upon to consider that for which we are thankful. And while I am of course grateful for family and friends and a roof over my head and food in the fridge, I’ve been leaning toward adding to that list, and it’s something that might come as a surprise.

Curiosity.

When I was a teacher, part of my job was helping teenagers prepare for the future. “What do you like to do?” I’d ask, hoping to steer them toward planning for a profession they might enjoy. But way too frequently, the answer would be, “Nothing.”

“How about sports?” I’d press. “Or hobbies?”

“Sleeping.”

I would try not to roll my eyes.

“Shopping!” many girls would pipe up.

These conversations routinely frustrated me, because I liked to do so many things. In fact, I still do. Which got me wondering why I run out of fingers when counting up subjects I find fascinating and why many of my students did not.

Turns out the answer is curiosity, something all humans are said to have in varying degrees. According to a Columbia University/Zuckerman Institute study, “At its core, curiosity evolved as a survival mechanism. It encourages living things to explore their environment, learn what is safe, and find resources.”

Consider ancient hunter-gatherers who came across an unfamiliar plant. I’m sure the puzzled about whether it was eatable, good for healing, or useful in construction of some kind. And so the experimentation began. Thanks to curiosity, they might have located something that could potentially enhance their survival.

Jacqueline Gottlieb, a PhD and lead investigator of the study, explained that humans can be curious even without the possibility of obvious rewards. “Curiosity entails a sort of enthusiasm, a willingness to expend energy and investigate your surroundings. And it’s intrinsically motivated, meaning that nobody is paying you to be curious; you are curious merely based on the hope that something good will come when you learn.”

Which had me wondering again why some of us seem to be innately curious and others are not. It turns out that curiosity is a skill, one we can learn and improve upon. But how do we do that?

This is where parents and teachers come in. We can encourage young people to develop curiosity in numerous ways. We can model curiosity by wondering aloud. “Wow! That shooting star was beautiful! Where do you think it came from?” or “Why do you think ancient people built those pyramids?”

We can take children to museums and libraries, parks and natural habitats, and let them explore, noting what they might be instinctively drawn to, subjects we can build on. For example, I’ve been a rock collector since I was in elementary school—I have about 400 specimens in my living room alone— a hobby that often prompts the question, “Why?” I finally realized it was those trips to the Museum of Natural History in New York where I was fascinated by the gem and mineral collection, and the camping trips where I’d find rocks strewn in forests and streams. Note that when I was 12, my parents gave me a geology science kit for Christmas, containing, among other things, a book with colorful pictures of rocks, a tiny hammer, and a collection of mineral samples. I was charmed. Perhaps today I would not be a rock collector, a hobby that gives me immense joy, had my parents not exposed me to them at such an early age.

I’m hoping my grandson Adrian might one day love rocks as much as I do.

I realize in today’s frantic world some parents just don’t have the time to explore with their children, so supporting such efforts at school could be the answer. Those field trips you might recall from your youth were learning experiences chosen to broaden your horizons, events to prompt questions, and, yes, boost curiosity.

And while we must do our best to instill a sense of curiosity in the generations that follow, we shouldn’t forget ourselves. I’ve learned that, as we age, we are often no longer able to do some of the things we love, which is why it’s so important to be curious. We should never stop looking into new subjects and hobbies. Nor should we forget that “Why?” is a beautiful gift, one for which we should all be thankful.

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Universal Book Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes and Noble

Google Books

Rakuten Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

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The legacy of painter Bob Ross

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I opened my desk drawer recently and noticed a palate of paints and a book of canvas paper. I bought them a while back believing I would learn to paint, spurred by one of those TV artists who ever so gently instructed me on the simple nuances of painting a landscape. It wasn’t the famously coiffed Bob Ross, still like the legendary TV oil painter known for his warm delivery and the of-course-you-can-do-it attitude, I was encouraged to believe that I too could paint like Monet or van Gogh.

As anyone who’s ever watched those shows can attest, that will never happen. And yet, some estimates say Ross’s program, The Joy of Painting, at its peak attracted up to 80 million viewers worldwide on a daily basis when it was broadcast on almost 300 PBS stations from 1983 to 1994. And the funny thing is, it’s suspected that the vast majority of those viewers never picked up a paintbrush.

So, why watch? There are a number of theories. One is the Zen-like quality of the show. Ross’s soothing voice and messages of self-confidence charmed his audience, especially when a splat of paint would go awry and he would correct what he called a “happy accident”, leaving the landscape even lovelier than before.

Ross could produce an oil painting in 27 minutes, and yet his show was a calm island in a frenzied world. Today, long after his death in 1995, Ross remains a popular icon, with his show appearing on YouTube and Twitch, where a whole new generation of viewers are succumbing to his quiet demeanor and colorful strokes, paintings that evoke feelings of tranquility and peace.

It’s interesting that few believe Ross was a great artist. However, his idea that anyone could be a painter endeared him to many. If you don’t believe me, watch one of his shows and tell me whether, at the end, you feel that twitch to grab a paintbrush, since Ross made it all seem so easy. And his fans loved him for that.

I have been thinking about Ross because three of his pieces went up for auction recently where those “not so great” paintings garnered over $600,000—more than twice as much as pre-sale estimates—funds that will go directly to public broadcasting stations, which are suffering from the government’s recent funding cuts. And there are 27 more Ross paintings going on the block, a boon for public television that needs all the help it can get.

I can’t bring myself to discard those painting supplies in my drawer. Maybe, someday, I’ll sit down, take a breath, watch Bob Ross work his magic, and be inspired.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Universal Book Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes and Noble

Google Books

Rakuten Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

TV football coverage could be better: Here’s how!

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While I love watching football the broadcasts need some updating. (Photo Courtesy All-Pro Reels Photography)

I love football, but I think broadcasts could be improved on various fronts.

First, I realize those in charge are in a collective tizzy to shorten games. It seems younger folks don’t have the attention spans needed to stick around for anything longer than the average Instagram reel, so keeping them engaged is a monumental issue. In case you’re wondering, studies show that Gen Zers and Millennials can stay focused eight  and 12 seconds respectively, while Baby Boomers can pay attention for between 25 and 30 minutes. (Talk among yourselves.)

Since we older folks are dying off,  the NFL has been scrambling to make rule changes regarding timing and game pace, all to keep broadcasts under the golden three-hour mark. (Not sure why that’s the sweet spot, but there you have it.) Clearly, dumping some of the commercials might help, but I’m guessing that’s the last thing the league wants to do.

With all this in mind, the NFL decided that those pesky officials were not capable of speedily determining whether the ball had reached the line to gain. So, the guys on the sidelines holding the chains were told, “No more!” I know what you’re thinking. “But, Anne, AI is so much more accurate in regard to measurements.”

As a former amateur football referee, I’ve stared at the space between the ball and stick on myriad occasions. Note here: Not rocket science. It’s simply that the machine does it more quickly.  So now those sweet moments of anticipation preceding the ref’s announcement are gone, a bit of football pageantry eliminated. All in the interest of shaving a little time off the clock.

A better option is eliminating the two-minute warning, a rule that is archaic and completely unnecessary with all those clocks pasted onto our stadiums and screens. I’ll let my AI friend handle it here:  “The two-minute warning is a legacy rule that remains because it provides a scheduled commercial break…” There is also something about it building game-end drama and a shift to endgame rules, none of which I’m buying. So, if only advertisers would miss it, why not dump the two-minute warning and save some time?

Another change I’d like to see involves reporters on the sidelines, which of course is the most useless “sportscasting” job there is. The only reason the position exists is so the networks can point and say, “Look how diverse our crew is!” That’s because it’s mostly women manning those mics. I say give those girls a shot in the booth or as commentators on those pre-halftime-and-post-game shows. Here’s where you’ll remind me that there are women on those programs and you’d be right. But why are they generally the ones asking the questions and not those giving the answers? Do the networks doubt women can provide pithy, clever comments about football? And don’t say it’s because they never played football. There are plenty of male sports reporters who never played either. That said, the only real reason to have announcers on the sidelines involves player injuries. So I say scrap the reporters, grab a few nurses, mic them up, and let medical professionals do the updates.

Don’t get me wrong. I love watching football, but the broadcasts can be better. Here’s hoping someone is listening. I’ll let you know whan I have some more good ideas.

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Universal Book Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes and Noble

Google Books

Rakuten Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

The day a spider saved me from an angry coach

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Some people felt I didn’t belong officiating football, and they didn’t hide their displeasure at seeing me. Then, one day, a spider helped change that perception.

I retired from officiating amateur football six years ago, after throwing flags since 1979. As a women in stripes, there were often issues with my presence inside those white lines, as many felt I didn’t belong, which brings me to the day I was rescued by a spider.

One afternoon, upon arriving at the field, I got what my crewmates referred to as “the look”, a noticeable squint from a head coach. The “Couldn’t they have sent a real referee!” expression announced his displeasure at me wearing the white hat, feelings he made loud and clear on just about every play.

The coach, who resembled someone who might have been sent over by Central Casting—well-over six feet, arms folded over a big belly, hat pulled low over his eyes—complained constantly. Note that no official wants to toss a coach, because it gives the impression that we’ve lost control of the game, and though he hadn’t yet crossed the invisible line that would have had me saddled with paperwork following the game, I was worried that I might have to eject him.

Then, late in the first half of the game, my line judge ran toward me, frantically blowing his whistle and waving his arms overhead to kill the clock. “Tarantula!” Phil stared wide-eyed and pointed downfield where a large spider inched across the field.

The barrel-chested coach spotted the creature, grinned, and crossed his thick arms. “What are you going to do about it?” he yelled in my direction.

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It wasn’t until later that I learned tarantulas are gentle creatures who get a bad rap. As long as you don’t frighten or harm them, they won’t harm you.

Phil and I ran over to investigate and soon crouched over the meandering orange-and-black beast. I envisioning some hapless kid with a fist-size spider wriggling from his facemask. I bit my lip and glanced at the players who eyed me from midfield. Phil and I stared at one another, then he raised both palms up.

“What are we going to do?” I asked.

“What are you going to do?” he mimicked the coach.

I took a deep breath and watched the hairy animal inch forward, moving all eight legs in a silent ballet.  Then I glanced at the coach and saw he was laughing. At me.

Without thinking, I shot my arm into the tarantula’s path, and cringed as it crawled onto the back of my hand.

Phil stood and backed away.

The tarantula seemed to pick up speed, as it crossed my wrist and headed up my arm, its fuzzy feet tickling my skin.

I stood up slowly. “Please don’t bite me,” I silently pleaded over and over, as visions of old horror movies played in my head. I walked carefully toward the end of the field and when I reached the outer edge of the track I bent over, shook my arm, and dropped the creature near a patch of rocky desert. The tarantula landed upright and marched on.

I swallowed several times, pasted on a confident look, and trotted back upfield as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. I herded the players to the line of scrimmage, took my position behind the quarterback, and blew my whistle to put the ball in play.

But no one moved.

Phil’s whistle sounded. He signaled time-out and doubled over. I thought he might be ill, but then I saw he was laughing.

“What?” I stared as he ran toward me.

He leaned in and looked around to make sure no players were nearby. “The coach said…” Then he started laughing again.

“What!” I glanced at the coach who was now looking at me in an entirely a new way.

“The coach said, ‘She has a pair hangin’ and they ain’t tits.’”

I eyed at the coach, who nodded toward me, deferential, all remnants of his previously condescending attitude having disappeared with the spider.

For the rest of the game, no matter the situation—whether a flag went for or against his team, whether he agreed or disagreed with a ruling—the coach only addressed me with two words. “Yes, ma’am,” was all he said.

No ejection. No paperwork. And I owed it all to a spider. And it wasn’t just the coach. For years after that, fans would come up to me and smile, a gleam in their eyes that seemed to signal acceptance. Then they’d ask, “Are you the tarantula referee?”

And I’d smile back and say, “Yes. Yes, I am.”

Wolf Catcher

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Universal Book Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes and Noble

Google Books

Rakuten Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon