𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.

Who are you when the career that defined you no longer wants you? Former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Anne Montgomery describes the sting of losing her television career and being asked by a stranger whether she “used to be somebody.” What followed brought her into classrooms, unexpected motherhood, and fiction rooted in real human struggles. Her story explores how much life can hold beyond the identity we’re afraid to lose.

“We can plan all we want about how we think our lives should go. But don’t hold on too tightly to that because it’s never going to go the way you think.” – Anne Montgomery

In this episode, host Catryn Becker talks to Anne Montgomery about the years she spent building a television sportscasting career that included anchoring ESPN’s SportsCenter, only to find herself pushed aside as she approached 40. She describes the sexism she encountered, the depression that followed losing her professional identity, and the friendship with a Vietnam veteran that gradually helped her reconsider her circumstances. Becoming a teacher was a path she initially resisted, and the transition exposed how much she still had to learn about the lives of the students in front of her.

A conversation with a homeless student changed Anne’s approach to teaching, replacing assumptions about performance with a deeper concern for what her students were experiencing. Later, a former student’s call to say he was hungry led her into foster motherhood at 55 and, eventually, grandmotherhood. Those relationships also found their way into her fiction. Although her professional background was in sports, her novels explore societal and environmental issues, drawing on research, firsthand observation, and the experiences of vulnerable young people.

Anne also speaks candidly about the gap between enjoying writing and managing the business of being an author. Research and character development excite her, while marketing and publishing demands have contributed to her decision to take a break. At 71, that break brought an unexpected adventure: singing and playing electric guitar in a rock and roll band. Throughout the conversation, Anne returns to curiosity, compassion, and the willingness to keep moving when life takes a direction she never planned.

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Business Podcast

Blank Slate Press/Amphorae Publishing Group

Mystery/Suspense

A Light in the Desert traces the story of a lonely pregnant teenager, a Vietnam veteran and former Special Forces sniper who, as he descends into the throes of mental illness, latches onto the girl, and a group of Pentecostal zealots – the Children of Light – who have been waiting over thirty years in the Arizona desert for Armageddon. The Amtrak Sunset Limited, a passenger train en route to Los Angeles, is derailed in their midst’s, a deadly act of sabotage. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when local and state police, FBI investigators, and a horde of reporters make camp by the twisted wreckage of the Sunset Limited. As the search for the saboteurs continues, the authorities find more questions than answers. The girl mysteriously vanishes, the assassin struggles to maintain his sanity, and a child is about to be born in the wilderness.

Get your copy here or wherever you buy books.

Praise for A Light in the Desert

“Clever, compelling, readable and realistic. Ms. Montgomery wove the most compelling cast of characters into a fictionalized account of what might have happened. I was fascinated. No one knows the truth, but this author took a leap that resulted in one of my favorite recent books.” – Vine Voice

“This is a very emotional tale that explores a variety of social issues ranging from mental illness to child abuse. It is very well done, well developed characters and scenery as well as a fast moving plot.” – Margaret Millmore Author

“An engaging and thought-provoking read.” – Lynda Dickson Books Direct

“This is an engaging book with a story that builds slowly, answering some questions along the way, and ending in a denouement full of tension and drama. A very good read.” – Stuart Aken Author

“A Light in the Desert is a great read. If you’re looking for a great story about human nature, pick A Light in the Desert up today.” – Rabid Readers Reviews