Southern Arizona Authors

By Susan Parker

(Dandelion Books LLC, $15.95)

Parker subtitles her book, “An ordinary woman’s journey with those from the other side.” It’s true, she communicates with the departed, believes that dreams carry messages and that everything happens for a purpose. She also encounters the occasional embodied spirit. But the most poignant part of her short memoir is the account of her husband’s determined, losing battle against multiple cancers and her own loving, detailed contribution to his care.

“A Slow Trot Home”

By Lisa G. Sharp

(Wheatmark, $17.95)

A graceful account of the author’s life on the San Rafael Ranch, a landmark in Southern Arizona.

In 1958, Sharp’s mother, Florence Greene Sharp, became the owner of the San Rafael at 52. The 22,000-acre working cattle ranch was acquired by her father, copper and land tycoon William C. Greene, in 1903. Although Florence Sharp had several serious health problems, she moved her four children, including Lisa, the youngest at 8 years old, to the ranch and managed it until her death in 1995.

In this non-linear memoir, Lisa drifts back and forth through the decades, remembering family history, anecdotes, cultural episodes, and ranch life. In 1998, the property was sold to the Nature Conservancy which later sold a portion of it to the Arizona State Parks Department. An index would be helpful.

“Lottie’s Lot”

By Nancy O’Connor

(La Mariposa Press, $18.95)

This “true fiction” novel is based on the life of the author’s great-grandmother, Midwesterner Lottie Walker-Hastings (1871-1956). Lottie’s lot included incredible changes and upheavals from the buggy to the jet plane, epidemics, wars, prohibition and women’s suffrage.

As the mother of seven living children, despite life-threatening pregnancies, one of Lottie’s principal concerns was the fight for women’s reproductive health.

“From Invisible: All the King’s Horses Children’s Ranch”

By A.J. Lucore

(Xulon Press, Free, donation requested)

For more than a decade Ana Lucore, with the help of friends, has been working to establish a facility in Benson to care for children. This book is a somewhat rambling account of her progress.

At the moment she has three mobile homes on 90 acres. But architectural plans are drawn up for much more. The income, which does not come from donations, appears to be provided by Arizona’s children’s foster-care programs.

There is a strong religious element in her work. She credits a great deal of help coming as the result of prayer. Her website is atkhchildrensranch.org

“Word Trippers”

By Barbara McNichol

(Self Published, $12)

This is the second edition for a book that carries the subtitle, “Your ultimate source for choosing the perfect word when it really matters.”

It contains useful guidance on when to use lay and when lie; how to tell when there are fewer and when less. Could be very helpful.

“The Tribulations of Tompa Lee”

By Edward Hoornaert

(Self-published, $12.99)

The world of science fiction/fantasy is all but overwhelmed with details: planets, history, conflicts, friends, enemies, villains and heroes.

In a cover letter, Hoornaert, a former romance writer, describes this second volume in the Tompa Lee series as concerning: “A Woman, Tompa Lee; a Man, Ming Mengliev, posing as a musician; an Alien, Lord Kleevie, head of the warlike Klick missionaries and Palla Pelly Park … a park crammed with carnivores.”

Not too surprisingly, it ends on a romantic note.

“Skipper, from the Prairies to the Mountains”

By Gilmore Tostengard

(Outskirts Press, $16.95)

Nicknamed “Skipper,” at an early age by his father, Tostengard has carried it through a long and productive life.

He grew up in Minnesota in a Norwegian farming community. He attended college there, earned an MBA at Harvard and served in the U.S. military. His working career in the steel and mining industries has taken him and his wife, Blanche, around the world.

He is a dedicated conservative, a devoted Lutheran and a serious golfer. The Tostengard family included four children. In this autobiography he records details of his life, experiences and philosophy. An index is essential for a permanent archive.