Meet the Authors at Books & More

The museum's Books & More shop brings in noted authors on American Indian art, history and the southwest every year. Meet the artists and have them autograph your books!

Saturday, March 7
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Barbara Renner
Quincy the Quail and the Mysterious Egg

When a large egg plops down next to the quail family’s nest, Quincy must find a way to deal with this mysterious intruder.

Barbara Renner was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico but has lived in Phoenix for over 40 years with her husband. As an outdoor enthusiast, Barbara loves to explore her home state of Arizona with her family and is intrigued by the Sonoran Desert and energized by the sun. She started writing children's picture books after she retired from teaching and has published eight books so far. Barbara visits elementary schools as a guest author to read her books and facilitate writing activities. When not writing or marketing her books, Barbara loves to travel, walk her dog Larry, and read.

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Harriett and Andrew Smith
The Astonishing, Astounding, Amazing Sonoran Desert

An entertaining introduction to the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, designed for visitors who want a quick read to acquaint themselves with the Sonoran Desert and its wildlife. Vibrant full-page color illustrations capture the colors of the desert and the behavior of its wildlife.

In 2017 after retiring from her clinical psychology practice, Harriett Smith joined the board of Friends of the Sonoran Desert, a charitable organization whose mission is to protect and conserve the Sonoran Desert. She is now its managing director. Andrew Smith is a Professor Emeritus at ASU and a conservation biologist. He was ASU’s Professor of the Year in 2006 and was named President’s Professor in 2010. In 2015, Smith received the Aldo Leopold Conservation Award from The American Society of Mammalogists. For most of his professional career, Smith’s work took him into the mountains, to places as remote as the Tibetan Plateau. When he retired, he joined the board of Friends of the Sonoran Desert and now serves as its Chairman. The Smiths co-authored The Astonishing, Astounding, Amazing Sonoran Desert to share their love of the Sonoran Desert and its fascinating inhabitants with visitors and residents alike, and to highlight the threats currently facing this very special ecosystem. All proceeds from the sale of our book will support the conservation work of Friends of the Sonoran Desert.

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Doug Hocking
Black Legend

Named True West Magazine's Best Indian History for 2018. The story of the 1861 confrontation between Lieutenant George Bascom and Chiricahua leader Cochise. Using primary sources the author recreates the two-week long confrontation between the two leaders. The account includes the account of the Fighting Surgeon winning the first Medal of Honor and of a sergeant who told a story with himself as the hero that by accident made it into the history books as well as the Battle of Valverde against invading Texans.

Award winning author and speaker, Doug Hocking, is an independent scholar who has completed advanced studies in American history, ethnology, and historical archaeology. Raised on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in New Mexico, Doug served as an officer in Military Intelligence and Armored Cavalry. His biography of Tom Jeffords has won Spur and Co-founders awards. Black Legend has won a Will Rogers Medallion (silver) and is a finalist for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards. True West Magazine named Black Legend Best Indian History of 2018. Doug is a member of the board of the Arizona Historical Society. Terror on the Santa Fe Trail: Kit Carson and the Jicarilla Apache was released by Two Dot, an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield, October 1, 2019.

12 – 2 p.m.

Pat and Kim Messier with Diana Pardue
Garden of the Gods Trading Post

An illustrated history of Garden of the Gods Trading Post, built in 1929 near Colorado Springs, its founder Charles Strausenback and the Navajo and Pueblo Indians who worked there as silversmiths and entertainers.

Mother and daughter Pat and Kim Messier live in Tucson, Arizona, are independent researchers and have published three books on Native American art and history; Hopi & Pueblo Tiles: An Illustrated History (Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2007), Reassessing Hallmarks of Native Southwest Jewelry (Schiffer Publishing, 2014), and Garden of the Gods Trading Post (Arcadia Publishing, 2019). Diana Pardue wrote the forward to Garden of the Gods Trading Post. She is the chief curator at the Heard Museum and author of numerous volumes on Native American art and history.

Rick Quinn
RoadTrip America’s Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips

This outstanding new guidebook adds extraordinary two-lane adventure to straight-line Interstate road trips. Add fun, history, and jaw-dropping natural wonders to your southwestern road trip with RoadTrip America’s Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips, each one beginning and ending at an Interstate highway and driveable within a day. Full-color maps and photographs illustrate easy-to-follow scenic routes through breathtaking landscapes and iconic towns in Arizona and New Mexico. Discover the surreal beauty of White Sands, watch the sun set over Monument Valley, or explore the subterranean marvels of Carlsbad Caverns. Find out why Jerome was “the Wickedest Town in the West” or walk in the footsteps of Wyatt Earp in Tombstone. Pamper yourself at a spa in Taos or soak up the vibes at an “energy vortex” in the red rocks of Sedona. With this brand-new, up-to-date guide as your companion, all this and much, much more will be yours to discover and enjoy—one extra day at a time!

Rick Quinn was born and raised in Arizona, earned a degree in anthropology, then hit the road, indulging an admittedly peculiar whim by hitch-hiking to Tierra del Fuego. In one way or another, he’s been on the road ever since, living in a dozen diverse locales, from Paris to Peru, San Francisco to Washington D.C., working as a photographer, a coffee farmer, a magazine writer, a postman, a novelist, and, until his recent retirement, a corporate-level financial systems expert with the Postal Service. Rick is a veteran road tripper who has driven both the Alaska Highway and the Pan American. Currently, he’s a travel blogger, a landscape photographer, and a contributing writer for RoadTripAmerica.com.

2 - 4 p.m.

Velma Craig, Ann Marshall, Carol Ann Mackay, Natalia Miles and Ninabah Winton
Color Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles

Sunday, March 8
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Jim Turner
Navajo Code Talker Manual

Before retiring from the Arizona Historical Society Jim Turner worked with more than 70 museums across the state. Jim moved to Tucson in 1951, earned an M.A. in history in 1999, and has been teaching and presenting Arizona history for forty-three years. Jim has been an author/editor for Rio Nuevo Publishers since 2009. He was co-author of the fourth grade Arizona history textbook, The Arizona Story (2009), and author of Arizona: A Celebration of the Grand Canyon State (2011); The Mighty Colorado from the Glaciers to the Gulf (2015); Crater Lake: Land of Fire and Ice (2016); Four Corners USA (2018); and Navajo Code Talker Manual (2019). He is currently working on a second edition of his Arizona history book, working title Arizona: The Grand Canyon State.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Doug Hocking
Black Legend

Named True West Magazine's Best Indian History for 2018. The story of the 1861 confrontation between Lieutenant George Bascom and Chiricahua leader Cochise. Using primary sources the author recreates the two-week long confrontation between the two leaders. The account includes the account of the Fighting Surgeon winning the first Medal of Honor and of a sergeant to told a story with himself as the hero that by accident made it into the history books as well as the Battle of Valverde against invading Texans.

Award winning author and speaker, Doug Hocking, is an independent scholar who has completed advanced studies in American history, ethnology, and historical archaeology. Raised on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in New Mexico, Doug served as an officer in Military Intelligence and Armored Cavalry. His biography of Tom Jeffords has won Spur and Co-founders awards. Black Legend has won a Will Rogers Medallion (silver) and is a finalist for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards. True West Magazine named Black Legend Best Indian History of 2018. Doug is a member of the board of the Arizona Historical Society. Terror on the Santa Fe Trail: Kit Carson and the Jicarilla Apache was released by Two Dot, an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield, October 1, 2019.

12 – 2 p.m.

Debe Branning
Haunted Phoenix

The booming, modern metropolis of Phoenix is a city filled with the ghosts of its past. Discover the legend of the mysterious Hohokam tribe, whose people once inhabited the Pueblo Grande Ruins and later vanished. Learn about the spirits of the Smurthwaite House, which sits on the grounds of Phoenix’s oldest cemetery. Hear the tales of the Pioneer Living Museum, a collection of historic buildings relocated from every corner of Arizona—and the spirits of the former residents that came along too. Take a peek inside the Mystery Castle, old train depots and eerie historic mansions.

Author and paranormal historian Debe Branning delves into the history and mysteries of these desert talesDebe Branning is the director of the MVD Ghostchasers, a team that conducts investigations in Arizona and offers paranormal workshops. She is the author of several books, including Sleeping with Ghosts: A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to AZ’s Haunted Hotels and Inns, Grand Canyon Ghost Stories, The Graveyard Shift: Arizona’s Historic and Haunted Cemeteries and Dining with the Dead: Arizona’s Historic and Haunted Restaurants and Cafés. Debe is a preservation activist with a special interest in historic cemeteries. She is also a cohost of the Association of Gravestones Studies in Arizona.

Carol Hageman
Bubby's Puddle Pond: A Tortuga's Tale of the Desert

Inspired by her lifelong love of wildlife and the outdoors, first-time author, Carol Hageman has written a book that’s enjoyable for children up to third grade. Based loosely on animal behavior Hageman observed in real life, Bubby’s Puddle Pond: A Tortuga’s Tale of the Desert, is a fun and entertaining story of a young desert tortoise and the friends he makes in his habitat. They learn lessons in sharing, friendship and trust. In addition, the book offers educational resources, facts about the desert tortoise, glossary of words, and curriculum guide for educators. Part of the proceeds of this book supports the Arizona Game & Fish Department, Tortoise Adoption Program.
https://ninastorybooks.com/

Rick Quinn
Roadtrip America's Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips

This outstanding new guidebook adds extraordinary two-lane adventure to straight-line Interstate road trips. Add fun, history, and jaw-dropping natural wonders to your southwestern road trip with RoadTrip America’s Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips, each one beginning and ending at an Interstate highway and drivable within a day. Full-color maps and photographs illustrate easy-to-follow scenic routes through breathtaking landscapes and iconic towns in Arizona and New Mexico. Discover the surreal beauty of White Sands, watch the sun set over Monument Valley, or explore the subterranean marvels of Carlsbad Caverns. Find out why Jerome was “the Wickedest Town in the West” or walk in the footsteps of Wyatt Earp in Tombstone. Pamper yourself at a spa in Taos or soak up the vibes at an “energy vortex” in the red rocks of Sedona. With this brand-new, up-to-date guide as your companion, all this and much, much more will be yours to discover and enjoy—one extra day at a time!

Rick Quinn was born and raised in Arizona, earned a degree in anthropology, then hit the road, indulging an admittedly peculiar whim by hitch-hiking to Tierra del Fuego. In one way or another, he’s been on the road ever since, living in a dozen diverse locales, from Paris to Peru, San Francisco to Washington D.C., working as a photographer, a coffee farmer, a magazine writer, a postman, a novelist, and, until his recent retirement, a corporate-level financial systems expert with the Postal Service. Rick is a veteran road tripper who has driven both the Alaska Highway and the Pan American. Currently, he’s a travel blogger, a landscape photographer, and a contributing writer for RoadTripAmerica.com.

Jim Turner
Navajo Code Talker Manual

FROM NAVAJO MEN in service to their country came an extraordinary weapon in the Pacific Arena of World War II. Twenty-nine Navajo Marines were recruited to adapt their language into a code so secret and difficult that the Germans and Japanese could never break it. The code grew, and so did the numbers of Code Talkers, forever altering the course of the war and American history. This unique, interactive book includes a brief history of the Navajo Code Talkers, a lesson on learning and using the code, and a four-page foldout of the original Code Talker dictionary. Navajo Code Talker Manual: Jim Turner (Author), Gabriel Schut (designer) (Author), Aaron Downey (Editor), Gabriel Schute (Illustrator)

Before retiring from the Arizona Historical Society Jim Turner worked with more than 70 museums across the state. Jim moved to Tucson in 1951, earned an M.A. in history in 1999, and has been teaching and presenting Arizona history for forty-three years. Jim has been an author/editor for Rio Nuevo Publishers since 2009. He was co-author of the fourth grade Arizona history textbook, The Arizona Story (2009), and author of Arizona: A Celebration of the Grand Canyon State (2011); The Mighty Colorado from the Glaciers to the Gulf (2015); Crater Lake: Land of Fire and Ice (2016); Four Corners USA (2018); and Navajo Code Talker Manual (2019). He is currently working on a second edition of his Arizona history book, working title Arizona: The Grand Canyon State.