Webb's Blog

June 9, 2007

I have just completed the manuscript for the new Lena Jones mystery, Desert Cut -- which will be released by Poisoned Pen Press sometime in February 2008 -- and I've decided to celebrate by creating this blog. I'll admit that I'm a little nervous about the entire enterprise, because although I've been a reporter for more than 20 years and have written (and had published) five books as well as thousands of feature articles, this is a whole new deal for me.

So I'm going to ask for your help. Tell me what you'd like to have me discuss on this blog. Maybe you'd like to know more about me, about my books, maybe even a few things about writing.

For starters... here goes! Betty Webb's first official blog.

I live in beautiful, downtown Scottsdale, Arizona, which means that I live about a half-mile from the Pima/Maricopa Salt River Indian Reservation. Last night my husband visited their casino (no, neither of us gambles, but the Pimas put on a rockin' seafood buffet on Friday nights. Plus, I jump at any chance to visit the Rez.

Throughout history, the Pimas have been very peaceful people. During the Anglo migration westward, Pima farmers sold the crops they raised to the pioneers. They managed to farm out here in the desert because of the series of canals they built, canals so sophisticated that in the 20th century, Arizona engineers used the old canal beds to create new, high-tech canals to bring water from the Colorado River.

Those of you who have read my Lena Jones mysteries know that Lena's parter, Jimmy Sisiwan, is a full-blooded Pima, although he was raised by his adoptive Mormon parents in Utah. Up until 1978, when the Indian Children Adoption Act was passed, it was common to adopt Indian children (by the way, Indians prefer to be called Indians -- not Native Americans). Now orphaned Indian children are raised by their extended families, thus they learn about their wonderful heritage. In the future, this blog will feature pictures of the Pima Reservation , as well as pictures of many of the sites mentioned in the Lena Jones books -- Desert Noir, Desert Wives, Desert Shadows and Desert Run. And shortly, of course, Desert Cut.

Living in the desert is a wonderful experience, but it does have its challenges. That's why the Pimas had to dig all those canals to survive.

Well, that's it for now. Let me know some of the things you'd like discussed on my blog. And if this comes across as one big mess, have pit on me. I'm a newbie here, myself!