364 days of sunshine, tax incentives, and jaw-dropping scenery add up to a perfect union between New Mexico and the film industry. The 2019 conference of New Mexico Press Women saluted the film and media industry at The Canyon Club at Four Hills this last weekend. Authors and film makers discussed print to screen endeavors.

David Morrell First Blood and other novels, Don Bullis, No Manure on Main Street and other historical books and novels of the Southwest, and Ollie Reed, Journalist, discussed some most significant and some-not-so-significant Western films, delighting the attendees with their personal stories. Steve Brewer continued the book to movie theme by telling how his books were discovered and optioned for movies.

Judith Van Gieson, Keynote Speaker, entranced the audience by describing how several of her books were discovered and optioned for adaptation to the screen. Judith’s books have been published by Harper Collins, UNM Press, and Signet. Several of her thirteen books have earned the Kirkus Starred Review.

After the keynote speaker, NM Press Women recognized outstanding achievements in communication. I felt honored to have my speech, “Prohibition, a Roaring Twenties Bash”, receive an award.

As the president of the NM Sisters in Crime Chapter, Croak and Dagger, it tickled me to see some of our members up front and center at the NM Press Women 2019 Conference. Anne Hillerman is one of our lifetime members. Judith Van Gieson, also a Croak and Dagger member, and I often hang out together, have lunch, and she entertains me with “How publishing used to be.” Sigh! I wonder if anyone in the future will dream about the good old publishing days of 2019.

We all have a tendency to romanticize the past. Do you think today’s publishing world and its focus on books to screen may be adding more value to our works than in years gone by?