Check out Charmayne speaking at UTEP on February 22nd at 2PM at the Centennial Museum:


Applause and plaudits for Las Cruces Writer Desiree Bustamantes for her 2nd place win of the Desert Exposure writing contest! Her story, “The Brothel,” is set in Old Mesilla and involves a young man getting “exposed” to a little more than he was ready for and reacting honorably.
Here’s the October issue with Desiree’s story and others!
As LCW’s Effrem Carrasco (a multiple contest winner himself!) points out: this is the 5th year in a row that LCW has won or placed in this esteemed writing competition.…
Check out the Southwest Word Fiesta coming to Western New Mexico University in Silver City on August 29th:

Check out Las Cruces Writer Eva Nevarez-St. John’s exciting new memoir, When Tough Cookies Crumble: A True Story of Friendship, Murder, and Healing, now available on Amazon! Eva will be reading and signing her book at Downtown Blues Coffee on Saturday, August 24th, 2:00 – 3:30 pm.

Here’s the intriguing synopsis:
…As young soldiers in Korea in the late 1970s, Janice Starr and Eva Booker found themselves on the front lines of the women’s liberation movement, pushing the boundaries of what women could do in their professional and personal lives. Navigating jobs, school, interracial dating, and a playgirl lifestyle were among the challenges they faced when they relocated to the Washington, D.C. area together, where their bond was often tested but never broken.
Three months after Janice moved to southern Virginia on her own in the summer of 1981, she disappeared without a trace. Eva knew Janice had been murdered—and who did it—but the only one who believed her was Detective Kay Lewis. Together these tough cookies wouldn’t stop until they found Janice … and justice.

Good Samaritan Village in the Creative Arts Room, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. Enter through the main administrative building entrance (parking is to the east of the building) and turn left in the first hallway to reach the room.
We are trying a new time slot. This meeting will be taking place on Saturday NOT Thursday!
2:30-4:30 pm August 10th, 2024
Please follow the link below to read the material authored by Jim Humphrey’s prior to the meeting. We provide this in advance so the membership can come to the meeting with some thoughts and to optimize the short time we have together. The password will be sent out to the membership via mailing list. If you did not receive it for whatever reason, please contact the executive committee of the LCW.
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Good Samaritan Village in the Creative Arts Room, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. Enter through the main administrative building entrance (parking is to the east of the building) and turn left in the first hallway to reach the room.
1:30-3:30 pm July 11th, 2024
Executive staff will meet 30 minutes early.
Please join Karen Ray in the Roadrunner Room at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library (I used to go to the one on the downtown mall as a child…maybe I’ll write about that) at 1:30 on Tuesday, July 16th to learn more about memoir writing. Here’s the official flyer:


The summer book signing is coming soon. Check out your favorite Las Cruces Writers and buy their great literary achievements at:
Mesilla Valley Mall near Barnes & Noble
Saturday, July 20th from 12 noon to 3 PM.
The following writers will be serving up written buffets:
Come join the crew and I promise they won’t hedge-hog the limelight!…

And just as Charmayne’s new collection of poetry goes to press she wins two prizes for the related biography of Spencer MacCallum! Drumroll, please……..
Independent Press Award, 2024 Distinguished Favorites, Biography: General
Next Generation Indie Book Awards, FINALIST: AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY
You can check out her complete canon at Wood Duck Publishers. Of course, the wood duck is the most colorful North American waterfowl, noted for iridescent plumage and perching. Almost a prize in itself.…