We Write Books
Carol Potenza: Nicky Matthews Mysteries
New Mexico is home to 23 federally recognized tribes, nations, and pueblos. This includes 19 Pueblos, the Navajo Nation (with substantial land in the state), and three Apache tribes:
19 Pueblos: Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo (Kewa), Taos, Tesuque, Zia, and Zuni.
3 Apache Tribes: Fort Sill Apache Tribe, Jicarilla Apache Nation, and Mescalero Apache Tribe.
Navajo Nation: The eastern portion of the Navajo Nation lies in northwestern New Mexico.
Sovereignty: All 23 are recognized as sovereign nations with their own governments and unique, ancient cultures.
My sister-in-law worked as a police officer on two New Mexico Pueblos west of Albuquerque. She would talk about the cultural aspects she encountered as an outsider, a non-native in a position that not only had to know the federal laws and regulations, but also Pueblo laws, regulations, and customs.
One thing she said to me made a huge impression: as an outsider, she was banned from certain ceremonies and from certain sacred places in homes or on the land. When I asked her how she felt about that, she was very pragmatic. These were their customs and traditions, and she respected that. I based my non-native police officer, Sergeant Nicky Matthews, on my sister-in-law and that specific statement. Respect for Native cultures and traditions.
These are police procedural, contemporary mysteries with some paranormal (that’s for another post!) They are written with the same heart and respect as my sister-in-law showed to the Pueblos where she worked. Many of her stories are woven in, as is my focus on science and, in this case, genetics.
Three of four books in this sub-group of the series are completed and published. I’m working on the fourth, then I will take the same characters in a different police procedural direction.
Hearts of the Missing is my debut mystery and a Tony Hillerman Prize winner. I hope you enjoy it.