Anne Montgomery
A Light in the Desert 2018
On the behalf of my reader's Anne, I would like to thank you for your time ~
Who are your influences?
I am a news junkie, so that is where I find my inspiration. In the case of A Light in the Desert, the cold-case sabotage of the Amtrak Sunset Limited in the Arizona desert was big news nationwide. But it’s the people impacted by crimes and unusual circumstances that interest me most. For example, Jason Ramm, the protagonist, is suffering from a rare form of mental illness called the Jerusalem Syndrome. The Children of Light live off the land and were waiting for the end times, when the crime occurred in their backyard. In both cases, I read about these subjects in the news and was inspired to tell their stories.
When did you begin writing?
I started writing when I became a news reporter. When I was a TV sportscaster, I had maybe 90 seconds to tell a story. When I was a print reporter, I was limited by word count. In both cases, I had to choose words carefully. Every one had to have an impact. Even though I’m now an author, I continue to write the same way.
How do you come up with your stories, characters, character names, POV, etc.?
Again, my stories are gleaned from the news. As for characters, Jason Ramm is modeled on a dear deceased friend of mine who did two tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret. While he was not a sniper, many of Ramm’s memories are taken from stories he told me about his time in the service. Also, my friend struggled mightily with Post Traumatic Stress and guilt from events that occurred during the war. Like Ramm, he desperately searched for peace and forgiveness. The Children of Light are real people who were kind enough to let me interview them following the wreck of the Sunset Limited. The character of Kate Butler is clearly me. I was a TV sports reporter and anchor for five stations at both the local and national levels, until, one day, when I was pushing 40, I suddenly became unemployable in that field. Like Kate, I had a shelf-life stamped on my forehead. I was no longer pretty enough to be in front of a camera. It was a difficult transition. So, clearly, I take book characters from real-life people.
If you could actually meet one of your characters, who would it be? Why?
As I mentioned, Jason Ramm’s character is modeled on a late friend of mine who was a soldier in Vietnam. Don died in 2010 from the effects of Agent Orange Poisoning and PTSD. I wrote A Light in the Desert for him. So, I think if I could meet up with Jason Ramm, it would be like seeing Don again.
Do you work from an outline?
Never. My stories play out organically. In fact, I am often startled by the things my characters do and never know the ending until I get there.
Tell me about your favorite scene in your novel(s).
While specific scenes stand out in regard to satisfaction – when I get to kill a bad guy, for example – generally I love the scenes where the beauty of the Sonoran Desert is revealed. I’ve lived in the desert for going on 30 years and am still awed by the wild splendor of Arizona.
Can you tell us a little about your writing philosophy?
Write about topics that inspire you.
Have you ever tried writing in any other genres?
That’s a funny question for me since I write in numerous genres. My books so far have been categorized as mystery-suspense, young adult fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and women’s fiction, which isn’t easy when it comes to marketing. I just like to tell stories, so I don’t consider genre when I’m writing.
Do you have any interesting writing-related anecdotes to share?
The fact that I’m a writer is still shocking sometimes. I’m a low-level dyslexic and struggled with reading as a child. The thought of reading books for pleasure seemed absurd to me. When my best friend from childhood – who read voraciously – discovered I wrote books, she posted the following on Facebook. “How the hell did you ever become an author?” I still tease her about it.
Do you listen to music as you write?
No. I need quiet and no distractions. I’m pretty sure if I had a window by my desk, I’d spend my time watching birds fly by and never get a single word written.
Here are some suggestions I feel readers would like to read:
I read many different kinds of books. I just finished Karen Crouse’s Norwich, a non-fiction look at a tiny Vermont town that has produced an inordinate number of well-adjusted Olympic athletes. I also like historical fiction based during the time of World War II. I’d suggest A.G. Morgan’s chilling The Secret Journals of Adolf Hitler. For a fun romp, read Michael Rutger's The Anomaly.
The inspiration behind your book, the benefits of your book for the reader and any
personal related story compared with the world of your book.
While my books are fiction, they are based in fact. As a former reporter, I work very hard to make sure I get the factual parts right. For example, my book, The Scent of Rain, details the life of a teenage girl fleeing the horrors of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a cult of polygamists who believe it’s OK for old men to marry young girls. I interviewed a woman who twice escaped from the FLDS, and a doctor who worked with the cultists, and I went to Colorado City, Arizona to observe them. In regard to A Light in the Desert, all the facts surrounding the sabotage are written as they occurred, though the perpetrators remain at large, as the event is a cold-case crime. So, I’d like my readers to know that, even though they are reading a fictional story, they will learn things along the way.
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About the author ~
Connect with Anne
Anne Butler Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. Her first TV job came at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, and ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter. She finished her on‐camera broadcasting career with a two‐year stint as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
Montgomery was a freelance and/or staff reporter for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. Her novel, The Scent of Rain, was released in March 2017. A Light in the Desert was published in November 2018.
Montgomery teaches journalism at South Mountain High School in Phoenix, is a foster mom to three sons, and is an Arizona Interscholastic Association football referee and crew chief. When she can, she indulges in her passions: rock collecting, football officiating, scuba diving, and playing her guitar.
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Thank you for sharing this, Jeff! :)
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