Adventures in a historic Algarve coastal village

This massive fortress once made Cacela Velha a key defense point to defend against pirates on the Algarve coast.

Tales of Romans and Moorish invaders, shellfish and sea views draw me to Caçela Velha, a tiny hamlet perched on a cliff above the eastern Algarve coast, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Portugal’s border with Spain. I have always been a history buff.

Cacela Velha’s origins date back before the Romans, when Phoenician sailors ventured along the coast. After the Romans came the Moors, attracted by the rich soils of the area and plentiful fishing along the coast.

Because of this, the Algarve has a definitely different vibe. I live in a town in central Portugal and I felt the difference as soon as I arrived in nearby Tavira.

A Poet of the Revolution

The maps app on my phone guides me down a road named after for Sophia de Mello Breyner Anderson, the poet who celebrated Portugal’s 1974 Carnation Revolution from the Salazar dictatorship with the lines that touched my heart, “Esta é a madrugada que eu esperava, o dia inicial inteiro e limpo, onde emergimos da noite e do silencio”, roughly translated it reads, “This is the dawn I longed for, the first day complete and clean, when we emerge from the night and silence”.

I park in the shade of a small olive tree. A bus stops in front of my car to disgorge a group of students of around 10 years old. On the way to the village, I pass a blackboard at the entrance to a restaurant. The message scrawled it says, ‘W.C. 5 Euros’. Luckily, I don’t need feel the call of nature.

The village is a collection of houses, mostly white and a blue the same color as the Atlantic below. Curious about the name of the road, I stop to ask at the nameless cafe beside the square. The woman who serves me the large back coffee I have learned to call ‘abatinado’, doesn’t know. However, the cafe holds another reference to the dictatorship. On the wall beside the counter, is a yellowed newspaper article from 1988 that mentions a secret meeting in the village between Salazar and the contemporary Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco.

An old newspaper clipping tells of a secret meeting near Cacela Velha between the contemporary Portuguese and Spanish dictators, António de Oliveira Salazar and Francisco Franco.

Funeral Traditions in Portugal

As I walk around the church of Nossa Senhora da Conceicão that dominates the praça, a large silver Citroen van pulls up. I recognize it as a hearse. Four black-suited men emerge bearing flowers. In the back I can see the brown gleam of a coffin. A notice at the church entrance shows the picture of a 91-year-old man who died in Tavira two days before. Funerals happen quickly in Portugal’s hot climate.

In the corner of the praça stands an old-style public phone box sits. It serves as a free library and lo and behold, I see a book about the prehistory of the area around the Nabão, the region in central Portugal where I live.

However, I don’t have time to linger. Low tide is the best time to see the famed shellfish that emerge from the sands along the Ria Formosa beneath the town. Low tide is in one hour, according to the tide tables I consulted.

A New Use for Salt

A flight of shallow steps descends to the sand flats. Tourists speaking Dutch and German wade across the shallow waters and sand flats toward the open sea. I spot a lone man bending over the water, remove my socks and shoes and approach him. He is pouring something into the water. When I reach him, I see it is a small container of salt. Tavira is known for its nearby salt pans.

Carlos, who is from nearby Altura, explains that the salt encourages the razor clams to emerge from their holes. He demonstrates, searching for a telltale dimple in the sand, pours the salt and waits. A second later, a ripple of movement, then a slim shape pops out, he snatches it and shows me the “Lingeirão”. “They serve them with rice here,” he says.

Suddenly, a small crab, “caranguejo”, appears. He tries to snatch it while it fights him off with his claws. Finally, he grabs it and proudly shows it to me.

I continue further along the sand flat exposed at low tide, eager for a different view of the fortifications from below. The massive slope-sided walls remind me of fortifications I have seen elsewhere on the Portuguese coast, in Peniche and the Berlengas islands where a guide said they were built to repel pirates that roamed the Mediterranean and Altlantic coast.

Crabs leave golf-ball sized clumps of sand where they have dug holes in the sand flats of the Ria Formosa which are exposed a low tide.

Suddenly I spot a host of tiny sand balls scattered in front of me. Curious, I squat to peer more closely at them and see a palm-sized crab appear from a hole. All at once, the ground in front of me is moving with dozens of crabs. The balls are the detritus of sand formed by the crabs when they dug their holes.

I head back up a sandy path toward the village. A cat meets me on the way. There are always cats in Portugal.

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Plans for cycling tour in Portugal and Spain

Riding in Portugal’s hilly countryside is a challenge.

Back in September 2023, I did a wonderful cycling trip in northern Portugal. My friend and cycling buddy, Graham, organized the trip to take in the towns of Viana do Castelo, Valença, Monção, Arcos de Valdevez, and Ponte de Lima. It was such a success that he proposed another tour, this time from Portugal to Spain. Having heard me talk about living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he proposed visiting the city of Alburquerque, Spain. Great idea, I thought.

Sadly, life got in the way; 2024 and 2025 slipped by without the chance to make that trip. Now, however, the time is nigh! My brother, Bob, also a cycling enthusiast, is flying over from Ireland at the end of May to join us. We will meet Graham in the town of Entroncamento, south of Tomar, where I live. There, we will load our bikes on the train and travel to Badajoz. The train journey to the city just across the Portuguese/Spanish border takes just under three hours. From there, we will ride 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the city of Merida, famous for its extensive Roman ruins.

After a night in Merida, Graham’s proposed route will take us about 80 kilometers (49 miles) to the city of Alburquerque. The distance does not seem too overwhelming, but unfortunately, the ride will involve about 900 meters (roughly 3,000 feet) of climbing. This is intimidating, and we hope we will have a friendly tailwind to help us along.

All the years I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I frequently heard that the city was originally spelled with an “r”. The story goes that in 1706, the 10th Duke of Alburquerque, Don Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva Enrique, (they had long names in those days), was the viceroy of New Spain (Mexico). In April of that year, the colonial governor of New Mexico, Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdez, founded a farming settlement in New Mexico and named it in honor of the viceroy.

Some Albuquerque (NM) residents may remember the celebrations held in 2006 to mark the 300th anniversary of the city’s founding.

The original Spanish city is a hilltop town of about 5,000 inhabitants, about 15 miles from the border with Portugal. It is famous for its castle and its importance as a center for the cork industry.

From there, we will head back to Portugal and spend a night in the town of Portalegre.

The town of Portalegre played a key role in the defense of Portugal in the Middle Ages.

On our final day, we will travel 62 kilometers (38 miles) to Vila Velha de Rodão, where we will catch a train back to Entroncamento. Each day will involve a lot of climbing, but I am getting fit and hope that frequent coffee stops will make it all go smoothly. After all, any day on a bicycle beats a day in the office.

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A Portuguese Tuna that has nothing to do with fish

Student musicians dressed in traditional black with emblems sing in groups called Tunas
Singers leap in the air as the Tuna group sings a song called “Rapariga”, which means teenage girl, in Portuguese

May arrived with a festive spirit here in my corner of central Portugal. Skies were clear, the temperature was balmy and the streets and cafes were full of people enjoying a public holiday. In Portugal, the day is called “Dia do Trabalhador”, or labor day. It was created as a public holiday after the 1974 Carnation Revolution, to celebrate the achievements of workers and the return of freedom and democracy after more than forty years of dictatorship.

Among the celebrations in my town of Tomar, is the annual gathering of student musical ensembles known as “Tunas”. Dressed in black robes (traje), adorned with colorful ribbons or patches, they sing, accompanied by guitars, mandolines, drums and tambourines. The songs can be satirical or romantic.

On Friday, May 1, the main square, Praça da Republica, in Tomar, was transformed into an open air concert venue for the Tunas. Groups of students clustered around the square, performing their repertoire to a cheering audience. A friend of mine told me that in previous years, male students would sing a serenade to female students lingering on the balconies above them.

Statue of Gualdim Pais, founder of the city of Tomar, dominates the Praca da Republica.

The Tuna singing groups date back to a thirteenth century Iberian tradition. The groups can also be found in Spain. They travel to competitions for the title of “Melhor Tuna” at festivals called “certames”. Or, they can compete in national and international competitions such as the Festival Internacional de Tunas Universitarias.

Church of Sao João Batista in the Praça da Republica, Tomar.

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. Find my Digger Doyle Mystery novels on my website https://rosalierayburn.com/

Portugal´s rural residents still reeling from impact of Storm Kristin in January

A landslide caused by storm flooding still blocks a critical road near Coimbra.

It has been more than two months since Storm Kristin tore across central Portugal uprooting millions of trees, downing power lines and ripping off roofs. Right behind that devastating storm, which packed winds up to 240 kilometers per hour (124 mph), came the drenching rains of Storm Leonardo causing widespread flooding throughout the hard-hit region.

Storm Kirstin affected the areas of Leiria, Coimbra and Santarem on the night of January 27. It cut off power to around one million people. The economic impact of the storm has been estimated at six billion euros, or about $7 billion. Considering damage to property, vehicles, roads, crops, fruit trees, olive trees, eucalyptus plantations and various crops, that amount seems conservative.

Many still waiting for help

I attended an event this weekend where I had a chance to listen to several people living in a rural area near Tomar who are still suffering consequences of the storm. One woman said the storm left them without electricity for three weeks. It also knocked out their internet service. She said they have been told that it could be months before they would have service restored because the internet infrastructure throughout the area had been severely damaged.

“They told me it could be up to nine months,” she said. I heard the same from the man who runs the kennels where my dog stayed over the weekend.

Several people complained that they were waiting for insurance reimbursement despite repeatedly submitting quotes for repair work.

Although repair crews have been busy, I still see downed trees, sagging power lines and damaged roofs everywhere.

Rainstorms damage roads linking rural towns

Heavy rains caused this landslide which still blocks a road linking Coimbra to the town of Penacova on the Mondego river.

As if the wind didn’t do enough damage. Rainstorms that followed in Kristin’s wake, caused widespread flooding. Landslides and subsidence damaged roads, cutting off lifelines to towns in rural areas. The Mondego River also flooded a vast area west of the city of Coimbra.

And in other news:

I have to blow my own horn here. I have a newly designed website that showcases my mystery novels. Check it out here: RosalieRayburn.com.

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Five weeks of family, friends and fun

My table at the Tucson Festival of Books, March 15

I am finally back in Portugal after a five-week trip to the US which took me from the snowy hinterlands of far upstate New York, to the sizzling deserts of Arizona, the awesome vistas of the Grand Canyon and the familiar streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico, my old home.

I timed the trip so that I could visit the Tucson Festival of Books in mid-March, where I was scheduled to showcase my “Digger Doyle Mystery Series.”

But my first priority was to spend time with my son, Patrick, and granddaughters, Annika (6) and MJ (4 1/2). Patrick is in the army and they live at Fort Drum, about ninety minutes drive north of Syracuse, New York.

Since I live several thousand miles away, I only get to see the grandchildren once a year. Each time, I notice how much they have grown and matured. As they become older, my relationship with the two girls has deepened, and I treasure these moments.

A hug on the couch with MJ, left, and Annika, right.

Highlights of my visit with Patrick´s family, included a trip to Dry Hill Ski center where the girls and my daughter-in-law, Laci, had a lesson while I tested my skiing muscle memory on the bunny hill. Meanwhile, Patrick was fearlessly whizzing down the slopes like he and I used to when he was growing up in New Mexico.

Although I used to love skiing, I hadn’t tried it since early 2019.

Heading west

After 18 wonderful days with the family, I flew from Syracuse to Albuquerque. During the couple of days I spent there, I was able to go dance swing and two-step at a pub where they had live music. Dancing is something I really miss in Portugal.

My friend Louise, who lives in Santa Fe, then picked me up in Albuquerque and drove us to Tucson. It was thrilling to see the vast high desert scenery as we headed south, then west toward Arizona. We made a lunch stop in Hatch, NM, home of the famous (and incomparable) chile that bears its name.

Squinting into the sun in front of a sign in Hatch. By the way, the spicy vegetable is always spelled “chile” in New Mexico.

Book fest in Tucson

The Tucson Festival of Books is one of the biggest events of its kind in the US. Held since 2009, it draws hundreds of authors and an estimated 100,000 attendees to the University of Arizona Mall each March.

It is an overwhelming affair. Hundreds of tents line the mall and I was glad to have a day to scope it out and talk to other authors. My slot was on the morning of the second day. I was in the “Indie Author” tent, along with about 18 other self-published authors of books in all genres. Since we were all vying for attention from the passing crowds, I was happy to sell eight books. My neighbor at the next table sold two.

Louise and I also discovered that Tucson has a lively and diverse selection of restaurants and brew pubs!

Onward to experience the Grand Canyon

During my more than 22 years living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I visited many wonders of the Southwest, including Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Arches National Park, Chaco Canyon and Canyon de Chelly. But I never made it to the big one …..the Grand Canyon.

On my visit to NM last year, I mentioned this to my friend Louise and she vowed that we would go there together if I made it to the Southwest in 2026. Hence, the trip. Suffice to say, it was every bit as impressive as I had heard, a deeply spiritual experience to be there. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Back to New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment

The Land of Enchantment is the slogan the New Mexico Tourism department has used for decades to market the state. Although it sounds corny, I have to agree that New Mexico holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Albuquerque visiting many old friends, indulging my love of New Mexico dishes like green chile stew and breakfast burritos, something I cannot find in Portugal. But of course, those things are unique to NM.

I met up for a Sunday morning walk with four former colleagues from the Albuquerque Journal. From left: Ellen Marks, Rosalie Rayburn, Cathryn Cunningham, Helen Taylor and Jennifer Swanson.
I held a book signing event at Books on the Bosque book store in Albuquerque.
I celebrated my birthday going horseback riding with my friend Mary Ann Ende outside of Albuquerque.

All in all, it was a holiday to remember. Thank you to my family and friends who made it such a special experience.

Follow my blog to learn about every day in Portugal. Check out my website, RosalieRayburn.com to get one of my Digger Doyle Mysteries.

Sun brings relief to storm-battered Portugal

Valentine’s Day brought a rare sight. The return of the sun in Portugal which has endured weeks of relentless downpours. The storms have brought an estimated 10 inches to 15 inches of rain since January 1, nearly twice the normal amount.

The rains came at the worst possible time. The country was already reeling from the effects storm, Kristin, which ripped across a wide swath of central Portugal on January 28. The storm´s hurricane-force winds uprooted thousands of trees, blew off roofs and cut off electricity, internet communications and water to hundreds of thousands of residents.

The next storms, Leonardo and Marta, added insult to injury. Rivers burst their banks, flooding towns and cities, swamping roads and causing landslides. On Feb. 11, a major road artery near Coimbra, Portugal´s third largest city, collapsed. To date, there have been 16 storm-related deaths and more than 3,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Cleanup efforts underway

Crews have been out in force repairing storm damage but the work is far from over. Many rural areas remained without electricity and internet communications for more than two weeks after Kristin hit. A friend of mine who lives alone in a small village, was without power for more than 17 days. Fortunately, she had a wood-burning stove for heat and bottled gas for cooking. Friends whose power was restored more quickly, let her shower and charge her phone at their place.

Parks in the town of Tomar, central Portugal, where I live, were full of uprooted trees. City workers have been busy with chainsaws, and heavy equipment to remove them.

Police tape keeps onlookers away from where crews are cutting up the trunk of an uprooted tree in a park in Tomar, central Portugal.

Although the weather forecast for the next few days looks rain-free, the rivers remain dangerously high. The normally placid Rio Nabão in Tomar, is a rushing torrent. Sandbags remain wedged against doorways along a canal that flanks the river. Elsewhere, the situation remains dire. Vast areas around Coimbra and further south, near the city of Santarem, are under water. There have been calls for Portugal to reevaluate its responses to climate change.

The Rio Nabão is flowing several feet above its normal level.
Sandbags wedged against the entrance to a walkway over a canal in Tomar.

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Storm Kristin wreaks havoc in Portugal

My car miraculously escaped being crushed by two trees uprooted by the near hurricane-force winds of storm Kristin which hit Portugal January 27.

A massive storm ripped across Portugal and Spain on the night of January 27. Near hurricane-force winds uprooted tens of thousands of trees, snapped concrete power poles like matchsticks and blew off roofs. The storm’s path covered a wide swath of central Portugal, leaving up to a million people without electricity, and internet communications. Many in rural areas were also without water. At least six people died in storm-related incidents. Official sources quoted by Reuters estimated the cost of the damage at four billion euros or $4.7 billion.

That was ten days ago, and many in rural areas still have no power, or water. My village was without electricity for six days. Luckily, a friend in the nearby town of Tomar, where power was quickly restored, offered her apartment as a “refugee center” where friends could charge their phones and contact relatives.

Storm Kristin, packing winds of up to 140 kph (90 mph) was the latest, and worst, in a string of heavy rain and wind events to hit the Iberian Peninsula since the beginning of December. Everywhere, the ground was already sodden. As more heavy rain struck, rivers burst their banks and flooded towns like Alcaçer do Sal, south of Lisbon. Further north, flooding cut off road access to towns like Montemor-O-Velho, west of Coimbra.

Access to the small historic town of Montemor-O-Velho has nearly been cut off by flood waters.

Crisis brings neighbors together

The severity of the storm, and the extent of the damage, brought out the best of the Portuguese spirit. In the village where I was staying, many people who work remotely, had no internet. By late morning, men from my street were out with chainsaws, cutting the trees that blocked the road. Women and children were gathering the cut branches and loading them into another neighbor’s pickup truck. One woman laughingly commented, “We have plenty of wood for our barbecues!”

Neighbors quickly came together to cut up the fallen trees to clear the street.

Uprooted trees lay along several main streets in the historic town of Tomar. The town’s picturesque parks by the Rio Nabão were transformed into a landscape of jagged roots and downed tree trunks.

Fortunately, these hugh uprooted trees fell alongside the main street instead of across it or into the apartment building.

Another storm may postpone elections

As though the storms of January and the devastation of Kristin weren’t enough, another tempest, Leonardo, is already striking the country, bringing more heavy rainand causing more damage. To complicate matters, the second round of the Portuguese presidential election is scheduled Sunday, Feb. 8. The first round, on Jan. 18 failed to yield an outright winner, so the top two vote-getters, António José Seguro and Andre Ventura, are vying for the largely ceremonial job. Ventura has called for the election to be postponed because of the storms.

Closer to home, residents of Tomar are anxiously monitoring the river level. It is higher than I have ever seen it. The usually gently flowing waters are now a raging torrent. A park beside the river where I used to walk my dog, is now 80 percent under water.

Yesterday, police and army units were distributing sandbags to businesses, stores and residents along the canal that carries river overflow. The water level in the canal is less than a foot (30 cm) from the edge.

My own home in the historic district is about 200 meters from the canal. Although the police officer directing the crew told me he didn’t think a flood could reach my door, I’m not taking any chances. I went out and bought five 5 kg bags of cat sand and have wedged them against my front door. Sometimes you have to get creative!

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What better than hot soup on a chilly winter day

The prospect of a steaming bowl of home-made soup is irresistible on a damp Sunday in January. Soup festivals are an annual tradition in towns and villages all over Portugal. In the village where I lived for five years, people flocked to the local parish hall to sample the mouth-watering soups and enjoy good cheer.

The events are all volunteer-run by community members. Volunteers set up the tables, issue the tickets, and, of course, make the soups. Festival goers pay just 10 euros for the privilege of trying as many soups as they can eat. The entry fee includes a traditional-style soup bowl created for the event. Many people collect them over the years.

The 10 euro festival ticket includes a soup bowl unique to the event.

The 2026 Festival das Sopas in my village sported nearly twenty different kinds of soup. Most of the soup chefs were Portuguese, but foreigners living in the community participated too. They included a woman from Holland, an American from Louisiana who made gumbo, a woman from South Africa, and a couple from the UK who made French Onion soup.

People lined up well before the doors opened. By the time the event was in full swing, I estimated a crowd of more than 200 people was busily sampling bowl after bowl. A friend of mine said she ate eight bowls! I was stuffed after five.

Some of the most popular Portuguese soups are the Sopa da Pedra and Caldo Verde. The Sopa da Pedra, or stone soup, is usually made with kidney beans, the spicy Portuguese chouriço sausage, pork ribs, bacon, potatoes, onion, and garlic. Caldo Verde is a kale soup. Check out these links to find the recipes.

Soup with a legend

Sopa da Pedra has a story behind it, a common theme found in several cultures. Supposedly, a group of hungry travelers stopped near a village. They had no food, but they had a large pot that they filled with water from a nearby stream. They put a stone in the pot and set it over a fire to boil. Curious passersby asked what they were doing. The travelers answered that they were making stone soup, but they needed a few more ingredients. Some people donated carrots, others peas, cabbage, and so on. Pretty soon, they had a rich, hearty soup that everyone enjoyed.

Of course, the work of the volunteer chefs is recognized. Not just by the happy smiles of those who line up to taste their soups, they also get a plaque to thank them for their hard work.

Volunteer chefs display the recognition awards for the 2026 Festival das Sopas.

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Preparing for my first major event, the Tucson Festival of Books

The Tucson Festival of Books in mid-March is one of the biggest book events of its kind in the US.

In just a few weeks I will be headed to the Tucson Festival of Books, one of the biggest book fairs in the US. Held each year on the campus of the University of Arizona, the festival attracts 300 to 400 authors and tens of thousands of visitors. This year, it will be March 14 to 15.

At the event, I will showcase my latest New Mexico-based mystery novel, Windswept. This is the third book in my Digger Doyle mystery series, featuring my intrepid reporter/detective, Elizabeth “Digger” Doyle.

Windswept: One Dead Politician. One Missing Girl

Windswept is a murder mystery set in New Mexico.

In Windswept, reporter-turned-detective Digger Doyle confronts political power, buried crimes, and a cold case that refuses to stay buried.

Working for a scrappy online newspaper in Albuquerque, Digger travels to a press conference at a remote wind farm in eastern New Mexico. The featured speaker is state representative Carmen Lawlor, a controversial figure whose efforts to block new oil and gas drilling have earned her dangerous enemies. The press conference never happens. Lawlor is found dead at the base of a wind turbine. Was it an accident—or murder?

A veteran radio reporter hints that Lawlor’s death may be tied to a decades-old mystery: the disappearance of eighteen-year-old Julie Mondragon in the desolate Malpais volcanic wilderness. Before she can explain more, the reporter herself is dead. The message is clear—someone wants the past to stay hidden.

Featured on BookSirens

I am also excited to announce that BookSirens is featuring “The Sunshine Solution“, the second book in the Digger Doyle series, in its murder mystery selections for January. BookSirens is a website where readers can discover new books and write reviews. Here is a taster of the plot.

A fearless reporter, a passionate activist, and a battle against corruption in the Southwest.

A routine press conference shouldn’t feel dangerous—but investigative reporter Digger Doyle knows when something doesn’t add up.

Now working inside New Mexico state government, Digger uncovers a solar project hiding more than green promises. Following a trail of money and deception from Chaco Canyon to the corridors of Santa Fe power, she stumbles onto a conspiracy engineered to destroy a man’s political career.

As the lies tighten, Digger must decide how far she’s willing to go for the truth—and who will pay the price when it comes out.

BookSirens is featuring The Sunshine Solution in its Mystery books for January.

Here is the link where you can get a copy of the book. https://booksirens.com/bundle/women-sleuths-arcs-you-ll-love-january-2026-batch/TQFFHJB

What compels me to write?

I wanted to write books ever since I was about eight years old. As soon as I could read, I devoured the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries. I read the early sci-fi books about Tom Swift and his various escapades. When I was in third grade, and my brother was in first, I used to tell him stories as we walked to school. The stories were about a battle between two tribes of fictional space creatures, the Findons and the Cordons. I progressed to becoming a journalist for twenty-five years. Now retired, I have written the three Digger Doyle mystery novels inspired by my experiences as a reporter for the Albuquerque Journal in New Mexico.

Every author aspires to be a best seller. Well, maybe not, but every writer certainly hopes many, many people will enjoy reading their books. I belong to a writing group and at a recent meeting we asked each other why we write. Every one of us said we write because it is a compulsion, because it is as much a part of us as breathing.

So, I am hoping you will discover Digger’s world, where she fights to expose corrupt politicians, shady developers, and falls in love! Take a look at my website, RosalieRayburn.com

Pictures of my three Digger Doyle mystery books
My three Digger Doyle Mystery novels are available on Amazon.

The Tucson Festival of Books takes place March 14-15 at the University of Arizona campus.

This is the banner I plan to display at the Tucson Festival of Books in March.