Listen to the Mockingbird - Softcover

It's 1861 in New Mexico Territory, and the Civil War is about to have a startling impact on Matty Summerhayes. Matty is struggling to develop a horse ranch to make enough money to return to the East. A stranger dies in her barn ... with a map of her land in his pocket. Then war is declared, and Texans invade her valley for the Confederacy. Rumors begin to fly about a lost gold mine and soon someone is trying to run her off her ranch. Then her closest friend Winona - a one-time slave who is now nearing childbirth - is about to be stoned for practicing voodoo, and only Matty's creative quick thinking can save her. But when Matty's greatest secret is exposed, she must find a killer or lose her ranch. Praise for Listen to the Mockingbird ''Matty's word-pictures and unorthodox civil disobedience will hold your attention until the last page.'' - Southwest Book Reviews ''...vividly recreates the dangers of life in New Mexico Territory during the Civil War, and one woman's triumph over adversity.'' - Timeless Tales ''From authentic sounding dialogue to historical accuracy ... an unforgettable treat.''

Penny Rudolph has worked as a bartender, truck driver, chile picker, science writer, and medical writer. She has also taught high school and college English, creative writing and journalism. Lifeblood is second in her series featuring Rachel Chavez. The first, Thicker than Blood, finds Rachel caught in the crossfire of California water politics. Rudolph won the 2003 EPPIE Award for Listen to the Mockingbird, an historical mystery/thriller set in New Mexico during the Civil War, and has also earned awards from the National Writers Association, Southwest Writers, Florida First Coast Writers, and Panhandle Professional Writers. She lives in Albuquerque, NM, with her husband Ralph and a small menagerie of stray animals.