More Margarito and Me

Whether it's building a chicken house out of an old pickup, cleaning a ditch, or counting cattle high in the mountains of 1970s northern New Mexico, Margarito Montoya has a story to tell. And his young friend Ricardo, even when he's struggling to keep an overloaded pickup from going off Deadman's Curve, just can't help but pay attention. These fifteen short stories, suitable for readers in their teens and beyond, bring to life the animals, history, culture, legends, and people, living and dead, of New Mexico through the magic that can be found every day if you just know where to look for it.

Margarito Montoya is a musician, farmer, and above all else, a teller of stories. His world is populated with the stuff of history and legend; the unexplained, the magical, the musical, the exceptional, and cultural tradition. His friend Ricardo is a willing listener and participant. After all, what is the value of a story if it is not shared? When Ricardo doesn't know the answers hidden in a dream that seems to be more than a dream, Margarito knows someone who just might have the answer. Bumper crop of zucchini? When Ricardo's grandmother says enough, Margarito must find somebody who might want it and talks Ricardo into a trip that takes them on a journey to the past. A horse with a mind of his own. An angel who makes musical instruments and bestows a precious gift. When witches rage and wreak havoc, innocents suffer. Has El Diablo finally met his match in a woman? A mysterious litter of puppies, and a dog who seems to show up where he's needed most, bring together a young girl and her dream. What is the secret of an unusual mandolin player and his mysterious wife? Ricardo finds out just how difficult it can be to repair an old washing machine or get a driver's license, shares tales of his favorite uncle and aunt, and learns the truth about a long-dead ancestor. History, culture, myth, humor, and more, live in these fifteen short stories set in the mountain villages of 1970s New Mexico, suitable for readers from their teens to nineties and beyond.

David Kyea has lived in Northern New Mexico for fifty years. He has worked as a ranch cook, woodcutter, ski lift operator, silversmith, and adobe bricklayer. He also cleared trails in the Pecos Wilderness and planted trees at altitudes of ten thousand feet. David and his wife, Lani, have raised sheep and cattle and currently live on their ranch in Union County. His law enforcement career began in 1977 and spanned twenty-six years as a Taos County Deputy Sheriff, District Attorney Investigator, Deputy Medical Investigator, and Union County Magistrate Judge. He graduated from the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy and the FBI National Academy. He enjoys traditional New Mexico Spanish music and plays guitar, mandolin, and violin. His writings have been published in the online e-zine Lunarosity, and by the New Mexico Book Coop in Voices of New Mexico and More Voices of New Mexico. His self-published works include "KITE and Other Short Stories of New Mexico" (2020) and "MARGARITO AND ME" (2021). They are available online and through most book retailers.