Dear Colleagues and Friends from Around the World,
This month, you can click on the poster above to access the latest Arizona Authors Association Newsletter, which includes my “An Ode to Travel Writers,” which is part of my Million Mile Walker Review column on page 15. I highlight two writers who have inspired my travel writing: Paul Theroux and Moritz Thomsen.
You can also find out about a special presentation I’ve been working on with the Phoenix Writers Club and the Arizona Authors Association for Danielle Hampson, the founder of The Authors Show. On page 31, Danielle will discuss the nuances of promoting writers’ books.
I also have new Culture Watch, What Others Are Saying, What We’re Reading and Why? quotes, and an updated Calendar. You can also check out my latest interview on Voyage Phoenix Magazine—it’s a keeper!
But first, the Guatemala Reader E-Book has reached Best Seller status for Central American Travel! Here’s a link to the press release we sent to 600,000 journals and newspapers around the world, which made this possible. The paperback edition was the Best New Release on Amazon.
Also, The Guatemala Reader is now available on Ingram Spark, which, over the last 10 years, has acquired titles in 1,000 languages, helped more than 200,000 authors publish their work, and distributed 174 million books to readers across seven continents. Ingram Spark’s global coverage means my book is now available to bookstores and libraries worldwide, so please take a copy to your favorite bookstore or library and ask them to acquire it for their readers! I just donated a copy of my book to the local Scottsdale Public Library, so they now have all three of my books.
Culture Watch
As we continue to experience triple-digit temperatures for a record FOUR MONTHS STRAGHT in the Valley of the Sun, this article from Pulitzer award-winning author George Packard is most timely. I found out about him from an interview on Amanpour & Co. This quote from the climate issue of the Atlantic summed this situation up nicely:
“644 die from heat in Maricopa County—mostly homeless or dispossessed. The key question is, “Can a political culture so prone to extremism (we have electoral & climate change deniers galore in Arizona) solve a problem as big & complicated as water?” People come because of the climate, but it’s dangerous four months of the year.”
The jury on this question is still out, but rest assured, the number of extreme heat warnings in Phoenix will only increase in the future.
What Others Are Saying
Voyage Phoenix Magazine staff interviewed me recently in the “Inspiring Stories” segment. Please pass it along to a friend, as they asked good questions, and the graphics are outstanding (including some from the Peace Corps and work in Africa).
Life & Work with Mark Walker of Scottsdale – VoyagePhoenix – Phoenix
Also, the Midwest Book Review did an insightful critique of The Guatemala Reader:
The Guatemala Reader offers a unique and insightful perspective on this mesmerizing country, promising to transport you to a world of wonder and enchantment.
Whether you are planning your next adventure to Guatemala or simply yearning to learn more about this captivating destination, The Guatemala Reader is your key to unlocking its secrets and treasures.
Here’s the link to the entire review: http://Midwest Book Review of The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives & Amazing Stories by Mark D. Walker – Million Mile Walker
What We’re Reading and Why?
Mark Jacobs is one of my favorite storytellers. A fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, he’s worked in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia and is always attracted to places that are not tourist havens. I first learned of him reading The Stone Cowboy, in which a burnt-out American doper, fresh from a Bolivian prison, connives with a naive social worker while helping her find her magician brother—and ends up conducting her on a tour of the hell that is the coca trade.
This is Jacobs’ first book in thirteen years, and he introduces the reader to a different kind of hell set in Africa. Into the “heart of darkness” inspired by Conrad’s epic trip in 1890 down the Congo River, iconic writers Conrad and Graham Greene influenced Jacobs’ creative genius.
The author is one of the most prolific writers in the U.S., having written over 170 articles over the last forty years. He’s helped me with several projects, including a documentary on Guatemala, and penned a testimonial for my latest book.
The main character of this epic journey is a 37-year-old Louisiana native, Smith, who is employed on an oil platform off the coast of West Africa. He grows tired of the platform and wins a “stash” of diamonds in a poker game. The only catch is that he has to find them in the immense, war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.
… Even the book’s cover features an evocative design that matches the mysterious and adventurous nature of the story. It evokes a dense, dark jungle scene reflecting the novel’s setting in the heart of Africa and elements and silhouettes of a man possibly representing the protagonist, Smith, embarking on a perilous journey.
“If John le Carré were an American, his name would be Mark Jacobs.”
—Kinky Friedman
Go here for the entire review: https://millionmilewalker.com/2024/09/silent-light-by-mark-jacobs-reviewed-by-mark-d-walker/
Calendar
- October 10-12: Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference,
at ASU.
- November 23, a joint meeting of the Phoenix Writers Club and the Arizona Authors Association (where I’m a proud Board member) for a presentation by Danielle Hampson, founder of The Authors Show, on the Give a Book Get a Smile program. Contact me for details.
You can find my 80 book reviews and 28 articles, plus several videos and photos, on my website, including a reduced price for my new book if you read it and pass it along to your local library: http://millionmilewalker.com. “Follow” me on Twitter—at https://twitter.com/millionmile and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/millionmilewalker/ for the latest international affairs and literature. And please share the link to the sign-up page to the Dispatch for any friends you think will enjoy it. Million Mile Walker Newsletter – Million Mile Walker.
And, as always, if you’ve read “Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, the Best Travel Book according to the Peace Corps Writers, and of course, my most recent book, The Guatemala Reader, please review and rate them on Amazon and Goodreads.
Shalom!
Mark D. Walker