Anne Hillerman, daughter of author Tony Hillerman, is a journalist and author. In more than twenty years as a journalist, she worked as editorial page editor for the Albuquerque Journal North and the Santa Fe New Mexican, and as an arts editor for both papers. Since 2001, she has been the Northern New Mexico food critic for the Albuquerque Journal. Her first book, Children's Guide to Santa Fe, was published in 1983. Her other nonfiction books include The Insiders' Guide to Santa Fe, Gardens of Santa Fe, Done in the Sun, Ride the Wind: U.S.A. to Africa, and Tony Hillerman's Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn. Santa Fe Flavors: Best Restaurants and Recipes won the New Mexico Book… Award for Best Cookbook of 2009. Her debut novel, Spider Woman's Daughter: A Leaphorn and Chee Novel, was published in 2013.
Tony Hillerman was born in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma on May 27, 1925. During World War II, he enlisted in the Army and was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart after being severely injured during a raid behind German lines. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1948. From 1948 to 1962, he covered crime and politics for newspapers in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, eventually working his way up to the position of editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican. He taught at the University of Mexico and went on to chair the journalism department for more than 20 years. He retired in 1985. His first novel, The Blessing Way, was published in 1971. During… his lifetime, he wrote 29 books, including the popular 18-book mystery series featuring Navajo police officers Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, two non-series novels, two children's books, and nonfiction works. He received numerous awards during his lifetime including the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery Novel for Dance Hall of the Dead in 1974, the Western Writers of America's Golden Spur Award for Skinwalkers in 1987, the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award in 1991, the Navajo tribe's Special Friend Award, France 's Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, the 2002 Malice Domestic Lifetime Achievement Award, the Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book for Seldom Disappointed, and the Wister Award for Lifetime achievement in 2008. He died from pulmonary failure on October 26, 2008 at the age of 83.Don Strel, a photographer, has been published in numerous books and magazines. He has taught art and design at the university level and has served as the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico. He is currently the director of the Southwest Assignments photography, design and public relations agency, which he founded in 1991.