A Land Called Arizona by Kristy McCaffrey #arizona

I'm so pleased to join the Cowboy Kisses Blog. For my inaugural post, I thought I should introduce myself, which goes hand-in-hand with my home state of Arizona.

Born and raised in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix, I grew up scrambling among the many Indian ruins in the area.

Here I am at Mesa Verde National Park. No, it's not
in Arizona but rather Colorado. My parents liked to
roadtrip.

Like most children, I didn't appreciate this upbringing until, in my early 20's, I moved away and was blindsided by homesickness. For almost 20 years I lived in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region—attending graduate school, getting married, and raising my children. It was at this time that I wrote my first historical western romance, dictated both by the story itself and by my sudden desire to know more about the places I'd romped in throughout my childhood. Five years ago, my husband brought me home to Arizona, where we now live in the desert north of Phoenix. One of the greatest gifts he's ever given me, I feel blessed each day to live in the land that literally makes my bones tingle.

Did you know?

Arizona became a separate territory in 1863 and a state in 1912.

Arizona has more cacti than any place in the world.

The name Arizona is derived from the Papago Indian words 'Aleh Zon', which mean 'small spring' and describe the site of a fabulous silver strike near Nogales, Mexico in 1736.

Phoenix originated in 1866 as a hay camp to supply Camp McDowell.

 

The first lot for Phoenix was purchased by Judge
William Berry of Prescott. It was the southwest
corner of First and Washington Streets, and he
paid the rather steep price of $116.

The Phoenix area rapidly expanded in growth after World War II, due in part to the invention of air conditioning.

Oraibi, on a Hopi mesa in northeast Arizona, is reputed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in America.

 

Oraibi, circa 1870's

Arizona has the largest Native American population in the U.S., with the highest percentage of Indian land set aside among all the states.

Arizona produces more copper than the rest of the nation combined.

The best preserved meteor crater in the world is located near Winslow, Arizona. The impact was about 22,000 years ago.

 

Meteor Crater

Arizona's top tourist attraction is the Grand Canyon.

**************

My most recent book is set in Arizona.

Rancher Ethan Barstow is weary of the years-long estrangement from his brother, Charley. Deciding to track him down is easy; not so easy is riding in the company of Kate Kinsella, Charley’s fiancée. In the land of the Navajo, spirits and desire draw them close, leading them deeper into the shadows and to each other.

Now available: Kindle | Nook | Smashwords | Trade Paperback