Season 4 Ep. 7

I got my first horse, boots, and cowgirl hat when I was three years old. Decades later and after moves to Wyoming, Texas, and California, I imagined a book idea about the American West. It didn’t take long for me to pull the rest of it together, but it did take the talents of many. This is the story behind the story.

I’d known and worked with Atlanta-based interior designer William Peace for over twenty years in various capacities when I shared a book idea with him in 2018. Although it took several more years for Bill to come around to the idea, that book was finally published by Gibbs Smith in 2026. It was a surreal moment to see the book in the window on Rue de l’Echaudé in Paris; just a few streets from where Ernest Hemingway penned “The Sun Also Rises.”

I created the working title, “Peace in the West,” in September 2024 and based it on a triple entendre. First, on Peace’s last name. Second, on the peace that ensued after settling the American West. Third, for the peace we all find in the vast landscapes in that part of the country. The publisher loved it, so “Peace in the West” was born.

When Bill asked how I’d tell the story of thirty years of houses, from rustic to modern, I was standing outside a restaurant in Bozeman, Montana watching the sun set over the Bridger Mountain Range in March 2024. I explained to him on the phone that “the only thing that matters for a house in the West is where it’s sited so that it’s protected from storms while also providing sunlight in long, dark winters, so sun transitions can be used as chapter breaks.” Renowned photographer Chris Douglas provided those chapter break images.

I’d imagined the cover as Bill standing in the midst of a vast mountain landscape; however, he preferred one of his favorite artistic images that mixed rustic with modern as the cover shot. Ultimately, we photographed Bill in the wide Paradise Valley in March 2024, and that shot by acclaimed photographer Whitney Kamman became the back cover image.

I wrote the manuscript to include both historical and geographical references. From Native American history and culture, to the explorations of Lewis and Clark, the book weaves history into the context of each chapter. Additionally, I included the geography of each place, whether in the mountains, a valley, or along a rambling river.

Books are not singular projects. Rather, they require a raft of talent that includes writers, photographers, art directors, and the guidance and diligence of superb editors and publishers. We could not have had a more steady, experienced hand than that of the great Editor, Madge Baird, of Gibbs Smith. I’m certain that this book has more than 200 years of combined experience with all of the people who contributed their expertise to it.

This was my first book, and I’ve got another one debuting soon. For today, I’ve found my peace: in telling stories about people, places, and history, and always with the talents of many by my side.