By Rich Dunn — Nevada author Suzanne Morgan Williams will be the featured speaker at Monday’s Democratic luncheon. Suzy, as she’s known to her many friends and admirers, has authored thirteen works of fiction and nonfiction.
Her best-known work, Bull Rider, was first published in 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. It’s a young adult story about Cam O’Mara, a ranch kid from the sage brush country of central Nevada. He can handle a skateboard, but unlike his brother Ben he isn’t a champion bull rider. When Ben joins the Marines and is seriously wounded in combat, Cam turns to his family’s traditions, bull riding in particular, to overcome his grief and give his brother hope for a new life. The story blends themes of family, personal resilience, and the challenges of bull riding.
Bull Rider won a Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, and has been listed on several state library award lists. It was a Junior Library Guild Selection and represented Nevada at the National Book Festival. Although written for children and young adults, Bull Rider has readers of all ages. It connects especially well with Westerners and veterans, as well as rodeo and extreme sports enthusiasts.
Suzanne Morgan Williams’ latest book, Sierra Blue, takes readers to the high Sierra near Bridgeport, as fourteen-year-old Magic Kendall spends the summer before ninth grade working on her great-aunt’s horse ranch. She has gone there to escape bullying and harassment. After witnessing a horse trailer accident, Magic struggles to decide whether she should save the life of an injured filly, even though that would reveal that she can see the auras around animals and has unique healing powers. That is a secret she’s kept hidden from both friends and family. Through these experiences, Magic Kendall learns important lessons about friendship, truth, and embracing individual differences. The book should appeal to horse and animal lovers, and anyone who’s ever struggled with feeling “different.”At the luncheon, signed copies will be available for purchase.
Suzanne Morgan Williams’ first book, published by Pacific View Press in 1996, was Made in China, Ideas and Inventions from Ancient China. This work has taken her into classrooms to connect with students, to universities and museums to work with experts, and to communities like ours to share experiences.
Suzanne is a Regional Advisor Emerita of the Nevada chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, an organization dedicated to supporting authors and illustrators of children’s books, whether they’re just starting out or already published. The SCBWI offers events, workshops, critique groups, and networking opportunities to help members improve their craft and connect with others in the industry. She is also a founding member of the Sierra Arts Foundation Literary Community, and a Nevada Arts Council teaching artist.
This event is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Monday, March 17th, and can either be attended in person at Seven Grille, inside Max Casino, or online via Zoom. The presentation will begin after all lunch orders have been taken, around 1:30 PM. Those wishing to be on distribution for luncheon Zoom links and videos should contact Rich Dunn at richdunn@aol.com.
During the noon hour (12:00 to 1:00 PM) newly-elected Lyon County Democratic chair Lynne Ballatore will be present to talk about how the Lyon Dems are gearing up for the primary and general elections of 2026.
This event is sponsored by the Carson City Democratic Central Committee, and is open to the public.
