Bit

I grew up & still reside in the Desert southwest. A Tucson native, I grew up immersed in a rich meld of Scot/Irish, Hispanic, Sicilian & Native American culture & customs. Lucky enough to be raised around horses & cattle, I began writing poetry in the fifth grade. I write about the land, its people & the only way of life I have ever known. Rodeo & ranching are in my blood, as is the Code of the West. I am just as at home horseback, on a dance floor or in the back chutes. I divide my time between my children, my close knit family, my menagerie of animals, my day job, jewelry designing & writings.I am a member of the Celtic Western trio, Cowboy Craic, along with Gerald “Casey” Allen and Jeff Streeby. Cowboy Craic has performed at private house concerts, Book Festivals, Cowboy Gatherings, Corporate Barbecues and other venues across North America. We have performed on an Educational & Performance Tour of Ireland in both the Summer of 2005 & 2006. We taught a workshop on the Culture & Heritage of the American West through Poetry, Song and Story, introducing our 37 International students to the correlation between Irish Traditional Ballads and the songs of the Trail. While in Ireland, we also shared the songs and stories of the American West in Pubs, Libraries, Fine Restaurants, B&Bs and Private House Concerts. You can find out more about us at www.cowboycraic.com.In September of 2003, I published my first book, Rodeo'n, Romanc'n & Remember'n, a compilation of poems written by Lilbit & Jacob MacCallister which reflects a life long relationship with Rodeo, both rocky & rich. Cactus Faeries, a child's picture book set in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, was released in February 2006. An entertaining and lighthearted picture book about Faeries who come from distant places riding shooting stars educates children about the different types of cactus in the desert.