I am a lifetime “Desert Rat.” When not being paid as an archaeologist to be out in the Desert Southwest searching through the dust for the clues and artifacts left behind by the First Americans, I can be found hiking into some desolate canyon on my own time, just to see what there is to learn. I have spent my life around writers, archaeologists, educators, Indians, cowboys, farmers, ranchers and energy-exploration workers. The West. The Real West.

The places I’ve seen, the work I’ve done, and the extraordinary people I’ve run into along the way have painted the worldview of my writings.

I have stood at the locations of most of the scenes in The Thorn in Coyote’s Eye, my first work of fiction. Writing. It’s what I do.

The First Fictional Work from Curtis Martin

Coming Soon! The Thorn in Coyote’s Eye
A contemporary American western adventure story of adversaries becoming allies against a common foe.

“Curtis’ evocation of the desert is wonderful—the vegetation, the animals, the weather, the heat, the sky—everything! He captures it. His writing holds the tension well, I was holding my breath at the outhouse scenes. The character Foster is simply priceless, beginning to end, and I like Lester, who really parallels some of the Navajo that I have encountered—the ones who seem to truly relate to their ancestry, traditions, and culture.”
Danni Langdon

Technical writer and editor in archaeology, environmental science, and ranch management

Upcoming Events and Speaking Engagements

Mesa County Libraries-Collbran Branch
“Bright Beads & Rusted Relics”

October 12, 2024   2:00 pm
Collbran Congregational Church
2003 High Street, Collbran

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Surface Creek Valley Historical Society
“Bright Beads & Rusted Relics: 19th Century Ute Indian Sites in West Central Colorado”

September 12, 2024
Pioneer Town Museum, Cedaredge