Joe Cappello

Joe Cappello lives and writes in the picturesque desert country of Galisteo, New Mexico. His short story, “Peabody” won 3rd place in the New Mexico Press Women’s 2026 Communications Contest. Two other short stories, “Running Errands,” and “The Codex of Lady Lucy Bugg” placed second and third, respectively, in that group’s 2025 Contest. He has recently published a collection of his short stories entitled, “The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man” and invites you to read more about it at his website, joecappelloauthor.com.

Putting Down Roots in Waldo

Bruno tried to shake off the dust from his black velvet slippers and beige silk pajama legs as he walked along the dirt road. But it was no use. The dirty grains stubbornly clung to his clothes no matter how hard he tried to shake them loose. He stopped and looked around at the unknown landscape, feeling like a prisoner who managed to escape, but from where and from whom he hadn’t a clue.

The Codex of Lady Lucy Bugg

News of the impending arrival of a word warrior shook the sleepy town of Surrender, New Mexico. For Deputy Sheriff Ingrid Zoe Cole (“Izzy” for short), it didn’t change her routine much, except she took a second glass of bourbon instead of her usual one at lunch.
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