A Window on Sedona: Living in the Land of the Red Rocks

If eyes are the "window of the soul," then windows are the eyes of our houses. In Sedona, those windows look out at some of the most astonishing and dramatic landscapes in North America. A new book from Cinnamon Stone Publishing, LLC, Sedona, opens a luminous window on one of nature's most unusual works of art, the red rock country of northern Arizona. This book contains much more than beautiful scenery, although some 140 examples of the glorious photography of Paula Jansen are spread throughout this lush, full-color throughout production. Some photos capture classically memorable vistas and towering formations, as well as intimately expressive details of the terrain. But for this book, the camera, and the authors, also go indoors to show you the landscape as viewed from the inside out. In the process, they reveal the eccentricities and inspirations of ordinary people living in an extraordinary place. Gardens, barns, baths, kitchens, walkways, workrooms -- ! all are emboldened and enriched with the human creative response to natural environment.

Authors Dottie Webster and Pamela Morris provide detailed information about these striking dwellings and private interiors as well as selected vignettes about the people who created them, and how they came to live in the land of the red rocks. What is Sedona really like? Six chapters capture aspects of the place through a close and unusual look at earth, light, water, dwellings, community, and flavors of the area. This book looks deeply into a fabled landscape, observing the colors and shapes of its earthly foundation, the qualities of its high desert light, the presence and absence of water, and the way the place is inhabited by people. Having touched the senses through images and words, it ends with a tasty finale -- 36 locally inspired recipes that capture the savor of the land through a celebration of its produce: rosemary, pinon nuts, apples, Verde Valley corn, juniper berries, a! nd more. This chapter too is gloriously illustrated -- with people, food, and private kitchens. A Window on Sedona: Living in the Land of the Red Rocks goes well beyone the traditional tribute to place. It will intrigue, satisfy, and inspire both locals and visitors, friends at a distance, anyone who has spent time in Sedona -- or dreamed of doing so. Pull back the curtains and see for yourself. 144 pages, 8.5 x 10.5, hardback with jacket. 140 color photographs.

Dottie Webster has published a Recipe Index Book and also helped to publish and promote a Junior League cookbook. She has extensive background in volunteerism and in a broad range of creative projects, including color consulting and hand writing analysis.

Pamela Morris was a journalism major at Arizona State University, has provided volunteer leadership for a variety of organizations and has worked professionally as an interior designer.