My favorite author and inspiration is Tony Hillerman.  He and I write in much the same genre.  He and I have communicated over the past year and a half and I’ve treasured the contact.  I highly recommend all his works.  His website address at Harper Collins is: 
http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/4488/Tony_Hillerman/index.aspx

Another of my favorite authors is John Grisham.  Some of the others are Clavell, Mitchener, David Baldacchi, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Perri O’Shaughnasey, Steinbeck,
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/grisham/

The Navajo nation is just that, a nation within a nation.  Indian tribes enjoy a limited soverenty similar to states.  The Navajo nation has  s sophisticated culture and government enriched by a most distinctive religious tradition.  The following links lead you to the tribal government and the local chapter, (kind of like a county) for the Shiprock area.  http://www.navajo.org/ , http://shiprock.nndes.org/

Shiprock is the dominant geographical feature of the lower San Juan river valley.  It is at once beautiful and intriguing.  This link will reveal some of the background, history and folklore of Shiprock
http://www.lapahie.com/Shiprock_Peak.cfm

This is the official website of the Four Corners National Monument and Mesa Verde National Monument
http://www.mesaverde.com/fcmonument.htm

Farmington, NM is the largest city in the Four Corners region.  It is a booming oil and gas town whose agricultural roots have been pushed far into the background by new commerce and industry.  It is also a reservation border town that exhibits all the stark contrasts between the rich white society juxtaposed next to the relative poverty of the reservation.  It is not a city I care much for, but then it didn’t care much for me either.  http://www.farmington.nm.us/

The contrast between Farmington and Durango, CO, though only separated by 44 short miles, is as stark as the contrast between Farmington and the Reservation.  Durango has all the charm and beauty Farmington lacks.  Farmingtonites frequently “escape” up the road to Durango for a refreshing dose of cool mountain beauty and feeling of respite from the lower San Juan Valley.  One visit to Durango is never enough and once there one wonders why they should ever leave.  Here are a couple of links that will give you just a taste of this charming mountain town.  http://www.durangogov.org/,  http://www.durango.com/about_durango/durango_information.asp

No reason for this link other than it’s the area where I grew up and is Jason Steven’s hometown.  Provo and the surrounding Utah Valley is one of the more delightful places in the West.  http://www.utah.com/provo/

This link takes you to my home county.  Sanpete is a beautiful little mountain valley filled with delightful villages and towns and a wonderful collection of simple, honest, hardworking people.  If one has to live somewhere, they could do worse than Sanpete County, although I do miss my winter garden I left behind in California.  http://sanpetecounty.org/

And last but not least, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) is a great part of Utah culture.  My wife and I happen to be card-carrying members.  We recommend it to you.  If you want to know more, click on this link.  http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg