From Anne Montgomery 

People are much more likely to die from heat than from any othernatural phenomena.

Here in the Sonoran Desert, the heatis upon us. We desert dwellers are forced to understand the dangers lurking inthose high thermometer readings. We know they can very quickly lead to death.

Unfortunately, many visitors to our valley don’t seem tounderstand. Just two weeks ago, a tourist died on one of our city trails, ayoung woman who tried scaling Camelback Mountain without water. In July! Earlier, when paramedicshad to rescue dehydrated hikers from our parks, a dozen firefighters werethemselves overcome by the heat. In response, some of our trails have beenclosed to the public. Others are only open early in the morning and in theevening.

It’s interesting, I think, that somany people fear hurricanes and tornados and floods and earthquakes when thenatural event most likely to kill them is heat.

I know first-hand the horrors of heatsickness. The symptoms can arrive frighteningly fast. Dizziness, confusion,headache, nausea, signs that can quickly lead to unconsciousness and death. Allbut one of my bouts of heat illness were brought on by officiating and my ownstupidity. I was an amateur sports official for 40 years, where I calledfootball, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball games. I was almostalways the only woman on the field, a fact that was rarely far from my mind.

My first attack of heat sickness occurred when I umpired a baseball gamein extreme heat.

As you can imagine, I was sometimesmade to feel I didn’t belong in the officiating ranks, and I was keenly awarethat any show of weakness would lay me open to negative comments from my peers,coaches, and fans. So, the first time I got heat sickness, I struggled throughit. It was a baseball game and I was clad in the necessary armor required forworking behind the plate: chest protector, shin guards, wool cap, polyestershirt and slacks, steel-toed shoes. The sun was relentless. After the game, Iwent home and balanced myself under a cold shower for what seemed like hours. Idrank Gatorade and copious amounts of water. I felt lousy for a day or two,then returned to the field.

One of the problems associated withheat illness is that once you get it your internal thermometer is messed up andyou start succumbing to it more easily. I’m a slow learner sometimes, so ittook me a while to finally take a stand. One day, in a sub-varsity footballgame, I called time and went to the trainer. He took one look at me and draggedme into the locker room where he filled me with fluids and applied wet, icytowels to my head and neck. I was rather surprised when my crew mates greetedme at halftime and promptly told me to go home and get well. No derision. Nosmirks. I realized then that most outdoor officials in the southwest haveprobably suffered similarly at one time or another.

Most of my bouts of heat sickness came while I officiated footballgames in Arizona’s scorching Sonoran Desert, where temperatures often exceed110 degrees.

A few years later, the telltale signsof heat sickness attacked in the middle of a varsity football game, and you’dbe proud of me. I signaled time out, struggled off the field, and said I wassick. Later, when I opened my eyes in the school’s nursing office, I foundmyself surround by four paramedics. They were so attentive and cute. I brieflyconsidered that they might be male strippers with their prominent muscles andappealing uniforms, but that was just my heat-addled brain.

What finally made me understand thetrue dangers of heat illness was the time I got lost in the desert. I did allthe wrong things. I went rock collecting alone. I walked away from my strandedvehicle. I had two dogs with me who drank all my water. When I saw that lasthalf inch of liquid in my bottle and felt the sun beating down, I tied my dogsunder a bush and hoped the coyotes would stay away. I built cairns as I triedto find my way back to civilization, so I might locate my sweet pups if Isurvived. While the whole ordeal only lasted half-a-day and I was safelyreunited with my dogs, the episode is etched into my brain. As is the fact thattoday I might be nothing more than a pile of bleached bones in the vast SonoranDesert.

While lost in the desert, I suffered from heat sickness, and today Iconsider myself lucky to be alive.

It’s understandable then that I nevergo anywhere without water. That bottle is always in my hand, which here in thedesert is pretty much normal. In fact, those without a mobile water supply areeasily identified as tourists.

The point is, heat can kill you quickly. And when youconsider that our world is heating up rapidly, it’s something we should alltake into account whenever we leave the bliss of air-conditioning.

Here is a peek at Anne's latest release.

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Praise for Your Forgotten Sons

“Although a deftly crafted work of original fiction, “Your Forgotten Sons” by Anne Montgomery is inspired by a true story. An original and inherently interesting read from start to finish, “Your Forgotten Sons” will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated pick.”  Midwest Book Review

“This was a quick, riveting read that really challenged me to think differently about our servicemen and women, especially those who take on the jobs that don’t get heroically depicted in the media or news…I really highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a different take on American history. I left it with a newfound appreciation for the unsung heroes.” Bekah C NetGalley 

“This is the truth. It’s gritty and painful and bittersweet – and true.  When you think you’ve read every perspective of WWII, along comes Bud to break your heart.” Bridgett Siter Former Military Reporter

“Anne Montgomery writes a strong story and I was hooked from the first page. It had a great concept and I enjoyed that this was inspired by a true story…It was written perfectly and I was invested in the story. Anne Montgomery has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more.” –  Kathryn McLeer NetGalley 

Available at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Kobo  Anne Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. 
Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. 
When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.
Learn more about Anne on her  website ,  Wikipedia ,  Facebook , Linkedin , and Twitter .