Broken Widow: Darkness Finds the Light

by Roger Mendoza

“Elizabeth scrubbed away at the blood that had pooled on her floor. There was a lot of blood. She thought about the man that had just been lying here as she scrubbed harder. He was one of the men that worked for her husband more than ten years ago. She remembered him as soon as she saw him. She believed that he was the man that had killed her dear friend, Margaret. She wiped a tear away from her cheek. She never expected to see him again. Just an hour before he was in her living room pointing a gun at her and Tom, her son. She threw the once pristine white rag into the pail full of blood red water and went to get some fresh water...” Elizabeth, now 49 years old lost her husband, Josef ten years before. He was the most powerful man in the small town not far from San Francisco. After he died, her brother, Thomas took over the Sheriff’s job. She hoped that Thomas would be a just and fair sheriff. She’d been wrong. She and her son moved to San Francisco to get away from the corruption that permeated that town. Just a few months ago, Thomas was shot dead after he’d used his influence to have an innocent man found guilty of murder. Now Elizabeth lives alone in San Francisco and her son, Tom is the sheriff of the small town that she left all those years ago. She’s very proud of Tom, he is a fair and just sheriff. She is haunted by memories of her dead husband and of her dear friend Margaret. But, some loose ends from her past threaten to bring chaos back into her life. Someone is going to kill her unless she makes peace with the past and starts living in the present. This is the third book in the series: The E. B. Roberts Chronicles.

212 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2015

About the author

Roger Mendoza is a storyteller, designer, and multimedia creator whose work blends frontier grit, mythic imagination, and emotional truth. As the founder of Romen Graphics and a creative force behind Dark Sheriff Records, he builds interconnected worlds across books, music, photography, and handcrafted physical editions.

Roger spent most of his career as a software engineer in the defense industry, where he honed his analytical mind and lifelong passion for problem‑solving. After twenty-three years in California and fifteen years in Colorado, he returned to his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, settling on the outskirts where rural quiet meets city convenience. There, he continues to write, design, and produce his work with a hands‑on approach that reflects both precision and artistry.

A professional photographer, Roger explores the natural beauty around San Antonio, capturing light and quiet moments that inspire his stories. Family history is another cornerstone of his life; as the eighth of ten children, he has spent years preserving photographs, documents, and memories that connect generations.

His curiosity about human behavior, life’s mysteries, and the drama that unfolds in everyday lives fuels his storytelling. Whether writing frontier dramas, ghost stories, or modernized classics, a single creative philosophy unifies Roger’s work: stories should feel lived-in, personal, and unforgettable.

He continues to expand both the World of the Dark Sheriff and the Lightborn Saga—two mythic, interconnected universes that anchor his books, music, and visual art into one cohesive creative continuum. Together, these series form a larger cosmology that spans generations, realms, and genres, inviting readers into worlds that feel lived‑in, resonant, and unmistakably his own.

Reviews

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book directly from the author. In exchange I want to give a fair and an honest review. This was absolutely one of the funnest, best reads I've had the pleasure to read. It starts in a small western town during a time when the Civil War was coming to a close. The main character (Elizabeth) has seen death and turmoil from the people she loved who were in her past. With a need for money and a desire for power some very unpleasant people intrude on her current life, leaving no choice that she face and tie up the events of the past, while staying alive from danger staring her in the face so she can move on with her life. The Sheriff (her finance) and her son Tom (Sheriff in a few towns over) both try to keep her safe. But she is a strong woman with elegance. The book is fast paced with a lot of action and twists at every corner. Who is the betrayer and who is the friend? This is the third book of a series, and I am so delighted to make it a point to get the first two books of the series now that I'm hooked. To the author, job well done.

[Roger Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author of this book. It is by far my favorite in the series. I had fun writing it. I've read it several times and enjoy each of the characters each time they 'perform' for me. I hope that you too enjoy them.
Roger Mendoza