Robert Leger wrote 4 million words in his career as a reporter, columnist, editorial page editor, and public affairs consultant. Some of those words won national awards and many of them influenced local events and politics.

He is now embarked on a third chapter as a novelist and storyteller. His next 73,000 words come in the form of a novel, his first foray into writing fiction (though some critics from his journalism days might differ on that). Where I Does Not Exist, a love story within a love story, mixes family tales, 20th century history, and pure imagination to tell the story of Luisa Tenouil, whose most soul-crushing day leads her to take an unexpected path to parenthood. The novel adds northern New Mexico folklore, dichos, and magical realism.

Previously, Robert led editorial pages in Phoenix, Springfield, Mo., and Coffeyville, Kan., overseeing work that won national Headliner and Sigma Delta Chi awards, as well as winning state and national awards in his own name. In 2002-03, he was national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, the county’s oldest and at the time largest association of journalists. He led the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, SPJ’s supporting foundation, from 2012 to 2018.

When not writing, Robert joins his wife, Cindy, playing music as Duo Ocotillo at weddings, corporate events and intimate concerts.