Fran Stoval

Fran Stoval has lived in Los Alamos since 1968. When she and her husband first came here, they spent many seasons exploring the Northern New Mexico mountain dirt roads where they discovered apple orchards, lots of beautiful mountain scenery, old ghost towns, and some very interesting local characters. Once, while trying to get to the ghost town of Albermarle, they came to a gate across the road by the ghost town of Bland. There stood Effie Jinks, who stood in front of the gate with a rifle, not allowing them to pass through! Effie Jinks makes an appearance in Fran’s newest artistic and literary endeavor, “The Secret Dragons”. After all these years living in Los Alamos, and because over this time Fran has become a very successful stained glass and pastel painting artist, Fran’s idea for a children’s book set in the Northern New Mexico Jemez mountain setting was born. Fran has written and illustrated “The Secret Dragons” where a newly born baby dragon, Bow, has help from the summer Tent Rock Guest Ranch kids, Mark, Emily and Clare, to get back to his dragon parents. The adventures that take place that summer are never ending.

Fran’s illustrations for “The Secret Dragons” and her imaginative story about the secret dragons up in the enchanted mountains of northern New Mexico is truly a fun, historical connection to a time in history that was just on the cusp of some earth shattering discoveries that would eventually be made in Los Alamos. She hopes her story of Bow that takes place in 1938 is her way of sharing some of the life enhancing impressions that has made her the successful artist and now author that she is today.