Dennis Ecklund was born a stone's throw from the Rio Grande river in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Dec. 1, 1946. He lost his father at an early age and worked to help support his mother and younger sister. His began his career as a dishwasher working nights at age 13. He’s worn many hats since then. Among other things, he knows how to shoe a horse, scrape a boat, repair old Volkswagens, short-order cook, machine anything, edit a newspaper and run a darkroom.. “Nowadays I take care of my wife and three cats,” Ecklund said. “I grow tomatoes when it’s warm enough, and when there’s time, I write.”