The open session with Sourcebooks editor, Deb Werksman, entitled Stitch, Pitch and Color will still be held on Thursday evening in the Ascent Library. However, the time has changed to 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Bring your knitting, coloring books and questions and join Deb for an informal, friendly session of crafts and answers.
Michelle Crystal’s wonderful debut novel, Lavender Blue (adult mainstream fiction, 342 pages) was released, November 30, 2017, by Author House. It is available Author House.com, Amazon, Apple Books, and Barnes and Noble.
Rachel Tate enjoys an idyllic life—a handsome husband, three healthy sons, a comfortable lifestyle—but when disaster strikes, she stands to lose it all. Shocking repercussions follow their insurmountable tragedy, leaving Rachel drowning in grief, self-pity, and doubt.
As a favor to her mother, Rachel assists in cleaning out her ailing grandmother’s home. There, she stumbles upon journals authored by her great-great-grandmother, Anna Murdock Pierce. The two women exist centuries apart, but live nearly parallel lives. Will learning about the past bring insight to Rachel’s present—or will the daunting trials she faces get the best of her?
Past, present, and future collide, on Rachel’s journey to understanding.
Michelle Crystal bridges the gap between commercial and literary fiction. She began writing poetry in elementary school, receiving publication at an early age. Her poetry lends fluidity and symmetry to her fiction. Addicted to metaphor, she can find one in just about anything. Luckily, her family endures her regular, boundless allegories, she discovers in everyday events. While Michelle loves metaphor, clichés curdle her stomach and are not allowed utterance in her home. If she’s not writing, Michelle is probably out scouring thrift shops for some rare find.
Email: michelle@readmichellecrystal.com
Website: readmichellecrystal.com
The Dragons of Dunkirk releases on March 29th. A WWII/Fantasy mashup, the book is the first in a planned series that follows the head of the German Occult program, a Dwarven commander, and a British infantry squad as our world is invaded by dragons, dwarves, elves, and other fantasy creatures.
Dragons, Dwarves and Spitfires! Oh, MY!
Bob Mayer has graciously agreed to fill in as a keynote speaker for PPWC 2018. You’ll love this guy. Bob Mayer is a New York Times bestselling author, a graduate of West Point, former Special Operations, and the feeder of two yellow Labs, most famously Cool Gus. He’s had over seventy books published, including the #1 bestselling series Area 51, Atlantis, and the Green Berets. Be sure to register now (lower registration price is good until March 30th).
This year’s Zebulon was full of challenges, not only for the contestants, but also for myself. Learning the ropes, encountering website glitches, and dealing with unforeseen contest huddles has placed me behind scheduled. I do apologize. However, with a glass half full attitude, I’ve learned a lot over the past year!
We are now in the homestretch, ranking the finalists in the VIP round. I expect to announce the winners in the upcoming week.
Your patience is more than appreciated as we complete this edition of the Zebulon.
There were many amazing entries, and I wish each and every contestant the best of luck.
Questions? Comments? I welcome your e-mail at: contest@pikespeakwriters.com
The final round for the Zebulon 2018 is now underway. This year’s VIP judges are:
Kelsy Thompson, Acquisition Editor at Jolly Fish Press and will be judging – Mainstream/Literary/Historical.
Deb Werksman, Editorial Director at Sourcebooks and will be judging – Romance/Women’s Fiction.
Martin Biro, Editor at Kensington Publishing and will be judging – Science Fiction/Fantasy.
Angie Hodapp, Director of Literary Development at the Nelson Literary Agency and will be judging – Urban Fantasy/Horror/Paranormal.
Justin Wells, Literary Agent at the Corvisiero Literary Agency and will be judging – Middle Grade/Young Adult.
Gabrielle Piraino, Literary Agent at DeFiore and Company and will be judging – Mystery/Suspense/Thriller.
You can find more information about each of these stellar individuals by clicking on the links or on the Faculty page for the 2018 Pikes Peak Writers Conference.
Colorado Humanities has announced finalists for 2018 Colorado Book Awards, and I’m proud to say that several members of Pikes Peak Writers are on the list.
Well done Chris Goff, Peg Brantley, L.D. Colter, Barb Nickless, Margaret Mizushima, Pat Stoltey and Laura E. Reeve!
The only nonprofit Colorado organization dedicated to providing opportunities to explore what it means to be human through our history, literature and culture, Colorado Humanities was founded in 1974. Affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library of Congress Center for the Book (as the host of the Colorado Center for the Book), Motheread, Inc. and the Smithsonian, Colorado Humanities partners with communities throughout the state to deliver high-quality, educational programs and resources. You can find out more about this exceptional organization here.
Gabrielle V. Brown has put words to paper since she could hold a crayon. She is extensively published in technical and academic nonfiction and currently writes humor, short stories and literary fiction. Gabrielle has lived all over the United States and now resides in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Margaret Mizushima’s mystery novel, HUNTING HOUR: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, was named by RT Reviews a 2017 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee in the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense category. Wonderful news Margaret!!
Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo find a missing junior high student dead, but before they can catch the killer, another child disappears—and this time it’s one of Cole Walker’s daughters. Mattie and Robo must lead the hunt to capture a kidnapper before they’re too late. HUNTING HOUR can be found at bookstores and online booksellers.
This novel was published 8-8-2017 by Crooked Lane Books (ISBN 978-1-68331-277-2, hardcover, 279 pages) and is available on Amazon.
Margaret Mizushima is the author of the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, which includes Killing Trail (2015), an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee; Stalking Ground (2016), a Colorado Book Award and International Book Award finalist, and a Reader’s Favorite gold medal winner; and Hunting Hour (2017), an RT Book Reviews Top Pick. She lives in Colorado where she assists her husband with their veterinary practice and Angus cattle herd. She can be found on Facebook/AuthorMargaretMizushima, on Twitter @margmizu, and on her website at www.margaretmizushima.com.
It is with much regret that we announce Jim Butcher has notified us that he will be unable to attend the 2018 Pikes Peak Writers Conference. We are searching for a replacement but at this late date, that’s almost impossible.
However, we still have three other fantastic keynote speakers and lots of friendly editors and agents and knowledgeable authors who will be here to spend time with you.
The registration price goes up on March 16 so register now!! It will be worth it.
DO IT! Don’t quit!
Peg Brantley’s thriller/suspense novel, TRAFFICKED (ISBN Ebook: 978-0-9853638-6-4; Paperback: 978-0-9853638-7-1, 368 pages), was released May 23, 2017 by Bark Publishing. It is available in softcover, ebook, and audiobook on Amazon, Audible, Tattered Cover, and Indiebound.
Rich or poor, black or white, girls disappear across this country every day, pulled into the nightmarish world of prostitution and drugs.
Caught up in a cruel system fueled by lust and money, three young women must find the courage within themselves to survive.
Mex Anderson is back, still fighting his own demons, but committed to finding these girls before it’s too late.
With intent to bring credibility to her stories, Peg graduated from the Aurora Citizens’ Police Academy, participated in the Writers’ Police Academy, interviewed crime scene investigators, FBI agents, human trafficking experts, obtained her Concealed Carry, studied arson dogs to Santeria, and hunted down locations that show up in her books. Peg can be contacted at: peg@pegbrantley.com and visit her website at: www.pegbrantley.com
