Two other members of Women Writing the West from Filter Press recently shared honors with me at the Colorado Independent Publishers’ Association EVVY Awards Banquet in Lonetree, Colorado. Nancy Oswald took top award for her book, Rescue In Poverty Gulch, as did my book, Baby Doe Tabor: Matchless Silver Queen, which won the EVVY for Best Biography. None of this celebration would have been possible without the TLC administered by Doris Baker of Filter Press…
As a self-employed freelance writer, my prospects for a holiday office party are fairly bleak. Writing by nature is a solitary undertaking. For that reason, writers often join associations and organizations in order to pool resources, exchange ideas, and yes, party, with associates. Recently, I attended a holiday gathering at the Denver Woman’s Press Club. Coincidentally, it is the 100th anniversary of the DWPC clubhouse, a charming little Victorian building surround by tall office buildings…
It always happens sooner or later. The subject eventually returns to food and cooking. It is especially appropriate now with the Thanksgiving holiday looming. As you think about these types of cooking, consider the experience of roasting a turkey using either method. A trip to the Wheat Ridge Historical Museum was instructive. Their restored sod house offers two styles of cooking in close proximity. At the hearth is the traditional style used by pioneers. They…
We are fortunate in Colorado to enjoy the most beautiful scenery in the world. No matter how much you travel throughout the state, there are still surprises left to discover. This was the case this past weekend. On a jaunt to the West Slope, we were running early and decided to take a side trip to Grand Mesa. Although we had been there many years ago, we had approached from the south. Lured by a…
Actually, the weather has taken a mild turn with the arrival of March. A road trip to the West Slope over the weekend was still mighty cold with a dusting of snow on the mountains, although a snowstorm threatened to block our way home over the Great Divide. Since then, a welcome whiff of spring has been riding in on the mountain breezes. Looks like winter might be winding down after all. Book activities are…
If Thanksgiving is upon us, it must be time for CAL – the Colorado Association of Librarians Conference. Every year, publisher Filter Press hosts a booth for this event in Denver, allowing the authors to meet and greet librarians, teachers and readers. It is always illuminating, and a mixed bag of good news and bad news comments. The bad news is predictable … more book buying budget cuts, more social studies programs slashed, more demand…
Little libraries make the world go round. On the plains southeast of Denver last Saturday, Librarian Gayle Gresham hosted an Author Open House at the Elbert Public Library, which shares space with the Elbert School Library. It is a warm and wonderful place, full of the hustle and bustle of folks looking for a good read, and kids Googling the internet. Along with Filter Press, I was invited to meet and greet patrons, and display…
As we spring forward deep into March, daylight savings time looms. In spite of this change, with its annoying psychological adjustments, spring brings hope and optimism, and a full history calendar. The highlight of this spring has been the arrival of a small but mighty little baby named Cutler. All difficulties dim and recede with the arrival of a grandchild. A birth of a different sort will take place next month with the publication of…