2014 Women Writing the West Conference

Mid-October marked the culmination of a year and a half of planning for Women Writing the West’s 20th Anniversary Annual Conference in Golden, Colorado. The result of work by Colorado’s WWW Conference Planning Committee to plan the event spread among several venues was a huge success. The City of Golden was a perfect fit for our group. A synopsis of highlights will give those with a passion for the craft of writing an idea of…

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A West by Northwest Conference

Once, again, the annual Women Writing the West Conference has come and gone. This year, the conference entitled “West by Northwest” took us to the Seattle area, one of my favorite parts of the country. We spent our first day seeing the local sites, such as the fabulous flying fish at Pike Public Market, and eating a memorable bowl of clam chowder for lunch at Lowell’s, while we watched the ships and ferries in Puget…

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Deck the Club Halls

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…

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Western Road Trip

Nothing beats a road trip from Colorado to Arizona to get in touch with the Old West. Once again, Women Writing the West outdid themselves by producing the best conference experience ever near Wickenburg, Arizona. We took advantage of the destination by taking to the highway to get there, via the Grand Canyon. As if the stupendous beauty of the Grand Canyon was not enough to feed our spirits, there was plenty of western culture…

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Celebration Time

Recently, I received an e-mail from the Colorado Author’s League containing a list of finalists for the annual Top Hand Awards. As usual, I browsed through the names to see if any of my friends were listed. I was pleased to see that Susan Tweit, a fellow  Women Writing the West member, would be honored for her book, Walking Nature Home. When I continued through the list, I was amazed to find my own name…

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When I Came West

One of the benefits of my job as administrator for Women Writing the West is that a book occasionally lands on my doorstep for review. Although we don’t officially review books, and I’m not an especially strong reader, I read as many of them as possible. Member titles then go to trade show exhibits, then into library circulation at the Women Writing the West Collection. Recently, I had the pleasure of reading “When I Came…

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Little Libraries

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…

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Summertime Book Events

Our Palmer Tribute at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs was a grand success. Folks came out to learn more about General Palmer and to visit with Dianne Hartshorn and myself, to discuss books and history. Once again, I found myself in a cemetery, surrounded by history and stories of pioneers. I had not previously been inside the little chapel, built in 1909, which turned out to be the perfect venue for the gathering. I especially…

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