Authors of the Pikes Peak Region: View All

Sisters Stephanie Bercedoni and Christine Riley grew up in South Dakota, in the heart of the Black Hills. After…

I was still living as a man when I moved to in the year 2000. Having been outed as transgender, and fired at the Prep-School where I had been working, I was recruited at the National Librarians' Conference to be the Coordinator of Information and Technology at Mitchell High School, where I was again outed and fired. In 2007, after being outed and fired at CollegeAmerica, I transitioned to living full time as a woman. My storytelling-performances in The Story Project in Colorado Springs and…

Having reaped the benefits of pedagogical academia, Eric J. Rodwell is an alumnus of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). He has lived in the Pikes Peak Region since 1996. He is a retired military veteran with over twenty-one years of honorable and distinguished service. Ten of those years, being a paratrooper in the elite 82nd Airborne Division; and, he was ordained as a minister of the Gospel in 1983. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Tina, for over thirty-nine…

Dr. Nancy Saltzman grew up in Bloomington, Indiana and moved to Colorado Springs to attend Colorado College in 1970. Upon graduation she taught elementary school in Colorado Springs, received her master’s from the University of Colorado then completed her doctorate at the University of Denver. She served as the principal of Broadmoor Elementary School for 16 years before retiring in 2006. During Nancy's 31 year career in education she was recognized as Colorado’s National Distinguished…

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest". She lives in Colorado Springs near her favorite mountain, in a small “castle” with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a new mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with…

James Schannep is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) with a degree in English Literature and minor in General Engineering. After serving honorably, he left the service to write full time.

In 2001 I retired to Colorado Springs, drawn by the beautiful mountains and the presence of other retired missionaries in the area.

William B. Scott is the author of four books—three novels and a work of nonfiction about the B-2 stealth bomber. A flight test engineer graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, he retired as the Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief for Aviation Week & Space Technology, following a 22-year career with the international magazine. He pioneered the “Fiction as a Legal Weapon” class of techno-thrillers, a premise established in The Permit, a novel based on his eldest son's…

Amie Sharp lives in Colorado Springs and is an assistant professor at Pikes Peak Community College. Her chapbook The Sabine Women won the Emergence Poetry Prize and was published by Red Dragonfly Press. Her writing has appeared in many literary journals including Atticus Review, Badlands, Bellevue Literary Review, BlazeVOX, New Plains Review, Tar River Poetry, and Valparaiso Poetry Journal. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, was a…

Cindy Skaggs grew up on stories of mob bosses, horse thieves, cold-blooded killers, and the last honest man. Those mostly true stories gave her a lifelong love of storytelling and heroes. Her search for story took her around the world with the Air Force before returning to Colorado. Now she’s turning her lifelong love of storytelling into a career she loves. She has an MA in Creative Writing, three jobs, two kids, and more pets than she can possibly handle. She also plays the flute, makes…

An honor graduate of Widefield High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Bev Sninchak first moved to the Pikes Peak region in 1979 when her stepfather was stationed at Ft. Carson. She majored in Applied Communication and minored in Philosophy at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Previously, she attended Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma, where she majored in Mass Communications and Psychology. Bev has been a professional freelance writer, author, and copy editor since May…

I have been a born-again Christian for more than thirty years. I am not affiliated with any organization, nor a denomination. I, like Paul in Philippians 3:7-8, "Counted all things lost in order that I may gain Christ." The past thirty plus years were used to know God and NOT for the study of religion. I truly counted all things as rubbish to gain the knowledge of Christ. My passion was single in focus; I wanted to know Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior, and the God (Father) who sent Him.…

Sgt. Ron Stallworth, Ret., was a member of the Colorado Springs Police Department in the 1970s.

Taylor Stanecek has spent most of his life in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He's currently a commercial property manager with a drive to write in his spare time. His passion for writing sparked in grade school with the help of a motivational teacher and has pushed him to continue to strive for creativity through short stories and poetry over the years, finally moving into fictional novels. Identifying as gay, Taylor has focused his first coming of age trilogy on LGBT culture.

A resident of Colorado and a storyteller since 1970, John has told stories professionally since 1979. During that time he has performed for more than one million listeners (thankfully, not all at once) in a great variety of settings. John's programs of stories and a cappella ballads feature: Western History and Environment; Literature Aloud!; and, World Folklore, especially American lore. He reenacts the lives of national park pioneers Enos Mills and John Otto, as well as Charles Fox…

Native of Detroit, MI - former Roman Catholic priest - resident of Colorado Springs for 21 years

Tena Stetler is a paranormal romance and cozy mystery author with an over-active imagination. The second book in her Demon’s Witch series, A Warlock’s Secrets, comes out spring of 2017. Her recent novels are A Demon’s Witch, Charm Me, A Witch’s Journey, and sequel A Witch’s Holiday Wedding. She wrote her first vampire romance at the age of twelve, to the chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. Colorado is home; shared with her…

Mariah Stillbrook, originally from Iowa, lives in Colorado with her white German shepherd, husband, and little girl. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). She spends most of her days writing, reading, and enjoying the occasional hike. In her late twenties she realized that her writing was missing something, magic. She now focuses her writing on horror and urban fantasy in both adult and young adult genres.

Stith was born in Boulder and has lived in the Pikes Peak region for 40+ years. He's been a writer since 1980.

His works include REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS (Nebula Award nominee), MANHATTAN TRANSFER (Nebula Award nominee), REUNION ON NEVEREND, and RECKONING INFINITY (on Science Fiction Chronicle's Best Science Fiction Novels list for its publication year, on the Nebula Award preliminary ballot).

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood. Today, she is an award-winning author, speaker, and brand partner with Nerium International, who lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have one girl and one boy, and an Aussie/retriever mix named Roxie. Originally from the East Coast, she now makes Colorado Springs her home. She has sold fourteen books so far and is represented by Sandra Bishop of MacGregor…

Beth Rhodes is a wife, mother of six, and writer of romance. She's the queen who runs her military household with punctuality, laughter, and the occasional swear word. When she's not downing coffee, writing, and editing, you can find her reading and enjoying the Colorado sunshine.

Robert Strauss is owner of Global Perspectives Consulting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. GPC clients excel in complex global marketplaces through the acquisition of cultural competence. He is Lead Faculty of Program Development and Evaluation and Research Methods in the College of Business and Economics at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Also, he is President of Worldview Resource Group, a not-for-profit organization that equips cross-cultural workers in a story-based worldview…

I taught junior high school, managed McConnell's Hardware and Mesa TV Hardware. I was the Merchandise Manager and Assistant Store Manager of the Crissey Fowler Home Center. After retiring, I started writing fiction.

Irene Sutherland and her husband Scott live in Monument, Colorado. Irene is a native of New Hampshire, moved to Florida as a teen, married her high school sweetheart and has lived in Colorado ever since, minus two years when Scott was stationed at Loring Air Force Base in northern Maine. Irene and her husband have four grown, married children and fifteen grandchildren. Martin J. Delohery was a resident of Monument for many years. His dying wish was to have a memoir written about his…

E.T. Gunnarsson translates imagination into words for a living. His debut book Forgive Us was awarded Best Sci-Fi book in the 2021 San Francisco Book Festival and Best Post-Apocalyptic Book in the 2021 Fiction Awards.

Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains (9,000 feet altitude!), E.T. now resides in southern Colorado with his dwarfed Cane Corso and his lifelong interest in Norse myth and culture. A storyteller from an early age, Mr. Gunnarsson spent his formative years…

Long time resident of Colorado Springs until 2018. Graduate William J. Palmer High School. Numerous instructor positions teaching English Rhetoric and Composition at CU-Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College, and CSU-Pueblo. Have taught British Literature 18th- to 20th-century, American literatures including Latino/Latina, Chicano/Chicana, Native American, and African American, and Introduction to Humanities.

I live in Monument, CO. My husband went to the Air Force Academy and we own a centennial ranch in Collbran, CO. I am a fiction writer and a South Texas native.

After moving to Europe for three years, I returned and was fortunate to have lived in many U.S. cities. I called the Bay Area home for ten years before settling in colorful Colorado. I am an animal lover with four dogs and a rescue cat. Most days I write, but on the off chance I'm not, you can find me trying new foods or going…

Mr. Temkin worked in the design of satellites, rockets, missiles, and aircraft from 1962 to 2007. After retirement, he was a Fellow at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry for over three years where he wrote and lectured upon the history of technology.

Lisa Marie Thomas grew up as the child of an undercover narcotics agent and a secretary at the DA's office. Listening to stories about lives far different than her own, she developed a love of storytelling and suspense that grew into her first novel, Good Heart. She loves God, loves her husband and children, and loves to write as a native of the beautiful state of Colorado. She is also an advocate for foster care and mentoring, connecting to the world around her at…

Roger moved out to Colorado Springs from the Washington, DC, area, in 1994, and has been here ever since. The whole family grew up here and still live in the area. After a 30-year career in information technology, Roger decided to follow another passion- writing. After writing user manuals, training materials, and other writing assignments as a part of his regular IT duties, he launched his own career as a writer. He has six books published- two on bowling and four historical mysteries set…

Faye was a crafter during the 1990s. She sculpted with chicken wire and won the President's Award for a large free-standing sculpted horse at the Tempe, Arizona Craft Show in 1993. She also writes poetry and philosophical sayings. Her favorite poem is If, by Rudyard Kipling. Faye settled in Colorado Springs in 1997 and has been a resident ever since.

Mike Torreano has lived in Colorado Springs since 1977. A retired Colonel, USAF, he is also a retired financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual of 35 years.

David Tracy was born and raised in Denver. He was a Division I athlete at Colorado State University where he graduated in 1977. Upon graduation, he began his career in the publishing industry. He worked for the Denver Catholic Register, The Rocky Mountain News, Boulder Daily Camera, and The Denver Post. He retired early in 2006 before he started his own media company, fueled by his US Patent on a media indicia delivery system. His company…

Lisa Travis dreamed of faraway places ever since she was a little girl who explored National Geographic magazines every month. Looking for ways to discover the world, Lisa studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany, traveled the USA in a Volkswagon camper, and lived and worked in South Korea. She currently finds ways to pack and go by creating global executive leadership programs that take her to cool places like Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Brussels, Copenhagen, and Prague. Her…

In Memory of Doyle Trent (Obituary for Doyle Trent)

Western author Doyle Trent succumbed to congestive heart failure on Sunday, May 11, 2014, in Colorado Springs.

He put up a might struggle. Beaten down by disease, he rose again and again until his heart would not take him any further down the road. He had been knocked down many times before in life, but like the cowboy he was in his youth, he always managed to get up and forge ahead. Despite tremendous obstacles, he…

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My parents moved to Colorado four months after I was born, from Lincoln, NE. I graduated from Abraham Lincoln H.S. in Denver and attended one year of college at Metro State College. I moved back to Colorado in 1984, from pastoring in S.D. I have worked several jobs while in the Springs: custodian for School District 11 for 13 years; as a court clerk for the Court House for one year; as an Assistant Floating Manager for Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs for three and a half years; and…

My family moved to Colorado Springs in 1961, so I have lived here most of my life. When married, I lived in Germany, Sterling, and Denver for 13 years before moving back to the Springs. My two children are now adults, my daughter is 36, my son 32. I have retired after working at Penrose Library for 19 years. I had been working on a particular book for 10 years and it was published on November 10th, 2015. It is mostly illustrations with text, akin to an art journal. I enjoy art, especially…

Brandy Vallance fell in love with the Victorian time period at a young age, loving the customs, manners, and especially the intricate rules of love. Since time travel is theoretically impossible, she lives in the nineteenth century vicariously through her novels.

Unaccountable amounts of black tea have fueled this ambition. Brandy's love of tea can only be paralleled by her love of Masterpiece Theater Classics, deep conversations, and a good book. Brandy is the 2013 Operation First…

Leah has been writing since she was six years old. Her very first story was written for her mother and Leah illustrated it herself using stencils and crayons. Leah was homeschooled from Kindergarten through 12th grade, and started community college when she turned 16. From there she went on to College of the Ozarks in Missouri and graduated in 2009 with a BA in English. Leah's and debut children's story released under her children's author pen name Julia Joss on November 27, 2012 entitled…

Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and former homeschool mom. She and her husband make their home in Colorado Springs, where Becky enjoys gardening, oil painting and hiking and biking in the great outdoors. Becky relishes spending time with her family and especially reading books to her grandchildren.

Resident of Colorado Springs for 27 years.
Many of my stories and characters revolve around Colorado.

Janna Vought is a poet, nonfiction, and fiction writer with more than 50 pieces published in various magazines and literary journals. She graduated from American Public University with a Bachelor's Degree in English and from Lindenwood University with an MFA in Creative Writing. She is an Association of Writing Professionals Intro Journals Project in Poetry nominee for 2013.

Janna lives in Peyton, Colorado, is married and the mother of two daughters, the eldest of whom suffers from…

David is a retired foreign service officer who lived in Italy for nine years.

I have lived in Colorado Springs for the last seventeen years. I was born in Chicago, later moved to France (father in the military), returned and moved to Kansas before spending most of my time in Texas (San Antonio area). I have held myriad positions in my life. I like to undertake more than one thing at a time, thus I refer to myself as a #workquilter combining various avenues of income. These include: -Author of nonfiction and fiction. -Certified permaculture designer and previously…

A writer, seminar leader, and former English professor, Durthy A. Washington has taught graduate, undergraduate, and adult education courses at several colleges and universities including The Colorado College, UCCS, and the US Air Force Academy. Durthy is the founder of LitUnlocked, which offers workshops and seminars dedicated to the art of mindful, culturally responsive reading. Each workshop centers on the LIST Paradigm, an innovative approach to critical reading that helps readers unlock…

14er Climber, Rocket Scientist, Published Novelist, Movie Connoisseur, and Amateur Photographer, Benjamin M. Weilert was born in Colorado in 1985. While he went to school for Mechanical Engineering (eventually earning a Master’s Degree), he has found science to be interesting enough to write fiction about it. He likes to classify his novels as “science fantasy,” wherein the science is real and (semi) accurate, but portrayed in a fantasy setting to make it accessible to non scientific readers…

Bob and Kathy Wernly write as a team under the penname of Kathy Clark for our adult romantic suspense novels and Bob Kat for our YA romance/mystery/time travel series (Timeshifters). We lived in Colorado since 1985 and in Colorado Springs for a year and a half. Several of our series are set in Colorado, including Denver Heroes, and an upcoming series set in Cripple Creek called Breathless. One of our YA novels (Forever Love) is a time travel ghost story set at the…

Dr. Wiatrowski moved to the Pikes Peak area in 1975 and has spent the years since he relocated to Colorado photographing its historic sites and researching its rich history.

Susie Wickman was born and raised in small town, Wishek, North Dakota. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She lived outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for ten years before moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1988. Susie went back for a Master’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management. She works as a speaker, genealogist, and background investigator. She is inspired to write books her grandchildren will enjoy.