Jean Alfieri is an author, speaker and dog fan. She finds hope and joy in both her work at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region and in the lives of her adopted vintage puppies. Her newest book, Twisty and True Tales of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker, is a collection of twelve short, inspiring stories about dogs that took the winding road instead of the straight path to happiness.
She and her husband joke that although they pay the mortgage of their home in Colorado, it’s really the dogs’ house! Find out more at DogAuthor.com
John Wesley Anderson, MBA, is a published author, storyteller and TEDx speaker. He enjoyed a 30-year law enforcement career, retiring at the rank of sergeant after 22 years with the Colorado Springs Police Department, followed by 8 years serving as the elected sheriff for El Paso County, Colorado. After being term-limited as Sheriff, John retired from public safety and was employed in homeland and corporate security for ten years in the private sector. He retired from the Lockheed Martin Corporation in 2012 to launch a consulting business allowing him the freedom to pursue his love of history, writing and the arts. In 2022 John was honored to receive the Golden Quill Award from the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District. Although John has traveled around the world, including several adventures on a catamaran sailing the Caribbean, three corporate security assignments into a combat zone on the Horn of Africa and landing on an aircraft carrier at sea in the Pacific Ocean, he remains most fascinated by the rich history and art discovered in his own backyard in the American Southwest.
Books by John Wesley Anderson
1. Lou and JonBenet, A Legendary Lawman’s Quest to Solve a Child Beauty Queen’s Murder
2. A to Z Colorado’s Nearly Forgotten History 1776-1876
3. Sherlock Holmes in Little London, 1896 The Missing Year
4. ZacBox and the Pearls of Pleiades
5. R.S. Kelly, A Man of the Territory
6. Native American Prayer Trees of Colorado
7. Rankin Scott Kelly, First Sheriff El Paso County, Colorado Territory
8. Ute Indian Prayer Trees of the Pikes Peak Region
Jodi Bowersox is an award-winning author and artist with 30 books for children and adults.
Her novels span genres from faith fiction to suspense to time travel to sci fi, with small town, big city, and interplanetary settings. Heading in a new direction, her latest book is a romantic Medieval adventure. Known for her twisty mysteries and page-turning action, even her faith fiction books are full of suspense. Her children's books, under the name J.B. Stockings, tackle issues like personal care, responsibility, diversity, unconditional love and just plain fun for children aged 0-10.
Jodi lives in the heart of Colorado Springs with her husband and frisky felines where they never get tired of looking at the mountain views.
Kevin was born at a very early age in a small town just outside of Wedlock. Even as a child he was a fan of comedy. He and a friend put out their own humor magazine by tracing comics from Mad Magazine and replacing the text. Although the magazine was shut down due to a Cease-and-Desist order (issued by his parents, whose office supplies he was stealing and whose desk he was leaving in disarray) he nonetheless continued to write all through school and after.
Kevin has also been a fan of science fiction for as long as he can remember. The day that a babysitter introduced him to Star Trek remains one of the defining moments in his life.
He went to college to study Theater, English Literature, and also Earth and Space Science. Naturally he went into a career of computer programming and tech support.
Writing remains his passion project. He combines sci-fi and comedy in his Tales of the Incorrigible series.
Springs-based Camille is what happens when a bookworm, an astrologer, and a pop-culture junkie collide. With a B.A. in English Lit, a love of all things cosmic, and a knack for storytelling, she writes horoscopes, fiction, and forecasts with equal parts humor and insight. Her work has graced publications like Colorado Springs Independent and 303 Magazine, but her true passion is crafting witty fiction about whip-smart heroines chasing big dreams—just like her.
Jupiter Returns is her debut novel, but definitely not her last.
Ann Claire is the author of the Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries and the USA Today bestselling Christie Bookshop Mysteries. She also wrote the Bookmobile Mysteries as Nora Page and the Santa Fe Café Mysteries as Ann Myers. Based in Colorado Springs with her husband and housecats, Ann loves to travel, especially to visit her in-laws in southern France.
Darlene Deluca writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that feels real. She likes to explore relationships – what brings people together or keeps them apart.
Her intent is to bring to life interesting characters that readers can relate to in real-life situations that combine a little fun, plenty of drama (with perhaps a tear or two), and big helpings of friendship, love and self-discovery, and will leave you either cheering or sighing with a satisfied smile as you turn the final page. She enjoys reading, a little dark chocolate, a glass of fresh-brewed tropical tea and a warm, sunny day!
With a degree in Journalism, she started her career as a newspaper reporter. She currently has ten published novels, which are available in paperback and ebook versions.
Z.S. Diamanti is the award-winning author of the Stone & Sky series, an epic fantasy adventure and Guard in the Garden, the first book in the Fables of Finlestia cozy fantasy series. He attended college forever and has far too many pieces of paper on his wall. He’s a USAF veteran and worked in ministry for over 10 years before pursuing creative endeavors full-time. He and his wife live in Colorado with their four children where they enjoy hikes, camping, and tabletop games.
You can get a FREE series of stories at zsdiamanti.com
Connect on social media @zsdiamanti
Catherine Dilts is the author of the Rose Creek and the Rock Shop mystery series, and several installments in various Annie’s Fiction series, for a total of twelve traditionally published novels. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and the Pikes Peak Writers anthology. After a career in environmental compliance for a global corporation, Catherine now gets to write fiction full time. Most of her published works have a cozy mystery flavor. She is stepping into Indy publishing this year with her co-author daughter Merida Bass and the YA science fiction Tapestry Tales series.
Visit her website at catherinedilts.com.
F. P. Dorchak has a B.S. in physics/astronomy and is retired from 37 years as an Air Force officer and a DoD contractor. He’d worked in missile warning, satellite operations and support, and technical writing. Frank’s been writing since he was six and is a lifelong student of philosophy. Of his five novels and many short stories, Do The Dead Dream won a 2017 Best Books Award for short stories, and his first novel in 10 years, A Philosophy of Stars, was a 2024 Best Book Awards finalist in Science Fiction. Frank’s also been learning the classical violin since 2020 and has performed with the New Horizons Band in Colorado Springs. Frank can occasionally be reached in séances and at www.fpdorchak.com, but don’t believe everything he tells you.
Though fiction has been her lifelong passion, Carissa spent seven years as an air traffic controller in the Air Force before pursuing her dream of writing. She grew up exploring the Sierra Nevadas of California, but now lives in Colorado with her husband and their pets. When not writing, Carissa can be found out finding adventure, driving mountain roads, greeting wildlife, and consuming horror in any medium available.
Jim Henderson is a Colorado writer of fun, varied, and sound science fiction adventures of various types. He is the author of Inspector Giskard, a sci-fi mystery set in Colorado; the 10-book Mantis Saga, the story of the crew of the scout ship Mantis; as well as the 2-book Vaziran War military sci-fi adventure series. Fun, adventure, aliens, space combat, robots, humor, and excitement abound, with deeper themes, character evolution, intrigue, mystery, and even romance. Jim is an Air Force veteran and cybersecurity professional. He is an aficionado of science fiction books, movies, TV, and games. When not working or mentally exploring the universe, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, gaming, and his 8 grandchildren.
A.L. Kessler is an author of paranormal and urban fantasy books and is best known for her Here Witchy Witchy series. A self-proclaimed coffee addict, she resides in Colorado Springs with her family and menagerie of animals. When she’s not writing her next book, she loves to read and visit with friends and family. To learn more about her, check out her website:
http://www.amylkessler.com/
Author Joe LaFleur earned degrees in Wildlife Biology and Communications from Colorado State University (CSU). For many years he was a research biologist for CSU, Colorado Division of Wildlife and Idaho Fish and Game. LaFleur grew up in Colorado and has lived in Woodland Park since 2016.
About 20 years ago he founded his business Better Birdwatching and began traveling throughout the U.S. to collect video and sounds of birds, eventually producing a series of DVDs on birds of all the states and provinces. His newest publication is his first book, Mountain Birds of Teller County, a pocket guide for identifying common birds of the Colorado Mountains.
LaFleur provides bird walks and programs as a volunteer for Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak Americas Mountain, Ute Pass Historical Society, Mueller State Park, Florissant Fossil Beds and South Park National Heritage Area. For a listing of bird walks and programs visit betterbirdwatching.com or follow Better Birdwatching on Facebook.
LaFleur also writes monthly articles about birds and hiking in the Teller County weekly newspaper the Pikes Peak Courier. Visit his website betterbirdwatching.com for a list of events that include bird walks and programs at local parks and museums.
Amanda Lunday believes everyone has a story, and she’s here to help tell them. A culture explorer and history enthusiast, she delves into the complexities of family, the unexpected grace of second chances, and the beauty of becoming who we are. Her path to authorship wasn’t a straight line—detours through a bachelor’s international affairs and a master’s in nonprofit management only solidified her conviction that stories are the heart of human experience. Now, with her husband and two beagles as her Colorado companions, she writes tales that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. The Caterer is her debut novel, a story of resilience, family, and chasing what we love. Find her online at amandalunday.com
Cathy graduated from Biola University with a degree in literature and a love for stories. She and her husband, whom she met while writing letters to soldiers, have five children and currently live within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. While writing is one of her favorite things, she also enjoys reading, long hikes and longer naps, raspberries, and crocheting while watching science fiction movies with friends and family.
Most of her imaginary friends are nice people.
Brittany Meng is a military spouse who currently lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, four sons and one daughter. She is the author and illustrator of The Dark is Your Friend (2023) and A Little Spark of Brave (2025). Her writing has been featured on Business Insider, Her View from Home, ScaryMommy, Coffee+Crumbs, Parenting Teens and Tweens, The Mighty and more. She is also the host of The Motherhood Metamorphosis podcast and writes online at Brittany Meng The Bam Blog.
Andrew D Meredith’s journey has taken him to many fantastical places. From selling books in the wilds of western Washington to designing and publishing board games in the great white Midwest. Now, amidst the Rocky Mountains, Andrew is committed to the quest he was called to so long ago: the telling of fantastical tales, and bringing to life underestimated characters willing to take on the responsibilities no one else will.
Patricia Meredith is an author of historical and cozy mysteries. When she’s not writing, she’s playing board games with her husband, creating imaginary worlds with her two children, or out in the garden reading a good book with a cup of tea. Patricia's first series, the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries, is the product of uncovering fascinating local history circa 1901, making it the first historical mystery series set in Spokane, Washington. Her second series about Anna Katharine Green is the first and only historical fiction featuring the Mother of Detective Fiction. Her mysteries are clean, cozy reads known for their quirky yet believable characters.
I’Sha’Keyva Porter is an Indie Author based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Though she’s only been writing professionally for a few years, she is quickly learning that she enjoys telling stories of multiple different Genres, her most popular being Dark Fantasy, Supernatural, and Adult Romance. Writing has allowed her freedom of expression while discovering her true self, confronting the good, the bad, and the questionable.
Her career path started with the debut of She Shifter (Genre: Dark Fantasy) April 2023. Since then, she has released six more books. Raine, Raine: A Christmas in Paris, She Shifter; Rise of Sin, Craving Mr.Jones, and Chimera Tales: Garden of Greenley and Striking Gold. With two ongoing series and an imaginative mind, she plans to release many more.
Though in the early stages of her career, she is discovering that the support and love she receives from her audience helps her to grow, understanding that there is so much more to learn. She is happy with the path that she has traveled thus far and looks forward to the future.
Dian Curtis Regan is the author of 60 traditionally-published books for young readers, ranging from picture books and chapter books to middle-grade and young adult novels and anthology stories (now available as novellas).
Her books have won many honors, and have been translated into German, French, Korean, Spanish, Danish, and Finnish. She is a former “Member of the Year” of the international Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI.)
She was inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers’ Hall of Fame, and a library was named after her in Venezuela.
Her Space Boy books have won a Crystal Kite Award from SCBWI, and have been finalists for both the Colorado Book Award and the Colorado Authors’ League Award.
She is also a recipient of the Golden Quill Award, presented by Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District for her body of work.
Dian, a native of Colorado Springs, has lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Venezuela, and is now back home in Colorado.
Jimmy Sena is delighted to be a part of this wonderful PPLD event. A Colorado Springs native, he is the product of School District 11 and UCCS. As a boy, riding his bike to the public library to surround himself with books was a constant joy, and this has never changed. Jimmy is the Librarian at Piñon Valley Elementary in District 12, is a freelance publishing professional working in the university press field, and is a professional classical, choral, and early music singer throughout Colorado. He is extremely grateful that PPLD makes their historical archives free and available to all. Truly, he could not have written this book without them.
Cindy Skaggs is a novelist, essayist, and mentor who lives at the crossroads of storytelling and soul-work. With ten published books, a Pushcart nod, and a decade teaching creative writing, she doesn’t just write — she builds writers. Caffeine in one hand, pen in the other — she’s fluent in fiction, nonfiction, and the art of transformation.
Taylor Stanecek has spent most of his life in Colorado Springs. He is currently a real estate broker and commercial property manager with a drive to write in his spare time. His passion for writing sparked in grade school with a continued inspiration for creativity through fictional storytelling. Identifying as gay, Taylor focused his first novel on LGBT culture and has since then expanded the dysfunctional family story into a dark and dramatic series that centers around the harsh moments of reality.
Helen Starbuck, no relation to the coffee bunch, is a Colorado native and an award-winning author of The Annie Collins Mystery Series and standalone romantic suspense set in Colorado. When not writing, you can find her ballroom dancing, gardening, traveling, reading books about strong women and interesting men, researching topics that would probably get her arrested if she was a murder suspect, and being a servant to her cat Bean.
Tena Stetler is an international best-selling author of award-winning paranormal tales. Some call her crazy others creative. She deals with the voices in her head by writing them down and creating a fantasy world with characters you won’t soon forget. Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure, magic, and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.
Colorado is home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot, and a fifty- three-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors.
Mariah Stillbrook, originally from Iowa, lives in Colorado with her white German shepherd, husband, and little girl. 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 urban fantasy and horror in both adult and young adult genres.
Erin Taylor had been investigating the paranormal since 2013, but forever fascinated since a little girl. She has a creative flair for story telling through her non-fiction books: Sleeping Among Spirits (2022), Unfinished Business (2023), Strange Colorado, Vol 1 (2023), Unfinished Business #2 (2024) and Strange Colorado, Vol 2 (2024). Erin has also been published in The Morbid Curious, Ghosted Magazine, American Paranormal Magazine, and Haunted Magazine. When she's not living the spooky life, she is spending time with her family and fur babies in Colorado Springs.
Mike Torreano is a multiple award-winning author of historical fiction and traditional western mysteries set in Colorado and New Mexico Territories. In the fifth grade he read his first Zane Grey novel and has been hooked on the Old West ever since.
His debut western mystery, The Reckoning, was released in 2016 by The Wild Rose Press and the sequel, The Renewal, was released in 2018. Both are set in South Park, just west of the front range. He’s just released third in the South Park series, The Return.
An interest in the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail inspired his first stand-alone western, A Score To Settle, which was set on that trail and came out in 2020. A friend’s suggestion prompted Mike to write another western mystery, White Sands Gold, which was released in September 2022. It has received five literary awards.
His first historical novel, Fireflies at Dusk, is a multiple award-winning, coming-of-age tale about a young man torn between his pacifist family and his urge to fight against slavery with the Union Army as the Civil War breaks out.
The third in his South Park series, The Return, has recently been released, early 2025.
Mike is a trustee of the Western Museum of Mining and Industry and belongs to several western organizations. He also speaks to clubs and organizations about the timeless values of the Old West and The Code of the West, and how those values are still relevant today.
He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Anne
Bethany Turner is a bestselling author of romantic comedies bursting with heart, humor, and happily-ever-afters. She has been a resident of Colorado since 2001, when she picked up and moved across the country from Kentucky after marrying a lifelong Four Corners resident she met in a chat room called “Disco Inferno.” As shady as it sounds, it worked out pretty well in this case. Bethany and “internet guy” (whom Bethany's parents have finally acknowledged is most likely not a serial killer) are still happily married and the parents of two adult sons.
Bethany is the 2024 recipient of both the Colorado Book Award and the Colorado Authors League Award for Best Romance, and her eleventh novel, Wes and Addie Had Their Chance: A Love Story, published by HarperCollins, will release on July 15.
Lauren Wingo is a children's book author based in Colorado Springs, where she lives with her husband and three children. A dedicated homeschool mom, she also owns a homeschool enrichment program where she supports other families in their educational journeys. In her spare time, she loves reading, spending time outdoors, and cherishing moments with her family. She recently published her debut book, Differences Make You YOU!, inspired by her own child's experiences with Sensory Processing Disorder. Written with love and care, her book aims to help children understand and embrace differences, encouraging them to celebrate what makes everyone unique. Through her storytelling, she hopes to foster empathy, acceptance, and a deeper appreciation for the diverse ways we all experience the world.