Biography/Memoir

Andrew served in the United States Army for 22 years and is a retired Master Sergeant. Upon retirement, Andrew and his family chose to reside in the Pikes Peak region to continue their Christian service within the military and veteran community.

Jené is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. Her memoir, The Oat Project: How I Faced My Fear and Came of Age in One Wild Summer, about how she finally sowed her wild oats, has been called “raw,” “courageous,” and “fearless.” She is working on her first novel and second big project, The Boot by Boot, which will also be a memoir to inspire.

Though known for her writing, speaking, and idea-generation, Jené is an accomplished photographer and runs two online stores, YoniFlower Collections and LowKeyMad, for which she designs all products.

By authentically and joyfully connecting with friends, strangers, and audiences, Jené is challenging the status quo, shifting how we judge “lost” time and life’s worth, and leaping off metaphorical cliffs to learn from risk, inspiring people to say, “I never thought about it that way.”

Jené was raised all over the U.S. as a preacher’s daughter before finally rebelling. She is a single mom of three, a GenXer in midlife, in menopause, has POTS, and is finally becoming who she is.

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. If you want stories that are surreptitiously educational, he’s your man. He currently lives in Colorado Springs and his most recent book is Fourteener Father, a memoir of climbing all of Colorado's 14,000-foot mountains with his dad.

Janyne McConnaughey, PhD, retired from a career in education that spanned forty years—from early-childhood educator to college professor—in order to heal from the effects of the childhood abuse she had suffered. During therapy, Janyne wrote her way to healing and now is redeeming her story by helping others to understand and heal from childhood trauma. Along with Brave: A Personal Story of Healing Childhood Trauma, Janyne is working on two forthcoming sequels. She also keeps busy blogging at Janyne.org, and guest blogging for other organizations that address childhood trauma. Janyne enjoys full-time RV living with her husband, Scott, at the edge of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and treasures the time she spends in the Seattle area with her children and grandchildren.

I moved to Colorado Springs in 1986. I ran a very large psychotherapy practice (counseling) until 1997 when I was sidelined for 12 years by a very severe brain injury requiring a craniotomy. As a result of the changes in my brain I was forced to completely change my modus operandi. Eventually I returned to counseling and wrote a memoir of my seven and one-half years post TBI. I lived in Colorado Springs until 2015, when my husband and editor, sold our home and moved into our 5th wheel, to experience additional locations in the US.

Dr. Pilch was awarded her MA and PhD from Yale University in the field of International Relations. She joined the United States Air Force Academy faculty in 1998 and became Professor Emeritus in 2015. She participated in a Fulbright Hays to South Africa and a Fulbright to Mongolia in 2012 and in 2011 was named the Case Carnegie Colorado Professor of the Year. Her expertise is in human rights, international law, and genocide.

It has been my immense pleasure to have lived in beautiful Colorado Springs since the summer of 1995 when my husband and I moved here after his retirement from the USAF at LA AFB. We both met in Holland after I had lived/survived in six different countries around Europe with a Dream of someday getting back to the United States to live. It was a Dream that I never gave up on since growing up as a little girl in Dublin, Ireland. I was thrilled to have acquired my US Citizenship (finally!) in Denver in September of 1998...woo-hoo!! My Goal going forward is to motivate one and all into NEVER ever giving up on your own DREAMS as you, and only you can MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! Looking forward to meeting readers of Celtic Road Home in the not too distant future!!!

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 immigrant parents coming to America from Ireland, his growing up during the Great Depression and how that influenced his attitude and values in life, as well as having served in World War II. Martin was well known in our community, once owning Village Inn in Monument, Colorado so that he could build the one on Wolfensberger Road in Castle Rock. He and his wife Dorothy were both instrumental in the building and expanding of St. Peter School in Monument, Colorado.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Linsey Baldwin is the third child and second daughter in a military family. Linsey and her husband Tom traveled for many years, finally settling down in southern Colorado in 2000. Linsey and Tom have three grown children and one grandchild. In her debut novel, Mom's Summer, Linsey provides a fresh, heartwarming perspective to handling the illness and loss of a dear loved one.

We have been in Colorado Springs since 2005, moving here from Castle Rock. I have lived in Colorado since 1967. I flew for the original Frontier Airlines for seventeen years when a back injury and subsequent surgery would not allow me to return to my flying duties. I still miss it. My husband Bob and I started New Tech Medical in 1982. We are independent manufacturers Reps in medical sales. At one time we covered nine western states but now Bob is semi-retired and covers Colorado Springs and surrounding areas. I am currently working hard at selling my book. In the late 1980s I found out that my aunt had saved a series of letters written to her by my father. They dated from 1945 to 1953 when he died. I was only six years old when he passed away so reading his letters gave me the opportunity of knowing just who this amazing man was. I was greatly encouraged by my sister to write a book based on these letters. It took me over 20 years to finish it and I think that the ending is just as it was meant to be. The title is I've Been Only a Shadow." One of his letters says, "I've been only a shadow in the lives of so many people." The book was published in late 2015. I have been traveling to the cities where most of the story happened and am now concentrating on Colorado. I'm doing a spot on the radio June 27th and am currently contacting TV stations about doing a short piece. I am passionate about his story. Had he lived, he would have told the story himself. I am very proud to be the one to share it. Thank you.