Fantasy/Magical realism

Herbert, Amber

Herbert, Amber
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1993
Birth City
Anaheim
Birth State
CA
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Writer - editor
Biography

Amber Herbert is a published author/poet living in Colorado Springs with her husband and two sons. She has a BA in English Literature and has worked as a freelance editor since 2018. She writes high fantasy, horror, science fiction, and YA and New Adult fiction. Lipstick Covered Magnet is her first novel.

Education/Training
BA in English Literature - developmental and copy editor since 2018 - judge for Colorado Book Awards and the Colorado Gold contest
Published Works Book Jackets
Image
Book cover for Lipstick Covered Magnet by Amber Herbert
Organizations
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
I am more than happy to speak about writing, editing, or critiquing fiction.

Barber, Sean

Head and shoulders photograph of Sean Barber
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1983
Birth City
Ukiah
Birth State
CA
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Local truck driver
Biography

I have been a Colorado Springs resident for over 20 years and have been a member of the Pikes Peak Library District for nearly as long. I have been a lifelong reader and have always dreamed of becoming a published author. I finally accomplished my dream in January of 2022 and hope to be a full time author in the next couple years.

Education/Training
Associates Degree in IT - Bachelors Degree in Psychology - CDL holder
Published Works Book Jackets
Image
Book cover for Initialization, Book 1 (Paths of Power series)
Image
Book cover for Initialization, Book 2 (Paths of Power series)
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Self Publishing - LITrpg (a relatively new book genre that is booming) - my book series

Emanuelson, K. L.

Author K. L. Emanuelson
Birth City
Milwaukee
Birth State
WI
Current Location
El Paso County, CO
Occupation(s)
Author
Biography

K.L. Emanuelson is an Army veteran. She was a working cowgirl for many years, a horse trainer and a riding instructor. As a Beowulf scholar, she's presented at academic conferences and been published in the proceedings. She's entered the poetry, essay and short-short fiction divisions and won, at the Colorado Veterans Arts competitions, but now focuses upon writing her novels. She shares her ranch in the beautiful, historic Bijou Basin with her horses, dogs and cats. She's a historian with a focus upon pre-Viking early 6th century Scandinavia and the 19th century American West.

Awards/Honors
First Place, "Blue Agave," Colorado Women's Poetry Competition, open division
2018 Colorado Veterans Arts Competition: First Place Essay, First Place and Best in Show in Writing for a Short-short Fiction piece
2019 Colorado Veterans Arts Competition: First Place Essay, First Place Short-short Fiction, First Place Poetry
Education/Training
MA-English/Language Arts
Published Works Book Jackets
Image
The Woman Who Rode Destiny
Organizations
Pikes Peak Writers
Sons of Norway
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Beowulf, horses, including accurate horse portrayals in film and fiction, Viking and pre-Viking Norse culture, and cowboys/cowgirls

Berge, Bekah

Berge, Bekah
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Biography

Bekah Berge fell in love with all things mystical at a young age. Her love of stories led to her writing her first book in her early twenties, and she's never looked back since. When not scribbling down fantastical tales, she enjoys traveling, baking, hiking in the nearby mountains, and brewing the perfect cup of tea.

Local Authors Genres
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
No

Haines, E.L.

E.L. Haines
Birth City
Dallas
Birth State
TX
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Writer
Biography

Ethan reads all the time, and writes so that you can read. He travels the world, ignoring the usual boundaries of space and time, collecting stories, which he loves to tell almost as much as Sparrow himself does. He grew up in Colorado Springs, and currently lives in Cairo, Egypt. Who knows where he'll end up next?

Speaker Availability
No

Converse, Brian

Converse, Brian
Birth City
Jackson
Birth State
MI
Current Location
Monument, Colorado
Occupation(s)
Proposal Manager
Biography

Brian S. Converse is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and poetry. He lives with his wife, four kids, and two animals in the Front Range area of Colorado. Brian assists with the Teen Writing program at the Monument library every month. Brian is a US Army Veteran and grew up in Michigan.

Education/Training
BA, English, University of San Diego
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Writing - Self-publishing - Publishing

Klein, Claudia

Birth City
Tawas City
Birth State
MI
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Author
Biography

Claudia Klein began writing as soon as she could spell. She finished writing her first YA fantasy novel at the age of 18 and has continued writing in the genre ever since. Her debut novel was published in 2019. She currently lives in the Pikes Peak region and when she’s not writing you’ll find her crocheting, snow skiing, and spending time with her family.

Education/Training
Bachelor of Science, Biology
Local Authors Genres
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Writing fiction - How to Self-Publish - The World of Erlingue

Kingston, A.R.

Kingston, A.R.
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Author
Biography

A.R Kingston was born in Moscow, Russia. She immigrated to the United States in her childhood settling in a quaint town in Massachusetts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has spent time working with the mentally ill before turning to writing. Kingston is both an avid gamer and seasoned traveler. Her passion is combining the legends and lore from around the world with the fantasy of games, creating a magical world similar to our own. She prefers to write stories which blend the genres of Fantasy, Horror, and Romance into a neat little package. She currently resides in the Colorado Springs area of Colorado with her family, including two pot belly pigs.

Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Please contact author via author website for a list of speaker topics.

Maschger, Eileen

Maschger, Eileen
Birth City
Rome
Birth State
NY
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Biography

Eileen moved to the Colorado Springs area with her family when she was 8 years old. Although she had lived in three different homes before then, Colorado Springs is where she grew up and has her most fondest memories. After becoming an Army wife she has lived on the west coast, the east, and on the Gulf Coast as well. But now he is back in Colorado, raising her own family in her hometown. She is inspired every day by her children and various friendly faces that help her to imagine a world of stories. She has a newfound love of writing to help bring these stories to life for her young readers in age and in heart.

Education/Training
Associate degree, Psychology, Pikes Peak Community College
Local Authors Genres
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Inspiration for Youth confidence and pursuing their dreams - Self-confidence - Encouraging individual creativity to shine

Colter, Liz

Colter, Liz
Pseudonym
L.D. Colter
Current Location
Colorado
Biography

Liz has followed her heart through a wide variety of careers, including farming with a team of draft horses and working as a field paramedic, Outward Bound instructor, athletic trainer, and roller-skating waitress, among other curious choices. She also knows more about concrete than you might suspect. Her novels written under the name L. D. Colter explore contemporary and dark fantasy, and ones written as L. Deni Colter venture into epic fantasy realms. Following a long interlude in Southern and Northern California, she returned some years ago to her home state of Colorado, where she spends her time with her husband, dogs, horses, and writing (according to her husband, not always in that order of priority).

Awards/Honors
A Borrowed Hell - Winner of the 2018 Colorado Book Award for Science Fiction/Fantasy
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Publishing through a large press, small press or indie - Writing technique - Short story writing and submissions