General Nonfiction

Four-Time Olympian in the sport of luge. First four-decade Winter Olympian. Spoken for over 100 Fortune 500 companies since 2002. Sold over 300,000 books in 10 languages. TED talk, "The Power of Following the Leader" has over one million views. Ruben moved to Colorado Springs in 2010 and visits the Monument Library at least a couple times a week.

Pamela Brinker, LCSW, is a Colorado native, living in Colorado Springs. An integrative psychotherapist for 31 years, Pamela has treated thousands of clients while developing tools and practices to teach conscious bravery. She is a committed mental health advocate, helping others transform difficulties into foundations for strength and compassion as they find gratitude, hope, and freedom in everyday living.

Author of the new book released May 20, 2022, Conscious Bravery: Caring for Someone with Addiction, she teaches and speaks about radical self-care, knowing who we truly are, and “whole-being awareness,” along with other tools and practices she designed or refined to cultivate and embed conscious bravery. Her diligent personal yoga, meditation, and dreamtending practices have informed her life and her work for three decades. A mother of two sons and a step-son, Pamela is married and is a lifelong competitive athlete. She divides her time between the mountains and the ocean, and has lived in Colorado Springs for over 30 years.

Dr. MelindaJoy Mingo has lived in the Pikes Peak Region for over 20 years. She is a professor and co-Director of the Equity Project at Pikes Peak State College. She is a global leadership trainer and cross cultural communications specialist. She is a visiting business lecturer at Hanoi University in Vietnam and a sought out speaker around the world. She is the founder of Significant Life Change which is a coaching initiative with a unique emphasis on leadership presence along with skills. She is featured in many podcasts, printed magazine interviews and in person speaking engagements around the topic of cross cultural and international business relationships. She is a Tedx speaker and her talk "Shame Off You" has been featured nationally and internationally.

My name is LaNette and I’m a Christian author, Writing Coach, Certified Grief Specialist, Marine wife, and grandma who loves hot pink, polka dots, and glitter. My favorite hobbies are writing, meeting new people, and cooking. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas Wesleyan University and Associate of Arts Degree from Tarrant County College. During my years of college, I was selected to be a part of the Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society and Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Society. Over the years, I’ve self-published six books, one noted as a top-seller on Amazon in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. My love for writing and self-publishing led me to my genuine passion for helping others to write and develop their stories. I’m a Texas native currently enjoying the mountains and hiking trails in Colorado.

After growing up in Germany, Tanja Britton came to Colorado Springs thanks to her husband Mike, whose family, like many, was transplanted to the Pikes Peak region because of their affiliation with the military. Her interest in medicine led her to explore the fascinating history of tuberculosis in the area, which catalyzed wider historical studies. Increasingly fond of nature, photography, and writing, she was inspired to combine her interests by starting a blog in 2016 and by writing her first book.

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.

For 19 years, I played in the Colorado Springs Symphony. My current cozy mystery series is based on those experiences.

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 the power of literature with four keys to culture: Language, Identity, Space, and Time.

Stéphanie McGuirt is a homeschool mom and business owner living in beautiful Colorado with her husband, Bryan, and their 2 children. When she's not adventuring with her kids or working with clients in her business, she's working on a bountiful garden and little homestead, and, of course, playing. For resources and to learn more, visit her website, www.stephaniemcguirt.com.

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 years and the proud father of two sons, one daughter, one son-in-law, six grandkids, and one on the way in January 2021.