General Nonfiction

Dr. Cara E. Koch is a Parental Alienation expert, author, and researcher who has written the book, From Heartbreak to Healing: Resolving Parental Alienation. The book recounts her own experience of 43 years as an alienated parent and outlines the vast progress made recently to renew parent/child relationships that may have seemed hopeless.

Cara has a professional background in child development and family relationships where she managed child development programs serving working parents and their children, plus a doctorate in children’s [innate] spirituality, she finds answers to her questions:

“Why me?”

“How did this happen?

“What is the purpose?”

Through a process of deep introspection, she overcame decades of depression, despite remaining unreconciled with her son. She has now discovered resources, formerly unavailable, that could have led to a different outcome.

Ashley is the Managing Member/CEO of Koalatative Guided Solutions, LLC. She lives in Colorado where she enjoys spending a large amount of her budget on lotions and oils to battle with the dry climate. With over 10 years of experience educating, mentoring, and providing information to adults concerning the path to self-wellness, Ashley Jelks-Fragier has earned a reputation as a “compassionate leader and guide."

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.

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has nine in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, and Rachel’s Reunion. Mary’s Moment comes out May 12, 2023, and book eleven, A Summer at Thousand Island House, comes out in July. She is also a published author of two premarital books, two children's picture books, seven stories in compilation books, and hundreds of published articles. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and two Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist.

Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands.

Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

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.

Judith has specialized in capturing breathtaking scenic and nature images for over 20 years. She shares her vast knowledge through private and group photo tours of Garden of the Gods as well as other Colorado locations. You can also join her for photographic seminars and workshops. Visit her website to view portfolio images and fine art prints, and to see free instructional videos at www.mothernaturephotography.com. 

Judith says, "Showing up at a location and photographing nature by literally recording the moment is different from capturing nature as an artist feels it should be viewed; using light, weather, equipment, and an artistic interpretation to show Mother Nature’s beauty and power. Both methods are useful in photography, but each has a distinct time and place. My goal is always to make each image intentional, represent my artistic vision, and create a piece of art that will be loved for a lifetime. I have spent the majority of my life in Colorado Springs, moving here as a child. I remember my joy while climbing on the rocks of Garden of the Gods early in my life. Though I moved to Michigan for ten years, Colorado always echoed in my heart. Now that I have returned to 'The Springs,' I often frequent Garden of the Gods, spending much time hiking and photographing this breathtaking open space with my loving husband and children."

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 worked as a registered interior designer. -Suburban Homesteader (have gardens, chickens, bees). -Speaker/trainer on myriad topics. -Global house- and pet-sitter. -Nonprofit consultant, certified grants specialist (proposal writer, donor communications, fundraising strategy)

Doug Cook has spent over two thousand hours underwater exploring and photographing life in the oceans. He is retired from a thirty-four year career as a petroleum geophysicist. This career allowed him to explore five of the world’s continents and live in Saudi Arabia for eighteen years. A career highlight in petroleum exploration was participating in ten years of deep-water submersible oil seep studies in the Gulf of Mexico. These seeps have associated chemosynthetic communities of life. As extremophiles, these organisms relate to Doug’s interest in astrogeology and exobiology. Doug has always had a passion for astronomy and space exploration. He now pursues this passion as an author. The beauty of the mountains and geology lured Doug to retire in Colorado. He has two daughters and lives in Colorado Springs with his wife Elizabeth.

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.