Teen Fiction

Finnish, V. K.

Finnish, V. K.
Pseudonym
V. K. Finnish
Birth City
Chicago
Birth State
IL
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Biography

V. K. Finnish is the author of The Discoveries of Arthur Grey books, a middle-grade series that twists together all her favorite genres into one epic adventure. She grew up in Chicago with a zoo’s worth of pets, including three Alaskan malamutes, who inspired her furry character Griffin. If you can’t find her actually writing, she’s probably busy plotting new adventures (for family or characters), hiking, wandering around on a travel, or snuggling with one of her five cats over a good fantasy book.

Local Authors Genres
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
For children ... editing and research for fiction.

Fristoe, Angela

Occupation(s)
Young adult author and elementary educator
Biography

Angela was born and raised on the Canadian prairies. She spent her summer days running down the coulis listening to the gentle rattle of the not-so-friendly snakes and her winters trekking through the snow to go tobogganing at the local park. As a child, she had grand aspirations of becoming the next Jane Goodall or Dian Fossey and amassed a huge collection of stuffed monkeys and gorillas until she realized that nature just wasn't her thing, particularly in light of her aversion to insects and bugs.

She decided kids were close enough to monkeys that teaching was the next best thing. After earning her her degree from the University of Alberta, she spent the next decade living and working across the United States, before home sickness kicked in and she returned to Canada.

Angela continues to immerse herself in the book world. When not teaching, she is writing angst-filled stories for teens, and steamy romances for adults. She has also merged her love of art with her love of books to develop Covered Creatively, her book cover design business.

Education/Training
Bachelor of Education Degree, University of Alberta
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Writing for young adults

Grey, Jessica

Author Jessica Grey
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1979
Birth City
Abington
Birth State
PA
Current Location
Cascade, CO
Occupation(s)
Author
Biography

Jessica Grey is an author, fairy tale believer, baseball lover, and recovering Star Wars fangirl. A life-long Californian, she now lives with her two children near Colorado Springs, where she spends her time writing, complaining about snow in April, and drinking way too much caffeine. Jessica writes witty, modern Jane Austen adaptations and Young Adult fairy tales featuring strong girls and magic.

Education/Training
2005 - Bachelor of Arts Degree in English (minor in History), Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, CA
Published Works Book Jackets
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Book cover for Atone: A Fairy Tale by Jessica Grey
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Book cover for Attempting Elizabeth by Jessica Grey
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Book cover for Awake: A Fairytale by Jessica Grey
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Book cover for Views from the Depths by Jessica Grey
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Book cover for Views from the Tower by Jessica Grey
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
* Young adult fiction
* Fairy tale adaptation
* Jane Austen
* Austen-esque fiction
* Social media for writers
* Indie publishing

Liparulo, Robert

Author Robert Liparulo
Birth City
West Point
Birth State
NY
Current Location
Monument, CO
Biography

I've been writing since before I could drive. Short stories, investigative exposes, celebrity profiles, editorials, business columns, radio dramas, screenplays--you name it. One story illustrates how young I was when I started: I was in the green room backstage to interview Bruce Springsteen. He came in, said hi, and sat opposite me. I was accustomed to letting the interviewee get things started, so we made small talk for a while. Finally, he looked at his watch, back at the door, and said, "Will your father be in soon to start the interview?" It's been a long time since anyone could mistake me for a youth tagging along with his father.

Local Authors Genres
Published Works Book Jackets
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Cover image of The 13th Tribe by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Deadfall by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Deadlock by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Frenzy by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Germ by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of The Judgment Stone by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Timescape by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Watcher in the Woods by Robert Liparulo
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Cover image of Whirlwind by Robert Liparulo
Organizations
International Thriller Writers (ITW) - American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Contact author for possible topics

Regan, Dian Curtis

Regan, Dian Curtis
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Biography

Dian Curtis Regan is the author of 60 books for young readers, ranging from picture books for toddlers to novels for teens. Popular and recent titles include: Princess Nevermore, Monster of the Month Club, the Ghost Twins series, Barnyard Slam, The Snow Blew Inn, Monster Baby, and Rocky Cave Kids. Coming next year is a beginning reader series called SpaceBoy. Visit her website at http://diancurtisregan.com

Awards/Honors
"Mommies" - American Booksellers Assn. (ABA) "Pick of the List" & Children's Book of the Month Club selection
"Daddies" - Children's Book of the Month Club selection
"The Thirteen Hours of Halloween" - Finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award
"A Sparkly Christmas Eve" - Children's Book of the Month Club selection
"CyberPals According to Kaley" - Junior Library Guild selection
"The World According to Kaley" - Finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award
"The Friendship of Milly & Tug" - Junior Guild selection; Children's Literature Choice Book; Los Angeles Times' Recommended book; New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"; Winner of the Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers' Associatio
"The Curse of the Trouble Dolls" - Oklahoma Book Award finalist; Maryland Children's Book Award nominee
"Monsters in CyberSpace" - South Dakota Children's Book Award nominee; Maryland Children's Book Award nominee; Rhode Island Children's Book Award nominee
"Princess Nevermore" - Junior Library Guild selection; Oklahoma Book Award finalist; Oklahoma YA Sequoyah Award nominee; Maryland Children's Book Award nominee
"The Initiation" - 1994 Oklahoma Cherubim Award; 1995 International Reading Association's YA Choice Award
"Game of Survival" - 1990 ALA/YASD Recommended book for reluctant readers; 1990 Oklahoma Cherubim Award
"I've Got Your Number" - 1987 International Reading Association's Children's Choice Award
"Soul Stories: Thirteen Stories about Faith and Belief" - Junior Library Guild Selection
"Dirty Laundry" - 1999 Best Book for the Teen Age, NY Public Library; 1999 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
Speaker Availability
No

Paul, Donita K.

Paul, Donita K.
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Retired Elementary School Teacher and Full-time Author
Biography

Donita K. Paul is a retired teacher and author of numerous novellas, short stories, and eleven novels, including the best-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles, a series which has sold more than a quarter-million books to date. She also coauthored The Dragon and the Turtle picture book series with her daughter, Evangeline Denmark. The winner of multiple awards, she live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she spends time mentoring and encouraging young writers. She is proud of her two grown children and she is entertained by her two young grandsons.

Awards/Honors
2nd Place, Romance Writers of America/Faith Hope & Love, 2000 Short Historical Fiction
Christy Honor Award
ACFW Book of the Year
RWA Reader's Choice
Education/Training
Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education, University of Houston - Graduate Work in Early Childhood Education - Certificate from the Child Evangelism Fellowship - Certificate from the La Leche League - Certificate from the Institute of Children's Literature
Organizations
Society of Children's Writers & Illustrators - American Christian Writers - American Christian Fiction Writers - Authors Guild
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Literacy - Writing - Reading Aloud

Denmark, Evangeline

Denmark, Evangeline
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1978
Birth City
Springdale
Birth State
AR
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Author
Biography

We moved to Colorado Springs the year I turned 13 and have lived here ever since. One summer I worked for the East Library through a teen job program. I now visit the Briargate branch with my children. PPLD has been part of my life for 22 years.

Education/Training
Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Local Authors Genres
Published Works Book Jackets
Organizations
Pikes Peak Writers - American Christian Fiction Writers - The Bronte Society
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Choosing picture books that work for your child and you

Bazer, Ashley

Author Ashley Bazer
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1973
Birth City
Enid
Birth State
OK
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Christian radio producer
Biography

Ashley Hodges Bazer is the author of the epic sci-fi series, The Crown's Call, which explores the onset and aftermath of a religious holocaust in a space opera setting. She also dabbles in young adult fantasy, bringing chess pieces to life in Checkmate and mixing up fairy tales with fun twists in Once Upon a Heist. She lives in Colorado with her husband and three children. After earning her bachelor’s degree in theatrical stage management from Arizona State University, she went on to work for Disneyland in that capacity. Currently a content producer for an international daily radio program, she’s become a pro at balancing work, writing, and mom duties. And she's a real duchess! Learn more about Ashley and her upcoming books at www.AshleyBazer.com.

Awards/Honors
For Asylum: Certificate of Merit, 2012 Deep River Books Writing Contest
For Asylum: Grand Prize Winner, 2012 WestBow Press Writer's Contest
For Checkmate: Top 30 Finalist, 2012 Women of Faith Writing Contest
Education/Training
Bachelor of Arts in Theater (stage management)
Published Works Book Jackets
Organizations
Pikes Peak Writers
Speaker Availability
No

Eliot, Anne

Author Anne Eliot
Pseudonym
Eliot Scott
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Biography

Anne Eliot is the bestselling young adult author of Almost, Unmaking Hunter KennedyHow I Fall, How I Fly, and the Runaway Rockstar Series: Runaway Girl and Runaway Heart (Runaway Star coming soon).

​Anne Eliot also writes bestselling adult romance with the amazing author, Ginger Scott, under the name Eliot Scott.

Awards/Honors
Paul Gillette Award, Pikes Peak Writers Conference
Almost: #11 for Amazon's Top 100 Young Adult/Reader's Choice annual Top 100 list
Education/Training
Master of Arts Degree, University of New Mexico - Bachelor of Arts Degree, Colorado College - Denver University Publishing Institute
Local Authors Genres
Organizations
* Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI)
* Romance Writers of America (RWA)
* Pikes Peak Writers
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Anne loves to volunteer, work with teen writers, visit schools, speak at libraries, teach at writers conferences--just ask she'll make you a tailored workshop (and make her author friends come along should you need more).

Karchut, Darby

Author Darby Karchut
Birth State
NM
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Author
Biography

Darby Karchut is an award-winning author, former teacher, and compulsive dawn greeter. Her many books include Del Toro Moon (middle grade fantasy series) and On a Good Horse (middle grade contemporary). She is the recipient of the Colorado Book Award, the High Plains Book Award, the Will Rogers Medallion Award, the IPPY Silver Award, and the Moonbeam Children’s Book Silver Award. A native of New Mexico, she now lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she runs in blizzards and bikes in lightning storms. When not dodging death by Colorado, Darby can be found wrangling words. 

Visit the author at www.darbykarchut.com and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Goodreads.

 

Awards/Honors
For Griffin Rising: 2011 Sharp Writ Book of the Year
For Griffin Rising: 2012 Gold Medal Children's Literary Classics
For Griffin's Fire: 2012 Finalist, Sharp Writ Book Award
For Griffin's Fire: 2012 Readers' Favorite Bronze Award, Young Adult
For Money and Teens: 2013 EIFLE (Excellence in Financial Literacy Education) Book of the Year
For Finn Finnegan: 2014 IPPY Silver Medal for Juvenile Fiction
For Gideon's Spear: 2014 International Reader's Favorite Bronze Medal
For Stag Lord: 2016 USA Book News Best Book Award Finalist
For Stone's Heart: 2016 Chatelaine Award Finalist
For Del Toro Moon: 2019 Colorado Book Award, Juvenile Literature
For On A Good Horse: 2021 High Plains Book Award, Children’s Literature
For On A Good Horse: 2021 Will Rogers Medallion Award, Juvenile Literature
Education/Training
MA in Education - The Colorado College ; BA in Anthropology - The University of New Mexico
Published Works Book Jackets
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Book cover for Del Toro Moon
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Book cover for The Red Casket
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Book cover for Mace and Hammer
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Book cover for On a Good Horse
Organizations
PAL member of the SCBWI ; member of the Pikes Peak Writers
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Craft of Writing - Genre Fiction - Middle Grade and YA Fiction