NEW November Authors' Hall of Fame Issue

Each month this year, one of the Hall’s Inductees has shared insights to the writing, the books, their evolution as an author and writer. Last month, I loved 2021 Inductee Carol Fenster’s reveal on finding her voice. This month, 2021 Inductee Charlotte Hinger opens the door to how she "hung in there"—sometimes for many years and a zillion rejections before a book was picked up. I encourage all of you to take the time and read these gems—just a few minutes that are included each month. All past editions of the Attitudes at Altitude newsletter are on the Hall’s website under the What’s New tab.

I’m excited to see some of the Nominations for 2023's Induction coming in ... and what the grapevine tells me will arrive before the deadline at the end of February.

A reminder: the Aspiring Author Scholarships was a huge success in September. Take a few minutes and meet the Winners and Finalists. You can read about them, their plans, and comments of what the Judges said about the submitted work. The Program book has been turned into a flipbook and can be found on the Hall’s Home page: https://issuu.com/fp.gd/docs/aspireauthors_program

The drum roll is starting ... Nominations are definitely open for the 2023 Hall Induction—only twelve will be selected this year. The Nomination Form is on the Home page of the Hall. Will one be yours?

Attitudes at Altitude’s promise to our readers …

We celebrate the outstanding authors inducted into the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame ® (Hall) in 2019 and 2021. The Hall is the first in the United States to honor published authors exclusively. The next Induction will be on September 16, 2023 and will be held at the DoubleTree Hilton – Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Put the date on your calendar.

Each month, past Inductees are featured with their background and latest books.
One of our past Inductees will offer their sage advice on "how they do it"–whatever "it" is.

You will be the first to hear about the Hall Events that are planned. Nominations for 2023 Induction are open through February 28, 2023. The Gala Induction will be held Saturday, September 16, 2023.

It’s Nominate a Favorite Author Time!

The Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments of living and passed authors who have been connected to Colorado—their words, wisdom, accomplishments and the life-changing impact their works create. The result: their legacy lives on.

The Hall recognizes and honors the works that sage advice and page-turning story telling have brought forth to readers of all ages. Words that entrance, delight, and change the lives of men, women, and children.

The writers and authors who create them have made a difference that transforms how people live, work and play. That value can only be declared as priceless.

The Hall honors the authors of extraordinary, published works who meet the Hall’s criteria. Members of the public must study the criteria and enact their nominations of exceptional authors. Nominations are accepted from organizations or individuals throughout the state. A diverse group of Colorado citizens, including literary professionals, is recruited to serve as the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee reviews all nominations, performs additional research if necessary, and selects nominees for induction into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame.

Who Will They Be?
To open the door for consideration, all Nominees must have a connection to Colorado. Either by birth, residency at some time, writing in Colorado, about Colorado, or using elements in Colorado in one of their books. Connection as in:

Nominees were born in Colorado, currently live in Colorado, or created one of their published works in Colorado.
Nominees write about Colorado or include a location or event in Colorado as part of their published work.

The Nominating Committee will also consider:

Has the Nominee made significant and enduring contributions to their fields of work?

Has the Nominee helped open new frontiers for writing styles, ideas, and concepts?
Has the Nominee inspired others by the breadth of their writing and work?
Has the Nominee advanced the status of authors?
What is the breadth of the Nominee’s work and impact on readers?

Note—the Committee does not read Nominee’s books—although members may be familiar with them. It is up to Nominators to clearly state the "who, what, and why" their Nominee should be inducted into the Authors’ Hall of Fame.

The next Induction will be on Saturday, September 16, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. Up to 12 new inductees will be admitted into the Hall of Fame at the biannual Gala.
Nominate a favorite author, CLICK HERE:
https://coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/nomination-form.html

Louis L’Amour

(1908 – 1988) Has been awarded the National Book Award, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan for his more than 100 published works creating in excess of 325 million published copies. His books defined the American West for several generations of readers and created a legacy for future students of American history, not only because of his vivid imagination but also through his extensive research. Embodying the courage and determination of many of his protagonists, Louis held a wide variety of occupations, while always knowing his goal was to be a published author. For years, he papered his walls with rejections letters. Whenever opportunities presented themselves, he was willing, sometimes using a pen name if required, such as when he was hired to write some Hopalong Cassidy stories.

Louis was a resident of both California and Colorado. His words and body of work teach his readers about human nature, championing our best qualities, and unmasking our worst. For fellow authors, he was a role model of discipline, diligence, persistence, and the joy of writing.

Charlotte Hinger

Calling Colorado home for over a decade, Charlotte Hinger is a multi-published, award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction—long and short, historical, and contemporary—primarily, but not exclusively, focused on the Western experience with an emphasis on the African-American/Black experience in the historical West, primarily in the Great Plains region. Her most recent nonfiction book is Post-Reconstruction Politics and Racial Justice in Western Kansas. The award-winning Lottie Albright series was inspired by a childhood listening to the natural born liars in her small community of Lone Elm, Kansas, and the mesmerizing "rest of the stories" whispered behind closed doors when she edited over 500 family submissions for county history books.

She has published several mystery short stories. Come Spring won the Western Writers of America Medicine Pipe Award. Convinced that mystery writing, and historical investigation go hand to hand, her most recent historical novel is The Healer's Daughter.

Hinger’s works teach, illuminate, and entertain, becoming a beacon to readers and other writers alike. The experiences and histories of African-American/Black communities and individuals who lived, worked, and contributed their skills and talents are revealed through her non-fiction and fictional works.

Books of note: The Healer's Daughter and
Fractured Families

HANGING IN THERE

By Charlotte Hinger

Hooray! Finally. A manuscript I’ve been peddling since the 1990s is going to be published. The title is Mary’s Place. It’s about the turbulent time in rural Kansas when counties were simultaneously losing their banks and losing their farms.

I’m a tough sell. I write exclusively about Kansas. Worse, I write about agriculture in Kansas. That doesn’t make a New York editor’s heart go pitty-pat. Agents aren’t bowled over either.

Never mind. My first novel, Come Spring, about homesteading in Kansas (land, again) was published by Simon & Schuster in hardcover, and I had a great paperback sale to Warner Books. This was an enormous first break which happened when I was just about convinced the book would never be published. Against all odds, I also acquired a wonderful agent with Harold Ober Associates, a New York house that represented literary giants.

Then disaster struck. My editor left Simon & Schuster and the house didn’t publish my second novel. My agent advised me not to accept an offer from another press because she thought we could do better. We never did sell that novel. My third novel didn’t find a home either

Heartbroken over the apparent end of my book publishing career, I was confused and depressed. It was deeply embarrassing to face friends’ questions: "so when is your next book coming out?", My unhappiness was making my family miserable. I was carrying on like I had been short-changed instead of acknowledging that my first novel had received magical breaks. Then I realized there was nothing to stop me from writing. And writing made me happy. I went back to the computer.

Besides, I had sold the first short story I submitted. Then the next two. Then my agent submitted a story to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine that was subsequently republished in two anthologies. One of my stories was included in the Mystery Writers of America Anthology, Blood on Their Hands.

It dawned on me that I might be a better mystery writer than history writer. What a surprise! I switched course and began writing mystery novels. The first book in the Lottie Albright series, Deadly Descent, was published by Poisoned Pen Press.

In the meantime, during research for my historical novels, I became intrigued by the heroic struggle of Black settlers in Western Kansas to establish the town of Nicodemus. I didn’t understand why so little had been written about these pioneers. I wanted to tell their story.

I knew no one would listen to the ideas of a middle-aged housewife without a college degree. In fact, it would take a master’s. Horrified, I realized I would have to pass College Algebra. I had not had a math class for 43 years.

I enrolled in the Japanese Kumon math series and worked my way through the lessons. I passed algebra! Building on my master’s thesis, my academic book was published by University of Oklahoma Press. My historical novel about Nicodemus was published by Five Star/Gale Cengage. A short story that evolved from this research was nominated for a Pushcart Award.

When you think you’re a dead duck, reorganize, and hang in there. Resilience is everything.

As a new board member, I feel so privileged to work with a new circle of professionals and friends. As Mike Howard expressed in his column in the latest edition of "Attitudes at Altitude," I attended the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame Induction Gala last fall and felt warmly welcomed and included at the event. I even met a long-lost step cousin who was there to support one of the inductees. That was serendipitous!

I retired from the corporate and business world three years ago, where I served in executive roles in both the energy and financial sectors. I have always had a passion for community outreach and have served on numerous boards throughout my professional life, as well as in these new retirement years. I am always inquisitive and willing to learn new things. I pledged to myself to find some new ventures to support that I didn’t know a lot about and, voilà, along comes the opportunity to join this insightful, fun, and educational group.

I am not a writer or creative by background or nature, other than innumerable papers, reports, and business writings in my career – and the occasional helping my daughter with schoolwork and reports! I am an avid reader and now have the time to expand my pleasure reading of all those books I’ve accumulated and received. I had the pleasure of meeting a few authors like Margaret Atwood, Erik Larson, and others when they have visited Colorado Springs for events and readings. So, I’m especially excited about opportunities to meet many others. These kinds of opportunities really are inspirational. I am almost a Colorado native, having lived here since I was two after coming to the United States as a newly adopted child from Japan.

I also have a passion for mentoring young adults and have worked with several students through university programs and other settings. I’m pleased that our organization offers our new "Aspiring Author Scholarships" to further the careers of many new prospective authors of all ages.

My long friendship with Mara Purl, another creative gem, led me to all of you and I hope to cultivate this new world and share my talents in leadership, administration, mentorship, and outreach to further the success of the organization.

Support the Hall

The Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments of living and passed authors who have been connected to Colorado—their words, wisdom, accomplishments, and the life-changing impact their works create. The result: their legacy lives on.

The Hall is an all-volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that honors and celebrates authors connected with Colorado by birth, residence, temporary residency for writing encouragement and support, writing about elements within Colorado, or placing storylines in or about Colorado.

Authors’ words have immense power and impact on changing others’ lives. They solve problems, bring awareness to a topic, and provide hours of pleasurable reading. It’s the power of their words.

Your financial assistance through donations and participation at events supports the bi-annual Induction Gala in odd-numbered years, the Aspiring Author Scholarships, and the general operation to bring these events to the public.

Support the Hall for this year going forward.