May Attitudes at Altitude

May is an exciting month at the Hall. Why?, you ask. Because the Nominating Committee has hunkered down with the dozens of nominees who we're submitted by the public to be considered for the September Induction. They’ve been narrowed, ranked, and selected. The BOARD reviews and approves at its next meeting. The selected inductees will be notified in June.

The big event happens on Saturday, September 16th. Be there. HOLD the date on your calendar. Plan on attending. As we have them, details will be added to the Hall’s website WHO they are and their bios. It’s always fun, and the sharing the Inductees do of the author walk is often a delightful surprise to attendees at the evening Inductee Gala. Dom Testa will be our emcee this year.

Onward… Don’t miss out on May's Friday Author Happy Hour with W. Michael Gear, a 2021 Hall Inductee author whose adventures are woven with mystery and action in his bestselling books. Each month, one of our Inductees is featured on the second Friday of the month. What they are currently working on in their writing ... and life.

Below, celebrate the works of Inductees Louis L’Amour and Justin Matott and do a catch-up with one of our Aspiring Authors Scholarship winners, Vanessa Gomez.

Did you miss a month?
You can listen to and watch previous Happy Hour videos can be viewed
HERE: https://coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/friday-author-happy-hour.html

This month, 2021 Inductee W. Michael Gear sits in the Hot Seat. Always with surprises. Don’t miss it.

It's the Hall’s gift to anyone. What a gift for any author ... and book lover to be part of. They will have the opportunity to ask the featured author questions. Answers are sometimes surprising.

A separate email will go out with registration information. All sessions will be recorded. Hold the date on your calendar: Friday, May 12th, with Mike and me.

Register to grab your seat HERE: https://bit.ly/FRIAuthorHappyHour
It’s free...

And... why not get your seat now for the Induction Gala? September 16th is the big night for the 3rd Induction Gala for the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame. We will know in July WHO will be honored... and they will, too! Nominations are closed; the Selection Committee will gather this month and begin the evaluation and selection process.

Get your TICKETS HERE: https://coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/2023-induction-ceremony.html

Attitudes at Altitude’s promise to our readers…

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

• Each month, past Inductees are featured with their backgrounds 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 Hall Events that are planned. Nominations for 2023 Inductions are OPEN. Who is your favorite author—one that has delivered mega hours of reading enjoyment ... one that has made an impact on society or their field? Nominate them in February. Forms are on the Hall’s website.

Meet the New Hall Inductees on September 16th

Who will they be?

Nominations closed in February. Each member of the Nominating Committee (eight of them and non-Hall Board members) read the forms over many times and ranked who they thought should step on The Hall’s platform. Inductees will be informed in June, and then the fun begins.

Celebrate them at the September Induction.

Why not grab your ticket now or host a table with book-lover friends at the Induction Gala? The tables are for 8. The location is the Double Tree by Hilton Denver Tech in Greenwood Village.

Grab your tickets for the Gala Induction on September 16 HERE:

https://coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/2023-induction-ceremony.html

Join multi-award-winning and New York Times bestselling 2021 Colorado Authors Hall of Fame Inductee Mike Gear as he takes center stage and reveals his journey to becoming an author—oh, the places he has been ... and will go.

Author Happy Talk is live on the second Friday of each month and features one of the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame Inductees. This month, Mike Gear will be featured and share his insights and author's AHAS for creating fiction that grabs the reader on the opening page.

Who Is Mike Gear?

✔ His first book was seeded because he was pissed off by the poor writing that was riddled with inaccurate facts. He knew he could do better. And he did.

✔ He hammered out his first novel at 9,000 feet while working at a mining claim.

✔ He started writing full-time in 1985.

✔ His book. Morning River was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction and the National Book Award in 1998.

✔ In 2019, This Scorched Earth was a Spur Award Finalist and was submitted for the Pulitzer and National Book Awards.

✔ He knows where the best Mexican restaurants are in eight states.

✔ He was inducted into the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame in 2021.

It's a great author stop and awe time with the Inductees of the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame. All sessions will be recorded and registrants will receive the replay ... and it's FREE.

Listen in. Join in the conversation. Have fun. Ask Mike your questions.

Register NOW for one or all sessions slated for 2023 HERE: https://bit.ly/FRIAuthorHappyHour

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 rejection letters. Whenever opportunities presented themselves, he was willing, sometimes using a pen name if required, such as when he was hired to write some Hop along 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.

Books of note: High Lonesome, Chancy and West Ward The Tide

Justin Matott

Children’s author Justin Matott has been a storyteller all his life. His mother would ask him to tell stories and jokes to her gatherings of friends, colleagues, and clubs and put him on the stage as a young boy. The animated stories he told as a kid in Fort Collins to her friends influenced the lively performances and programs where he spends a lot of time entertaining schools and conducting Creative Writing Workshops for kids.

While working in corporate management, sales, and marketing for a telecommunications giant, he still found time to write. Constantly inspired by those around him to "do something with his gift" of storytelling, he began to write with the intention of publishing. Picked up by Random House after selling 5,000 copies of his self-published children’s book in three weeks, he left the corporate world to see if he could live the dream of being an author or speaker as his vocation.

That was over twenty years ago. If I hadn't had a wife and friends who believed in my abilities, I likely would have kept my gift to myself. But the day my dad read one of my manuscripts and said, "WOW, this is really good!" was the day I felt the freedom to let my gift loose!" Over a million copies of his "gift" have reached children’s hands.

Justin has been married to his best friend for 35 years, has two sons, and has five wonderful grandchildren. The biggest joy his writing has brought him as of late has been meeting many young mothers who enjoyed his books as kids and now are reading them with their own kids. The other was including his grandchildren in his most recent books, Dinosaurs All Mixed Up and Pooches All Mixed Up.

Books of note: When I Was a Boy, The World According to Gabe, I Think My Dog Might Be a Nerd

Enquiring Minds Want to Know ... Update on the Aspiring Authors' Winners

In the monthly Mentor program, each of the winners has the opportunity to learn about various aspects of publishing ... from the business of publishing to design and marketing to research tools and so much more. This has been enthusiastically received. Each session is recorded and sent out for their continued review, along with the appropriate handouts.

Who’s in the teaching seat? Many of the Hall’s Board members plus outside experts.

One of our scholarship winners is Vanessa Gomez, who happens to be the youngest recipient.
As one of the Scholarship judges wrote:

This author has a clear mission, according to her essay—

In her essay for consideration, Vanessa focused on the YA genre, not only in terms of already knowing who her audience is, but also in terms of presenting her story from the perspective of young adult characters. From what she has shared since she won, she has achieved her goal.

She is polishing her manuscript and working with a book designer for her cover. So close, Looks like she will have a book available for this year.

Expect to see Broken Angel featured at our future Barnes & Noble Book Fairs.

Support the Hall

The Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments of living and deceased 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; by residence; by temporary residency for writing encouragement and support; by writing about elements within Colorado; or by placing storylines in or about Colorado.

Authors’ words have immense power and impact on 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 and going forward.

Authors' Hall of Fame (coloradoauthorshalloffame.org)