Attitudes at Altitude January

ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org

Hello …

It’s a new year, and plenty is going on within the Hall’s plans. A decision was made in November to seek another venue for the Induction Gala. This month, contracts were signed for both the Aspiring Authors Awards Luncheon on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Inverness Denver in Englewood. Deposit made—DONE. Then we expanded it to include the 2027 Induction Gala. Same date, September 11, this time on Saturday evening. Deposit made—DONE.

You will find the hotel, a former country club, easy to get to, with plenty of parking—including valet. We are excited about our new celebration home. Highly recommend that you plan on a true evening out in 2027 to enjoy the surroundings—fall should be gorgeous.

Here’s the website for the site: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/denirhh-the-inverness-denver-a-hilton-golf-and-spa-resort/

View the short Gala video—Oh … what a night! It’s posted on the Home page of the Hall’s website. It runs five minutes … you can find it here: https://www.coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/

You can also view the photo gallery of the Induction on the Home page.

The Aspiring Author Scholarships are open for submission. Five will be awarded with a value of $17,000 each—includes cash and a special one-year coaching/mentoring program. Do you know of any unpublished writers who are ready to move forward? Submissions are open now through March 31 via the Hall’s website, Scholarship tab on the Home page. https://www.coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/

In February, we will be rolling out the year’s Author Talk hour on the second Wednesday of the month with past Inductees. Always enlightening. Always fun. When finalized, it will be set up on the Hall’s home page, and separate emails will be sent to our mailing list. It’s free and done via Zoom.

We are now in search of an Executive Director for the Hall—I’m at my 10-year mark, and it is time for me to turn what I do over to another as the Hall continues to grow.

Finally, Book fairs with Barnes & Noble are being set up for April and May. Watch for our dates. Visit and support the stores. And books and items purchased on the day of the fair contribute to our Aspiring Authors Scholarship fund.

My best to all of you …

Mary Ellen Gilliland

Mary Ellen Gilliland is an author, local historian, storyteller, and hiking enthusiast in Summit County. She pioneered independent publishing in Colorado’s high mountains by establishing Alpenrose Press in 1979. The fledgling company proved that the then-new form of publishing finds a perfect niche in a regional market. Word-of-mouth recommendations made advertising unnecessary. The Gillilands made deliveries personally to retailers in Summit County, the Vail Valley, and the Denver area, building solid long-term relationships with sales outlets.

Hometown acceptance quickly ballooned into wider success as Summit County boomed, with four outstanding ski resorts, beautiful Lake Dillon, and 77% of its terrain public land accessible to hikers, cross-country skiers, anglers, mountain bike riders, and more. They flocked to the area and sought out Alpenrose Press’ gold rush histories and mountain hiking and skiing guides. The Summit Hiker alone sold over 120,000 copies in 10 editions over 30-plus years.

Mary Ellen won awards for her books. She received the Theobald Award for Historic Preservation for recording Breckenridge’s history. With 18 books and nearly 200 articles to her credit, she was recognized in 2025 by the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution with their prestigious Women in the Arts Recognition Award.

“I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame,” Mary Ellen said. “I am truly touched by this recognition of my writing in my beloved home, Colorado.”

FEATURED BOOKS: Colorado Rascals, Scoundrels, and No Goods of Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Keystone, and Silverthorne, The Summit Hiker, and
BRECKENRIDGE, 150 Years of Golden History.

Wilfred “Perry” Eberhart,
1924 - 1989

Wilfred “Perry” Eberhart was born in Yankton, SD, and moved to Colorado when he was three years old. His heart never left. He grew up in Denver as one of six children with a single mother. After graduating from East High School, he enlisted in the Navy and spent two years in the Pacific theater during World War II. Afterward, he enrolled at the University of Colorado, where he met his future wife, Sandy. They were married in 1949 and set sail for Paris a year later, where Perry studied at the Sorbonne and found his muse as a writer.

After Paris, Perry worked as a beat reporter, determining that newspaper work was not for him. He returned to CU for a teaching certificate. Teaching was rewarding but fraught with bureaucracy and antagonistic administrators. Throughout it all, he developed a powerful love for the history of Colorado. Collaborating with Alan Swallow, who ran a small publishing operation known as Sage Press, they published a variety of books, including: Guide to Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, Treasure Tales of the Rockies, The Fourteeners and Ghosts of the Plains.

Following the devastating flood in 1965, Perry was appointed to be executive director of the South Platte Area Redevelopment Commission. Other activities included an inaugural board member of the Regional Transportation District, executive head of the Colorado Centennial/ Bicentennial Commission, and compiling an inventory of historic sites for the Colorado Historical Society. He was hired as press secretary for Roy Romer’s 1966 Senate campaign.

FEATURED BOOKS: The Fourteeners, Colorado's Great Mountains, Treasure tales of the Rockies, and Guide to the Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Camps: And Mining Camps.

The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame (the Hall) will offer up to five $2,000 cash scholarships plus a $17,000 value mentoring-coaching one-year publishing academy to aspiring Colorado authors and authors-to-be. The scholarship is part of its commitment to encourage, support, and nurture Colorado-connected writers.

Sponsored by the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame, Scholarship awards will range up to $2,000 each, plus the opportunity to participate in an extensive 12-month mentoring program to move them toward author success. The total value of each scholarship is $17,000 to each recipient.

Who will be this year’s winners?

Applications can be submitted from November 30, 2025, through March 31, 2026. Applications must be received by March 31, 2026, and the winning recipients will be announced in July. Recipients will be honored at a luncheon event to be held in September 2025.

Applications and additional information are available on the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame website: https://www.coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/scholarships

The Colorado Authors Hall of Fame Scholarship is open to applicants who:

Over 20 years of age
A legal Colorado resident
Have a desire to succeed as an author and in the field of publishing
Must include a sampling of their written work of at least 20 pages and an essay on why they want to become an author.

Part of the application process will include writing an essay of up to 1,000 words on the topic: “Why I Want to Write and Become an Author,” along with how they intend to use the money. Essays will be evaluated for excellence of writing, creativity, and, yes, grammar by a panel of judges consisting of bookstore owners, librarians, and published authors.

Of the previous recipients of the first scholarships in 2022, half have published their books.

The scholarships were envisioned by the founder of the Hall, Dr. Judith Briles. She shares, “Writing and publishing a book is like climbing one of our Rocky Mountain ‘fourteeners’. It requires years of preparation, unbelievable stamina, and courage. Facing that blank page is like starting an ascent. When you reach the top by completing the book, authors can suddenly see farther than ever before. This vision from the pinnacle is the gift authors give their readers. Now, the Hall would like to give a gift back to Colorado’s authors who desire to reach the publishing summit. Their impact on countless readers in providing entertainment, enlightenment, and solutions is immeasurable.”

The Hall is dedicated to recognizing and preserving the history of the accomplishments of past and present authors who have created and published books in or about Colorado.

The organization is an all-volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is “To honor and promote the works of outstanding published authors from all genres and generations with a vibrant connection to Colorado, to ensure their legacies will not be lost.”

Information about the application process, nomination criteria for Hall Inductees, donations, events, and board members can all be found at: www.ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org

A lifelong student of life, Hilary is continuously working towards a PhD in helping others by sharing all that she learns. Her goal is to elevate her knowledge of humanity: from developing models for motivating individuals to studying the interpersonal relationships among young women to seeking the keys to a happy life.

Community Relations is an area in which Hilary shines. From managing them for corporations and states, she has coordinated volunteer programs, developing outreach strategies, and integrated them into events, both on a local level and statewide. She has done community relations consulting for a variety of public affairs offices in Arizona, Texas, and the Philippines.

And for the Hall, she was the ultimate manager of the Gala Auction that became a stellar addition to the event.

Hilary was the Marketing & Communications Manager, Global Public Affairs for
Intel Corporation is responsible for the global transition of Intel’s community brand collaterals to Intel’s new brand. She planned and executed Intel’s Worldwide Corporate Affairs Summits.

In 2025, she added "author" to her long list of accomplishments, publishing Dorm to Doorstep. Her website is HilaryAfshary.com

Attitudes at Altitude promises to our readers …

We celebrate the outstanding authors inducted into the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame since 2019. They are the first in the United States that only honors published authors and looks at the impact and breadth of their work.

The 2026 Aspiring Author Scholarship submissions open in November and run through March. Winners will be notified in June. The Celebration Luncheon will occur in September. Put the dates on your calendar. The venue will be the DoubleTree Hilton Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village.

The next Authors Hall of Fame Induction will occur in September 2027. Date and location to be determined. Nominations for the public will open in August of 2026 and close in March of 2027.

Each month, past Inductees are featured with their background and latest books.

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. Meet a favorite
author ... or a new one—one that has delivered mega hours of reading
enjoyment ... one that has made an impact on society or their field.

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, 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 to change 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.