Attitudes at Altitude JULY with Kris Tualla

Oh my ... it’s time to get ready for a night to remember!

This month, your Board is honored to introduce the new Inductees to the Authors Hall of Fame. Their photos and bios have been added to the Hall’s website. All Living Inductees will be in attendance and share insights. Family representatives of our two Legacy Inductees will also be there to share and meet their fathers’ fans and supporters.

Details on the website have been added for tables and sponsor opportunities. It’s always fun, and sharing what the Inductees do during their author walks is a delightful surprise to attendees at the evening Inductee Gala. Mix 100’s Dom Testa will be our emcee this year, and guitarist Phil Grinrod will provide pre-dinner guitar music.

Meet the Class of 2023 Inductees

Living

Jeanne Abrams
Kathleen O’Neal Gear
Temple Grandin
William Hamilton
Peter Heller
Mary Kelly
Patricia Limerick
Tom Noel
Linda Wommack
Philip Yancey

Legacy
Abelardo "Lalo" Delgado
John Denver

It will be a wonderful event. Why not create a TABLE of friends who love books and would enjoy meeting Colorado's Best of the Best over dinner on September 11th?

Below, celebrate the works of Inductees Kris Tualla and James Michener.

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

Onward … Don’t miss out on July's Friday Author Happy Hour with Newbury Medal winner Avi, a 2021 Hall Inductee. His insights into writing, the YA market, and how libraries and schools are dealing with banned books. His Newbury Award-winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead has been challenged and banned by many libraries. 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.

It's the Hall’s gift to anyone, supporters of authors and books. Be part of it. You will have the opportunity to ask the featured author questions. Answers are sometimes surprising, as past Inductees have revealed.

A separate email will go out with registration to attend. All sessions will be recorded, with replays emailed to those who registered. Hold the date on your calendar: Friday, July 14th, with Avi and me.

And... why not get your seat now for the Induction Gala? ... September 11th is the big night for the 3rd Induction Gala for the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame.

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 only to honor published authors and look at the impact and breadth of their work.

The next Induction will be on September 11, 2023. Put the date on your calendar. The venue is the DoubleTree Hilton Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village. Get your Gala tickets.

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

The Inductees are thrilled to be part of the upcoming third Induction of the Authors Hall of Fame. Their information has been forwarded for the website and the Gala brochure.

Press releases start rolling out in early July every week.

Are you ready to meet them and to hear their stories as they speak at the September 11th event? And to celebrate them at the 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 DoubleTree by Hilton Denver Tech in Greenwood Village.

Grab your tickets for the Gala Induction on September 11th HERE:

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

Join children’s author and Newbery Medal winner Avi for an hour of delight. The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year.

Author Happy Talk airs live on the second Friday of each month, featuring one of the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame Inductees. This month, Avi will share his insights and author "ahas" for creating children’s books that encourage young readers to jump in with their imaginations from the opening page.

Who is Avi?

If you have children in your life ... they know Avi. He has written more than 70 books. His words, "I’ve rewritten and re-edited each of my books as many as 70‒80 times ... rewriting is an important part of my work." That’s partly due to his dysgraphia but also because he wants to use the best phrasing to tell his stories. What author wouldn’t want to use their best language for their stories ... their books?

✔ As a student, he was a poor writer. In high school, he failed all his courses.

✔ He started as a playwright.

✔ He believes that authors don’t write writing ... they write reading.

✔ He won the coveted Newbury Medal for Crispin. Two of his books are Newbury Honor recipients.

✔ He is a Notable Author identified by the ALA—the American Library Association.

✔ His most popular books are Crispin: The Cross of Lead, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Nothing But the Truth, the Poppy Books, Midnight Magic, and The Fighting Ground.

✔ His favorite book is the next one he is writing.

✔ 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 they are FREE.

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

In August, 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.

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

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email. On Friday AM, you will get a reminder and Zoom link.

James Michener

The James Michener Library is home to Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Michener's papers at the University of Northern Colorado. The Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin provides three-year Michener Fellowships in fiction, poetry, playwriting, and screenwriting.

Michener is the author of more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific, the bestselling novels The Source, Hawaii, Alaska, Chesapeake, Centennial, Texas, Caribbean, and Caravans, and the memoir The World Is My Home. Michener served on the advisory council to NASA and the International Broadcast Board, which oversees the Voice of America.

With 75 million copies of his books in the hands of readers and megamillions watching the adaptation of his books to Broadway, major screen films, and television, his in-depth research on locations and subjects has enlivened imagination and knowledge. His first book was adapted into the famous Broadway musical South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein and later as eponymous feature films in 1958 and 2001.

Among his dozens of awards and honors are the Presidential Medal of Freedom and an award from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities for his commitment to art in America.

Books of note: Tales of the South Pacific, Return to Paradise, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Hawaii.

Kris Tualla

Writes and publishes historical romances whose heroes are all Norsemen. In pursuing her dream of becoming a multi-published author of historical fiction, she started in 2006 with nothing but a nugget of a character in mind and has now created a 30-book series. Two books in The Hansen Series, featuring her Hansen Dynasty, have been optioned for movies. Outlander author Diana Gabaldon describes them as "charming love stories, gracefully told, in fresh and engaging settings."

Her three historical novels in The Camp Hale Series detail the formation of, the training of, and the deployment of the soldiers in the US Army’s highly esteemed original 10th Mountain Division and the 99th Battalion (Separate), all of whom trained at Camp Hale high in the Colorado Rockies near Leadville, Colorado.

Her words in describing her writing are, "In the Historical Romance genre, there have been countless kilted-warrior stories told. Norway is the new Scotland, with big, blond, buff, and beautiful men, with the wild, untamable blood of their Viking ancestors flowing through their veins. The Hansen Men of Arendal, Norway, whose stories extend from the end of the Vikings in 1070 through the modern day, are just such heroes."

Books of note: A Woman of Choice (Sep-2010), A Prince of Norway (Oct-2010), Sempre Avanti, Ice and Granite.

Kris Tualla ... On Writing

Writing good books takes time. Readers, however, read a lot faster than writers can produce a quality product. But now, with 30 novels published, 2019 Inductee Kris Tualla has created an open-up, dive-in resource for readers of historical fiction.

In her words:

My Renaissance-era trilogy was sparked by the 1519 "Order of the Golden Fleece" gathering in Barcelona Cathedral. Members of the Order included sovereigns and nobles from across Europe, including England’s Henry VIII and Christian II of Denmark and Norway.

That’s where my Hansens come in. Because these powerful kings did not travel to Spain and sit in Barcelona Cathedral working out their issues—they sent their knights. And since the identity of those knights is not documented, I’m making the man representing King Christian II one of my Hansen heroes.

How does my work differ from other books in its genre?

In the historical romance genre, kilted warriors are the powerhouse, followed by regency-era stories of English nobility. I decided to go another direction: all of my heroes (and one heroine, so far) are members of the fictional Hansen family out of Arendal, Norway. Different centuries, continents, and generations—same bloodline.

Then, I ferret out obscure—but fascinating—bits of history and take my characters through them.

I also have crimes in most of my stories, which sparked a five-book series featuring a deaf private investigator in 1700s Norway. I think these components make my books rather unique, don’t you?

Why do I write what I do?

First, I love reading historical romances—if the history is correct.

Second, I like long stories that follow the same characters for an extended period of time. For that reason, I usually write connected trios or actual trilogies.

Third, once I got going, I found a wealth of opportunities with my Norsemen. I was having a blast!

How does my writing process work?

The pieces come to me in this order:

· 1st Situations/Settings: What happened and where?

· 2nd Characters: What Hansen was there? Who did he meet?

· 3rd Characters Deepen: What trauma made the hero and heroine the damaged people they are when we meet them? What are they looking for? What stands in their way?

· 4th Subplot: How can other characters and situations flesh out the story?

· 5th The End: How does the story resolve?

With this basic structure in place, I write the story in a straight line from beginning to end. And, yes, my characters do surprise me along the way!

Authorship does not exist in a vacuum. Indeed, the author’s workday is generally solitary. We spend hours, days, weeks, months, and even years that could be described as lonely—except for the characters who keep us company. Yet ultimately, our writing is more dialogue than monologue because we write for our readers.

Our readers are everything to us. We have them in mind as we construct and imagine, edit and polish, and present and market our finished works. We’re serious about our words and intend that they make a difference in the thoughts and lives of our readers.

So, to ignore what’s occurring in the larger conversation about reading is to pretend a garden can exist without sun and rain or that an author can live without the context of community. And one of the functions of the community is support.

Judith Briles, my long-time friend, fellow author, colleague, and organizational co-worker through several previous organizations, saw a need and a gap in this structure of author support. Strangely, no Hall of Fame existed for authors anywhere in the United States, and it she noticed this and was determined to do something about it.

I agreed to become a founding board member the moment I was asked. And we began in our beautiful state of Colorado, home to so many authors whose legacies were in danger of sliding off the mountains and down into forgotten valleys. Now, that will not happen. We are here to search out these authors, recognize their works, and ensure their legacies will never be lost or forgotten.

You’ll know some of their names. And some you won’t know until we bring them into the spotlight at our biennial induction gala ceremonies. Once you read about them and discover their voices for yourself, you’ll never forget them. You’ll share their stories and be uplifted and inspired by them. You’ll understand and appreciate Colorado better for its deep connections to this unique state. And you’ll understand yourself better, too, because of the wisdom in their words.

It's why I joined the Board of the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame.

Support the Hall

The Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments of living and past authors 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 in the future.

Authors' Hall of Fame (coloradoauthorshalloffame.org)