Attitudes at Altitude April

ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org

Happy late spring everyone. Here in Colorado, we are all prepping for a late spring snow drop this week.

Much is happening within the virtual walls of the Hall. The response to our biennial Aspiring Author Scholarships was huge this year. All applications are in the hands of the nine judges who are reading, evaluating, and ranking. They meet in June to select the final five. And planning is underway for the Aspiring Authors Awards Luncheon slated for Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Inverness Denver in Englewood to honor the winners.

You will find the hotel, a former country club, easy to get to, plenty of parking—including valet. We are excited about our new celebration home. Highly recommend that you plan on joining our new Aspiring Authors—the grounds of the event site will be gorgeous as fall unfolds. Plan on being there.
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/denirhh-the-inverness-denver-a-hilton-golf-and-spa-resort/

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 May. Last month, Book Fairs were at the Denver West-Lake bookstore on April 11, Ft Collins on April 25, and Colorado Blvd. on April 26. This month, it’s:

Linda Seger was inducted into the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame last autumn, and sadly, we must report that she passed away of breast cancer in February of this year.

As are all of our inductees, Linda was tremendously accomplished. Not only had she written numerous books that became the go-to texts for three generations of screenwriters so far; she also created the screenwriting consulting business, consulted on over 2,000 scripts, and extended her consultancy and professional speaking engagements to 34 countries.

Both Linda and I had done presentations in Los Angeles for Women in Film, but at different times. Though our paths crossed for several years, we didn’t actually meet until both of us were hired to teach during the same block of time at Colorado College, which was her alma mater.

Our friendship sparked to life immediately and through the years, we enjoyed joint presentations and projects, as well as one memorable research adventure. Linda and her husband Peter, joined my husband and me at our September gala table. Wearing a beautiful gown and perfectly prepared as she always was, she spoke passionately about core beliefs she wanted to share with fellow authors.

Linda couldn’t have been more excited about her induction into the Hall, which came along just after she’d celebrated her 80th birthday, becoming the crowning award to a stunning career. Though she will be sorely missed by so many, we can rejoice in the synchronicity of perfect timing as she took her final bow.

As Linda was introduced for her Induction in September, her favorite song was in the background—Frank Sinatra’s "I Did It My Way." Indeed, it is the perfect exit of an amazing author and accomplished musician.

Linda began her script consulting business in 1981 based on a script analysis method she developed as part of her doctoral dissertation, "What Makes a Script Work?" Her first book on screenwriting, Making a Good Script Great: A Guide for Writing and Rewriting, was published in 1987.

Ron Howard was given the book by his father, actor Rance Howard, and he told Seger that he used it on every one of his films beginning with Apollo 13 (1995). Tony Bill (Oscar-winning producer on The Sting), William Kelley (Oscar-winning writer on Witness) and Barbara Corday (co-creator of Cagney & Lacey) are among those who have praised the book over the years.

Seger was a consultant on Jackson's Dead Alive and Emmerich's Universal Soldier, both released in 1992, and Ray Bradbury was a client, too.

She was also a script consultant on Pastime (1990) and Picture Bride (1995), winners of Audience Awards at the Sundance Film Festival, and on such other films as Romero (1989), The Long Walk Home (1990), The Neverending Story II (1990), Luther (2003), Mr. Jones (1993) and Dating the Enemy (1996).

A long career that impacted millions. Her energy will be missed.

Kevin J Anderson

is co-producer on the second season of the HBO show "DUNE: PROPHECY," which is based on his novel Sisterhood of Dune. He is also Executive Producer on the forthcoming major motion picture "DUNE, Part 3" that hits the theaters this December.

His humorous horror mystery series, Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. will be developed into a TV series with Kevin writing the pilot and serving as Executive Producer.

There is nothing slowing him down … he just ran a Kickstarter for the next Dan Samble novel, Sleep with the Fishes. He reached six times his original funding goal.

Kevin has published more than 200 books, fifty-eight of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars Universe including the Jedi Academy trilogy and the Young Jedi Knights series. With Frank Herbert’s son Brian, he wrote many internationally bestselling novels in the Dune universe, including Dune: House Atreides, The Butlerian Jihad, and Sisterhood of Dune, which is the basis for the HBO series Dune: Prophecy (Anderson is co-producer on the show). He worked on all three of the recent Dune films from Legendary Entertainment and is Executive Producer on Dune: Part Three. Anderson also wrote the unique Clockwork Angels steampunk trilogy with legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart, based on the last studio album from Rush.

His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Wake the Dragon and Terra Incognita fantasy trilogies, and the humorous Dragon Business series. His Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. novels are currently being developed as a TV show, with Anderson serving as Executive Producer.

He has edited numerous anthologies, including Star Wars: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, Tales from Jabba’s Palace, and Tales of the Bounty Hunters, which are the three best-selling science fiction anthologies of all time. He has written comics and graphic novels for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, BOOM!, IDW, and others—including Dr. Strange, Batman, Superman, Justice Society of America, Star Wars, Predator, X-Files, and Dune. His adaptation of Dune: The Graphic Novel was a New York Times bestseller and was named one of the 100 greatest graphic novels of all time by Comic Book Authority.

Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University, and he and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. He is a long-time resident of Colorado and is an avid hiker and mountain climber.

He has 24 million copies in print in thirty-four languages. His most recent novels are Nether Station, Horn Dogs, Princess of Dune (with Brian Herbert), and Dr. Strange: Endless Nightmare.

FEATURED BOOKS: Sisters of Dune, Death Armed Over, Dr. Strange: Endless Nightmare

Jim Butcher

is the author of the Dresden Files series, the Codex Alera series, and a new steampunk series called Cinder Spires in addition to over 30 other books. Several have been made into TV movies. He has been nominated for The Hugo Award (science fiction's highest honor) three times as well as for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. He’s a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

His Dresden Files series is beloved among countless readers, and the TV series by the same name only increased the audience. He actively participates in live-action, role-playing games and community games with his fans and other gamers.

According to Butcher, his resume includes a laundry list of skills that were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. However, his gaming skills are outstanding, as he is a regular on tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can be found in the mountains outside Denver.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990s when (tongue in cheek) he decided he would become a published author. Usually only three in a thousand who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only one in ten make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname. Be sure to visit his website: www.Jim-Butcher.com.

His Fugitive was published in 2023 in Instinct: An Animal Lovers Anthology. Book sale profits are donated to Lifeline Puppy Rescue. Jim’s newest project is a novella for his popular Dresden Files Series. Discover Out Law.

FEATURED BOOKS: Outlaw, Instinct: An Animal Rescuers Anthology, Twelve Months (Dresden Files)

is the Founder and President of CEO Partnership, an internationally recognized executive coaching and leadership development consultancy and training firm headquartered in Denver. She also founded the Institute for Social & Emotional Intelligence and the Center for Thriving Leaders.

An executive coach specializing in leadership, communication, social and emotional intelligence, Laura has over 25 years of experience coaching CEOs and senior-level corporate and business executives. She has first-hand leadership experience in senior executive positions in the private, public and non-profit sectors extending over 35 years, and coaches in multiple sectors including high-tech, telecommunications, banking, financial services, health care, manufacturing, defense, aerospace, and the energy sector.

Laura is a past president of the International Coach Federation, Colorado Chapter. She currently serves on the faculty of the Graduate School of Banking and Coach Training Alliance. She also taught graduate courses in leadership and communication for 18 years at the University of Denver.

Laura’s websites are CEOPartnership.com and CenterForThrivingLeaders.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

The Inverness Denver, Englewood, CO

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.