Attitudes at Altitude JUNE

Oh my ... we’ve had to FLIP the date for the Induction Gala. Moving it from Saturday to Monday because of the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah. I reached out to Bob Sweeney, publisher of The Villager Weekly, one of our media sponsors. "Bob—you attend hundreds of events every year. September is our month for the Induction Gala. Is there a night of the week that you’ve found that is not congested ... one that potential attendee participants will be open to attending?" was my question as I explained the date dilemma.

"Mondays and Wednesdays are better bets," was his response.

As one of our Board members said, "Monday is the new Saturday."

HOLD the new date on your calendar. The big event happens on Monday, September 11th. Be there. 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Plan on attending. Sponsor a table.

This month, details will be added to the Hall’s website on this year’s Inductees. Details will be added for tables and sponsor opportunities. It’s always fun, and sharing what 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, and guitarist Phil Grinwod will provide pre-dinner guitar music.

Below, celebrate the works of Inductees Mary Taylor Young and Kevin J. Anderson. Mary reveals in the featured article, Writing About the Wonders of Nature Is No Longer Enough, why the author’s "story" is essential to storytelling.

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 June's Friday Author Happy Hour with nature writer Mary Taylor Young, a 2019 Hall Inductee. Her insights on the effects of global warming on the landscape are enlightening. 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 any 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 Mike Gear revealed in May.

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, June 9th, with Mary 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 11th is the big night for the 3rd Induction Gala for the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame. We will know in June WHO will be honored and formally announced later in the summer ... and they will, too!

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 only 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.

• 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. 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.

What a perfect day to celebrate Freedom of Speech ... of Writing.

Conversations have started with Inductees—still hush hush until we reveal publicly next month—excitement, honor, and yes, a few tears ... and now the gathering of their information, preparing for press releases, and much more.

Attend. Hear their stories and revelations as they speak at the event. Celebrate them at the September Induction.

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

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

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

Join Western wildlife expert and multi-award-winning and bestselling 2019 Colorado Authors Hall of Fame Inductee Mary Taylor Young as she takes center stage and reveals her journey to becoming an author ... Oh, the places she 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, Mary Taylor Young will share her insights and author "ahas" for creating nonfiction that grabs the reader on the opening page, supported by stunning photography.

Who is Mary Taylor Young?

If you’ve read anything about the wildlife and landscape of Colorado and the American West in the last 30 years, you’ve most likely encounter the words and photography created by Mary Taylor Young.

✔ She is a prolific career nature writer.

✔ She’s published 21 books ranging from creative nonfiction to natural history, heritage history, humor, and kids’ books.

✔ She knows birds. Her newest book is Bluebird Season: Witnessing Climate Change in My Piece of the World.

✔ She’s written the official centennial history of the Rocky Mountain National Park.

✔ She’s a past Artist in Residence at Rocky Mountain National Park.

✔ She was the recipient in 2020 of the Colorado Authors League Life Time Achievement Award.

✔ She was the recipient of the Frank Waters Literary Award from the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District.

✔ She was inducted into the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame in 2019.

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 Mary your questions.

In July, children’s author and Newbery Medal winner Avi is featured. The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year.

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 a.m., you will get a reminder and Zoom link.

Kevin J. Anderson

With more than 170 published books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers, Kevin Anderson is a true creative wordsmith. He has written numerous novels in the Dune, Star Wars, X-Files, and Batman/Superman universes, as well as the unique steampunk fantasy novels Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, written with legendary rock drummer Neil Peart.

His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Wake the Dragon and Terra Incognita fantasy trilogies, the Saga of Shadows trilogy, and his humorous horror series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics, and games, and written the lyrics to two rock CDs. Kevin is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, and he and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of Colorado-based WordFire Press.

Kevin does most of his writing by dictation while hiking in the Colorado mountains. He has climbed all the Fourteeners in the state and has completed the entire Colorado Trail, and after lengthy hikes, he enjoys relaxing with an IPA from one of Colorado’s many excellent craft breweries. His most recent novels are Vengewar, Dune: The Duke of Caladan (with Brian Herbert), Stake (set in Colorado Springs), Kill Zone (with Doug Beason), and Spine of the Dragon.

Books of note: Comrade in Arms, Vengewar (Wake the Dragon, 2), Sisterhood of Dune: Book One of the Schools of Dune Trilogy (Dune, 8)

Mary Taylor Young

is an award-winning nature writer who has been bringing the West to life in books and other significant ways for more than 25 years. She is the author of 18 books, including Rocky Mountain National Park: The First 100 Years and Land of Grass and Sky: A Naturalist Prairie Journey.

She's written hundreds of magazine articles and pieces for various governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations. Her 'Words in Birds' column appeared in the Rocky Mountain News for 16 years.

She has been awarded the Professional Achievement Award for Wildlife Education from the Wildlife Society. Her multiple book awards include the 2018 Fran Waters Award for exemplary literary achievement and a canon of writing that communicates a deep understanding, celebration, and love of the West. The Association for Conservation Information honored her with its National Award, and the Association of Partners for Public Land named her its Publication of the Year.

Books of note: Bluebird Seasons: Witnessing Climate Change in My Piece of the Wild;

Rocky Mountain National Park Adult Coloring Book & Postcards: A Magical Coloring Journey through Rocky Mountain National Park;

Rocky Mountain National Park: The First 100 Years

Writing About the Wonders of Nature Is No Longer Enough.
By Mary Taylor Young

I've had a great gig as a writer—a 35-year career writing about nature. Elk and eagles, bears and birds, wildlife, and wildflowers Through 22 books, hundreds of articles, dozens of projects for visitor centers and nature trails, and a 16-year birdwatching column, I’ve been getting Coloradans outdoors to enjoy wildlife and wild places, while always encouraging readers to support conservation.

But after 35 years of sharing the wonder of nature, I can no longer write with authenticity just about beautiful landscapes and cool wildlife. Too much is changing. Too much is at risk.

I’ve always combined personal observation with science, distilling it through a human lens to engage, entertain, and inspire a commitment to environmental conservation. But this "gentle persuasion" is not enough any longer. The world, our state, and our backyards are facing an existential crisis—a drastically changing climate.

I’m not an expert on climate change, but I am a witness. And as a writer, I’m an expert at sharing my testimony with readers through stories. It is through stories that we connect to shared human experiences. It is through "story" that people really understand what the words "climate change" mean in their lives.

My new book, Bluebird Seasons: Witnessing Climate Change In My Piece of the Wild, is different from much of my work over the years. It is a personal narrative about the advance of climate change at my family’s special place in the southern Rockies. It's a story echoed in everyone's backyard and a special wild place.

Writing is always a journey—one made by writers, carrying readers along with them. It’s also an organic process, and writers are always learning, evolving, and growing in their craft. Everyone who writes is driven by passion—for the topic, for the craft, and for the joy of weaving words together into a tapestry that will engage readers.

The message in my tapestry hasn’t changed, just its urgency. I still want to persuade my readers. I hope they will recognize what’s happening in their backyard, and how serious this is, and share their own climate change story.

Mike is the published author of three books, all bestsellers on Amazon. He writes in both the nonfiction and fiction genres.

His words: I have had experience serving and leading several boards in my life and still, in addition to the CAHF, serve on a few even in my retirement as the Chief Security Officer of Microsoft. During my own journey to write and get my books published, I have met many wonderful and giving people who helped me see my dreams of becoming an author come to fruition. Having attended the Authors’ Hall of Fame Induction Gala this past fall, my wife and I, though not from Colorado, felt embraced by all of the attendees and were made to feel part of the Colorado author’s community.

Being on a board is not just giving whatever brainpower and spirit power you have to a worthy effort; it has always been, for me, a learning experience. Board work helps me grow and experience/learn new things, skills, and ideas. I also believe serving on this board will help me hone the craft of writing by being around so many accomplished and experienced writers.

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 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)