Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers hosted by Mark Stevens

On the podcast this time, an interview with the three nominees for 2021 Writer of the Year: L.R. Braden, Sue Hinkin, and Cindi Myers. L.R. Braden is the bestselling author of the Magicsmith urban fantasy series. Her debut novel, A Drop of Magic, came out in July of 2019. By July 2020, she had four books and three audiobooks published in the Magicsmith series, had achieved #1 bestseller status on s...

Mario Acevedo is the author of the bestselling Felix Gomez detective-vampire series, which includes Rescue From Planet Pleasure from WordFire Press. His debut novel, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, was chosen by Barnes & Noble as one of the best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Decade and was a finalist for a Colorado Book Award. Mario cntributed two stories for the award-winning horror anthology, Nig...

Doug Adcock has been writing for thirty years, but published his first Edward Hunter adventure in 2016. He taught English, history, and drama to over 1000 students on four continents. Now retired, he splits his time between Colorado and Vermont. Besides writing, he skis, plays trombone, sings, square dances, bakes bread, and travels extensively. The three books in his Edward Hunter series to date...

Rachel Dempsey has written and directed over a dozen plays for numerous acclaimed theater organizations such as Imagination Stage and ArtStream. Her prose won first prize in The Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards and also won the Denver Women’s Press Club Emerging Writers Contest. She holds a BFA in Drama and English from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s degree in Journalism from Geor...

This time on the podcast, a group interview with the three nominees for Independent Writer of the Year. Andre Gonzalez is the international bestselling author of the Wealth of Time Series. He writes time-travel, thriller, and horror books after spending many years reading and studying the works of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Keeping readers up late and their hearts pumping a bit faster than norm...

This time on the podcast, all about the 2021 edition of the Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards. The guests are contest co-chairs ZJ Czupor and Sue Hinkin. ZJ Czupor writes mysteries, thrillers, and poetry. His novel excerpts have been winners or finalists in the Freddie Award for Writing Excellence, Southeastern Writers; Whodunit Mystery Writing (Mystery Fest Key West); and Rocky Mountain Fiction...

Joy Meredith, who writes as Joy Jarrett, enjoys imagining something creepy in every situation, starting with a fourth-grade theater production when she became convinced a monster lived under the stage. She might not let different foods touch on her plate, yet she's fearless when it comes to mixing love stories and horror in her scary good romances. Joy is currently a school librarian, but has work...

Amy Drayer grew up a free-range kid on a charming island in the Pacific Northwest, then migrated south to attend Scripps College in California. She later moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked in politics for far too long. Amy is a graduate of the inimitable Lighthouse Writers Workshop Book Project, an enthusiastic member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime, Managing Editor...

Mandy Miller is an attorney and holds a J.D. from Northwestern University, as well as a PhD degree in Psychology. She specializes in the representation of the mentally ill and criminally insane. The first half of her career was spent as a mergers and acquisitions attorney on Wall Street where the clientele was better dressed than her criminal clients, but, frequently, equally devious. In her spare...

Karla M. Jay has wanted to write books since she was seven. Originally from the east coast, she makes her home in Salt Lake City. Over the years she has written in several different genres ranging from humor to noir, but currently is focused on historical fiction. When she's not writing, she's reading, gardening, playing with her dog, or traveling to new places to try to find a story that has neve...

NOTE: Apologies for audio issues on the first recording of this conversation. This version is new and clear. Maggie Smith lives in Wisconsin and her debut novel, Truth & Other Lies, will be published by Ten16Press in March 2022. She’s the host of the weekly podcast Hear Us Roar (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google) where she interviews debut women’s fiction authors about their novel a...

Tom Farrell has worked as a golf course starter, a chemist and clerked at City Hall in Chicago while attending law school. He has served as Vice-President of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, a nonprofit corporation, and was a past finalist in the Pikes Peak Writer’s Contest in the Mystery, Suspense and Thriller category. Now retired from practicing law, when he’s not handicapping he can be found on...

It's Valentine's Day so we are talking about writing romance on the Rocky Mountain Writer podcast with Bonnie McCune and Kathleen Duhamel. Kathleen Duhamel wrote and illustrated her first short story at the age of eight and has considered herself a storyteller ever since. After growing up in a small Texas town, she earned a master's degree in communications from Texas Tech University before reloca...

Tasha Christensen believes the best love stories are found in the geekiest places. When not composing tuba closet make-out scenes, Christensen enjoys writing music, losing friends via Among Us, and exploring the gorgeous Rocky Mountains near her home. She lives with her husband, daughters, and an overly affectionate mutt named after her favorite Stranger Things character. Her debut novel, As You W...

Kate Lansing lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and a chair-napping tabby cat named Maple. Kate's love for mysteries began when she devoured From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler as a young girl, and has grown from there. An award-winning short story author, her work has appeared in the Brave New Girls Anthology and the Crossing Colfax Anthology. Her debut novel,...

Pamela Nowak has been an RMFW member since 1993. She’s served in multiple board positions and volunteer roles including president and conference chair (2009-11). As a writer, she is passionate about the American West, those who lived there, relationships, and the interweaving of fact and fiction. A former RMFW Writer of the Year, her western novels have won the WILLA Finalist Award, the Colorado B...

Paul Martz is a new science fiction author, technology blogger, and former punk rock drummer. Before focusing on fiction and blogging, he wrote virtual reality computer programs and really boring technical books. Originally from Michigan, Paul resides in Erie, Colorado, where he tries to avoid reliving his punk rock days. He is still trying to teach his cat to play drums.

Anita Mumm is an independent developmental editor, ghostwriter, and publishing consultant. Her home base is Salida, Colorado, where she co-hosts the Salida Writers Retreat. Anita works with authors at all stages of their career, from first-time novelists to New York Times and international bestsellers. Previously, she worked in submissions and foreign rights at Nelson Literary Agency. Read more ab...

Linda Ditchkus, who writes as L.V. DITCHKUS, has a new short story in the anthology FIRST ENCOUNTERS, published recently by RMFW's speculative fiction critique group She is also the author of The Sasquatch Series: Book I - Crimes of the Sasquatch, Book II - Mission of the Sasquatch, and Book III - Legacy of the Sasquatch. Watch for Book IV - Passage of the Sasquatch, which will be released in 2021...

Wendy Howard, who writes under the name Winnie Jean Howard, leads the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Speculative Fiction Critique Group. She writes a mix of horror, sci fi, and comedy. Her main focus is creating fast-paced, action-packed stories with unique and outrageous characters. Paul Martz is new to writing speculative fiction. His first two short stories appear in the RMFW Wild anthology an...

As a middle child, Melissa Payne was born to tell stories. What started with blaming her brother for breaking the car window evolved to a graduate thesis that she desperately wishes she could rewrite to blogging on motherhood and marriage. Now she likes to create stories set in wild and beautiful places with characters in flawed and imperfect relationships, whether that's between a mother and a da...

Bonnie McCune has been writing since age ten, when she submitted a poem about rain rushing down the gutter to the Saturday Evening Post (it was immediately rejected). This interest ignited a passion for writing of all types. Her interest in writing led to her career in nonprofits focusing on public and community relations and marketing. Her mania is fiction, and her pieces have won several awards....

Pitch Fest is coming. Repeat: Pitch Fest is coming. Saturday, Jan. 30! A key registration date for RMFW member is coming up next week -- on Tuesday, Dec. 1. On the podcast this time, we've got the organizers of Pitch Fest with all the critical details. Anne Marie is the Denver Programs Chair for RMFW. She grew up in Aurora, CO. She attended the University of Colorado for a BA in English Literature...

Majoring in Graphic Design at the University of Illinois led to Kris Abel-Helwig's career in visual communications in Chicago. After marrying her best friend, Kris worked in cities throughout the United States as the couple moved from coast to coast courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Fifteen moves and three active-duty military sons later, Kris settled forever in Colorado, but an opportunity prompted a si...

James is a writer, freelance developmental editor, and teacher for writing craft workshops. His debut, The Sapling's Curse, is a gay romance Arthurian legends graphic novel, illustrated by LB, and will publish in 2023 with HMH. James' short fiction appears in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2020 Anthology WILD. When not writing, he enjoys dabbling in foreign languages, including Italian and Jap...