Pikes Peak Writers Conference
Encyclopedia
The Pikes Peak Writers Conference started in 1993 and each April, brings the New York publishing industry to Colorado Springs, Colorado
for a weekend packed with workshops, pitch meetings, read & critique sessions and much more. Writer's Digest
Magazine voted Pikes Peak Writers Conference one of the top ten writing conferences in the United States. Guest speakers have included Nora Roberts
, Stephen Coonts
, Diane Mott Davidson
, Robert Crais
, Jennifer Crusie
, Rupert Holmes
, David Morrell
, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
and Jim Butcher
.
The conference also sponsors the Paul Gillette Writing Contest which runs annually and whose winners are recognized at the conference. Past winners who went on to publication include: Carol Berg
, Margaret Coel, Laura Hayden, Colleen Collins, Kimberly Willis Holt, Robin Owens, Leslie O'Kane and Ralph Wetterhahn.
2007 Conference
The 2007 Pikes Peak Writers Conference was held April 20-22 at the Marriott Colorado Springs on Tech Center Drive. (Formerly known as the Wyndham Hotel.) Featured speakers included Jim Butcher
, author of the Dresden Files series, Robert Crais
, author of the Elvis Cole books, Mary Jo Putney
, USAToday bestselling author of romance and fantasy and Dr. Eric Maisel, renown creativity coach.
The conference celebrated its 15th year with several special events including a Thursday night booksigning, an additional track of workshops on Friday, a Saturday night Awards Banquet and 15th Anniversary Celebration and a never-before Sunday-only option for readers and fans of Robert Crais
.
Additional authors who presented included:
Daniel Abraham
, Jodi Anderson, Shannon Butcher, Sybil Downing, Christine Goff, Beth Groundwater, Victoria Hanley, Laura Hayden, Tara Janzen, Page Lambert, R.T. Lawton, Pam McCutcheon, Maggie Sefton, John Shors, Robert Spiller, Deb Stover, and Shanna Swendson
.
2008 Conference
The 2008 Pikes Peak Writers Conference, the 16th annual, was held April 25-27 at the Marriott Colorado Springs. Featured speakers included Geffen Award winner Carol Berg
, NYT Best Selling author Vicki Lewis Thompson
, Edgar Award winner David Liss
, and Comic writers/artists Walter Simonson and Louise Simonson
.
Additional authors who presented included:
Jodi Anderson, Gordon Carroll, Stephen Coonts
, Giles Carwyn, Alane Ferguson, Kenny Golde, Laura Hayden, Pat LoBrutto, Lee Lofland, Bob Mayer
, Kent Nelson, Kim Reid, Laura Reeve, and Lynda Sandoval.
2011 Conference
The 2011 Pikes Peak Writers Conference, the 19th annual, April 29-May 1 at the Marriott Colorado Springs. Theme is "Blaze the Write Trail" with featured speakers John Hart, Linda Lael Miller, Tom Piccirilli, Beth Kendrick, David Macinnis Gill, Elizabeth Hand and Phillip Nutman.
Additional presenters include:
Jodi Anderson, Laura Hayden, Robert Spiller, Karen Lin, Ronald Cree, DeAnna Knippling, Denise Little, Barbara Samuel, Todd Fahnestock, Becky Clarke, Linda Rohrbaugh and Carol Berg.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
for a weekend packed with workshops, pitch meetings, read & critique sessions and much more. Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest is an American magazine devoted to both beginning and established writers, offering interviews, market listings, calls for manuscripts, and how-to articles....
Magazine voted Pikes Peak Writers Conference one of the top ten writing conferences in the United States. Guest speakers have included Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts is a bestselling American author of more than 209 romance novels. She writes as J.D. Robb for the "In Death" series, and has also written under the pseudonym Jill March...
, Stephen Coonts
Stephen Coonts
Stephen Coonts is an American thriller and suspense novelist.Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968...
, Diane Mott Davidson
Diane Mott Davidson
Diane Mott Davidson, born , is an American author of mystery novels that use the theme of food. Several recipes are included in each book, and each novel title is a play on a food or drink word....
, Robert Crais
Robert Crais
Robert Crais is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law. He lists amongst his literary influences the authors Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest...
, Jennifer Crusie
Jennifer Crusie
Jennifer Crusie is a pseudonym for Jennifer Smith, a bestselling and award winning author of contemporary romance novels. She has written over 15 novels, which have been published in 20 countries.-Biography:...
, Rupert Holmes
Rupert Holmes
Rupert Holmes is an American-British composer, singer-songwriter, musician and author of plays, novels and stories. He is best known for his number one pop hit "Escape " and the song "Him", which reached the number 6 position on the Hot 100 U.S. pop chart in 1980...
, David Morrell
David Morrell
David Morrell is a Canadian-American novelist, best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become the successful Rambo film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. He has written 28 novels, and his work has been translated into 26 languages...
, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is an award-winning and best-selling American writer of romance novels.-Biography:...
and Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
.
The conference also sponsors the Paul Gillette Writing Contest which runs annually and whose winners are recognized at the conference. Past winners who went on to publication include: Carol Berg
Carol Berg
Carol Berg is the author of several fantasy novels, including the books from the Rai-Kirah series, Song of the Beast, the books from The Bridge of D'Arnath series, and the Lighthouse novels...
, Margaret Coel, Laura Hayden, Colleen Collins, Kimberly Willis Holt, Robin Owens, Leslie O'Kane and Ralph Wetterhahn.
2007 Conference
The 2007 Pikes Peak Writers Conference was held April 20-22 at the Marriott Colorado Springs on Tech Center Drive. (Formerly known as the Wyndham Hotel.) Featured speakers included Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
, author of the Dresden Files series, Robert Crais
Robert Crais
Robert Crais is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law. He lists amongst his literary influences the authors Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest...
, author of the Elvis Cole books, Mary Jo Putney
Mary Jo Putney
Mary Jo Putney is a best-selling American author of over twenty-five historical and contemporary romance novels. She has also been published fantasy romance novels as M.J. Putney. Her books are known for their unusual subject matter, including alcoholism, death, and domestic...
, USAToday bestselling author of romance and fantasy and Dr. Eric Maisel, renown creativity coach.
The conference celebrated its 15th year with several special events including a Thursday night booksigning, an additional track of workshops on Friday, a Saturday night Awards Banquet and 15th Anniversary Celebration and a never-before Sunday-only option for readers and fans of Robert Crais
Robert Crais
Robert Crais is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law. He lists amongst his literary influences the authors Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest...
.
Additional authors who presented included:
Daniel Abraham
Daniel Abraham (author)
Daniel Abraham is a prolific American science fiction / fantasy author who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies. His novelette Flat Diane was nominated for the Nebula Award...
, Jodi Anderson, Shannon Butcher, Sybil Downing, Christine Goff, Beth Groundwater, Victoria Hanley, Laura Hayden, Tara Janzen, Page Lambert, R.T. Lawton, Pam McCutcheon, Maggie Sefton, John Shors, Robert Spiller, Deb Stover, and Shanna Swendson
Shanna Swendson
Shanna Swendson is an American author of romance novels and chick lit. She has also written under the pseudonym Samantha Carter. Swendson is perhaps best known for the "Katie Chandler" series of novels, beginning with the 2005 publication of Enchanted, Inc.-Biography:Although Swendson majored in...
.
2008 Conference
The 2008 Pikes Peak Writers Conference, the 16th annual, was held April 25-27 at the Marriott Colorado Springs. Featured speakers included Geffen Award winner Carol Berg
Carol Berg
Carol Berg is the author of several fantasy novels, including the books from the Rai-Kirah series, Song of the Beast, the books from The Bridge of D'Arnath series, and the Lighthouse novels...
, NYT Best Selling author Vicki Lewis Thompson
Vicki Lewis Thompson
Vicki Lewis Thompson is a best-selling U.S.American writer of over seventy romance novels. She has also been published under the pseudonyms Cory Kenyon and Corey Keaton with Mary Tate Engels.-Biography:...
, Edgar Award winner David Liss
David Liss
David Liss is an American writer of novels, essays and short fiction; more recently working also in comic books. He was born in New Jersey and grew up in South Florida. Liss received his B. A. degree from Syracuse University, an M. A. from Georgia State University and his M. Phil from Columbia...
, and Comic writers/artists Walter Simonson and Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
.
Additional authors who presented included:
Jodi Anderson, Gordon Carroll, Stephen Coonts
Stephen Coonts
Stephen Coonts is an American thriller and suspense novelist.Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town and earned an B.A. degree in political science at West Virginia University in 1968...
, Giles Carwyn, Alane Ferguson, Kenny Golde, Laura Hayden, Pat LoBrutto, Lee Lofland, Bob Mayer
Bob Mayer
Robert "Bob" Mayer is an author, writing instructor, and former Green Beret. He has written over 30 titles under his name and his four pen names . Mayer has applied the principles from his training in the special forces to his career as a writer and as a writing instructor...
, Kent Nelson, Kim Reid, Laura Reeve, and Lynda Sandoval.
2011 Conference
The 2011 Pikes Peak Writers Conference, the 19th annual, April 29-May 1 at the Marriott Colorado Springs. Theme is "Blaze the Write Trail" with featured speakers John Hart, Linda Lael Miller, Tom Piccirilli, Beth Kendrick, David Macinnis Gill, Elizabeth Hand and Phillip Nutman.
Additional presenters include:
Jodi Anderson, Laura Hayden, Robert Spiller, Karen Lin, Ronald Cree, DeAnna Knippling, Denise Little, Barbara Samuel, Todd Fahnestock, Becky Clarke, Linda Rohrbaugh and Carol Berg.