CIPA Member News

A request from Cathy Spader: Fiction writers event! CIPA is participating again at MileHiCon, October 19-21. This literary convention is for lovers and authors of SF/F and speculative fiction, including horror, mystery, supernatural fiction, romantic suspense, and thrillers. The con features authors, artists, speakers, performers and loads of fun and educational programming on writing craft and many related topics. I’m looking for volunteers to help out at the CIPA table. Benefits include free admission and great opportunities to network with your target readership and make new friends with authors who share your passions. You do not have to work the whole show, but volunteer spots are limited. For more info, seek me out at the Sept CIPA meeting or email me. Unsure if cons are your thing? They are! Check out my blog to read about all the benefits of a genre con.


Stan Moore is pleased to release his latest historical novel, Mister Moffat’s Opus. This is the third in the series which tells of David Moffat and his railroad empire. Opus is set in the 1920’s, boom times for America but Colorado was focused on two goals: Recovering from a major flood and the construction of the Moffat railroad tunnel. Drilling the tunnel, a 6.2 mile bore under the continental divide, took from 1923-1928. Rockfall, floods, financial and planning snags slowed the effort. In the book, Mik Mas and Cam Braun work to build the tunnel. Along the way they stumble upon old adversaries with a ‘creative’ financing scheme. Mik and Cam try to find out about it. The historical novel genre gives the true flavor and events of the decade. The story is of Coloradans coming together to finance and build major projects. And then there are some are unexpected outcomes…. 232 pp. Adit & Stope Publishers. Ebook out now, hard copy available at your bookstore soon!


Campaign Finance Guides, LLC released A Penchant for Pensions, A Guide to Actuarial Valuations for Public Pension Funds on July 25th. Pam Feely co-wrote the book with Gabriel Roeder Smith’s Leslie Thompson. GRS’s chief actuary was impressed and stated no one had done anything like it before. Pamela R. Mathisen, CEBS, Executive Director of Adams County Retirement Board wrote the following:

“All jokes aside I found it to be valuable information. I should have had this years ago. …Great job making the actuarial valuations more understandable.”


Four-time Award Winner Cheryl Carpinello’s middle grade historical fantasy—Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend—was honored with the following awards in August 2018: Global eBook Gold Medal Winner in Fiction—Children’s Literature, Global eBook Gold Medal Winner in Fiction—Juvenile, CIPA Evvy Finalist—Fairy Tale/Folklore/Mythology, CIPA Evvy Finalist—Juvenile Fiction. Purchase on Amazon.


Lights On! Ike Hoover Electrifies the White House by Cynthia Simmelink Becker has been named a winner in the 20th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards. Benjamin Hummel was illustrator of the biography in picture book format. Over 2,000 entries were submitted in 68 categories. A panel of over 150 librarians and booksellers acted as judges to pick the winners. Filter Press said,

“The INDIE Award in ‘J’ non-fiction is very gratifying. Lights On! was the ‘Honorable Mention’ winner, and we are all fabulously pleased. To be one of only four winners is a tremendous honor for author Cynthia Becker and illustrator Benjamin Hummel. The awards went to publications from Time Inc, Capstone, Compendium, and Filter Press. This award demonstrates how an excellent story combined with excellent art can lift a publishing company.”


Helen Starbuck entered her book The Mad Hatter’s Son in the 2018 BookLife Prize contest. In May she received a 10 out of 10 review for the mystery/thriller category. The highlight of the review included:

“Suspenseful and entertaining, this absorbing mystery captivates readers from the very beginning. An outstanding debut!”

Final decisions about prize winners arrive in the fall.


The views expressed herein are not those of Colorado Independent Publishers Association, its officers or directors.  They are solely and completely those of the author. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association will not be held liable for any legal action resulting from information published in this newsletter, and the organization’s insurance will not cover any such action.