"Rogue's Pawn" by Jeffe Kennedy is "clever, imaginative and fun"

One-time Wyomingite Jeffe Kennedy, recipient of a Blanchan/Doubleday writing award and a creative writing fellowship, has a new book. Here's the info (from Deborah Nemeth, freelance editor at Carina Press):

Fantasy romance Rogue's Pawn by Jeffe Kennedy is clever, imaginative and fun. A discontented college professor finds herself suddenly transported to Faerie, discovers she has magical powers, and is immediately forced to bargain for her life in an unsettling world. I love the way the smart and resourceful heroine applies the scientific method to learn about her magical abilities and limitations.

It might sound like a contradiction to describe this novel as both dark and humorous, but Jeffe Kennedy manages to pull off this dichotomy with style. She captures the darkness lurking beneath the Disneyfied land, its frivolous but merciless inhabitants, and the mysterious, sexy fae lord hero.

The Bookpushers gave this title a thoughtful joint review, calling it "a fantastic and engrossing read…multi-layered and cerebral as well as dreamy…with memorable characters in a dark seductive world filled with wit and passion and rich imagination."

Craig Johnson launches his latest Walt Longmire novel tonight at Tattered Cover in Denver

"Longmire," the new A&E series based on Craig Johnson's Sheriff Walt Longmire novels, made a splash last night. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Craig will signing copies of his latest novel, "As the Crow Flies," at the legendary Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. Arrive early -- there will be a line. In case you don't know, the author makes his home in tiny Ucross, Wyoming. We don't like to brag, but Craig was awarded a Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowship back in 1994 when he was just a starry-eyed ex-cop from Back East, new to Wyoming and its quirky ways, working away on his first novels.

Here's a short description of the novel from the Tattered Cover web site:

Embarking on his eighth adventure, Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire has a more important matter on his mind—his daughter is getting married. Walt and old friend Henry Standing Bear are the de facto wedding planners and fear the daughter's wrath when the venue goes up in smoke two weeks before the big event. The pair set out to find a new site for the nuptials on the Cheyenne Reservation, but their scouting expedition ends in horror as they witness a young Crow woman plummeting from the majestic cliffs of Painted Warrior. It’s not Walt’s turf, but the newly appointed tribal police chief and Iraqi war veteran Lolo Long ropes him into helping with the investigation. Walt is stretched thin as he mentors Lolo, attempts to catch the bad guys, and performs the role of father of the bride.

Reid Rosenthal rides into Cheyenne to promote "Maps of Fate"

Reid Rosenthal will sign copies of “Maps of Fate,” the second novel in his “Threads West American Saga” series. He will also read from his latest book.

When: Saturday May 26, 1 to 4 p.m.

Location: Barnes and Noble Booksellers of Cheyenne, WY. 1851 Dell Range Blvd.

Phone: 307-632-3000. Rosenthal’s books are available for sale at Barnes and Noble of Cheyenne.

Author information: http://www.reidlrosenthal.com/

“Threads West”information: http://www.threadswestseries.com/

Read an interview with Reid on Karen Cotton's blog at http://lifeisassweetascottoncandy.wordpress.com/

Cat Urbigkit's "The Guardian Team" chosen as Wyoming book for National Book Festival

Pinedale's multitalented writer and photographer Cat Urbigkit has some great news:

The Guardian Team has been selected as the Wyoming book for this year's National Book Festival, which will be held Sept. 22 & 23 in Washington, D.C.

Congrats, Cat. It's been a good year. In March, she received an honorable mention in the Wyoming Arts Council's visual arts fellowship competition.

First book signings for "Butch Cassidy, My Uncle" will be held in Casper April 28 w/update

From Nancy Curtis at High Plains Press: On Saturday, April 28, Bill Berenson, the author of BUTCH CASSIDY, MY UNCLE, will be signing books in Casper. It will be the first signings anywhere for the book (official release date: May 1). Bill will be at Tomcat's Books at Sunrise Shopping Center from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and at Wind City Books in downtown Casper from 2-4 p.m.

UPDATE (4/27): Excellent front-page story about the book and author in today's Casper Star-Tribune. Read "Telling Butch Cassidy's Story."

ESPN's Howard Bryant to sign copies of "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron" April 26 at UW

ESPN sports writer Howard Bryant will be the guest speaker at the University of Wyoming Libraries Book and Author Luncheon at noon Thursday, April 26, at the UW Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Admission is $50, and raffle tickets cost $20 each. To reserve a seat or to purchase a raffle ticket, call UW Libraries at (307) 766-3279. Reservation deadline is Tuesday, April 17.

Copies of Bryant's recent book, "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron," will be available for purchase at the luncheon. Two drawings -- one for four tickets to a Colorado Rockies game, and another for four tickets to UW vs. CSU basketball and football games -- will take place at the event.

The author of several sports books, Bryant is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine. Before joining ESPN, he spent two years at The Washington Post.

He appears regularly on ESPN's "The Sports Reporters," "First Take" and "Outside the Lines," and serves as sports correspondent for National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition Saturday."

Photo: Howard Bryant

C.J. Box will debut new Joe Pickett novel at French festival

Best-selling Cheyenne novelist C.J. Box has launched his novels in all kinds of exotic places: Cheyenne, Casper, Elk Mountain, Laramie.

This time, C.J. will travel overseas to debut “Force of Nature” at the Quais du Polar in Lyon, France. He’ll be talking about his work and reading from the new Joe Pickett novel at noon on Friday, March 30. The author will stick around the festival until April 1 to talk livres with conference attendees.

After France, C.J. will return to the West for gigs in California, Colorado, Wyoming and Arkansas. Keep up with C.J.’s travels at http://www.cjbox.net/appearances

Author Abbie Johnson Taylor featured at three events in Sheridan

Sheridan author Abbie Johnson Taylor will sign copies of her new collection of poems, How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver, at Sheridan Stationery Books & Gallery on Saturday, January 28 from 1-3 p.m. and in the lobby of the Sheridan Senior Center on Tuesday, February 14, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. She will read from her book at the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library’s Inner Circle on Sunday, February 12 at 2 p.m. Books will be available for purchase at all events which are open to the public. FMI: http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com

Mike Katko's book tour arrives in Cheyenne on Nov. 17

Author Ron Franscell on the road again in Wyoming

Ron Franscell's Wyoming schedule (welcome home Ron!):


OCT. 6, WHEATLAND: SOURTOE and OUTLAW ROCKIES discussion and book-signing. 5 pm at Wheatland Mercantile's Book Nook. Event is free and open to the public.

OCT. 7, CASPER: Hometown launch for SOURTOE and OUTLAW ROCKIES Discussion and book-signing. 7 pm at Natrona County Public Library. Event is free and open to the public.

OCT. 8, BUFFALO: SOURTOE and OUTLAW ROCKIES Discussion and book-signing. 7 pm at Johnson County Public Library. Event is free and open to the public.

OCT. 10, LARAMIE: SOURTOE and OUTLAW ROCKIES discussion and book-signing. 3 pm at University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center. Event is free and open to the public.

OCT. 11, ROCK SPRINGS: SOURTOE and OUTLAW ROCKIES discussion and book-signing. 7 pm at Rock Springs Library. Event is free and open to the public.

Get more info on Ron's books and touring schedule at http://www.ronfranscell.com

Murder at a deactivated Wyoming missile silo at center of Robert Greer's new novel

Wheatland’s Robert Greer has a new book coming out in March 2012:

ASTRIDE A PINK HORSE
North Atlantic Books
Hardcover: March 27, 2012, ISBN-13: 978-1583943694

The Cold War ended years ago, or did it? For Thurmond Giles, a decorated African American Air Force veteran found dead, naked, and dangling by his ankles inside an entry tube to a deactivated minuteman missile silo in desolate southeastern Wyoming, the answer is no. The labyrinthine investigation that follows, led by Air Force fighter pilot Major Bernadette Cameron and ex-college baseball phenom-turned-reporter Elgin "Cozy" Coseia, reveals how the atomic era's legacy has continued to destroy minds and lives.

Robert Greer

Set in contemporary times, Astride a Pink Horse follows Bernadette, Cozy, and Cozy's eccentric boss Freddie Dames as they match wits with a gallery of unforgettable murder suspects: a powerful, politically connected cattle rancher, long bitter over government seizure of his land for defense purposes and the expulsion of his son from the U.S. Air Force Academy; a declining 76-year-old WWII-era Japanese internment camp victim and her unstable math professor nephew; an idealistic lifelong nuclear arms protestor; and a civilian Air Force contractor with a 20-year-old grudge against the murder victim. Do three amateur detectives stand a chance against these characters and the conspiracy that may be behind it all?

Robert Greer's trademark mix of vivid eccentrics, surprising plot twists, and political edge makes this one of his most memorable thrillers.

Ron Franscell and books tour Wyoming in October

Wyoming native Ron Franscell is bringing his book tour to Wyoming. For details, go to http://www.booktour.com/author/31715

Montana native Shann Ray reads from his book American Masculine at Billings YMCA Writers Voice

Not in Wyoming but just a few miles north of the border in Billings:

THE YMCA WRITER’S VOICE presents 2010 BAKELESS PRIZE FOR FICTION WINNER SHANN RAY reading from AMERICAN MASCULINE, 7 p.m., Thursday, July 14, third floor Parmly Billings Library, 510 N. Broadway, Billings, Mont.

American Masculine, is a muscular debut story collection that reconfigures the myths of the American West; a deeply felt and fiercely written ode to the country we left behind. “Ray’s collection has an unsettling power as his roughened characters incrementally come to terms with their humanity, fallibility, and their realized capacity for atonement. This is a highly accomplished and intensely lyrical debut.” – Publishers Weekly

Shann Ray Ferch holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Alberta. His work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Story Quarterly, and other publications. He grew up in Montana, spent part of his childhood on the Northern Cheyenne reservation and was a part of two state championship high school basketball teams at Park High in Livingston, coached by his dad, Tom Ferch. He played college basketball with his brother Kral at Montana State University, then played at Pepperdine University and professionally in Germany.

Penny Zeller, Amanda Cabot and Audra Harders sign books June 4 in Cheyenne

Penny Zeller will be joined by Amanda Cabot (a Wyoming author with over 25 novels published) and Audra Harders on Saturday, June 4, at Cornerstone Christian Supply from 10 a.m.-noon  and at Barnes and Noble from 2-4 p.m., Cheyenne. All three authors write historical fiction and will be signing books in that genre. Penny will be signing one of her nonfiction books. Her books include McKenzie and Kaydie (books one and two in Penny's Montana Skies series) and 77 Ways Your Family Can Make a Difference. FMI: www.pennyzeller.com

"Arapaho Journeys" by Sara Wiles set for a May release from University of Oklahoma Press

Sara Wiles has announced the publication of her book, Arapaho Journeys: Photographs and Stories from the Wind River Reservation. Get more information on the book -- and see some of the photos -- at http://www.sarawiles.com/Arapaho_Journeys/Arapaho_Journeys.html

There also will be an exhibit of Sara's work at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody:

“Arapaho Journeys: Photographs and Stories from the Reservation”
April 29-October 2, 2011 in the BBHC Special Exhibitions Gallery
Public reception: Friday, April 29, 5-7 p.m.

Arapaho Journeys features contemporary photographs by Sara Wiles of Northern Arapaho people—elders, children, families, and leaders.

The exhibition's insightful photographs of the people, as well as the tribal activities, of the Northern Arapaho invite viewers into the culture, values, and philosophies that guide contemporary Arapaho life. They also honor individuals who have contributed much to their own communities as leaders, artists, and traditionalists.

While providing a historical background for the Northern Arapaho, the exhibition also depicts the experiences of younger tribal members growing up on the reservation as they participate in traditional cultural activities.

As one of two American Indian tribes with contemporary homelands in Wyoming, the Northern Arapaho constitute an important element of the state's heritage.

Arapaho Journeys is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

C.J. Box hits the road with "Cold Wind"

Cheyenne author C.J. Box hits the highway this week for appearances in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. In May, he's off to the South Carolina Festival of Books in Columbia, S.C. In July, he'll travel to the UK for the Harrowgate Crime Writing Festival. 

C.J.'s new novel is "Cold Wind." Read the first chapter here.


Here's his schedule for this week:

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 7:00pm

Ft. Collins, CO

Old Firehouse Books

232 Walnut St

Fort Collins, CO 80524

970-484-7898

http://www.oldfirehousebooks.com/

Tue, 04/05/2011 - 3:00pm

Casper, WY

Ralph’s Books

Hilltop Shopping Center

215 South Montana Avenue  

Casper, WY  82609

307-234-0308

Wed, 04/06/2011 - 7:00pm

Billings, MT

Barnes & Noble

530 S. 24^th Street West

Billings, MT 59102

406-655-9500

Thu, 04/07/2011 - 6:00pm

Sheridan, WY

Sheridan Stationery Books and Gallery

206 North Main Street

Sheridan, WY 82801

307-674-8080

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 5:00pm

Cheyenne

City News & Pipe Shop

1722 Carey Ave
Cheyenne, WY 82001

307-638-8671


WAC Notes: C.J. Box was awarded a FY 1992 creative writing fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council. 

Novelist Craig Johnson on the road again

Novelist Craig Johnson of Ucross hits the road April 9 and doesn't return for quite a long time. Here's the schedule:

April 9, Saratoga Museum, Saratoga, WY

April 12, Nantes, France

April 13, Poitiers, France

April 14, Limoges, France

April 15, 16, Clermont-Ferrand, France

April, 18, 19 Brussels, Belgium

April 20, Namur, Belgium

April 21, Liege, Belgium

May 22, WYO Theater ‘High Noon’, Sheridan, WY, 7:00 PM

May 27, Ranchester Branch Library, Ranchester, WY, 5:30 PM

The release date for HELL IS EMPTY is June 2

The release date for JUNKYARD DOGS paperback is May 31

May 31, Blue Heron Books, Casper, WY, 7 PM

June 1, Buffalo, WY, The Office Book Shop, Buffalo, WY, 4:30 PM

June 1, Sheridan Stationary, Sheridan, WY, 6:30 PM

June 2, Barnes and Noble, Billings, MT, 7 PM

June 4, Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop, Mechanicsburg, PA, 4 PM

June 6, Chester County Books and Music, Westchester, PA, 7 PM

June 7, Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Pittsburgh, PA, 6 PM

June 8, Books and Company, Dayton, OH, 7 PM

June 9, Regulator, Durham, NC, 7 PM

June 10, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL, 6 PM

June 11, I Love a Mystery, Mission, KS, 2 PM

June 13, Next Chapter, Milwaukee, WI, 7 PM

June 14, Booked for Murder, Madison, WI, 6 PM

June 15, Once Upon a Crime, Minneapolis, MN, 7 PM

June 16, Book People, Austin, TX, 7 PM

June 17, Poisoned Pen, Phoenix, AZ, 7 PM

June 18, M is for Mystery, San Mateo, CA, 2 PM

June 20, Viking Rep Dinner (private event)

June 21, Boulder Bookstore, 12:30 PM, lunch stock signing

June 21, Tattered Cover (Colfax), Denver, CO, 7:30 PM

June 22, Murder by the Book, Denver, CO, Noon

June 22, High Crimes, Longmont, CO, 7 PM

June 23-26, Jackson Writer’s Conference, Jackson, WY

June 28, Red Lodge Books, Red Lodge, MT, 4:00 PM

June 29, Fact and Fiction, Missoula, MT, 7:00 PM

July 1, Seattle Mystery Book Shop, Seattle, WA, Noon

July 1, Whodunit Books, Olympia, WA, 7 PM

July 2, Murder by the Book, Portland, OR, Noon

July 2, Powell’s Books (Cedar Hills Crossing), Beaverton, OR, 4 PM

July 3, Sun River Books, Sun River, OR, 5 PM

July 4, Sun River Books, Sun River, OR, private party

July 5, Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR, 4 PM

July 5, Paulina Springs Books, Redmond, OR, 7 PM

July 6, Rediscovered Books, Boise, ID, 7 PM

July 7, The King’s English Books, Salt Lake City, UT, 7 PM

July 8, Main Street Books, Lander, WY, 6 PM

July 9, Powell Library, Powell, WY, Noon

July 9, Cowboy Bar, Meeteetse, WY, 7 PM

July 10, Cody Library, Cody, WY, 1:30 PM

Matteo Pistono, author of "In the Shadow of the Buddha," returns to Wyoming April 5-8

Author Matteo Pistono was one of the speakers at the Casper College Humanities Festival in February. He’s returning to the state in April for presentations in Casper and Laramie. Here are the details:

Tuesday, April 5, 6 p.m., Casper

Casper College, Leik Auditorium, Physical Sciences 103

“Tibetan Pilgrimage: In the Shadow of the Buddha”

Slide show and Book Talk by Matteo Pistono

Thursday, April  7, 3:10 p.m., Laramie

International Studies Program, University of Wyoming

“China, Tibet, and the Human Rights Debate: Why Can¹t the Dalai Lama and China Find Common Ground?”

Lecture by Matteo Pistono followed by response by Jean Garrison, Tom Seitz and Michael Brose

Friday, April 8, 7-8 p.m., Laramie

Second Story Books, 105 East Ivinson

“Tibetan Pilgrimage: In the Shadow of the Buddha”

Slide show and Book Talk

Watch the video trailer for “In the Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet” at http://www.matteopistono.com/disc.htm

Penny Zeller book signing April 2 in Sheridan

Author Penny Zeller will be at Sheridan Stationery this Saturday, April 2, from 1-3 p.m., signing copies of her newest release Kaydie, which was just released last week. Kaydie follows McKenzie in the author's Montana Skies Historical Romance Series. Below is a short blurb about Kaydie:

Since the death of her abusive husband, Kaydie Kraemer’s life has been easier, but she’s wary of men and builds a wall of protection around her, staying with her sister McKenzie as she awaits the birth of her baby. Haunted by her painful marriage, Kaydie is determined never to fall in love again, and it will take the grace of God to change her mind—the same grace that works in the heart of ranch hand Jonah Dickenson, a confirmed bachelor who has unhealed wounds of his own to overcome.

Here is the link to the book trailer: http://youtu.be/Vwihs6rsqDk

Cara Lopez Lee starts book tour for "They Only Eat Their Husbands" March 20 in Cheyenne

Colorado author Cara Lopez Lee will talk about her book "They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away" on Sunday, March 20, 2 p.m., at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne. The event is free and open to the public.

Here's some info about the the author and the book:

Most new authors have one thing in common: no marketing budget, zero, zip, Zip A Dee Doo Dah, nada. But Cara Lopez Lee is turning her budget book tour into an opportunity to reinforce her memoir's themes: running away is underrated, the hardest journeys are the most rewarding, and going it alone leads to new friendships.

From March 20 to April 16, Cara is hitting the road with her new book, They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away (Ghost Road Press, November 2010). And I'm hitting it Girls Trek Too style...
Cara will stay in hostels and surf couches, as she drives her rattling '95 Honda Civic Hatchback through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. "I had a shoestring budget when I left Alaska to backpack solo around the world," she says. "So it makes sense to travel on a shoestring as I share my book about that experience." Although she's preparing a loose itinerary, she's leaving room for spontaneity. She hopes locals will suggest a few unexpected events. "Part of the fun will be in the surprise element, in getting people to ask, 'Where's Cara?' That's what my book is about: not having answers, but asking questions. Once your basic needs are met, life should be an adventure." 

If you're interested in learning to plan your own independent adventures, Cara will offer free Girls Trek Too workshops at several of her stops. If you want to know "Where's Cara?" during her Book Tour Adventure, please check her Events page. You can also follow the wanderings of  @CaraLopezLee on Twitter or on the Facebook Fan Page for They Only Eat Their Husbands.