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Attention Book Illustrators and Cover Designers!

Colorado Authors League has long been about the business of storytelling, and now we’re opening our membership to include those who tell stories through art!


Book Illustrators and Cover designers, we invite you to apply for membership and take advantage of the rich benefits that CAL provides its members from friendship to promotion

to a chance to win your very own CAL award for Illustration or Cover Design!


We want to promote your work, click HERE to see just one of the ways.

Read CAL's Statement on AI

UPCOMING EVENTS


Nov. 1 CAL Awards Open For Submissions


Dec. 31 Early Bird Pricing Ends for CAL Awards Submissions


Jan. 31, 2025 CAL Awards Closes for Submissions


April 26-27, 2025 Book Bash in CO Springs


July 13, 2025 The CAL Awards Celebration


Retail Opportunities Calendar




Colorado Conference Calendar



Mar 28-29, 2025 Write In The Springs ACFW Conference


May 2-4, 2025 Pikes Peak Writers


Date to be announced, 2025 Women Writing the West Conference

Introducing the CAL Speakers' Bureau


Are you searching for a speaker for your special event or book club? Look no further! Click HERE to find a Colorado author to fit your needs.

The CAL Awards

The CAL Awards will reopen for a new submission year on Nov. 1, 2024


The CAL Awards isn't just about books. We also have categories for published Poetry, Essays, Short Stories, Articles, Illustration, Plays, Screen Plays, and Cover Design!


Find out more HERE


Finalists will be announced in June.


CAL Awards Celebration will be held in July.

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Margi Evans was the 2024 CAL Lifetime Achievement Award Winner


Margi at the CAL Awards


Watch past CAL Celebration videos


79th Annual CAL Awards, presented by Jodi & Kevin Bowersox


80th Annual CAL Awardss, presented by Jody Pritzl


81st Annual CAL Awards, presented by Jodi Bowersox, Laurie Marr Wasmund, and Claire Fishback



82nd Annual CAL Awards, presented by Jodi Bowersox, Laurie Marr Wasmund, and Kathryn Winograd


83rd Annual CAL Awards, presented by Jodi Bowersox, Laurie Marr Wasmund, and Judy White

The State of the league

by CAL President, Jodi Bowersox

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As we close the book on 2024, here's a look back at some CAL highlights:

 

*Approximately 100 New Releases were promoted through advertising in New Pages and on the CAL website while a book a day, book signings, book seller events, promotional book sales, and Awards finalists were promoted via Facebook, Mastodon, Instagram, and most recently, Blue Sky. Our following on all these social media sites continues to grow.

*Our Retail Opportunities Calendar is continually being updated and expanded as we find out about craft fairs and book events where authors can sell books in person.

*Our CO Conferences Calendar is continually updated and expanded as we learn of new conferences.

*Our Speaker's Bureau currently has 41 members listed.

*Our GoodReads shelf has 545 books.

*Members have taken advantage of our connection with the CO State Library's Listserv and Book Clubs.

*A number of readings have been posted to our CAL YouTube channel.

*The CAL Awards boasted 138 entries in 24 categories, with trophies and certificates presented at The Washington Park Boathouse on July 21.

*Consignment book racks at The Perfect Gift in Lakewood and Third Space in CO Springs continue to bring in revenue for the participating authors.

*Our sponsorship of SunLit pays us back in author interviews and book excerpts for CAL Awards finalists.

*Members gathered at various coffee meet-ups, a BBQ, and the December Holiday Party.

*30 members participated in this year's co-op booth at the Denver Christmas Show.

*Many active volunteers shared the load. A big thank you to Lauren Braden, John Rabins, Marj Charlier, Laurie Marr Wasmund, Brenda Small, Cassi Clark, Jerry Fabyanic, Kevin Bowersox, Tiffani Sahara, Tyler Holme, Stefan Scheuermann, Theresa Crater, and Doris McCraw.

*Membership continues to grow with 86 new members added in 2024. Membership currently stands at 368.

*We switched banks mid-summer and have already made some extra money due to better interest and rewards on our credit card.


What's new for 2025?

*We have a line on a location for another consignment rack in the Denver area. More info to come. If you know of any good coffee shops, gift shops, etc., that might be interested in a book rack, let us know.

*In the coming months, we will be discussing the possibility of a Book Festival in the Denver area.

*Looking for an Etsy-like site to host our swag shop.

*Keeping all the good things going that we've started.

CAL Authors Release New Books!

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Hilarious situations, occasional naughtiness, and tons of love.

Buy yours today!


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Today’s the day! Rosa will take the stage play along with the mariachi band.

Read it here!




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Dmitry has to turn himself in if he wants to live!

Available on Amazon



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As they move closer to the truth, sinister forces threaten their lives. 

Buy Your Copy Here


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Within him, the power of the SeerSinger awakens.

Read it here!


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Immersive, educational brain tasks promoting emotional health and critical thinking.

Available on Amazon


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A woman’s investigation exposes the dark side of a secret life.

Buy yours today!

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Becoming a dragon might not be… all that bad….

Buy yours today!




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Ranger Jack Chastain goes on a quest for answers.

Available on Amazon




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Military science fiction at its best!

Read it here!



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Cat and Rabbit are best friends. How is that possible? They are soooo different. Or are they?

Available on Amazon

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A story of love, friendship, fresh beginnings, and belonging.

Buy yours today!









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To save humanity, you must kill or be killed.

Read it here!





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A collection of short stories associated with the novel A Songbird's Tale.

Buy Your Copy Here


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People hope Nick will never be heard from again. But they don't know Nick.

Buy yours today!



And Publish Plays, Essays, Articles, and Poems!

Cassi Clark Ward-Hunt has published a short story in Dark Horse Magazine, No. 35. Read "A Place to Heal" here!




Carol Ann Wilson's nonfiction flash essay, "Trust," was published in April 2024 and can be found in HerStry. Her essay, "House of Mirrors" was published in the Spring 2024 volume of The Awakenings Review. You can read it here.

Gregory SETH Harris' poem "After the Flood" was published by Lightwood.



Kathryn Winograd's essay, "Mist Nets: After the Uvalde Shooting," is now posted at Terrain.org. Another essay, "Floating in the Riparian," can be read at Shanti Arts!

https://www.shantiarts.co

/SPAQ/SPAQ49/files/winograd.pdf

Linda Duval's essay, "In Memoriam: Author and Adventurer Stewart Green," can be read here in Rocky Mountain Reader.

 Lou Dean has an upcoming feature article in the 2024 Guideposts "The Joy of Christmas." The piece, "Unexpected Visitors" is about the challenge of broken toes, wild turkeys, and teaching the dog to herd the turkeys from the yard. The special edition magazine can be ordered by visiting "Guideposts 2024 Joys of Christmas. 


 

CAL Racks in Colorado Springs and Lakewood

Support these businesses that support CAL



5670 N. Academy Blvd

Colorado Springs

Third Space Rack
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Located in the

Colorado Mills Mall

14500 W. Colfax Avenue

Lakewood, CO


Perfect Gift book rack

Nowhere near our book racks?

You can still find great books by CAL authors. Check out our Genre Pages.

Autographed books make a great gift year-round. Contact authors directly to get signed copies.


What is Bibliotherapy


  • Storytelling has been integral to the human experience for over 40,000 years.
  • Reading fiction can build empathy, enhance theory of mind, and improve social skills.
  • Research shows that bibliotherapy can help children overcome anxiety, depression, and aggression.

Read More

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