Albany County Public Library’s Meet the Author Festival is a way to celebrate and promote local
Wyoming and Regional authors.

The Meet the Author Festival fits nicely into ACLP’s mission, which is to build meaningful
connections, inspire growth, cultivate curiosity, and enhance community.

The goal of the event is to introduce the community to new and familiar local authors and to give
traditionally, independent, and self-published authors an outlet to showcase and share their
works. Local and regional authors that will have booths at the event where they are able to sell
their books, talk to patrons about their current and upcoming works, and engage with fellow
authors. We only have space for 30 authors at the event and more than 30 authors filled out an
application to be a part of this event, and more who continue to express interest in future
events.

The free event will take place in the Large Meeting Room from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, September
15. There will be food and refreshments available as well as a prize drawing.

 

Meet the Authors 

FICTION

BETSY BERNFELD 

Betsy Bernfeld is a wr iter , librar ian and lawyer in Jackson Hole. She is former di rector of the Teton County Library and founder of the Teton County Access to Justice Center . Betsy 

is recipient of the 2020 Wyoming Arts Council’s Poetry Fellowship and is author of two volumes of poetry. Betsy’s fi rst novel, The Journal of Henry David Tarantula, was released this past winter by Winter Goose Publishing. It was selected for the Reimagined Indie Author Exper ience at the 2024 Tucson Festival of Books. 

MARJORIE DALEY 

Mar jor ie Daley has always been fascinated with wr iting. Her fi rst fiction book, Fi re Ground, was almost thi rty years in the making and draws heavily on her husband’s and father ’s exper iences as fi refighters. Mar jor ie lives on the high plains of Wyoming with her husband Bob, horse Miss Penny, and dogs Diesel and Ti ra. Her two children and stepson are grown and are making thei r own history. 

STEFANI JAYE FARRIS 

Stefani Far r is is the author of the short story collection Nothing is Precious, the inaugural publication in the John Keeble Ser ies of Rural Amer ican Wr iting. She’s the recipient of two literary fellowships f rom the Wyoming Arts Council, as well as the Arts Council’s Neltje Blanchan Award for nature wr iting and its Doubleday Award for wr iting by women. She has been a resident at the Ucross Foundation and the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska. Her work appears in journals around the country. Stefani is a graduate of the University of Wyoming and lives with her family in Lander . 

DALLAS JONES 

Dallas Jones was born and raised in Casper and is a graduate of the University of Wyoming and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Though cur rently residing in Colorado, he still loves everything about Wyoming except the wind and spr ing blizzards. 

ROSE MARY LONG 

Rose Mary Long grew up in the Midwest in a church-going family, and began wr iting stor ies in her teens. She has been part of a jail ministry program for years and draws on those 

exper iences for inspi ration as well as a lot of imagination for her Women at the Well ser ies. 

JOHN D. NESBITT 

John D. Nesbitt is the author of more than forty books, including traditional westerns, crossover western myster ies, contemporary western fiction, retro/noi r fiction, nonfiction, 

and poetry. He has won the Western Wr iters of Amer ica Spur Award four times. He has won the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award twice. He has been a finalist for the Spur Award twice, the Peacemaker eight times, and the Will Rogers Medallion Award eight times. He has also received two creative wr iting fellowships with the Wyoming Arts Council. 

JANA SCHOTT 

Jana Schott wrote The Night Before Chr istmas, Soldier Style when her son was in Afghanistan. She lives in Laramie and enjoys crafting and spending time with her kids and grandkids.

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY

V.L. ANDROMEDA 

V.L. Andromeda possesses a unique perspective that shines through in her wr iting. With a keen interest in mental health and queer themes, plus a passion for fantasy literature, she weaves intr icate tales that explore the interplay between love, self-acceptance, and destiny. With a promise to charm audiences with her voice, Andromeda hopes to leave her mark on the ” romantasy” genre. She resides in Wyoming with her husband and a lively brood of animal-children. 

CAITEE COOPER 

Caitee Cooper grew up in Laramie, where she enjoyed all things outdoorsy, musical, and bookish. She went to college at the University of Wyoming, where she earned a B.S. in Psychology, and met her husband, Dallin. They went on to start several businesses and have many adventures. Caitee is the author of two novels, and cur rently lives in Cheyenne with her husband, thei r two boys, and two half-feral barn cats. 

JOHN PARK 

John Park’s love of books began in his ear ly childhood. Born in Korea, John grew up traveling all over the wor ld before settling in the United States. John has published three books since 2022 and enjoys being a part of the wr iting community, shar ing his books, and supporting other aspi r ing wr iters. 

ROMANCE

NEVA BODIN 

Neva wr ites to entertain, and helps us to laugh, love, and understand life. She infuses readers with faith and hope through fiction and nonfiction. She is the author of Devotions From the Goat Pen, Bitzy Bunny Gets a New Mama, Montana Free, Falling for the Doc, and There’s a Ci rcus in the Sky. She wr ites short stor ies, newsletters, poetry, and f reelance articles. 

GAYLE M. IRWIN 

Gayle M. I rwin is an award-winning Wyoming author and f reelance wr iter . She is a contr ibuting wr iter to eight Chicken Soup for the Soul books and f reelances articles to regional magazines and newspapers. Gayle authors the Pet Rescue Romance – Yellowstone Country ser ies, a collection of sweet, contemporary romance books, plus stand-alone stor ies in the same genre. All weave pet rescue and adoption into the love story. 

1. DAWN JACKSON 
2. Dawn Jackson began wr iting stor ies as soon as they put a pencil in her chubby baby hand. She was a 2021 and 2022 finalist in the San Francisco Wr iters Contest. She was also selected as a mentee in the inaugural 2021 Romance Authors Mentorship Program through Romance Wr iters of Amer ica. She lives at the top of the Amer ican Rocky Mountains with two mi racle children, her amazing husband, a lupus diagnosis, and an ever -increasing knitting stash. 

MYSTERY 

LOIS J. EVENSON 

Lois J. Evenson is a Wyoming native. She wr ites thr illers and loves to engage readers and raise goosebumps and laughter in equal measure. Although her stor ies take place in many settings, she particular ly loves to spotlight Wyoming as often as she can. Her fi rst book, Raptor ‘s Kiss, was released in 2022. The second book in the ser ies, Raptor ‘s Quest, is available for pre-order and will be released on Sept. 24, 2024. 

MANDIE HINES 

Mandie wr ites on themes of gr ief, hope, and healing in both poetry, Or igami Stars and Hot Ai r Moon, and the thr iller /hor ror genres, The Lost Always Take Off Thei r Shoes. She’s a community organizer , promoting creative wr iting in Cheyenne and throughout the state, connecting literary artists, and creating opportunities for wr iters to share thei r work. She’s cur rently working on a new poetry collection and a supernatural mystery ser ies. 

PAULLA SCHREINER 

Paulla Schreiner is the author of three Darcy Moreland myster ies, all set in Cheyenne. 

NONFICTION 

CAROL CHAPMAN 

Carol Chapman, a Wyoming native, wrote her fi rst book after careers in teaching, small business finance management, caregiving, and nonprofit volunteer ing. She sends out two email blogs per month which can be seen on her website, carolchapmanwr ites.com. 

RAECHEL HENDERSON 

Raechel Henderson is the author of Sew Witchy: Tools, Techniques and Projects for Sewing Magick and The Scent of Lemon & Rosemary. She lives in Wyoming and wr ites about living a magickal life.

MARCIA HENSLEY 

A transplant f rom Oklahoma where she earned her B.A and M.A. degrees f rom the University of Tulsa, Marcia lived for 30 years in Western Wyoming before moving to Laramie in 2017. She is the recipient of the Wyoming Art’s Council’s Neltj Blanchan award for wr iting inspi red by nature. Her essays have been published in numerous anthologies, High Country News and Wr iters on the Range. Her fi rst book Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West won awards f rom the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association as well as Women Wr iting the West, Wyoming Wr iters, and the Wyoming State Histor ical Society. 

NICOLE JARAMILLO 

Nicole Jaramillo is a single Chr istian woman living in her beautiful homeland, Casper , Wyoming. She enjoys the visual arts (painting/photography) and the per forming arts (dance, 

music, and theatre). She has two master ‘s degrees f rom Grand Canyon University in Chr istian Studies with emphasis in Chr istian Leadership and Pastoral Ministry and the other in Business Administration. She is a part of a Chr istian wr iters’ group and attends wr iters’ conferences to improve her craft and creativity. 

DEBRA MOERKE 

Foster parent to over 140 children, Debra wr ites a true story of one little gi r l who fell between the cracks in the system. Debra is mar r ied and has six children of her own. Her story is one of grace and forgiveness for what we may believe to be the unthinkable.

YOUNG ADULT

MELODIE EDWARDS 

Melodie grew up in Walden, Colorado. She graduated with an MFA f rom the University of Michigan and received two Hopwood Awards for fiction and nonfiction. She was the fi rst person to receive the Pattie Layser Greater Yellowstone Wr iting Fellowship through the Wyoming Arts Council and was the recipient of the Doubleday Wyoming Arts Council Award for Women. She’s the author of two books. She also loves to putz in the garden and backpack and ski in the mountains with her twin daughters, her husband and her dog. 

JENNIFER LAWRENCE 

Jennifer Lawrence was born in Boulder , Colorado. She moved to Wyoming as a young adult and has called it home since. She attended college at the University of Wyoming. Jennifer cur rently wr ites children’s and middle-grade fiction. She also has a strong interest in women’s history, particular ly in the West. Her book Soup Suds Row: The Bold Lives of Army Laundresses 1802-1876 was a multiple award-winning book, including The Willa Award f rom Women Wr iting the West. 

CHILDREN’S

TODD BACON 

Todd Bacon is a former attorney and educator . He has a passion for the outdoors and believes that some of our greatest personal growth occurs when we are challenged in the context of natural wonder and adventure. Todd and his wife live in Laramie, Wyoming, where he is a professional ski instructor and member of the Snowy Range Ski Patrol. In the summers, you can find him mountain biking, mountain climbing, and wr iting about Jack’s next adventure. Jack and the Royal Mountaineer ing Expedition to Shambhala received an honorable mention in the 2021 Wyoming Wr iters Contest. 

KATHY BJORNESTAD 

Kathy Bjornestad is a reti red K-12 school librar ian and language arts teacher . She is a Wyoming Fellowship for Creative Fiction recipient and has received an honorable mention for the Neltje Blanchan Award. Kathy has placed in multiple wr iting contests and published several essays. She is part of South Dakota’s 2024 Speakers’ Bureau and has published four children’s books. She’s cur rently hard at work on an adult science fiction tr ilogy. 

LESLIE COLBURN 

Leslie Colburn is a mom, an educator , and the author of four children’s books. Colburn wr ites parenting articles and mater ial encouraging those in the waves of gr ief. She believes children’s 

books can change the wor ld and uses them to inspi re and empower young people. Her newest book, Twinkle, the Littlest Star , a book about finding hope and purpose, releases November 12, 2024. 

EUGENE M. GAGLIANO 

Former elementary school teacher , Eugene M. Gagliano, is the Wyoming Poet Laureate Emer itus. Gene has read his poetry to the Wyoming Senate and House of Representatives and read at the Governor ‘s Arts Awards as well. He has published 3 adult poetry books and 7 children’s poetry books. Gene’s new children’s poetry book (My Fruity Fr iends) will be released in September . As a children’s author , he has published 8 middle grade fiction books (two 2019 Evvy Award winners) and 3 alphabet books. This year , his middle grade fiction book, Ice Cave Mystery is being considered for a Wyoming State Histor ical Award. 

GUYLA GREENLY 

Dr . Guyla Greenly is a transformational leadership coach and professional development speaker . She is the owner of Dandelion Leadership Coaching where she helps leaders and emerging professionals transform thei r workplace wishes into reality. In honor of her military child upbr inging and shared exper iences with her military grandchild, Guyla published Hazel House Finds a New Family in 2023. 

HALLIE GUIDRY 

Hallie Guidry is a wr iter , editor , lawyer , and artist. In addition to being the CEO of Amaranth Publications, she has over ten years of exper ience in professional editing. Within the realm 

of books, Hallie has been instrumental in the wr iting, editing, and polishing of hundreds of published works, including inspi r ing non-fiction, bestselling contemporary romances, and heartwarming memoi rs of pain and loss. Ezra’s Family in the Spooky House is her fi rst children’s book. It has been awarded the Five Star Readers’ Favor ite Award. 

TARA PAPPAS 

Tara Pappas is a mixed-media artist, author , and illustrator in Laramie. Growing up in Southern Colorado, Tara spent much of her time in the mountains—hiking, camping, backpacking, and rock climbing. Although she has been drawing and painting f rom a very young age, it wasn’t until moving to Wyoming in 2012 that she began creating and exhibiting her artwork more ser iously. As her artistic style has continued to develop and evolve, her love of the outdoors has naturally inspi red and influenced her work. 

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