Castle Rock Writers Conference: Writing That Resonates: A Celebration of Creativity & Craft (Lone Tree)
Friday evening kick-off event is via Zoom, cost is $20. Saturday all-day event is in-person at The Lone Tree Hub, $99 in advance or $120 at the door. Presenters include Connie Mableson, Brice Maiurro, Gemini Writer’s Studio and more.
Address
The Lone Tree Hub, 8827 Lone Tree Parkway, Lone Tree
Illumination 2025: A Literary Soiree (Denver)
A wonderfully whimsical night in the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to raise funds for the Lighthouse Tuition Assistance Program. Evening includes reception, plated dinner, silent auction, and conversation with George Saunders. Recommended attire is cocktail casual. Tickets start at $250, sponsorship tables available.
Address
The Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House located on 1385 Curtis Street, Denver, CO 80204
Call for Authors M&PIBA Fall Con (Denver)
Open call for authors for the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association’s Fall Con at the Renaissance Denver Central Park, Oct. 5-8. Indie booksellers from across the MPIBA region, authors, publishers, gift vendors, service providers, librarians, and more, come together for a vibrant regional trade show. For publishers and vendors, FallCon offers an opportunity to introduce your authors, books, and products to booksellers and buyers from across our vast 14-state region.
Call for authors opens April 7. Call for Sponsorship opportunities opens June 2.
Address
Renaissance Denver Central Park, 3801 Quebec St., Denver.
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Newsletter Updates
Briefly Noted
Behold the Bird in Flight: A Novel of an Abducted Queen

Terri Lewis grew up in Colorado, was a ballet dancer with a German opera company and worked in a circus. It may come a surprise, then, that her debut novel is about the life of Isabelle d’Angoulême, the 11-year-old French noble abducted by England’s King John (yes, that King John—the Magna Carta and all), taken back to England and made queen. As the novel progresses, we realize that Lewis is also a trained historian and an excellent researcher with a passion for medieval times.
The narrative is lively and compelling. Drawing on scant primary sources and historical records, Lewis creates Isabelle as a rich, complex character. Lewis renders Isabelle’s development from a silly child into an effective queen and independent agent able to direct her own destiny, thus fashioning a believable heroine immersed in a believably detailed world.
The story opens in 1198. Isabelle is betrothed to Hugh de Lusignan, who is appreciative of her future dowery but smitten with someone else. Isabelle senses that something is amiss and decides to play at courtly love by flirting with the Plantagenet king. King John, in turn, is smitten by young Isabelle and spirits her away. Her childish fantasies of true love and life in a beautiful castle are quickly dashed when she discovers how cruel her new husband really is. The narrative, while centered on Isabelle, offers the changing perspective of Hugh, and it incorporates the historically well-known characters, Eleanor of Aquitaine (John’s mother) and Richard the Lion Heart (John’s brother) as secondary characters in the Plantagenet drama.
As was the case with most noble women in the 12th and 13th centuries, Isabelle is initially a mere pawn for the men around her—expected to bring her husband a rich marriage settlement and then breed heirs. Learning from the formidable Queen Eleanor, as well as from the exceptionally strong women from the servant classes, this coming-of-age story reveals a more nuanced path than one might initially expect. Isabelle’s increasing autonomy and her growing skill at navigating the complexities of the court and surrounding society make for an exciting read. Although the last few chapters seem a bit rushed, this novel will charm fans of historical fiction and remind us all of the many lesser-known women who have shaped history and, thus, ourselves.
— Perrin Cunningham