2025 Authors
and Presenters
Katy Hays
Saltwater
Katy Hays is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the author of The Cloisters and the recently published Saltwater. Katy is an adjunct Art History Professor teaching rural students. Her fiction explores how far humans are willing to go to believe the unbelievable, strange-but-real worlds, and complex female friendships. She writes about creativity, culture, and California on her Substack, June Gloom.
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Saturday, October 11
Time and Venue: Check back soon!The Inspiration of Fiction
Join us for a lively and engaging conversation with two New York Times bestselling authors whose storytelling has captivated millions of readers. Katy Hays, author of The Cloisters, and Saltwater weaves atmospheric tales of mystery, art, and ambition, while Jill Shalvis has written dozens of best-selling books, including the just released He Falls First. Jill is beloved for her witty and heartwarming contemporary romances, brings humor, charm, and unforgettable characters to the page.
Together, these two Tahoe authors share insights into their creative processes, the inspiration behind their work, and the journeys that have shaped their literary careers. Expect laughter, thoughtful reflections, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the worlds they’ve built—both on and off the page.
Jill Shalvis
He Falls First
Jill Shalvis is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Jill writes contemporary romance and romantic comedies filled with madcap adventures and shenanigans and sexy times. Known for her witty and heartwarming contemporary romances, Jill brings humor, charm, and unforgettable characters to the page. Her newest book, He Falls First, just released in August. She’s sold 20 million plus copies worldwide to date and lives with her family in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe.
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Saturday, October 11
Time and Venue: Check back soon!The Inspiration of Fiction
Join us for a lively and engaging conversation with two New York Times bestselling authors whose storytelling has captivated millions of readers. Katy Hays, author of The Cloisters, and Saltwater weaves atmospheric tales of mystery, art, and ambition, while Jill Shalvis has written dozensof best-selling books, including the just released He Falls First. Jill is beloved for her witty and heartwarming contemporary romances, brings humor, charm, and unforgettable characters to the page.
Together, these two Tahoe authors share insights into their creative processes, the inspiration behind their work, and the journeys that have shaped their literary careers. Expect laughter, thoughtful reflections, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the worlds they’ve built—both on and off the page.
Lara Gularte
Fourth World Woman
Lara Gularte, Poet Laureate Emeritus, El Dorado County. Her writing is influenced by deep image poets and her themes reflect the connection of people with the land. She is known for conducting Ekphrastic poetry/writing workshops at Arts & Culture El Dorado, the Mills Station Arts & Cultural Center, the Riparian Area Project of Myrtle Tree Arts and the American River Conservancy, and the Tahoe Literary Festival of 2024.
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Saturday, October 11
Time and Venue: Check back soon!Echoes of the Sierra:
A Poet Laureate ConversationStep into the heart of poetic expression with Nevada County Poet Laureate Karen Terrey, Reno Poet Laureate Jesse James Ziegler, and El Dorado County Poet Laureate Moira Magneson as they explore the role of poetry as both a personal compass and public voice. In this intimate conversation, three literary luminaries from across the Sierra region share their creative journeys, the responsibilities and joys of being a poet laureate, and how poetry can shape, reflect, and heal our communities. Moderated by Lara Gularte.
Jesse James Ziegler
FIVE
Jesse James Ziegler is currently serving as Poet Laureate for the City of Reno. He is the creator and manager of Monday Night Poetry and vice president for Spoken Views Collective. He is a member of the Sierra Literary Cooperative and the Spoken Word/Poetry contributor to Reno Arts News. He runs a twice monthly all ages poetry group/open mic True Colors in collaboration with Our Center. He was the first ever Poet in Residence for the Bruka Theatre and held that position for three consecutive seasons. His first collection of poetry, FIVE (2019), was published and brought to life through their annual new Works Festival.
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Saturday, October 11
Time and Venue: Check back soon!Echoes of the Sierra:
A Poet Laureate ConversationStep into the heart of poetic expression with Nevada County Poet Laureate Karen Terrey, Reno Poet Laureate Jesse James Ziegler, and El Dorado County Poet Laureate Moira Magneson as they explore the role of poetry as both a personal compass and public voice. In this intimate conversation, three literary luminaries from across the Sierra region share their creative journeys, the responsibilities and joys of being a poet laureate, and how poetry can shape, reflect, and heal our communities. Moderated by Lara Gularte.
Moira Magneson
In the Eye of the Elephant
A Northern California native, Moira lives in the Sierra foothills where she has spearheaded many art actions and initiatives, including El Dorado County's Poetry Out Loud Competition, Veterans' Voices, Barbaric Yawp, and Black Lives: An American Overture. In 2024, she was the resident poet for ForestSong, a community arts project exploring solastalgia, biophilia, and resilience in the face of wildfire devastation. Magneson is the author of A River Called Home: A River Fable, an illustrated novella (Toad Road Press, 2024). In the Eye of the Elephant, her first full-length collection of poems, was published by Sixteen Rivers Press this past April. In July 2025, Magneson stepped into a two-year appointment as El Dorado County's fifth poet laureate.
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Saturday, October 11
Time and Venue: Check back soon!Echoes of the Sierra:
A Poet Laureate ConversationStep into the heart of poetic expression with Nevada County Poet Laureate Karen Terrey, Reno Poet Laureate Jesse James Ziegler, and El Dorado County Poet Laureate Moira Magneson as they explore the role of poetry as both a personal compass and public voice. In this intimate conversation, three literary luminaries from across the Sierra region share their creative journeys, the responsibilities and joys of being a poet laureate, and how poetry can shape, reflect, and heal our communities. Moderated by Lara Gularte.
Karen Terrey
Bite and Blood
Karen Terrey currently serves as the Poet Laureate of Nevada County. She is a poet, editor, writing coach, and the founder of Tangled Roots Writing. An alumna of the Community of Writers and a member of the Sierra Arts Foundation, her work has appeared in various journals. Her poetry chapbook, Bite and Blood, is available at local bookstores.
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Saturday, October 11
Time and Venue: Check back soon!Echoes of the Sierra:
A Poet Laureate ConversationStep into the heart of poetic expression with Nevada County Poet Laureate Karen Terrey, Reno Poet Laureate Jesse James Ziegler, and El Dorado County Poet Laureate Moira Magneson as they explore the role of poetry as both a personal compass and public voice. In this intimate conversation, three literary luminaries from across the Sierra region share their creative journeys, the responsibilities and joys of being a poet laureate, and how poetry can shape, reflect, and heal our communities. Moderated by Lara Gularte.
Brooke Warner
She Writes Press
Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press, an imprint of The Stable Book Group. She is a memoir coach and author of Write On, Sisters!, Green-light Your Book, What's Your Book?, and three books on memoir. She’s also a TEDx speaker, weekly podcaster (of “Memoir Nation” with co-host Grant Faulkner), and publishes a weekly newsletter, Writerly Things, on Substack.
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Saturday, October 11
Time and Venue: Check back soon!Pathways to Publishing:
Navigating the Literary LandscapeIn an ever-evolving publishing world, how do writers find the right path to bring their books to life? This illuminating panel brings together industry veterans and emerging voices to unpack the diverse avenues available to today’s authors—traditional, hybrid, indie, and self-publishing.
Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and champion of hybrid publishing, joins Steve Wasserman, acclaimed author and publisher of Heyday Books, along with JoAnne Banducci, director of University of Nevada Press, and self-published author Lisa Michelle to explore the current trends, tools, and truths of the publishing industry. From navigating contracts and creative control to distribution, marketing, and the writer’s role in today’s publishing process, this conversation will offer practical insight, candid advice, and inspiration for both emerging and established writers. Moderator to be determined.
Steve Wasserman
Heyday Books
Steve Wasserman is the publisher of Heyday, an independent nonprofit press founded in 1974. With a storied career in publishing, he has worked in nearly every facet of the industry, serving as an editor, literary agent, publisher and author. He is the author of Tell Me Something, Tell Me Anything, Even If It's a Lie.
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Saturday, October 11
Pathways to Publishing: Navigating the Literary Landscape
In an ever-evolving publishing world, how do writers find the right path to bring their books to life? This illuminating panel brings together industry veterans and emerging voices to unpack the diverse avenues available to today’s authors—traditional, hybrid, indie, and self-publishing.
Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and champion of hybrid publishing, joins Steve Wasserman, acclaimed author and publisher of Heyday, along with JoAnne Banducci, director of University of Nevada Press, and self-published author Lisa Michelle to explore the current trends, tools, and truths of the publishing industry. From navigating contracts and creative control to distribution, marketing, and the writer’s role in today’s publishing process, this conversation will offer practical insight, candid advice, and inspiration for both emerging and established writers. Moderator to be determined.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
JoAnne Banducci
University of Nevada Press
JoAnne Banducci is the Director of University of Nevada Press. Founded in 1961 and based at UNR, the University of Nevada Press has been around for the better part of a century.publishing high-quality, deserving works that advance scholarly research and contribute to the understanding and appreciation of regional history and culture.
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Saturday, October 11
Pathways to Publishing: Navigating the Literary Landscape
In an ever-evolving publishing world, how do writers find the right path to bring their books to life? This illuminating panel brings together industry veterans and emerging voices to unpack the diverse avenues available to today’s authors—traditional, hybrid, indie, and self-publishing.
Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and champion of hybrid publishing, joins Steve Wasserman, acclaimed author and publisher of Heyday, along with JoAnne Banducci, director of University of Nevada Press, and self-published author Lisa Michelle to explore the current trends, tools, and truths of the publishing industry. From navigating contracts and creative control to distribution, marketing, and the writer’s role in today’s publishing process, this conversation will offer practical insight, candid advice, and inspiration for both emerging and established writers. Moderator to be determined.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Lisa Michelle
True Nature
Lisa Michelle is an award-winning screenwriter, bestselling author, filmmaker, and lover of snow storms. Her debut thriller, Calaveras, became an Amazon instant bestseller and encouraged her to write prequels Blue Mountain and Forest Creek. After thirty years of adventuring her most recent book is True Nature: Hidden in the High Sierra published in the summer of 2025 along with the PenCraft Best Book Award.
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Saturday, October 11
Pathways to Publishing: Navigating the Literary Landscape
In an ever-evolving publishing world, how do writers find the right path to bring their books to life? This illuminating panel brings together industry veterans and emerging voices to unpack the diverse avenues available to today’s authors—traditional, hybrid, indie, and self-publishing.
Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and champion of hybrid publishing, joins Steve Wasserman, acclaimed author and publisher of Heyday, along with JoAnne Banducci, director of University of Nevada Press, and self-published author Lisa Michelle to explore the current trends, tools, and truths of the publishing industry. From navigating contracts and creative control to distribution, marketing, and the writer’s role in today’s publishing process, this conversation will offer practical insight, candid advice, and inspiration for both emerging and established writers. Moderator to be determined.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Julia Drake
Wildbound PR and Marketing
Julia Drake is a co-founder of Wildbound PR, a boutique literary PR and marketing firm for authors, and owner of IndieReader, a trusted platform for indie book reviews and publishing resources. She has led successful campaigns for high-profile and indie authors alike, partnering with Big 4 publishers, indie presses, and literary organizations such as the Bay Area Book Festival, the Kirkus Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Awards.
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Saturday, October 11
From Manuscript to Marketplace: Indie Author Strategies That Work
In a publishing landscape where more than 2.6 million indie titles hit the market in 2023, discoverability is everything. Julia Drake and Jared Drake, co-founders of Wildbound PR, join David Wogahn, president of AuthorImprints, for a candid, practical conversation on how self-published, hybrid, and small press authors can stand out in today’s competitive marketplace. This panel will pull back the curtain on what it really takes to build buzz, reach readers, and sell books without a major publisher’s budget.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Jared Drake
Wildbound PR and Marketing
Jared Drake is president of Realization Films, a co-founder of Wildbound PR, a boutique literary PR and marketing firm for authors, and owner of IndieReader, a trusted platform for indie book reviews and publishing resources. He has led successful campaigns for high-profile and indie authors alike, partnering with Big 4 publishers, indie presses, and literary organizations such as the Bay Area Book Festival, the Kirkus Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Awards.
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Saturday, October 11
From Manuscript to Marketplace: Indie Author Strategies That Work
In a publishing landscape where more than 2.6 million indie titles hit the market in 2023, discoverability is everything. Julia Drake and Jared Drake, co-founders of Wildbound PR, join David Wogahn, president of AuthorImprints, for a candid, practical conversation on how self-published, hybrid, and small press authors can stand out in today’s competitive marketplace. This panel will pull back the curtain on what it really takes to build buzz, reach readers, and sell books without a major publisher’s budget.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
David Wogahn
AuthorImprints
David Wogahn is the president and founder of AuthorImprints, a publishing services company that helps authors professionally publish and distribute their books under their own imprint. AuthorImprints provides ISBN management, metadata optimization, print and eBook distribution, and strategic publishing guidance, empowering authors to retain control and maximize royalties. David is the author of six books, including the first eBook training course for LinkedIn Learning, and is a frequent speaker for organizations such as Jane Friedman, IBPA, and ALLi.
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Saturday, October 11
From Manuscript to Marketplace: Indie Author Strategies That Work
In a publishing landscape where more than 2.6 million indie titles hit the market in 2023, discoverability is everything. Julia Drake and Jared Drake, co-founders of Wildbound PR, join David Wogahn, president of AuthorImprints, for a candid, practical conversation on how self-published, hybrid, and small press authors can stand out in today’s competitive marketplace. This panel will pull back the curtain on what it really takes to build buzz, reach readers, and sell books without a major publisher’s budget.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Michael Branch
Rants from the Hill
An award-winning humorist and writer of creative nonfiction, Michael Branch is University Foundation Professor, Emeritus at the University of Nevada, Reno. Mike’s published work includes more than 300 essays, which have appeared in venues such as CNN, the San Francisco Chronicle, Slate, Outside, Orion, Ecotone, Pacific Standard, National Parks, The Scientist, High Country News, Terrain.org, and the Sierra Nevada Ally. He has published ten books, including Raising Wild, Rants from the Hill, How to Cuss in Western, and On the Trail of the Jackalope. In 2024, Mike was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.
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Saturday, October 11
Writing Western Landscapes
This panel features writers of fiction and nonfiction whose work engages deeply with the spectacular natural landscapes of the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin Desert regions. While some literature deploys the natural world as merely backdrop against which human drama plays out, these three writers explore the profound and often surprising ways we shape and are shaped by nature. Two of the books featured in this session are brand new! The trio of novellas in Laura Newman’s new book, The Darling of the Black Rock Desert (Delphinium Books, 2025), have been described as “probing, incandescent, and riotously funny,” and often depict characters whose struggles are intimately connected to the landscapes they inhabit. Eve Quesnel’s new book of essays, Snow Fleas and Chickadees (University of Nevada Press, 2025), deftly uses close observation and engaging, accessible natural history to renew our appreciation for the wonders of nearby nature in the Sierra. High desert rat Michael Branch will read from his trilogy of humorous creative nonfiction from the Great Basin: Raising Wild, Rants from the Hill, and How to Cuss in Western.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Eve Quesnel
Snow Fleas and Chickadees
Eve Quesnel has written articles centered on her observations of the natural world through a storytelling and educational approach for more than two decades. Her newly released book, Snow Fleas and Chickadees: Everyday Observations in the Sierra is a compilation of those articles, further researched. She holds a MA in literature and the environment from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is an active columnist for Truckee-Tahoe's local newspaper, Moonshine Ink.
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Saturday, October 11
Writing Western Landscapes
This panel features writers of fiction and nonfiction whose work engages deeply with the spectacular natural landscapes of the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin Desert regions. While some literature deploys the natural world as merely backdrop against which human drama plays out, these three writers explore the profound and often surprising ways we shape and are shaped by nature. Two of the books featured in this session are brand new! The trio of novellas in Laura Newman’s new book, The Darling of the Black Rock Desert (Delphinium Books, 2025), have been described as “probing, incandescent, and riotously funny,” and often depict characters whose struggles are intimately connected to the landscapes they inhabit. Eve Quesnel’s new book of essays, Snow Fleas and Chickadees (University of Nevada Press, 2025), deftly uses close observation and engaging, accessible natural history to renew our appreciation for the wonders of nearby nature in the Sierra. High desert rat Michael Branch will read from his trilogy of humorous creative nonfiction from the Great Basin: Raising Wild, Rants from the Hill, and How to Cuss in Western.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Laura Newman
The Darling of the Black Rock Desert
Laura Newman is the author of The Franklin Avenue Rookery for Wayward Babies and her most recent book, The Darling of the Black Rock Desert – Three Novellas of the West. She is the recipient of the 2024 University of Nevada Libraries Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Silver Pen Award. A world wanderer and long-distance trekker, her journeys often make their way into her stories.
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Saturday, October 11
Writing Western Landscapes
This panel features writers of fiction and nonfiction whose work engages deeply with the spectacular natural landscapes of the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin Desert regions. While some literature deploys the natural world as merely backdrop against which human drama plays out, these three writers explore the profound and often surprising ways we shape and are shaped by nature. Two of the books featured in this session are brand new! The trio of novellas in Laura Newman’s new book, The Darling of the Black Rock Desert (Delphinium Books, 2025), have been described as “probing, incandescent, and riotously funny,” and often depict characters whose struggles are intimately connected to the landscapes they inhabit. Eve Quesnel’s new book of essays, Snow Fleas and Chickadees (University of Nevada Press, 2025), deftly uses close observation and engaging, accessible natural history to renew our appreciation for the wonders of nearby nature in the Sierra. High desert rat Michael Branch will read from his trilogy of humorous creative nonfiction from the Great Basin: Raising Wild, Rants from the Hill, and How to Cuss in Western.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Michael Dennis Cassity
York’s Ride
Michael Dennis Cassity is the author of What Happens Next: Celebrating Stories with Children and York’s Ride: A Novel of Old California, a richly detailed historical coming-of-age novel that weaves together family, friendship and the spirit of the Old West published in 2025. Michael was named 1988 California Educator of the Year and was also the recipient of the 2001 Charles Hayward Award for Community Colleges.
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Saturday, October 11
Beyond the Frontier: Fiction Writers of the Contemporary West
What does it mean to write fiction in the contemporary American West? This panel brings together University of Nevada Press authors whose works explore the people, landscapes, and tensions that define the region today. From border towns and boom-and-bust cities to rural communities shaped by tradition and change, their stories examine the West beyond myth—grounded in the complexities of the present. Panelists will discuss how they navigate themes of identity, place, history, and voice in their fiction, and how they challenge or complicate long-standing narratives of the West. Each author offers a distinct lens on a region still grappling with its past and imagining its future. Join authors Michael Dennis Cassity, AnnElise Hatjakes, Ben Rogers, and Curtis Vickers for a rich conversation about craft, representation, and the evolving meaning of “Western fiction” in the twenty-first century. Moderated by Caddie Dufurrena, University of Nevada Press.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
AnnElise Hatjakes
Matter Out of Place
AnnElise Hatjakes holds a PhD in English from the University of Missouri and an MA in writing and an MFA in fiction from the University of Nevada, Reno. In her fiction, she explores the relationship between place and identity, inspired by her upbringing in Reno, Nevada. Her short story collection, Matter Out of Place, is being published early 2026 by the University of Nevada Press.
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Saturday, October 11
Beyond the Frontier: Fiction Writers of the Contemporary West
What does it mean to write fiction in the contemporary American West? This panel brings together University of Nevada Press authors whose works explore the people, landscapes, and tensions that define the region today. From border towns and boom-and-bust cities to rural communities shaped by tradition and change, their stories examine the West beyond myth—grounded in the complexities of the present. Panelists will discuss how they navigate themes of identity, place, history, and voice in their fiction, and how they challenge or complicate long-standing narratives of the West. Each author offers a distinct lens on a region still grappling with its past and imagining its future. Join authors Michael Dennis Cassity, AnnElise Hatjakes, Ben Rogers, and Curtis Vickers for a rich conversation about craft, representation, and the evolving meaning of “Western fiction” in the twenty-first century. Moderated by Caddie Dufurrena, University of Nevada Press.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Ben Rogers
The Daughters
Ben Rogers is the author of the novels The Flamer, The Heavy Side, and the short story collection The Mayfly. Scheduled for release in November 2025 his latest novel, The Daughters, is a kaleidoscopic meditation on family, memory, and the invisible forces that bind us. Spanning from Amarillo, Texas, in 1997 to La Jolla, California, in 2012 The Daughters interweaves small-town rodeos with amateur radios, teen angst with parental love and pieces together a story of a fractured family struggling to reassemble itself.
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Saturday, October 11
Beyond the Frontier: Fiction Writers of the Contemporary West
What does it mean to write fiction in the contemporary American West? This panel brings together University of Nevada Press authors whose works explore the people, landscapes, and tensions that define the region today. From border towns and boom-and-bust cities to rural communities shaped by tradition and change, their stories examine the West beyond myth—grounded in the complexities of the present. Panelists will discuss how they navigate themes of identity, place, history, and voice in their fiction, and how they challenge or complicate long-standing narratives of the West. Each author offers a distinct lens on a region still grappling with its past and imagining its future. Join authors Michael Dennis Cassity, AnnElise Hatjakes, Ben Rogers, and Curtis Vickers for a rich conversation about craft, representation, and the evolving meaning of “Western fiction” in the twenty-first century. Moderated by Caddie Dufurrena, University of Nevada Press.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Curtis Vickers
This Here Is Devil’s Work
Curtis Bradley Vickers received his MFA from the Ohio State University before heading back to the West where he was born and raised. From the first wildfire he experienced as a child fishing on the Mogollon Rim to the first time the Bonneville Salt Flats cracked beneath his feet, he has always wanted to pin to the page the West that filled his imagination. A winner of the Nevada Press Association’s Best Explanatory Journalism Award for his work on Nevada Silver & Blue, his short fiction and essays have been published by Sou’wester, Ohioana Quarterly, Shroud, Muscle & Blood, and GWS Press. This Here Is Devil’s Work is his debut novel.
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Saturday, October 11
Beyond the Frontier: Fiction Writers of the Contemporary West
What does it mean to write fiction in the contemporary American West? This panel brings together University of Nevada Press authors whose works explore the people, landscapes, and tensions that define the region today. From border towns and boom-and-bust cities to rural communities shaped by tradition and change, their stories examine the West beyond myth—grounded in the complexities of the present. Panelists will discuss how they navigate themes of identity, place, history, and voice in their fiction, and how they challenge or complicate long-standing narratives of the West. Each author offers a distinct lens on a region still grappling with its past and imagining its future. Join authors Michael Dennis Cassity, AnnElise Hatjakes, Ben Rogers, and Curtis Vickers for a rich conversation about craft, representation, and the evolving meaning of “Western fiction” in the twenty-first century. Moderated by Caddie Dufurrena, University of Nevada Press.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Sue Norman
Risk: A Life Saved by the River
Sue Norman is the author of Risk, a memoir published in June 2025 about extreme whitewater competition and extreme parenting. She began writing soon after retiring from a hydrology career with the Forest Service and becoming guardian of her young nephew. A former National and World Champion in both whitewater kayaking and rafting, she continues to coach youth paddlers in whitewater raft racing. She lives in Lake Tahoe, California with her son/nephew, partner Lisa, and their two dogs.
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Saturday, October 11
Women, Words & Wisdom: She Writes the Story
Four powerful voices, one transformative conversation. This panel features a dynamic group of Tahoe-based women writers publishing their debut books. Each embody the courage to speak truth through story. Moderated by Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and an unwavering advocate for women’s voices in publishing, this conversation dives into the power of vulnerability, reinvention, and literary expression.
Together, they’ll explore what it means to become an author, the creative fire that fuels their work, and why it’s never too late to write your truth. Join us for a compelling dialogue about writing, resilience, reinvention, and the radical act of storytelling.
Susan Norman’s Risk: A Life Saved by the River, a memoir that reads more like a thriller, on healing and survival through the lens of nature. Bridey Thelen-Heidel’s Bright Eyes unravels the knots of trauma with luminous honesty. Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker’s Story of Love, Loss, and Liberation traces her journey living and leaving a cult-like spiritual community. Liz Tucker’s debut novel The Pale Flesh of Wood explores the rippling effects of generational trauma, offering a haunting and transformative narrative.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Bridey Thelen-Heidel
Bright Eyes
Bridey Thelen-Heidel’s debut memoir Bright Eyes, published in the Fall of 2024, captures the indomitable spirit of a young girl forced to be brave, required to be resilient, and conditioned to be optimistic, and how she ultimately uses the same traits that helped her to survive her mother's chaos to create her own happily-ever-after. She’s given a TEDx Talk, performed in Listen to Your Mother NYC, published in MUTHA Magazine, and is a frequent podcast guest. Bridey lives with her husband and daughter in South Lake Tahoe, California where she teaches high school English.
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Saturday, October 11
Women, Words & Wisdom: She Writes the Story
Four powerful voices, one transformative conversation. This panel features a dynamic group of Tahoe-based women writers publishing their debut books. Each embody the courage to speak truth through story. Moderated by Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and an unwavering advocate for women’s voices in publishing, this conversation dives into the power of vulnerability, reinvention, and literary expression.
Together, they’ll explore what it means to become an author, the creative fire that fuels their work, and why it’s never too late to write your truth. Join us for a compelling dialogue about writing, resilience, reinvention, and the radical act of storytelling.
Susan Norman’s Risk: A Life Saved by the River, a memoir that reads more like a thriller, on healing and survival through the lens of nature. Bridey Thelen-Heidel’s Bright Eyes unravels the knots of trauma with luminous honesty. Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker’s Story of Love, Loss, and Liberation traces her journey living and leaving a cult-like spiritual community. Liz Tucker’s debut novel The Pale Flesh of Wood explores the rippling effects of generational trauma, offering a haunting and transformative narrative.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Liz Tucker
The Pale Flesh of Wood
Elizabeth A. Tucker is a fiction writer, poet, playwright, and sixth-generation Californian. Her work can be found in a host of literary journals, including Transfer Magazine, Red River Review, Aroostook Review, Ponder Review, The Bangalore Review, SNReview, and JuxtaProse Magazine. Published in February 2025, her debut novel, The Pale Flesh Of Wood, is set in 20th-century Northern California and offers a multigenerational braided narrative examining the rippling effects of trauma and perceived fault after a loved one’s suicide . She is a two-time finalist for Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers, a finalist for the 2020 Craft Elements Fiction Contest, and a finalist for the 2020 Barry Lopez Prize in nonfiction. She lives and writes at 6,600 feet above sea level in the Sierra Nevada with her husband and two children.
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Saturday, October 11
Women, Words & Wisdom: She Writes the Story
Four powerful voices, one transformative conversation. This panel features a dynamic group of Tahoe-based women writers publishing their debut books. Each embody the courage to speak truth through story. Moderated by Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and an unwavering advocate for women’s voices in publishing, this conversation dives into the power of vulnerability, reinvention, and literary expression.
Together, they’ll explore what it means to become an author, the creative fire that fuels their work, and why it’s never too late to write your truth. Join us for a compelling dialogue about writing, resilience, reinvention, and the radical act of storytelling.
Susan Norman’s Risk: A Life Saved by the River, a memoir that reads more like a thriller, on healing and survival through the lens of nature. Bridey Thelen-Heidel’s Bright Eyes unravels the knots of trauma with luminous honesty. Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker’s Story of Love, Loss, and Liberation traces her journey living and leaving a cult-like spiritual community. Liz Tucker’s debut novel The Pale Flesh of Wood explores the rippling effects of generational trauma, offering a haunting and transformative narrative.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!
Priya Hutner
Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker’s Story of Love, Loss, and Liberation
Priya Hutner is the co-founder of the Tahoe Literary Festival and the Truckee Literary Crawl, and a passionate advocate for the arts. She is the author of Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker’s Story of Love, Loss, and Liberation, she chronicles her epic adventure to attain enlightenment and her quest to break free from the cult-like community she was raised in. Priya writes for several publications, including Tahoe Guide, where she serves as the arts and culture editor, Moonshine Ink, Muse Magazine, and Tahoe.com.
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Saturday, October 11
Women, Words & Wisdom: She Writes the Story
Four powerful voices, one transformative conversation. This panel features a dynamic group of Tahoe-based women writers publishing their debut books. Each embody the courage to speak truth through story. Moderated by Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and an unwavering advocate for women’s voices in publishing, this conversation dives into the power of vulnerability, reinvention, and literary expression.
Together, they’ll explore what it means to become an author, the creative fire that fuels their work, and why it’s never too late to write your truth. Join us for a compelling dialogue about writing, resilience, reinvention, and the radical act of storytelling.
Susan Norman’s Risk: A Life Saved by the River, a memoir that reads more like a thriller, on healing and survival through the lens of nature. Bridey Thelen-Heidel’s Bright Eyes unravels the knots of trauma with luminous honesty. Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker’s Story of Love, Loss, and Liberation traces her journey living and leaving a cult-like spiritual community. Liz Tucker’s debut novel The Pale Flesh of Wood explores the rippling effects of generational trauma, offering a haunting and transformative narrative.
Time and Venue: Check back soon!