OSHR 1210 - What the Book Jacket Doesn't Tell You - Authors Fill in the Details

This course is offered through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Colorado State University. You must be a member of Osher to enroll in this course.

Please note: An additional (free-of-charge) week has been added to this course. You will now join 5 authors instead of the 4 due to a scedule change that enabled us to include our own Fort Collins New York Times Bestselling Author, Grant Blackwood.

Grant has recently co-authored bestsellers with Tom Clancy, (Dead or Alive) and Clive Cussler (the Fargo series, (Spartan Gold and Lost Empire). Grant will reveal the stories behind the story at the March 24 class.

We suggest you read Dead or Alive or the first in the Clive Cussler series, Spartan Gold.

Grant is a U.S. Navy veteran who spent 3 years aboard a guided missile frigate as Operations Specialist and Pilot Rescue Swimmer. He is at work on his third Fargo adventure with Clive Cussler. Learn the inside stories of Clancy and Cussler and the behind-the-scenes account of writing his novels with the famous co-authors.

Lori Sims, author of the popular children's series, Starvin' Marvin and Skinny Minnie Save San Francisco and Starvin Marvin and Skinny Minnie Melt Minnesota will appear for an extra class session on March 31 instead of the original date in your catalog (March 24).

She will give her "psstt" writing lesson that she has presented all over the country and bring the class into the world of children's books. Read either one or both and if you can part with them, give 'em to your favorite young reader.

This course is back by popular demand. Join four award-winning, best-selling local authors as they share their paths to publishing. Each author will be featured in his or her own session (one each for four sessions, scheduled every other week). During the fifth and final session all four authors will participate in a lively panel discussion/question and answer presentation.
Thursday, February 10: Carol Berg went from a 17-year career as a software engineer to publishing 11 best-selling fantasy novels in 10 years. The writing bug bit her when a friend suggested they write a series of emails to each other in character so that she could practice her writing. When Berg sat down to write the first email, she came up with 20 pages and was hooked. She has won numerous awards and is an international success in the fantasy lit world. We suggest participants read Flesh and Spirit, for which she won the 2009 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature.
Thursday, February 24: Susan Skog is a successful local author who began her career as a journalist. She has written about humanitarians and their projects for 20 years, and has authored five nonfiction books including Peace in Our Lifetime and Embracing Our Essence. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsday, Family Circle, Prevention, Good Housekeeping and AARP The Magazine. Embracing Our Essence: Spiritual Conversations with Prominent Women is the suggested book for her session, which will include discussion of her international projects and other books.
Thursday, March 10: Greg Campbell, best-selling author of Blood Diamond, discusses his latest true crime thriller, Flawless Inside: The Largest Diamond Heist in History (co-authored with Scot Andrew Selby). The two journalist/authors undertook an international investigation into the 2003 robbery of an allegedly airtight vault in Antwerp, Belgium, that netted the bad guys over $108 million in diamonds and other valuables. The authors travelled Europe from Belgium to Italy, meeting subjects in seedy cafes and sleek diamond offices and even interviewing the perpetrators. Once you start reading page one, you won’t be able to put it down!
Thursday, March 24: We will explore the world of children’s literature with author Lori Sims, acclaimed for her series about two misunderstood cats who eventually save the day in Skinny Minnie and Starvin’ Marvin Save San Francisco and Skinny Minnie and Starvin’ Marvin Melt Minnesota. Sims is a director of fundraising for CSU in her other life. She presents lively writing lessons to classes around the country. After this class, you will know how to choose that next gift for your young reader, guide him or her in reading choices, and maybe write a book of your own. Choose either one of the series to read for this session.
Thursday, April 7: Panel presentation with all four authors, facilitated by Nancy Hansford. This session will provide a rare opportunity to ask authors about their writing lives, their craft, their publishing journey and any stories-behind-the-story you are curious about.

Noncredit courses do not produce academic credit nor appear on a Colorado State University academic transcript.

Instructors

Nancy Hansford

Nancy Hansford iwill facilitate the panel presentation.