Cache Valley Chapter
of the
League of Utah Writers
Brags
Chadd VanZanten
Literary Fiction
E-mail Chadd at chaddvanzanten@gmail.com.Chadd’s writing took multiple awards in the League of Utah Writers 2011 Original Writing Contest, including best-in-show in the short prose division with his short story “Stage Two.” For the second year in a row, Chadd won first place in the short fiction category, this time with his short story “Too Soon For Guns.” He won third place in the same category with his short story “All The Western States,” and his short story “Not Delicious” won first place in the alternative/edgy fiction category.
Chadd’s fiction has been featured in New Graffiti (http://newgraffitipublishing.com) and The Provo Orem Word (http://provooremword.com). His story “Not Delicious” was chosen favorite fiction in The Provo Orem Word’s 2011 readers’ choice poll.
The only thing Chadd loves more than writing is fishing, and the only thing he loves more than fishing is living in Cache Valley with his wife and family. He is an active member of the Cache Valley Chapter of the League of Utah Writers and is always starting some new project without really knowing whether it will ever get finished. Chadd often writes about characters who are in the process of missing the point life is trying to make, hoping it might help him avoid doing so. He wishes he had more time for things like comic books and Scrabble.
Watch the videos of “Decidedly So” and “Dear Friends” in the Writers' Cache.
Tim Keller
Literary Fiction
E-mail Tim at writerscache435@gmail.com.Tim's short story “The Gift” was voted the readers choice for best Non-Fiction essay and re-published in the Provo Orem Word's two year retrospective issue.
Tim is a regular contributor to the Helicon West reading series in Logan, Utah. He will be a featured reader at Helicon West in February.
Tim recently took two top honors in the 2011 League of Utah Writers original writing contest. His personal essay “Dawn of a New Millennium” won first place in the humor category, and his short story “It Was Never Like This” won first place in the western category. Tim's personal essay “The Gift” won second place in the creative nonfiction category, and was recently published in The Provo Orem Word (www.provooremword.org/index.html?edition=2010_12). Other awards Tim won in the contest include “Infamous” (second place in humor), “Life After Oakdale” (honorable mention in creative nonfiction), “Geek Warrior” (persuasive essay), and “The Tour” (honorable mention in the novel manuscript category).
In the 2011 Absolutely Write creative writing contest, Tim took first place in the adult general fiction category with his short story “The Tale of the Tell Tale Cheesecake,” narrowly edging his short story “De-Evolution,” which took second place in the same category. His short story “Bump in the Night” won second place in the horror category.
Tim is a regular contributor to the Helicon West reading series in Logan, Utah. He will be a featured reader at Helicon West in December.
Tim is the President of the League of Utah Writers and of the League's Cache Valley Chapter. The only thing he likes better than reading a good story, it's telling one. Tim always wanted to try his hand at writing, so a couple of years ago he began work on the Great American Novel. The ensuing obsession changed his life. He's since branched out into short prose and essays. He even works on the novel from time to time.
Isaac Timm
Poetry and Creative Non-fiction
Isaac was born and raised in the western desert town of Callao, Utah; a stop on the historic Pony Express trail. His highest aspiration is to be a story teller like his father. He is a duel major in History and Creative Writing at Utah State University.
Isaac won the “Best in Show” award for his poem “Antiseptic” in the League of Utah Writers annual writing contest.
For the second year in a row, Isaac won the Narrative Lyrical poetry category. Earning 1st place honors for his Poem, “Obligatory Rose Poem,” narrowly edging his poem “Icarus 1981” which earned 2nd place. His poems, “Youth of July” and “Songs Not to be Forgotten” both took honorable mentions. Isaacs Poem “The Bank Next to the Stream” earned an honorable mention in the Edgy Poetry category.
Isaac’s short story “Defenders,” earned 2nd place honors in the 2011 League of Utah Writers Creative Non-Fiction category. The story is published in the September 2011 issue of the Provo Orem Word, an Arts and Literature Journal. http://www.provooremword.org/index.html?edition=2011_9
Isaac won 2nd place for his poem “Youth of July” in the first ever Scotsmen Scribbles creative writing contest put on by the Statesmen, Utah State University's newspaper.
An active member of the Cache Valley Chapter of the League of Utah Writers, Isaac won first place in the League's annual contest for his poem, “Painting Untitled.” Recently, he was a featured reader at Helicon West, a community literary forum in Logan, Utah.
Dianne Hardy
Creative Non-fiction
Dianne welcomes comments and inquiries—email to drmusic435@gmail.com.Dianne took home eleven awards from the 2011 League of Utah Writers original writing contest. Her personal essay “I Prefer Baths to Showers” won first place in the Edgy Non-Fiction category, and her short story “Enough is Enough” took second. In the Alternative/Edgy fiction category. Dianne’s short story “The Underduck” won second place. Other awards Dianne won in the contest include “Scotty the Cookie Monster” (third place in childrens), “Pee in the Pool” (honorable mention in Humor), “Cousins” (Honorable mention in Creative Non-Fiction), “Scotty and the Tar Baby” (honorable mention Children’s), “My Little Penna” (Honorable mention Creative Non-Fiction), “Stealing” (Honorable mention Western), “Scotty Rocks the Bully” (Honorable mention Children’s), and “The Chicken Fest” (Honorable mention, Western).
Dianne's short story, “Pee in the Pool” appeared in the July issue of Cynic Magazine. www.cynicmag.com/feature.aspx?articleid=3936
Dianne earned an honorable mention in the Humor Press writing contest with “Carnal Knowledge” a memoir from her book.
A Mother of three children and seven grandchildren, Dianne Hardy retired in December 2008, after spending the last 46 years in piano teaching—the last 20 in higher education. She loves the slower pace of her life and feels only one compulsion, to create every day. She started writing just two years ago when looking for something to occupy her time in retirement. She loved writing when she was a child, but never looked seriously at it because it was always her mother's domain—hers was music. Now she is writing memoirs from her childhood and finding them to be therapeutic. Says Hardy, “They are honest and truthful accounts of my childhood and I do not…will not censor them.”
Daniel Coleman
Young Adult/Fantasy
Daniel took 1st place in manuscript category of the 2011 League of Utah Writers original writing contest for his new Novel EYES.
Daniel's debut novel came out in April 2011. It is a short novel entitled Jabberwocky based on Lewis Carroll's masterpiece poem and is available in all major ebook formats
.When he's not firefighting, Daniel Coleman spends his free time jumping genres in fiction. In 2006 he discovered small-town living and isn't looking back. He's staked his claim on a few acres in northern Utah with his wife, 3 kids, a Great Dane, and a Chihuahua. If you’ve got a few hours to kill he'd love to discuss PEZ, ice cream, or Scrabble.
EA Younker
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Emily took home an arm load of honors from the 2011 League of Utah Writers original writing contest. Her short story “The Yellow Duck” won 1st place in the Fantasy Sci-Fi category, and her book Nowhere Left took 3rd place in the First Chapter category. Emily's short stories “Never Forgotten” and “Weight of the World” earned honorable mentions in the Short Fiction and Fantasy Sci-Fi categories.
Her stories:
“Run” in the anthology The Crimson Pact, vol. 1 (March 2011)
“Bloody Truth” in the anthology The Wrong Side of the Law (November 2010)
“Painted Death” in the anthology A World of Their Own (July 2010)
EA Younker is a writer who has more hobbies than time. Since she doesn't enjoy starving, she completed a degree in technical writing. She lives happily with her husband and a pooka in Northern Utah.
Wally Pride
Fiction and Children's Literature
Wally Pride spent his growing years celebrating Christmas in his hometown of Rupert, Idaho. Over a lot of years after graduating high school and then college, he became a teacher, a school administrator, and an elementary school counselor. Now that he is retired, he and his wife, Marilyn, live in Logan, Utah.
He recently won first place in the League of Utah Writers' Tween Manuscript category for "The Wreath of Gamwald." He also received an honorable mention for "The Blanket" in the Youth Story category.
The Mighty Christmas Oak:
A mighty oak, proud to be the forest king, is suddenly cut down. It becomes a coach for an emperor, then a carriage for a traveler, then an army wagon, then a cart for a pilgrim. With each change, the oak feels less and less noble, always hoping to once again become the mighty oak it once was. Its final position is the most humbling of all, but also the most noble.
The book is available by calling the author at 435-752-0260 or contacting him at 
.
Amber Argyle
Young Adult
http://amberargyle.blogspot.com/
Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing her debut novel.
She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters.
She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University.
She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.
Her first novel, Witch Song, comes out Sept. 1st 2011 by Rhemalda Publishing.
Amy C Maddocks
Memoirist
When she isn't teaching or writing, Amy enjoys camping, four-wheeling, and rafting.
She graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor's degree in Education, and currently teaches in Beautiful Cache Valley, where she lives with her husband and children.
Too Precious for Earth
A poignant and compelling story of one tiny boy, whose brief moments in his family’s life changed them and others around them forever.
Available at Amazon—Too Precious for Earth.
Review of Too Precious for Earth.
Cami Checketts
Suspense Author
Cami Checketts is a wife, mother, exercise scientist, and proud supporter of Cold Stone Creameries. During the short minutes she isn't cleaning up magic potions, constructing castles, and reading Chickens in the Headlights to the boys she enjoys writing suspense novels.
Cami hosts a fitness blog for busy women - http://fitmommas.blogster.com.
Books:
The Fourth of July
The Broken Path
The Sister Pact
Doreese B. Severe
www.seeabcs.com
"See the Sound!"
Doreese and her husband live in Smithfield, Utah. She has five children and five grandchildren who are the joy of her life. She never intended to be an author until one day she stumbled onto a great way to teach reading. Now teaching parents how to teach their kids to read is her passion.
See abc's Reading Program
The See abc's Reading Program, teaches through visualization not memorization. Why is letter 's' so easy to teach? Because it looks like a snake and it sounds like snake. In the book, abc’s, See What They Say every letter looks like what it says. There are ten books in the program, four of which are written by Doreese's sister and partner, Sherry Garr. Doreese's final book, Imletteration holds the secret to learning sight words (rule breakers). You can check out her new video of she and Sherry demonstrating their books at www.seeabcs.com.
See abc's Reading Program Author and Creator
Utah's Red Wagon Award and Governor's 8th Point of Light Award
Janet Kay Jensen
www.janetjensen.com
http://janetkayjensen.blogspot.com/
http://janetkayjensen2.blogspot.com/
Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys (Bonneville Books, Cedar Fort, Inc)
First Runner-Up, Best New Writing: The Eric Hoffer Award for Independent books (commercial fiction)
Finalist, USA Best Books 2007 (religious fiction)
Bronze Award, Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year (religious fiction)
Semi-Finalist, Reader Views Literary Awards (religion/spirituality)
Whitney Award Nominee for LDS authors
Honorable Mention, Marilyn Brown Unpublished Novel Award
The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages that Feature Them
(Wenger & Jensen, Ballantine, 2003)