Meet Local Authors
Stephanie Swenson
Stephanie Swenson is a Colorado native who grew up in the friendly town of Sterling, where small-town values and big imaginations thrive. Stephanie is an Early Childhood Specialist and children’s book author dedicated to helping children and caregivers navigate BIG feelings with humor and heart. Drawing on years of hands-on work with teachers, children, and families, Stephanie brings real-life understanding to her debut picture book, Oopsie Tootsie: Freda the Farting Frog Has BIG Feelings. She combines humor and heart to teach little ones that it’s okay to let their feelings out in healthy ways. Through her Wolf & Wing Creations brand, she’s building a playful world of stories and products that nurture emotional growth and joy.
Sean Cole
Sean Cole has served as the Lead Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sterling, CO, for over twenty years. He is also an adjunct instructor of Old and New Testament studies at Colorado Christian University. He hosts the podcast “Understanding Christianity.” He has a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Dawn and has two sons, Aidan and Zachary.
Kristy Perkins
Kristy Perkins is an awkward, antisocial being who prefers taking naps instead of long walks on the beach. She has never enjoyed running or even jogging, but you can catch her out on foggy mornings with a hot cup of coffee clasped between her hands. She’s always said that foggy mornings are what keeps her alive. She lives in a magical realm where spells and potions exist. Residing with her are her three familiars, two dogs and a cat. She writes fantastical stories that consists of spooky and spice and everything not always so nice. Kristy is addicted to pumpkin spice everything, Fanta mixed with redbull keeps her alive, and Swedish fish galore when she’s writing.
Joanna Duell
Joanna Duell is a Colorado born and raised girl — born in Wray and raised in Haxtun. She is a passionate baker who loves to test and design her own recipes. Joanna is also the author of Living in the Fullness of Jesus’s Resurrection. She loves to write piano music and enjoys being in nature. With a desire to be a missionary to France, Joanna is currently studying at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, California. She is full of joy and the love of God, and loves to visit family and connect with others.
Joey Wilson
Joey Wilson is a retired Counselor, Teacher and an Army Veteran. She has lived in Sterling for 8 years and has published 3 Children’s books and a Women’s Bible Study.
Jolene Gutiérrez
Jolene Gutiérrez grew up on a farm in northeastern Colorado, surrounded by animals, plants, and history. She is an award-winning teacher librarian and has been working with neurodivergent learners at Denver Academy since 1995. She’s a wife of 25+ years and mama to two young adults, three dogs, two cats, and an ever-rotating variety of other rescue animals. Jolene is an active member of SCBWI, part of the KidLitCollective and Picture Book Gold. Jolene is represented by agent Kaitlyn Sanchez of Bradford Literary. She’s a contributor to If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility (Candlewick, 2025) and the author of Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (Abrams Childrens, 2026, co-authored with Minoru Tonai), Mamiachi and Me (Abrams/Appleseed, 2025, co-authored with her son Dakota), The Ofrenda That We Built (Chronicle, 2024, co-authored with her daughter Shaian), Too Much! An Overwhelming Day (Abrams/Appleseed, 2023), the Stars of Latin Pop series (Rourke, 2021), Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks (Lerner, 2020), and Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader (Clear Fork/Spork 2020). Find her online at www.jolenegutierrez.com or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @writerjolene.
Luann Atkin Koester
Author & educator, Luann Atkin Koester, taught high school language arts, as well as college composition for over 26 years. A fellow of the National and Colorado Writing Projects, she considers herself a writer teaching writers. Luann graduated Cum Laude from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, received a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Colorado College, and a Post Graduate Certificate of Expertise in Writing from the University of Denver. In 2003 and 2021, she was recognized by the Boettcher Foundation as a Boettcher Educator. And In 2009, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) named her an MIT Influential Educator. Recently retired, Luann enjoys teaching, traveling, spending time with her immediate and extended families, writing, and playing golf. In addition to her children's book, Gran Kissed the Blarney Stone, Luann is a published poet and novelist. A Gran to four girlies and a scamp. Luann lives on a cattle ranch near White Butte Creek in Northeastern Colorado.
N.M. Stanfield
N.M. Stanfield is a Psychology graduate and social worker based in both Denver and Sterling, CO. Born and raised in rural Wisconsin, N.M. Stanfield has since relocated and fondly calls Colorado home. When she's not helping set up folks releasing from prison with programs for success, she can be found snuggling her horse, her dog, or her cats (and sometimes all at once!). Echoes of Wrath is her debut novel, with many more to come.