Awards

Finalist, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Short Western Fiction, 2023 ("Buckskin Trail").

Finalist, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Western Novel, 2023 (Coldwater Range).

Third Place, Recorded Poetry, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2023 (Trails and Crossings).

Finalist, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Short Fiction, 2022 ('Double Deceit').

Fourth Place, Western Fiction - Young Readers, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2022 (Silver Grass). 

Winner, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Western Novel, 2021 (Great Lonesome). 

Winner, Fiction Award (Book), Wyoming Historical Society, 2021. (Great Lonesome).

Second Place, Saddlebag Dispatches Flash Fiction Award, 2021 ("Incident at Blue Nose Creek").

Third Place, Short Stories, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2021 (Dangerous Trails). 

Winner, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Short Fiction, 2020 ("Leaving the Lariat Trail").

Finalist, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Short Fiction, 2020 ("Return to Laurel").

Finalist, Western Writers of America Spur Award in Best Short Fiction Story, 2020. ("Return to Laurel").

Winner, Western Writers of America Spur Award in Best Poem, 2019. (“Prairie Center”).

Finalist, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Western Young Adult/Children's Fiction, 2019 (Castle Butte).

Fourth place, Western Fiction - Young Readers, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2019. (Castle Butte).

Fiction Award (Book), Wyoming Historical Society, 2019. (Castle Butte).

Finalist, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Western Novel, 2018 (Destiny at Dry Camp).

Fourth place, Western Fiction, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2017.  (Death in Cantera).

Second place, Western Fiction—Young Readers, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2017.  (Good Water).

Finalist, Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, Best Western Young Adult/Children Fiction, 2017 (Good Water).

Second place, Western Fiction, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2014.  (Dark Prairie).

Third place, Poetry, Will Rogers Medallion Award, 2014.  (Thorns on the Rose).

Winner, Western Writers of America Spur Award in Best Original Mass Market Paperback, 2010.  (Stranger in Thunder Basin).

Winner, Western Writers of America Spur Award in Best Western Short Fiction Story, 2010.  (“At the End of the Orchard”).

Winner, Western Writers of America Spur Award in Best Original Mass Market Paperback, 2009.  (Trouble at the Redstone).

Finalist, Western Writers of America Spur Award in Best Original Mass Market Paperback, 2008.  (Raven Springs).

Fiction Award (Book), Wyoming Historical Society, 2001.  (North of Cheyenne)

Fiction Award (Book), Wyoming Historical Society, 1999.  (Keep the Wind in Your Face)

 

Creative Writing Fellowship (non-fiction), Wyoming Arts Council, 2008.

Literary Fellowship (fiction), Wyoming Council on the Arts, 1988.

 

Orland Alumni Association Co-Alumnus of the Year for 2018.

Emmie Mygatt Award for Dedicated Service to the Organization, Wyoming Writers, 2000.

Arizola Magnenat Award for Dedicated Encouragement of Other Writers, Wyoming Writers, 1999.

 

Wyoming Writers Competitions (statewide):

• First place, fiction, 1995.
• Honorable mention, fiction, 1995.
• First place, fiction, 1994.
• Second place, fiction, 1992.
• Honorable mention, non-fiction, 1990.
• Third place, fiction, 1989.
• Honorable mention, non-fiction, 1988.
• Honorable mention, free verse, 1988.
• Third place, fiction, 1987.
• Honorable mention, fiction, 1987.
• Honorable mention, non-fiction, 1987.
• Second place, fiction, 1985.
• Second place, free verse, 1985.

 

Honorable mention, non-fiction, Range Writers Writing Contest, 2006.

Second place, traditional verse poetry, Range Writers Writing Contest, 2006.

Honorable mention, essay competition, Arizona Authors’ Association, 1990.

Second place, fiction, Owen Wister Review, Spring 1990.

Best short story, West Wind Review, 1989.

Third place, literary magazine fiction, Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press Association, 1988.

Third place, prose category, Owen Wister Review, 1986-87.

Honorable mention, Wide Open Magazine poetry contest, Fall 1986.

Second prize, essay competition, Arizona Authors’ Association, 1985.

Third prize, Carolina Quarterly fiction contest, 1979.

 

Faculty Member of the Year, Eastern Wyoming College, 2016

Individual Artist Professional Development Grant (for adapting song lyrics to music), 2007.

Literacy Award, Goshen County Reading Council, 2004.

NISOD Excellence Award in Teaching, 1994.

Independent Research Fellowship, Wyoming Council for the Humanities, 1988.

Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, Highest Departmental Honors in English; UCLA, 1971.