About the Author
Connie Gotsch is the author of the award-winning youth novels Belle’s Star, and Belle’s Trial, both available from Artemesia Publishing at apbooks.net Written from a dog’s point of view, the books empower children aged eight to twelve to make good choices and practice self discipline. The character of Belle is based on the personality of Kiri, a dog that shared Connie’s life for 16 years before passing over the rainbow bridge. Her sidekick Busterm enjoyed Connie’s company for 12 years. He turns up as Sam in the Shelby McCoy mystery series for adults, which she plans to publish with Casa de Snapdragon in Albuquerque.
In addition to the novels. Connie has written three short plays: A PECK OF DIRT, OR ARE YOU CINDERELLA--?, and NEW DELIGHT.
OR ARE YOU CINDERELLA won third place in the San Juan College Biannual One-Act Play Writing Contest in Farmington, New Mexico. A NEW DELIGHT was presented in New York’s Soho District by the Saturday Players, as part of THE FARMINGTON ARMADA, gathered by Charles Pike.
Connie is the program director of public radio station KSJE FM in Farmington New Mexico, where she hosts a classical music and arts news show called Roving with the Arts, and a book show entitled Write On Four Corners.
She interviews artists and writers for both shows. She contributes regular columns to Southwest Colorado Arts Perspective Magazine, Four Corners Free Press, and Majestic Living Magazine. Her interviews abd articles have won numerous awards from the New Mexico Press Women and the National Federation of Press Women.
Belle’s Star won first place from both the National Federation of Press Women and New Mexico Press Women for Juvenile Fiction in the 2010 NMPW and MFPW Communication contests. The book won a Silver Mom’s Choice award and was nominated for a New Mexico Book Award in 2010 and 2011.
This year, Belle’s Trial won a Silver Mom’s Choice Award, First Place in the New Mexico Press Women Communication Contest for Juvenile Fiction, and an Eric Hoffer Award Nomination.
