DENVER, Colo. (PRWEB) September 24, 2014 -- On hiatus from graduate school in the fall of 2009, author Don Morreale began writing brief biographical sketches of Colorado people who had undergone some form of life-changing experience. "I'd always been interested in the turning points in people's lives," he said, "those epiphanic moments that precipitate a change of direction, or at least a new way of looking at things."
At the prompting of a reporter friend, Morreale began submitting his stories to the online newspaper, Examiner.com. It was not long before they were also appearing in the Denver Post's YourHub supplement and attracting a large local following. A dozen of his favorites served as the basis for his master's capstone in creative writing at Denver University College, which he completed in the summer of 2010. In June of 2014, he published a collection of the best of them in a volume entitled “Cowboys, Yogis, and One-Legged Ski Bums; The Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Coloradans.” Only two months later, the book made its debut at an author signing at Barnes and Noble in Denver. "It was an amazing turn out," Morreale said. "We sold close to 100 copies in an hour-and-a-half, and ended up having to turn people away."
The book's appeal comes as no surprise, considering its subject matter. "There's a natural curiosity among humans to know about their fellow creatures – what they believe, what makes them tick, how they're getting on in life – which is probably why everyone seems so fascinated by the lives of celebrities these days," Morreale said. "But celebs are not the only ones with interesting lives. Ordinary folks also have stories to tell, often surprisingly compelling stories as it happens."
Other events, including a tour of Colorado bookstores, and presentations at area libraries are in the offing. Meanwhile, Morreale continues to seek out interesting people to write about. "I think in the end what I want my readers to know is that change is possible, and that personal transformation is a viable option."
“Cowboys, Yogis, and One-Legged Ski Bums”
By Don Morreale
Hardcover | 6x9in | 308 pages | ISBN 9781499024012
Softcover | 6x9in | 308 pages | ISBN 9781499024029
E-Book | 308 pages | ISBN 9781499024005
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
The son of a US Army chaplain, Don Morreale spent much of his childhood on military bases in Japan, Germany, and Taiwan before settling in Colorado with his family at 14. He holds a bachelor's degree in comparative religions from the University of Denver and a master's in creative writing from DU's Denver University College. The author of two books on Buddhism in America, he teaches meditation both at home and worldwide on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He also writes a popular column about interesting local people that appears weekly in the Denver Post YourHub and online at Examiner.com.
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