Colorado author Rebecca Yarros, who has sold more than 12 million books as part of her Empyrean fantasy-romance series, will make a public appearance at the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame this fall, according to the nonprofit organization.
Yarros’s appearances tend to be of the book-signing variety, where she draws 1,500 fans or more to each book store. Fans line up to get a glimpse of the 44-year-old, Colorado Springs-based writer. Her most recent, sold-out Denver appearances took place in January and February when she wrapped up a national tour for her new book “Onyx Storm” with events hosted by The Tattered Cover and the Fantasy Fangirls podcast.
The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame induction gala will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver Tech Center at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Single tickets are on sale for $165, with tables of eight for $1,326 via coloradoauthorshalloffame.org.
Yarros plans to speak at the event, said Judith Briles, founder of the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame and a prolific author and industry coach. About three-quarters of the seats have been sold as of this writing, Briles said, with an overall event capacity of 200 people. She’ll raise that capacity to 250 people or more if ticket sales warrant it, she said.
“I’m in bookstores at least once a month signing books, and wherever I go she typically has a whole table that’s just her,” said Briles, who nominated Yarros for the honor. “This is not my genre that I read, but I was certainly aware of her and I admire the work she does with foster kids” (via Yarros’ One October nonprofit).
Briles, who’s written a whopping 48 books herself, typically promotes independent authors and educates them about industry representation, pitching to publishers and self-publishing options. She’s seen dozens of Colorado-based, New York Times best-selling authors throughout her career, but Yarros currently stands out due to a mainstream profile that only continues to grow.
That’s thanks in part to fan communities on BookTok and other sites, but also the momentum she’s gained among women readers of the “romantasy” genre. Her popularity and sales have led to an upcoming feature-film adaption of her book “The Things We Leave Unfinished,” on which Yarros is consulting. (She has repeatedly declined comment to The Denver Post, but said in a July press statement that it was her favorite book she’s written.)
The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame is notable for doling out five $15,000 scholarships each year, supported by Barnes & Noble, for unpublished authors. Three of the five from the last round will be publishing their first books before the end of the year, Briles noted.
Along with Yarros, another dozen Colorado authors will also be inducted at the Sept. 6 event, including Mary Ellen Gilliland, Jim Butcher, Oscar “Osi” Sladek, and Jim Davidson, as well as the late Lucile Christy Bennett and Kent Haruf.
“Rebecca’s actually very young to be in the hall of fame, but I think she’s got a lot of years ahead of her and will continue to contribute much to the book world,” Briles said.