Caitee Cooper - Author

This is your friendly PSA to wear sunscreen. And also a hat.

I grew up 7,200 feet above sea level, and was an impressionable teenager during a time in our culture when beauty was synonymous with being tan. Look how decidedly Scandinavian I am. Then do the math.

Not a good mix.

Ten years ago, I found my first basal cell carcinoma. It was just hanging out on my scalp, just chillin', being gross, slowly eating my head. You know, the usual for cancer.

I was twenty.

And last month, it came back.

I'm very lucky; we found it early, my surgeon was awesome, there'll be minimal scarring, and it remains just basal cell, which literally has a 100% survival rate. I am not dying; nobody freak out!

But I will carry the scars - and there will likely be more - for the rest of my life.

Let me be clear: I'm not looking for pity. I made my choices. Even as an impressionable teenager who just wanted to feel pretty, I knew tanning was bad, but I did it anyway. (There's probably another whole post in here about the beauty industry and the pressures girls and women face, but I'll save that one for another day. Or maybe I'll just write a novel examining those issues, since that's kinda my M.O. 🙃)

So this is my PSA today: please wear sunscreen. Please wear a hat. No matter how young or old you are, or what the color of your skin is, take care of it. It's your largest organ, but how often do we think of it that way? You wouldn't scar your heart, or your stomach, or your kidneys just to look good, would you?

So don't radiation-burn your skin.

Learn from my mistakes. Love the skin you're in, because no matter what shade of the human rainbow you are, you're beautiful. Don't let our filter-addled society tell you otherwise. ❤️

Oy! Writer friends! If you're in the Front Range area (which, by this incredibly welcoming organization's standards, actually extends from Canada to Texas and California to Virginia; read: you don't have to live in or near Denver to participate) you might want to think about submitting your work to this contest.

I've been on the judging team for the Gold Rush Literary Award for two years now, and I can tell you that it's well-run, the feedback is actionable, and the winners gain real prestige (and don't worry, if I end up judging your submission, I won't know it's you. Anonymity is strictly enforced.) The agents and editors coming to this year's conference are top-notch, and this is a great way to catch their eye if you want to go the traditional publishing route.

Anywho, just wanted to drop this here in case anyone was interested. 😊 Let me know if you have questions.

Well. Now I have five new writing buddies.

Come see me this Saturday if you're in or near Douglas!

📚 Vendor Spotlight: Caitee Cooper - Author ✨

Meet Caitee Cooper, a Wyoming-born author with a love for stories that blur the line between supernatural suspense and contemporary fantasy.

Caitee grew up in Laramie, Wyoming, where she spent her days enjoying all things outdoorsy, musical, and bookish. After earning a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wyoming (though she jokes she mostly remembers the “BS” part — which might explain why she makes stuff up for a living 😉), Caitee followed her imagination straight into storytelling.

Today, she writes genre-crossing novels filled with mystery, magic, and a touch of Wyoming grit — stories that pull you in and refuse to let go. ✍️✨

Caitee now lives in Casper, Wyoming with her husband Dallin, their two boys, and a very peculiar barn cat named Smokey, who just might inspire her next plot twist. 🐾

Come meet Caitee, chat about books, and pick up your next great read at the
🎁 Holly Days & Twine Holiday Artisan Event
📅 Saturday, November 1, 2025
🕙 10 AM – 4 PM
📍 Upper Ag Hall – Fairgrounds, Douglas, Wyoming