Cindy Skaggs MFA

Biography

Cindy Skaggs is a hybrid writer published both traditionally and as an indie writer, with seven romantic suspense novels, two novellas, a guide for novel writers (Dear Someday Writer), multiple journal publications in creative nonfiction, and a Pushcart nomination. Her shorter works have appeared in December Magazine, So to Speak Feminist Journal, The New Limestone Review, WOW! Women on Writing, the Fredericksburg Literary Art Review, and Brilliant Flash Fiction. She has taught creative writing in higher education since 2015. 

Because life is short and knowledge lasts forever, Cindy spent way too much time in college and came out with a BS in Marketing, an MA in Creative Nonfiction from Regis University, an MFA in Fiction from the Rainier Writing Workshop Low-Res MFA, and in 2022, she quit her job, sold her things, and moved to Ireland to study for an MPhil in Irish Literature at Trinity College Dublin. 

She has a deep understanding of the publishing ecosystem, marketing for writers, and the writing craft in both fiction and creative nonfiction. She has mentored more than sixty diverse thesis novels including romance, romantic suspense, mystery, thrillers, speculative fiction, young adult, and literary fiction. She is currently working on a magical realism novel set in her favorite place on the planet, Dublin. 

In addition to her work with Western, Cindy teaches first year writing at Pikes Peak State College and spearheaded the Expressive Writing Workshop for veterans in conjunction with Colorado Humanities and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Understanding that writing is an art, but also therapeutic, she utilizes the skillset to teach Writing as Healing and other forms of creative nonfiction at Denver University. She lives with her children in Colorado Springs and enjoys hiking in the Rockies when they’re not on fire. Learn more about her work at www.cskaggs.com.