As stated earlier, my first novel, ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS, was WINNER OF THE 2002 WILLA AWARD for Best Softcover Fiction, from Women Writing the West. The romantic historical is set against the little-known Montana Marias Massacre of 1870 where 173 Pikuni Blackfeet were murdered on a cold, bitter blue dawn.  

As a former history and English teacher, with a degree in Anthropology, the stories and history of people fascinates and is part of my motivation in writing. 

I enjoy writing about western and regional history and have contributed to NPR/JPR's historical program, "As It Was," which features anecdotes about people and events in the State of Jefferson (check it out -- it still "exists!"). I'm also a rancher's wife and an avid cook and gardener, and have sold recipes to several cooking magazines and cookbooks, including Better Homes & Gardens, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Country Woman, and Taste of Home.

I have twelve published books, including two novels, one novella, and nine nonfiction western or regional histories. I have sold numerous articles and stories, including children's and women's stories. Several pieces have placed as Finalists in writing contests, including: The Writer's Digest Inspirational Short Story Contest, the IPPY Contest, The Jack London Novel Contest, The William Faulkner Short Story Contest, The NWA Novel Contest, The Chesterfield Film Project Contest, The Writer's Network International Fiction and Screenplay Contest, The FADE IN Screenplay Contest, The Florida First Coast Novel Contest, the Acclaim Film and TV Contest, the WriteMovies.com Contest, and several others.

I have also appeared on History Channel’s “How the States Got Their Shapes,” “Mysteries at the Museum,” in addition to Fox’s “Legends & Lies,” and Oregon’s PBS special on “The State of Jefferson” (which won a Spur Award for Best Documentary from WWA). And I have been a presenter at local, college, and national writing workshops and conferences, including the CA League of Middle Schools' annual conference, the Western Writers of America national conference, and several Women Writing the West’s annual conferences.

I was the 2004 President of Women Writing the West, a great writing organization for those interested in bringing women's stories set in the West (historical, contemporary, fictional, non-fiction, etc...). For more about WWW, check out: www.womenwritingthewest.org. Visit my website: gailjenner.com or any of the links that carry my work, including amazon.com, bn.com, rowman.com/Action/Search/_/Gail%20L.%20Jenner (which lists the 5 books I've sold to TwoDot), www.ijpr.org/people/gail-fiorini-jenner (which lists the dozens of contributions made to JPR's "As It Was"), and http://prairierosepublications.com/authors/authors-a-l/gail-l-jenner/ (which features my stories, novella, and novel published by Prairie Rose Publishing).