Chris joins us this year as a staff member after many years of attending WRW as a participant. We're thrilled to have Chris join us to provide 1-1 feedback, instruction, and share her uplifting spirit with all at WRW.

The author of the bestselling Birdwatcher's Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime, Christine Goff has a passion for writing entertaining stories. Tales of murder and mayhem, her books are designed to make you laugh, make you think, and make you care about the environment. Set in fictitious Elk Park, Colorado (based loosely on Estes Park), and perched on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, her novels focus on the environment through bird-related issues.

After growing up in Evergreen, Colorado—and after several false starts as a perennial student, ski bum, and "chain-gang" operator—Christine began her career writing non-fiction, penning columns for several local newspapers in Summit County, Colorado, then moved on to writing articles for regional and national publication. Later, she edited rock and ice-climbing guides for Chockstone Press; worked in graphic production for "Living the Good News," a division of The Morehouse Publishing Group; and taught writing workshops at the Colorado Free University, and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Christine sold her first book to Berkley Publishing Group in March of 1998, signing a three book contract. Since then, two of her novels have become chosen finalists for the prestigious Willa Literary Award for Best Original Paperback fiction. A long-standing member of several local and national writing organizations, Christine was named the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' 2002 Writer of the Year. Able to identify over 212 Colorado bird species, Christine is an avid field-birding enthusiast, though she still considers herself a beginner, and a "backyard bird watcher." She lives in Evergreen with her husband, three children, three dogs, and assorted wildlife—her inspiration for murder.