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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
(Agents • Acquisition Editors • Other Faculty)

Dr. Allan Hamilton went from being a janitor to becoming a Harvard-trained brain surgeon. He is the author of the best-selling award winning book The Scalpel and the Soul, and he is the medical script consultant to the TV show Gray's Anatomy.
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  • Keynote: Saturday Lunch

    • Stephanie Elizondo Griest has mingled with the Russian Mafia, polished Chinese propaganda, and belly danced with Cuban rumba queens. These adventures inspired her award-winning memoirs Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana; Mexican Enough: My Life Between the Borderlines; and the best-selling guidebook 100 Places Every Woman Should Go. She has also written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Texas Monthly, and Poets & Writers, and is the series editor of the annual anthology Best Women's Travel Writing. As a National Correspondent for The Odyssey, she once drove 45,000 miles across America in a Honda Hatchback named Bertha. She has also been a Henry Luce Scholar to China, a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, and the winner of a Richard Margolis Award for "Social Justice Reporting" and a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Prize.
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    • Workshop: 13) Finance Your Travels through Writing

    • Keynote: Saturday night - "How I Got Out of the Barrio and Became a Best Selling Author"

    Bob Mayer, NY Times bestselling author, has 40 books published. He has over three million books in print and is in demand as a Team-building, Life-change, and Leadership speaker and consultant for his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way concept which he translates into Warrior Writer: a holistic program teaching writers how to be authors. He is also the Co-Creator of Who Dares Wins Publishing, a Flex Publishing imprint focused on quality military fiction, non-fiction and non-fiction focused on promoting excellence. MORE

    • Workshop: 47) Make an Outline of Your Book

    • Keynote: Sunday Lunch - "The Green Beret Approach to Conquering Fear and Succeeding"



    AGENTS:
    (    Keynote Speakers • Acquisition Editors • Other Faculty)
    Minju Chang is an agent with BookStop Literary Agency, founded in 1984 with the goal of working exclusively with authors and illustrators of children's books and young adult fiction. She represents picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young adult novels of all genres. She has a particular interest in literary fiction, smart adventure/mystery novels, magical realism, quirky (some would say wacky) picture books, but her real weakness is for funny, clever, and gutsy characters with big attitudes.
    Natalie M. Fischer is a Literary Agent and "Girl Friday" at the Dijkstra Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. She started as an intern at the Agency in 2007, after which time she left to write author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune. Finding that journalism was just not for her, she returned to work full-time at the Dijkstra Agency in April 2009.
    Natalie is actively seeking new clients, and is especially interested in talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook. Her specialty is commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children's literature (from picture book-YA/Teen), romance (contemporary and historical), historical fiction, multi-cultural fiction, paranormal/fantasy, select memoir (has to be really unique), fairy-tale/legend spin-offs, and that amazing project she never even knew she was looking for! She is always drawn to an open and positive attitude in an author, good grammar, and fantastical, engaging and sexy plots.

    • Workshop: 22) Making Sure Your Submission Gets Noticed

    Claire Gerus is a literary agent and consultant, she has been editor-in-chief of two publishing houses and executive editor at Harlequin, Rodale, Random House, Doubleday, John Wiley, Kensington, and Adams Media. Today, Claire is a book development consultant and literary agent. She sells books to every major publisher, most recently including Center Street Books (Hachette's Christian line), Kunati Books, Prometheus Books, John Wiley & Son, Leisure Books, Harlequin, Potomac Books, and Perseus Books.

    • Workshop: 24) Author/Agent/Publicist Panel

    • I am currently looking for: fiction and nonfiction that will change readers' lives for the better (except for memoir, children's, poetry, and essays).
    Chelsea Gilmore began her publishing career at Oxford University Press, in the higher education group. Before joining Maria Carvainis Agency, Inc., she was Associate Editor at Avalon Books—a small, family-owned publishing house specializing in genre fiction for the library market. Chelsea is most interested in women's fiction, literary fiction, young adult, mysteries/thrillers, and pop culture.
    Jill Marr is an associate agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. The Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency is one of the most respected literary agencies in the United States, with over 100 authors based around the world, SDLA represents an impressive client roster, which is both selective and eclectic. The Agency has helped guide the illustrious careers of many bestselling fiction and non-fiction authors, including: Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Lisa See, Diane Mott Davidson, Chalmers Johnson and Eric Foner, among others.
    Before joining the publishing industry in 2001, Jill worked in radio and television and has a strong Internet and media background. She wrote features and ads for Pages, the literary magazine for people who love books, and continues to write book ads for publishing houses and promotional features for television. After writing ad copy and features for published books for years she knows how to find the "hook" and sell it.

    Jill is interested in commercial fiction, especially women's fiction, multi-cultural fiction, historic fiction, mysteries and thrillers. She is also looking for non-fiction in the areas of self-help, inspirational, cookbooks, memoir (she especially loves travel and foodie memoirs), parenting, history, health & nutrition, pop culture, humor and music.

    • Workshop: 35) How to Woo and Win an Agent

    Marcy Posner joined Sterling Lord Literistic in 2005. She spent 12 years at the William Morris Agency as an agent and as Vice President and Director of Foreign Rights and five years as president of her own agency. Before becoming an agent she was on the publishing side for 15 years including four years as Associate Publisher at Pantheon. Marcy represents writers in many areas, including commercial women's fiction, historical fiction, and mystery to biography, history, health, and lifestyle. Clients include Jill Barnett, Sally Squires, Jerri Corgiat, Kristina Cook, Britta Coleman and Elizabeth Wrenn.

    BJ Robbins opened her Los Angeles-based literary agency in 1992 after a multifaceted career in book publishing, starting in publicity at Simon & Schuster and later moving to Harcourt where she was Director of Marketing and then Senior Editor. Her agency represents quality fiction such as James D. Houston's Snow Mountain Passage and Bird of Another Heaven, John Hough, Jr.,'s Seen the Glory and The Last Summer, Nafisa Haji's The Writing on My Forehead, CBS TV Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson's Between the Bridge and the River, and Eduardo Santiago's Tomorrow They Will Kiss. In nonfiction, she has a particular interest in memoir, biography, history, pop culture, sports, travel/adventure, medicine, and health. Nonfiction clients include J. Maarten Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Getting Stoned with Savages, Lost on Planet China), James Donovan (A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn, and the upcoming Blood of Heroes), LA Times columnist Chris Erskine (Man of the House), Tim Madigan (I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers) and Roger Love (Set Your Voice Free and Love Your Voice). A member of AAR and PEN USA, she has led workshops and UCLA Extension, UC Irvine, and at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Fiction Workshop. She is looking for writing that dazzles, for wonderful stories told in a fresh and original voice. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction she wants to be enlightened, educated and entertained.

    Rita Rosenkranz founded Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency in 1990. Her adult non-fiction list stretches from the decorative—Flowers, White House Style: More Than 125 Arrangements by the Former White House Chief Floral Decorator by Dottie Temple and Stan Finegold (Simon & Schuster) to the dark—Saving Beauty From the Beast: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationship by Vicki Crompton and Ellen Zelda Kessner (Little, Brown; Books for a Better Life Award, 2003). Other titles include Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad by Betty DeRamus (Atria Books, essence.com bestseller); Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World by Gil Marks (Wiley, 2005 James Beard Award winner); the forthcoming Twenty Strengths Adoptive Parents Must Discover by Sherrie Eldridge (Bantam Dell) and National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum by Bert Sugar with photos by Bruce Curtis (Running Press), and 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life by Cami Walker (Da Capo Press, New York Times bestseller). She represents health, history, parenting, music, how-to, popular science, business, biography, popular reference, cooking, spirituality, and general interest titles. Rita works with major publishing houses, as well as regional publishers that handle niche markets. She looks for projects that present familiar subjects freshly or lesser-known subjects presented commercially.

    Pam Strickler - was senior editor for sixteen years at Ballantine Books and now works as an authors' representative with her own company. Her web page is at www.pamstrickler.com for current information. Pam is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR) an associate member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and is a "recognized agent" by the RWA. She started her agency in 2001 and previously was associated as an independent agent with the Scovil Chichak Galen Agency of New York.

    Pam is concentrating the work of her agency on historical fiction, women's fiction and romance. As an agent, she has represented first novels such as Kate Quinn's Mistress of Rome, Dorothea Benton Frank's Sullivan's Island (with SCG), Wendy Wax's Seven Days and Seven Nights, multicultural romances such as Terra Little's Jump, and an Edgar Award finalist Sally Wright's Pursuit and Persuasion.

    • Workshop: 18) How to Write a Query Letter

    Andrew Whelchel III - is president of National Writers Literary Agency, part of Whelchel's larger Global Talent Representatives, Inc. He has placed writers with Dell, Random House, Waterbrook Press, McGraw-Hill, Black Heron Press, Putnam, and others, and created film deals with Warner Brothers, Cheyenne Entertainment, HBO, and others. Clients have included Emmy Winner Josh Kotzen from ABC Television, best-selling author C.J. Box (Open Season, Savage Run, Winterkill), Miller Racing Groups Dr. Pepper NASCAR "A" team, and work with Warren Miller Films. www.globaltalentreps.com



    ACQUISITION EDITORS
     (who still accept unagented manuscripts):
    (    Keynote Speakers • Agents • Other Faculty)
    Martin R. Biro - is a native of Northern California and a graduate of the University of Iowa. He has been with Kensington Publishing since February 2009, acquiring commercial fiction for their diverse imprints, beginning with The Grave Gourmet, the first volume of the Capucine Culinary mystery series by debut author Alexander Campion.
    Website: kensingtonbooks.com

    • Workshop: TBA

    • I am currently looking for: Commercial Fiction, Women's Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Romance, Young Adult, Gay Fiction, and Select Non-Fiction.
    Caroline Cook Caroline is editor at Rio Nuevo Publishers, a Tucson publisher that focuses on Southwestern regional nonfiction. An Arizona native and graduate of the University of Arizona, Caroline is happy to be working with all things Southwest!

    • Looking for: agented and unagented submissions and queries in the following subject areas: Western history and folklore; Regionally based cookbooks and cuisines; Native American culture, history, artifacts & spirituality; General Trade non-fiction specific to the region; How-to; hobbies, tourism, travel; Western art, artists, architecture, and décor; Contemporary lifestyle, memoir, poetry, and biography; Collectibles and photography; Books of environmental interest to the region; and Natural history, wildlife, gardening, nature
    Mercedes Fernandez is an assistant editor at Kensington Publishing, where she began her career over three years ago. She works with adult and young adult fiction authors, including national bestselling authors Niobia Bryant and Grace Octavia. A native New Yorker, Mercedes loves bad reality television shows and cupcakes. She is currently looking to acquire commercial women's fiction, young adult, and contemporary romance (including Latina, African-American, and multicultural).

    J. Ellen Smith, of Champagne Books started out as an author, she worked her way through several positions, apprenticing at a small local press before venturing out with her own company. With practical experience combined with a strong business sense, she is proud of the accomplishments made by Champagne Books, its staff and authors.
    "we're actively acquiring steampunk, romance (specifically shapeshifters/fantasy/paranormal) science fiction"

    • Workshop: 48) How to Impress an Agent/Editor with Your Synopsis



    OTHER FACULTY:
    a   b   c   d   e   g   h   l   m   n   o   p   q   r   s   t   w   y

    (Keynote Speakers • Agents • Acquisition Editors)

    Steven M. Adelson is a graduate of the University of Maryland majoring in Business Management and Marketing. A former Civil Servant employed by the U.S. Army specializing in Logistics Management, he took up freelance writing after leaving. Since then Mr. Adelson has written for Financial History Magazine, The Writer, Blue Murder Magazine, Mountain Views Magazine, The Write Word, The Tucson Weekly, and The Arizona Daily News. He has lectured on research techniques for writers at The University of Arizona, Pima Community College, and previous Wrangling With Writing Conferences. Mr Adelson will be available to answer questions on how to locate information and experts to all attendees, and is organizing a book based on his research techniques for writers. Mr Adelson is currently at work on his novel Naked Greed, and is represented by faculty lecturer Andrew Whelchel of the National Writers Literary Agency.

    • Workshop: 40) Create a "Dossier" for Your Character

    • I will advise on: How to research locations and create dossiers
    Roger MacBride Allen - It seems that Roger was born to be a writer. His father, Thomas B. Allen, has been a well-respected writer and writing teacher in the D. C. area for decades. After growing up in a writing environment, it did not take Roger long to follow in his father's footsteps. Since starting his own career, he has published over twenty science fiction novels including the Hal Clement Award winner for 2000 The Game of Worlds, the Science Fiction Book Club main selection for February 1997 Utopia, and a trilogy of Star Wars novels that reached the New York Times bestseller list. His non-fiction works include the award-winning 2009 book Mr. Lincoln's High Tech War, acclaimed for Children's, YA, and older readers. His teaching credentials are as impressive and almost as lengthy as are his writing credentials and include several years teaching fiction at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Md., and a writer's workshop for the CompuServe Science Fiction forum. He also runs FoxAcre Press, a small-press publisher of science fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction. His wife is an officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, and as of this writing they are scheduled to start a two-year posting in Mexico City in August 2010. For more information visit www.rogermacbrideallen.com and www.foxacre.com. Roger will be conducting seminars on the craft of writing Science Fiction, writing for franchises, non-fiction, and the perils and promises of POD

    • Workshop: 15) Using History to Enhance Your Manuscript; 27) Investigate Strange New Worlds

    Patricia L. Brooks, inspirational speaker, contributed to the development of successful men and women for many years with her expertise in various aspects of writing, marketing and publishing. She is part-owner of Brooks Goldmann Publishing Company, LLC with her husband and offers herself as the author's partner for independent publishing consultation. She enjoys helping other writers launch their work. Her MISSION is to enhance the spirit of the writer's journey to publishing. With her first book, Gifts of Sisterhood, Patricia earned a prestigious AZ Authors Association Literary Contest Non-fiction award. Patricia has also published articles, written short stories, edited university curriculum and developed an extensive career of seminar presentations. She has been a university faculty associate for over 20 years, holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Management, the Advanced Toastmasters designation and was named to Who's Who Among America's Teachers. She is also President and Founder of Scottsdale Society Women Writers, a member of the Arizona Authors Association and a member of the Arizona Book Publishers Association.

    • Workshop: 17) Become a Self-Help Guru

    • I am currently looking for non-fiction- memoir, self help, creative non-fiction.
    Paul Burt - President and co-founder of Pen & Publish, Inc., Paul combines over a decade in publishing with a heart committed to win-win outcomes and beneficial projects. P&P expanded in 2008 from publishing schools and nonprofits to emerging authors using their unique approach—book sales rather than author fees. Two imprints for professional titles were added in 2009, Transformation Media Books (with former body/mind/spirit agent Ginny Weissman) and Open Books Press, using author and agent friendly "traditional lite" contracts: higher royalty but no advance, world and subsidiary rights in most cases; proposal required after query. Authors with an established or growing platform are preferred; involvement in promotion is required. Our focus is nonfiction, but fiction serving our mission will be considered. Publishing professionals interested in exploring partnering opportunities are welcome. See www.OpenBooksPress.com and www.TransformationMediaBooks.com.

    In 2010, Teen Town Press, a teen imprint with author/publisher Bettie Youngs, and a flexible self-publishing option were added, including a Christian imprint—The Good Word Press. Authors interested in professional book design and layout to custom self-publishing should query info@penandpublish.com to arrange a consultation. The author's objectives determine the services, and we reward their investment with higher royalties and/or lower book pricing than our traditional imprints. Acceptance is not guaranteed for poorly edited or incompatible material. Details at www.penandpublish.com. School, nonprofit and group queries welcome.

    • I am currently looking for teen and adult Non-Fiction and select Fiction for Open Books Press, and most genres for those interested in self-publishing on a high level.
    Brenda Clough - is an SF and fantasy writer with eight novels published. Her latest novel, "Revise the World," was a finalist for both the Hugo and the Nebula awards in its novella form. Brenda also teaches workshops in Fantasy and Science Fiction at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Md. She will be conducting workshops dealing with the craft of writing of fantasy.

    • Workshop: 33) Building Fantasy Worlds

    Carol Costa - is the published author of more than a dozen books. She is also an award-winning playwright and a journalist. Carol has worked as an editor of books and newspapers, a business news correspondent, and managed a literary agency. Her plays have been published and produced in theaters across the country.

    • Workshop: 36) The Art and Business of Playwriting

    Maxwell Alexander Drake is an award-winning Science Fiction and Fantasy author. The first novel of his Genesis of Oblivion saga Farmers & Mercenaries was released in June of 2009 and won both a 2009 Moonbeam Young Adult Fantasy Award for Excellence in Literature as well as being named Dragonroots Magazine's Best New Fantasy Saga of 2009. It is now up for an IPPY award.
    Book two of this saga, Mortals & Deities, is scheduled for release in June.
    His Genesis of Oblivion short, The Way of the Lion, is being published in this year's Gen-Con authors collection and took their "Honored Spot."
    You can read the first four chapters of Farmers & Mercenaries at the official website, www.genesisofoblivion.com.

    • Workshop: 38) Imaginary Worlds

    Jane Eppinga - Writing credentials include over 200 articles for both popular and professional publications, cover a broad spectrum of children's fiction, travel, personal profiles, biology, construction, food, and public relation pieces. Her books include a biography of Henry Ossian Flipper, West Point's First Black Graduate, Arizona Twilight Tales, and books in Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series focusing on Arizona towns including Tucson, Nogales, Apache Junction and Tombstone. She writes regularly for Biology Digest a quarterly publication for high school science teachers. In 2009, Globe Pequot published my book, They Made Their Mark: An Illustrated History of the Society of Woman Geographers. That same year she made a presentation on the Society of Woman Geographers at the 10th International Congress of Women in Madrid, Spain. Jane is currently under contract with the University of Arizona Press to produce a book documenting all of Arizona's museums. Her first novel is in press with Floricanto Press and a book, Historic Walks: Tombstone and Bisbee Arizona is in press with DestinWorld in London.

    • Workshop: 3) How Easy it Is to Be Published by a Traditional Publisher

    Donna Clark Goodrich is a free-lance writer, editor, and proofreader. A native of Jackson, Michigan, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 20 to work as secretary to the book editor at the Nazarene Publishing House. Now a resident of Mesa, Arizona, Donna began the annual Arizona Christian Writers Seminar in 1982 which she led for seven years. She has also been instrumental in helping to form Christian writers clubs in many cities. The author of 22 books and over 700 articles and short stories, she is a frequent instructor at Christian writers conferences across the United States. Her greatest love is working with beginning writers and helping them to spread the gospel through the printed page. Newest books are: Healing in God's Time, the story of gospel songwriter Dave Clark who has had 25 songs reach number 1 on the charts, and A Step in the Write Direction—the Complete How-to Book for Christian Writers. dgood648@aol.com; www.thewritersfriend.net

    • Workshop: 39) Writing for the Inspirational Market

    Ken Graun is the author of two children's astronomy books as well as two astronomy field guide for beginning adults. Additionally he is a coauthor, with David Levy, of several beginning star charts. He has been honored for his contributions in sharing astronomy by having an asteroid named after him. He continues to lecture and write more astronomy books.

    Sam Henrie is president and founder of Wheatmark, Inc., a provider of book publishing solutions including Wheatmark, a self-publishing service focused on helping authors maximize their book sales, and BookFlash, an online publicity service for small presses, mid-size houses, independent book publishers, and authors. A frequent speaker on the subjects of special market sales and self-publishing, Sam's expertise includes new directions in production, distribution, publicity, and marketing in the world of book publishing.

  • Workshop: 11) Using Your Book to Market Your Business

    • Kirt Hickman - author of the award-winning science-fiction thriller Worlds Asunder, and the comprehensive and practical self-editing guide Revising Fiction: Making Sense of the Madness was a technical writer for fourteen years before branching into fiction. He teaches self-editing classes through Southwest Writers and the University of New Mexico, and contributes a monthly column titled "Revising Fiction" to the SouthWest Sage. He has two additional books scheduled for publication in 2010.

    • Workshop: 45) Mastering Self-editing

    • I will advise: Book Doctor
    Mary Ann Hutchinson is a Former member of SSA's Board of Directors, coordinator of the Society's media promotion, SSA Writing Contest chair, past Presiding Chair of Arizona Mystery Writers. Her short stories and memoirs are included in several Good Old Days magazines, Thanksgiving to Christmas: A Patchwork of Stories, and A Way With Murder Anthology. Her latest novel, Moochi's Mariachis, is now available from Open Books Press."

    • Workshop: 2) Earn Real Money for Your Writing

    Janet Lorimer began writing professionally over 30 years ago, she's had three children's novels published by Scholastic, Inc.; a children's picture book published by Franklin Watts; and numerous articles and short stories published in children's and adult's magazines such as Highlights for Children, Woman's World, Analog, and Bestways Magazine. Juno Books published her romantic fantasy, Master of Shadows. Cobblestone Press recently published two paranormal romance e-stories, Call of the Sea Gypsies and Dangerous Dreamer, written under her pen name J.G. Paine.

    • Workshop: 16) Adding Romance to Your Writing

    Paula Margulies is the owner of Paula Margulies Communications, a public relations firm for authors and artists. She has received numerous awards for her short stories, essays, and novels, including the recently released, Coyote Heart, and her novel-in-progress, Favorite Daughter. Paula is a regular contributor to Author Magazine, the San Diego Examiner, and The Writers Edge (http://writersedgeinfo.blogspot.com).

    Paula has specialized for over twenty years in communications, marketing, and public relations for all types of products and services. A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned her master's degree in Language Arts and Literature, she also holds degrees in marketing communications and education. She has served as the marketing and publicity director for both large companies and small businesses and is an instructor in business communications and public relations at community colleges throughout Southern California.

    She has been awarded artist residencies at Caldera, Red Cinder Artist Colony, and the Vermont Studio Center. Margulies resides in San Diego, California, with her husband and two teenagers. For more information, please visit www.paulamargulies.com.

    • Workshop: 12) Book Publicity on a Budget

    Jonathan Miller is an attorney who practices criminal law in New Mexico. He is a graduate of Albuquerque Academy, Cornell University, the University of Colorado Law School, and the American Film Institute. He hopes to use his royalties from his books to pay off his student loans before he dies. He is the author of several novels- Rattlesnake Lawyer, La Bajada Lawyer, Amarillo In August: An Author's Life on the Road, Volcano Verdict and Conflict Contract.

    • Workshop: 9) Add Courtroom Drama to Your Work; 32) Sleuthing 101

    Virginia Nosky is a novelist as well as a screenwriter and an award-winning poet. A 25 year resident of Arizona, she frequently sets her stories in Phoenix and the Southwest. She has worked in advertising and broadcasting. Virginia was a long-time docent at the Phoenix Art Museum, and she now serves on the Women's Board of the Arizona Kidney Foundation and on the foundation's Board of Trustees. She currently lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona. She is the author of the books Blue Turqoiuse White Shell, Pima Road, Kachina, and Chance Encounters.

    • Workshop: 25) Writing from Flirtation to the Sheets—Was it good for you?

    Chris O'Byrne describes himself as an author support system. He is a freelance editor who also creates websites designed to help you build your tribe. Self publishing, podcasts, video, and online marketing all fit together into a full service package.
    Website: www.chrisobyrne.com

    • Workshop: 21) Online Marketing for Authors

    • I will advise on: Web sites and marketing
    Ashleen O'Gaea is an ordained priestess of Wicca and the author of several books about that religion. She writes a regular column for the quarterly publication Witches and Pagans, and has been featured in other Pagan magazines. She is a founder and active member of the Tucson Area Wiccan-Pagan Network, and with her husband leads workshops on various aspects of Neo-Paganism. She lives in Tucson at the beck and call of three outrageously affectionate cats.

    • Workshop: 4) Putting Pagans on Paper

    Marilyn Pate: A writer, teacher, writing group facilitator.
    Native Arizonan, and Navy wife for over 20 years. She is a graduate of Sophia University, Tokyo with a BA in History. She has taught students of all ages in elementary, middle school and community college and at the summer program, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. The author started and led writing groups, lectured and held workshops on memoir and historical fiction for various community organizations. Her published books are: Memoir; Everyday Evil. Historical fiction; Mary George, Her Book. Historical fiction; Mary Jane's Journals, in progress. She is also published in Arizona Highways, Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul, Arizona Republic, the Tucson Citizen and the Arizona Daily Star. She is really looking forward to teaching and learning from participants at Wrangling with Writing, 2010.

    • Workshop: 31) Make Your Memoirs Sing

    John Quinn, a native of Detroit, MI, is the author of the memoir, Someone Like Me: An Unlikely Story of Challenge and Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy. In 1982, John joined the Navy, but never revealed that he has CP. Throughout his distinguished twenty-year career, he sailed around the world on carriers, battleships and destroyers, and received numerous military decorations including Navy Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and four Navy Achievement Medals. He retired as Senior Chief Petty Officer in 2000 with his health history still a secret. John now resides in Tucson, AZ.

    • Workshop: 24) Author/Agent/Publicist Panel

    Victor Rangel-Ribeiro winner of the New York Foundation for the Arts Fiction Fellowship in 1990, has had his short stories published in the North American, Iowa, and Literary Reviews; they have also been published and anthologized in his native India. His award-winning literary novel Tivolem, published in 1998, was picked by Booklist as one of 20 notable debut novels of the year. A short story collection, Loving Ayesha, was published by HarperCollins (India) in 2003. Rangel-Ribeiro has been conducting readings since 1990 and writing workshops since 2001; he joined Fairleigh Dickinson University's International Creative Writing MFA faculty in 2002, the same year he was invited to conduct a weeklong writing workshop in the island republic of Mauritius. A member of American Mensa, the Authors Guild, and Poets and Writers, Rangel-Ribeiro has copy-edited more than three dozen books for a leading New York publisher, written music criticism for the New York Times, and published several books on classical music. He is also a self-taught linguist who can make himself easily misunderstood in half-a-dozen European and Indian languages, speaking always with a straight face and a very forked tongue.

    • Workshop: 20) Deciding Character Versus Plot; 26) Writing Foreign Characters

    • I will advise: Book Doctor
    Denise Roessle had a long career in marketing communications before she began writing on more personal topics. Since completing her memoir, Second-Chance Mother about reuniting with the son she surrendered to adoption in 1970, she has delved into fiction and placed in several writing contests. A member of SSA since 2006, she is currently president of the Santa Cruz Valley Chapter. She has attended numerous writers' conferences, where she learned how to reduce the odds of rejection to queries and pitches.

  • Workshop: 28) Find the Right Agent and Publisher

    • Chuck Sambuchino is an editor for Writer's Digest Books (an imprint of F+W Media). He is the editor of two annual resource books: Guide to Literary Agents, as well as Screenwriter's & Playwright's Market. He also assists in editing Writer's Market (www.writersmarket.com). He recently helmed the third edition of Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (a WD trade book). He has a forthcoming humor book with Ten Speed Press / Random House, due out in Fall 2010.
    Chuck is a former staffer of several newspapers and magazines. During his tenure as a newspaper staffer, he won awards from both the Kentucky Press Association and the Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists.
    Chuck is also a writer and freelance editor. He is a produced playwright, with both original and commissioned works produced. He is a magazine freelancer, with articles appearing in Watercolor Artist, Pennsylvania Magazine, Cincinnati Magazine and New Mexico Magazine. During the past decade, more than 500 of his articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines and books. To read his blog, visit www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog.

    • Workshop: 1) Mastering the in-person Pitch Session; 23) The Business of Scriptwriting; 42) Chapter One Do's and Don'ts

    Mike Sanders: Associate Publisher of Alpha Books-Penguin USA. Nonfiction books for Teach Yourself in 24 Hours & Complete Idiot Guides; stand alone titles in most nonfiction categories.

    Jerry Simmons is a 30-year veteran of publishing, 25 in New York with Random House and the former Time Warner Book Group as Vice President, Director Field Sales. His sales division generated hundreds of millions of dollars in book sales across the United States and Canada. Over the years he has worked with hundreds of New York Times bestselling authors. He has also worked on thousands of New York Times bestselling titles He is the founder of www.WritersReaders.com which has become the source for information about publishing. His eNewsletter TIPS for WRITERS from the PUBLISHING INSIDER is read by writers in over 24 foreign countries. He is the founder of the online marketing platform for writers and authors www.NothingBinding.com. In 2009 Jerry launched the INDI Publishing Group, establishing a new publishing model while creating opportunities for writers choosing to publish independently. His book, What Writers Need to Know About Publishing is described by the #1 New York Times Bestselling author Sandra Brown as "The good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of book publishing, told in a straight-from-the hip manner. New writers take note." Jerry speaks around the country and his articles have appeared in Writers Digest and across the web. He spends his time writing, teaching, and speaking with writers about the importance of understanding the marketplace and educating them about the business of publishing while sharing the secrets of the largest booksellers and publishers in the world.

    • Workshop: 8) The Future of Publishing; 30) Everything You Wanted to Know About E-books

    Harvey Stanbrough is a writer, writing instructor (see http://stonethread.com/events.html) and freelance editor. His works have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, among others. He writes from his home near Whetstone, Arizona. Feel free to contact Harvey directly at h_stanbrough@yahoo.com.

    • Workshop: 7) Mastering Point of View And Narrative Voice; 29) Flash Fiction

    Lynn Wiese Sneyd from The Editorial Department-Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1980 by Renni Browne, coauthor of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers and one of the most experienced book editors working in publishing today, The Editorial Department is the oldest full service editorial firm in the country. They have 14 editors on staff who provide both developmental consultation and sentence-level editing of nearly all genres of fiction and nonfiction and also a team of dedicated support staff to help their unagented authors find representation for their work.
    "Our clients range from established writers to NY Times bestselling authors to the many talented new writers we've helped break into print for the first time. Our unique approach to helping writers succeed has earned us feature coverage from The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Writers Digest, and many other publications."

    • Workshop: 24) Author/Agent/Publicist Panel

    Jennifer J. Stewart is known for her seriously funny books for children. Her debut novel, concerning a hot-headed, time-traveling, princess-chasing dragon named Madam Yang, is a favorite among schoolchildren. If That Breathes Fire, We're Toast! was named to VOYA's Best Fantasy list and the Oklahoma master list. She followed up her initial success with a tale of a rich orphan and a greedy stepmother in The Bean King's Daughter, which Kirkus Reviews called "both amusing and engaging... fluffy and fun, with just the right touch of message."
    Her latest book, Close Encounters of a Third-World Kind, is loosely based upon her family's real life adventures working as medical volunteers in the kingdom of Nepal. This book was nominated for Connecticut's 2009 Nutmeg Book Award and was honored by being placed on the master lists for Arizona's Grand Canyon Reader Award and Maryland's Black-Eyed Susan Award.
    The Twelve Days of Christmas in Arizona, will be published by Sterling in October, right after the conference. New York Times Best Selling artist, Lynne Avril did the illustrations. Visit Jennifer's web site at www.jenniferjstewart.com

    • Workshop: 43) Writing Novels for Kids

    Misty Taggart: Every Trailer to the Stars VIDEO is designed and produced by Award Winning (US Film Festival, USA Film Festival), Hollywood, WGA Screenwriter, Misty Taggart and her handpicked professional TTTS production staff and voice over talent. With her 20 years of experience actively working in animation and live action she is the driving force behind TRAILER TO THE STARS! PRODUCTIONS. Visit their website at www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trailertothestars.com%2F&h=90f37 or their Youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/booksinmotion . Among Misty's credits: Another World (NBC), Knots Landing, The Incredible Hulk, Romance Theatre, Fantasy Island, Scooby Doo, JEM, Fat Albert, Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles ... and much more.

    • Workshop: 37) Make a Video of Your Book

    • I will advise on: Making book trailers

    Terra Trevor, of Cherokee, Delaware, Seneca ancestry, is a contributing author of ten books. Her memoir, Pushing up the Sky, is widely anthologized with excerpts included in Children of the Dragonfly: Native American Voices on Child Custody and Education, the first anthology to document the struggle for Native American cultural survival on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, published by The University of Arizona, and in Birthed from Scorched Hearts: Women Respond to War. For thirteen years she wrote feature articles and penned a column in Adoptive Families magazine, and she currently writes for Adoption Today. As a member of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers, Terra volunteers in the mentoring core helping beginning and emerging Native writers refine their skills. She is a prolific writer of a diverse body of work, and shares her knowledge and experiences leading workshops and speaking in a variety of forums nationwide. Visit her website at www.terratrevor.com

    • Workshop: 19) Weaving a Story & Getting it Down Onto Paper

    Betty Webb is the author of Desert Lost, judged as "One of the Top Five Mystery Novels of 2009," by Library Journal. Her other novels include The Anteater of Death, Desert Run, Desert Shadows, Desert Noir, Desert Run, Desert Wives, The Koala of Death and Desperate Journeys.

    • Workshop: 10) How to Build a Series Character; 34) Red Flags in Your Manuscript

    W. Terry Whalin understands both sides of the editorial desk. A former acquisitions editor and a former literary agent, Terry is a Vice President and Publisher at Intermedia Publishing Group. He has written more than 60 books for traditional publishers and several of Terry's books have sold over 100,000 copies. Terry is an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

    • Workshop: 6) Jump Start Your Publishing Dreams; 46) Create Your Author Platform

    Jo Wilkins is the Chief Executive officer for Mystic Publishers, a company that helps qualified writers who want to bring their work to the public through self-publishing and Nightfall Publications a tradition publishing house. She started writing poetry early on, and, though she keeps them private, some of her poems have been published. Other than collaborating with Richard Draude (R.R. Draude) on their Tyranny series, she has sold some of her short stories to places like KNPR's Making Nevada Home series, which two of her essays can still be heard on KNPR's web site www.knpr.org, she has had her work published in a half dozen anthologies, and has two novels under consideration with other publishers. She is the president/founder of the Henderson Writer's Group, and continues to work on solo projects. She also teaches beginning and advanced author technique classes for the City of Henderson.

    • Workshop: 41) Great Beginning and Satisfying Endings

    John M. Williams is an English Professor at La Grange College in La Grange, Georgia. He is the author of the novel Lake Moon and has written several musical plays with Ken Clark, two of which were produced at a small theater in Columbus. He also won first place in The Society of Southwestern Authors 2009 Playwriting contest for his play Fish Hungry.

    • Workshop: 14) Mastering Realistic Dialogue; 44) Creating the Perfect Short Story

    Donna J. Young is a Social Networking addict. She spends all of her time on Facebook, Twitter, and My Space. When she isn't social networking, she is studying, researching, and writing about History and cultural issues. Donna Young has published two books about Goa, India. Defining Goan Identity and Mirror to Goa. She is currently working on a very psychotic bizarre paranormal novel that is set in Arizona. This author also has plans on continuing her masochistic behavior, by returning to grad school to get her Doctorate in Latin American History.

    • Workshop: 5) Mastering Social Networking Sites