
Presenters & Workshops
Saturday Keynote ~ Super Sunday Presenter

Becca Syme
Keynote ~ Author for Life
Becca Syme holds a master’s degree in transformational leadership and has been a success coach (primarily utilizing the Gallup Strengthsfinder®) for over fifteen years. She’s coached over 5,000 individual authors and creatives through her Write Better-Faster and Strengths for Writers classes & coaching cohorts: six- and seven-figure authors, major award winners, mid-listers, and new authors alike. Becca is a firm believer that an individualized approach is the most effective, so she’s brought on other certified coaches who are also writers, to help coach even more writers to maximize their strengths.
BetterFasterAcademy.com
Author for Life
The author’s world changes so much, and so quickly, it can be overwhelming to know how to succeed. In this three-hour workshop, Becca Syme will cover the five pillars of success if you want to be an author for your entire lifetime.
Saturday WORKSHOP PRESENTERS

Valerie J. Clarizio
Financial Record Keeping for Writers
Valerie J. Clarizio is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic suspense and time travel romance novels. Her books are filled with action, suspense, love, and a bit of snark. She lives in romantic Door County, Wisconsin.
She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or time travel romance novel.
ValerieJClarizio.com
Financial Record-Keeping for Writers
Accurate financial record keeping is important information for you to have to assess the sustainability of your writing business. You’ll learn tips on how to organize your financial records in a simplistic manner for yourself and your tax preparer.

Emily Colin
“We Love it, But…”: Revision Tips and Tricks to Make Your Manuscript Shine
Emily Colin is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of love stories with a supernatural edge for adults and teens. Her first book, THE MEMORY THIEF, was a Target Emerging Authors Pick, and one of her short stories was featured in the USA Today bestselling romance anthology, DISSENT. The books in Emily’s young adult romantic dystopian series, THE SEVEN SINS, won the 2022 Gold Moonbeam Award, the silver IPPY Award, and the YA fiction award of the North Carolina Indie Author Project; were two-time Foreword INDIES Award finalists; and were shortlisted for the 2021 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Emily is the co-editor of two young adult fiction anthologies, as well as the author of the serialized urban fantasy, CURSED IN LOVE. Originally from Brooklyn, Emily writes, teaches, edits, and indulges her mocha addiction by the sea in North Carolina, where she lives with her family.
EmilyColin.com
“We Love it, But…”: Revision Tips and Tricks to Make Your Manuscript Shine
Learn how to see your manuscript with fresh eyes, get to the heart of what’s not working, and—best of all—figure out how to fix it. Become a skilled self-editor and walk away with actionable suggestions to fill your revision toolbox.

Larissa Emerald
How to Keep It Up: Turning Out Books No Matter What Life Throws At You
Larissa Emerald is an award-winning author of twenty-two and counting paranormal romance books. She and her husband, Quentin, experience new adventures every day with their two adult children, four teenage grandchildren, and four golden retrievers. She loves wine dates with friends and traveling the country with Quentin in their RV.
LarissaEmerald.com
How to Keep It Up: Turning Out Books No Matter What Life Throws At You
How to Keep It Up—and I’m not talking about a part of the male anatomy. This workshop discusses strategies on how to survive and thrive during tough times.
- How to deal when the unexpected happens.
- Does depression keep you from writing?
- Create a writing bucket list.

PJ Fiala
Growing Your Newsletter
USA Today best-selling author PJ Fiala has published many romance novels over the years. Focusing primarily on romantic suspense, she weaves a little bit of reality with make-believe to create stories with heat, heart and all the feels. PJ lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but travels to destinations unknown via motorcycle. But it was romance novels that took her to places she’d only dreamed of, and solidified her love of all things romance. Her family keeps her feet on the ground when her mind travels too far from home, delivering both a reality check and a nudge to keep it real.
PJFiala.com
Growing Your Newsletter
Set up your newsletter for success and growth. A basic description of various newsletter platforms, newsletter contents, and ideas for growing your newsletter.

Davey Jay
Literary Law: The Essentials
Davey Jay, Esq. is the managing shareholder at Davey Jay Law P.A. in Orlando, FL and is licensed to practice law in Florida and Tennessee. Davey is a member of the Recording Academy/GRAMMYs and dedicates her practice to the areas of Entertainment, Business, and Intellectual Property law. She has worked on deals with major enterprises such as HBO, Warner/Chappell, Discovery, Telemundo, Sony/Columbia, and Little, Brown and Company, and has represented Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy winners along with artists and creatives who are just beginning to embark on their careers.
DaveyJay.com
Literary Law: The Essentials
This workshop will cover the essential information necessary to protect yourself as well as your work – including copyright, trademark, and right of publicity concerns as well as common contract clauses and pitfalls.

Eliza Knight
Social Media Strategy
Eliza (E.) Knight is an award-winning, USA Today and internationally bestselling hybrid (traditionally and self-published) author of over eighty titles. In 2013 she was named Romance Writers of America’s PRO Mentor of the Year, and in 2017 was accepted into RWA’s Honor Roll for selling over 100,000 copies of her self-published title The Highlander’s Reward. In addition to her own indie publishing, Eliza is contracted with Lake Union Publishing, Sourcebooks and William Morrow (HarperCollins), as well as has audio contracts with Tantor and Blackstone Audio. Her books have been translated into several languages. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Novelists Inc., Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Tall Poppy Writers. With her expertise in the industry, she is in high demand to present workshops on writing and publishing, both online and in-person at international, national and local conferences and literary festivals. She is an International Tutor for Jericho Writers’ Ultimate Novel Writing Course and continues to mentor and coach writers one-on-one throughout the year.
ElizaKnight.com
Social Media Strategy
Writers need to market their books in fresh and unique ways on social media. In this workshop we’ll get down to business about the necessary tactics for creating content that will grab a reader’s attention on your social media streams.

Chris Kridler
Books of Your Heart
Chris Kridler is a writer, photographer and storm chaser, and as the owner of Sky Diary Productions, she works with other authors as an editor and book cover designer (at SharpEditor.com). She is the author of the Storm Seekers Series of storm-chasing adventures. Writing as Lucy Lakestone, she won a Golden Quill with her romances and has twice been a Silver Falchion finalist with her Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries. As a journalist, she’s covered a variety of topics, from space to lifestyles, and her photographs have appeared in several magazines and books.
ChrisKridler.com | LucyLakestone.com
Books of Your Heart: Use your non-bot real intelligence and true voice to write stories readers love (and you will, too)
In the already crowded book world, how will you compete with an influx of AI-written books? By using your greatest asset as a writer: your authentic human voice—not just the “voice” you’ve heard about in writing classes. Your unique perspective and talent as a writer and a human can give you the power to write books that will blow the bots away. Learn how to use your own experiences to tap into your characters’ inner worlds and bring out what makes them compelling and irresistible to readers. Develop your ability to see through your characters’ eyes to drive emotional arcs and action and write page-turners readers will love. As you do, you’ll rediscover the joy of storytelling—where every book can be a “book of your heart.”

Madeline Martin
On the Hunt for History
Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and internationally bestselling author of WWII historical fiction and historical romance that spans from medieval castles to Regency ballrooms. She is a self-professed – and completely shameless – history and research nerd. She lives in sunny Florida with her teen daughters known collectively as “the minions,” a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome, and two very spoiled cats. When not traveling, researching, writing or mom-ing, she’s usually heading to Orlando for a trip to Disney or giggling over cat videos. Madeline is known for her meticulous research and will happily lose herself down research rabbit holes any day, attributing her love of history to having spent most of her Army brat childhood in Germany.
MadelineMartin.com
On the Hunt for History
Researching history can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. On the Hunt for History will guide you through ways to gather research that will help bring history to life for your readers and make your historical novels shine.

Ginny Myers Sain
How Writers and Directors Use Stage Action, and How Writers Can Steal Their Techniques
Ginny Myers Sain is the author of twisty, magical YA thrillers DARK AND SHALLOW LIES (2021) and SECRETS SO DEEP (2022), as well as the forthcoming ONE LAST BREATH (early 2024) and a fourth untitled book (2025), all from Razorbill Books/Penguin Teen. Her debut novel, DARK AND SHALLOW LIES, hit both the New York Times Bestseller List and the Independent Bookstore Bestseller List as well as winning the 2022 CRYSTAL KITE award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Texas and Oklahoma Region) and the WHIPPOORWILL BOOK AWARD, which is given to recognize books honestly reflecting the complexity and diversity of rural life. It was a Barnes & Noble YA Pick of the Month for all of their stores nationwide as well as being an Amazon Editor’s Pick. Both DARK AND SHALLOW LIES and SECRETS SO DEEP have been published in 12 countries and counting!
GinnyMyersSain.com
How Writers and Directors Use Stage Action, and How Writers Can Steal Their Techniques
Learn how theater artists use physical action on stage to heighten tension, underscore important moments, deepen characterization, reveal relationships, and ground scenes in reality. Then get tips for applying those stage techniques to your writing!

Teri Wilson
From Pumpkin Patches to Christmas Cookies: How to Write a Heartwarming, Hallmark-Sweet Romance
USA Today bestselling author Teri Wilson writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy. Three of Teri’s books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction and a 2022 inductee into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. Teri loves pretty dresses, Audrey Hepburn films and following the British royal family. Visit her at www.teriwilson.net or on Instagram @teriwilsonauthor where she posts way too many photos of her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
TeriWilson.net
From Pumpkin Patches to Christmas Cookies: How to Write a Heartwarming, Hallmark-Sweet Romance
USA Today bestselling author Teri Wilson, whose books have been adapted into four Hallmark Channel Original Movies, will discuss how to craft a Hallmark-style story, why these feel-good romances have such mass appeal and how to get them published.