Join us for engaging content from amazing authors!
Registration required.
9:00 AM-10:30 AM
Abby L. Vandiver: #OwnVoices— Creating Credible Diverse Characters
Abby is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and internationally bestselling author of humorous cozy mysteries. She is a hybrid author, having penned more than twenty-five self-published and several traditionally published books (Henery Press and Penguin, USA) as well as nearly a half-dozen short stories. Her Mars Origin series (a sci-fi-ish mystery) and Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery series were Amazon #1 bestsellers. She is included in the sequel to the award-winning Obama Inheritance anthology, The Faking of the President (Three Rooms Press). And, writing as Abby Collette, she has written an #ownvoice cozy series, An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery (Penguin Berkley). The first book, A Deadly Inside Scoop is set in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
A former lawyer and visiting Economics professor, Abby now writes full-time, mentors indie authors, and is the instructor of Ask Abby, an eight-part self-publishing how-to workshop at her local library. She also speaks at libraries across the state on various book and publishing topics, has been a panelist at Bouchercon and a speaker for Writer's Digest Annual Conference. Abby is a member of Sisters in Crime national and Guppy chapters. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.
A former lawyer and visiting Economics professor, Abby now writes full-time, mentors indie authors, and is the instructor of Ask Abby, an eight-part self-publishing how-to workshop at her local library. She also speaks at libraries across the state on various book and publishing topics, has been a panelist at Bouchercon and a speaker for Writer's Digest Annual Conference. Abby is a member of Sisters in Crime national and Guppy chapters. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Hank Phillippi Ryan: Great Beginnings: Creating a Perfect First line, First page, and First Chapter
Hank Phillippi Ryan is on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, winning 34 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors. The nationally bestselling author of 11 mysteries, Ryan is also an award-winner in her second profession—with five Agathas, three Anthonys, two Macavitys, the Daphne, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her novels are Library Journal's Best of 2014, 2015 and 2016. Hank’s current book is psychological thriller Trust Me, an Agatha Nominee, and also named a Best Thriller by New York Post, Bookbub, Real Simple Magazine and CrimeReads. She is a sought-after speaker for seminars on the craft of writing and inspirational advice on the writing life. Her 2019 book is The Murder List, coming in August.
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Jaden Terrell: Marketing for Writers Who Hate Marketing
Jaden Terrell is the internationally published author of the Nashville-based Jared McKean mysteries. She’s a contributor to the Killer Nashville Noir: Coldblooded anthology, the collaborative anthology Eight Mystery Writers You Should be Reading Now, and to Now Write! Mysteries, a collection of writing exercises published by Tarcher/Penguin for writers of crime fiction. Her first book, Racing the Devil, was shortlisted for a Shamus award.
She has been teaching in one capacity or another for more than thirty years, first as a special education teacher, then as a teacher/trainer at an educational assessment company, and currently as a workshop instructor and writing coach. Her workbook for beginning crime writers, Question Me a Novel, was published in December.
She is active in the mystery community, serving as president of her local Sisters in Crime chapter and regional Mystery Writers of America chapter. She is active in Private Eye Writers of America and interviews other authors for The Big Thrill, the online magazine of International Thriller Writers.
She has a series of full-day workshops on the craft and business of writing, and has recently offered two-hour versions of her writing-your-first-draft workshop.
Jaden Terrell is the internationally published author of the Nashville-based Jared McKean mysteries. She’s a contributor to the Killer Nashville Noir: Coldblooded anthology, the collaborative anthology Eight Mystery Writers You Should be Reading Now, and to Now Write! Mysteries, a collection of writing exercises published by Tarcher/Penguin for writers of crime fiction. Her first book, Racing the Devil, was shortlisted for a Shamus award.
She has been teaching in one capacity or another for more than thirty years, first as a special education teacher, then as a teacher/trainer at an educational assessment company, and currently as a workshop instructor and writing coach. Her workbook for beginning crime writers, Question Me a Novel, was published in December.
She is active in the mystery community, serving as president of her local Sisters in Crime chapter and regional Mystery Writers of America chapter. She is active in Private Eye Writers of America and interviews other authors for The Big Thrill, the online magazine of International Thriller Writers.
She has a series of full-day workshops on the craft and business of writing, and has recently offered two-hour versions of her writing-your-first-draft workshop.
