2025 Conference Speakers

Deanna Roy is a USA Today and Kindle-All Star author who has written 70 novels for both indie and traditional publishing under four pen names, including JJ Knight. She has been a full-time author for thirteen years and frequently teaches authors about marketing strategies and career sustainability.

Amy Marie Ayres is a Gold Winner of the Literary Titan Award for her book Star Lost. Her critically acclaimed Luccee Winterscott Series has garnered a loyal readership and high praise for its imaginative storytelling and richly developed characters. Amy’s work explores themes of book banning, neurodiversity, identity, memory, and rebellion in a futuristic world where corporations wield immense power. In addition to her sci-fi work, Amy is currently crafting an urban portal Romantasy that delves into themes of generational trauma and narcissistic abuse. Amy runs a writing group discord for Neurodivergent writers.

Brenna Bailey-Davies owns Bookmarten Editorial, where she provides editing and consulting services for indie authors of fantasy and romance. She writes queer contemporary romance novels under the pen name Brenna Bailey, and she is an avid reader, a starry-eyed traveler, and a home baker. She lives in Alberta, Canada, with her game-loving spouse and their cuddly fur-baby.

Talia Basma is a Customer Experience Manager who graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in both Creative Writing and Literature. She is an alumna of the 2020 Writer’s Roadmap class led by Tomi Adeyemi. She has a self-publish poetry collection called *Being*. One of her posts, “Your COVID Ramadan,” was featured in the anthology (*Her)oics: Women’s Lived Experiences During the Coronavirus Pandemic* published in March 2021.

While she enjoys poetry and fantastical stories, her passion lies in writing contemporary romances with diverse, particularly Muslim, characters. When she’s not writing, Talia indulges her homebody self with hobbies like reading, baking, and scrapbooking.

Margaret Bates has been editing romance fiction since 2017. They are a founding editor of the author services company, Otherlands Editing, and are currently a graduate student in the Towson University Professional Writing Program.

Brooke Black has a degree in English Communications and is the trusted resident editor for multiple companies nationwide. Through blackbear communications, Brooke has supported multiple authors to get their manuscripts publishable and connect with publishers.

Brooke is a connector by nature and finds joy in building relationships with authors, publishers, and venues to make the writing and publishing process organic, intentional, and fruitful. She is an enneagram 2– a helper– perfectly equipping her to support and partner with authors in their journey to get their words on paper– and then in the bookstore. Her passion for hospitality and celebration can be seen in her pursuit of hosting the world’s most chili cook-offs and football Sundays.

H.L. Brooks is a social media professional for her day job, is a longtime artist, and an author of romance for 10 years. She is the organizer of The Write Women Book Fest, as well as smaller author events and workshops in Maryland. She loves cats, fairy tales, and was probably a mermaid in a past life. She’s all about non-toxic positivity and cheering on fellow authors.

Award-winning author Eliza D. Collins shares plenty in common with her Tillacos Creek Ranch characters, living in rural Southern Colorado with her West Texas cowboy husband and their menagerie of horses, dogs, chickens, and various strays who adopt them. Book one of her four-book Tillacos Ranch Romance miniseries is set to release August, 2025 from Harlequin Heartwarming, and you can find her on Instagram @elizadcollins or sign up for her newsletter at her website, elizadcollins(dot)com.

Charlotte Chipperfield is an author, developmental editor, and book coach who empowers women and underrepresented authors through her platform, Her Narrative. With years of experience in crafting compelling stories, she combines editorial expertise with compassion to help writers unapologetically develop their unique voices and narratives.

As a recognized public speaker and book judge for book competitions, including the Independent Publishers of New England, Literary Arts PDX, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Charlotte has established herself as a leader in the publishing industry.

Through Her Narrative, she creates a space where authors can develop their writing skills through courses and community. Charlotte advocates for voices that have historically been overlooked or marginalized, believing that stories have the power to challenge perceptions, build empathy, and enrich our collective narrative—a mission that drives her coaching and editing work.

Courtney A. Doss, M.Ed., is The Softness Strategist™ and founder of Soft Melanin™, where she helps high-achieving Black women and creatives lead, write and rest with clarity and intention. A former Title IX Deputy Coordinator and certified in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace through the University of South Florida, Courtney brings a trauma-informed, culturally grounded lens to narrative development. Her workshops guide writers to tell stories that reflect lived experience not just market trends.

Jacqueline Duczek is a freelance proofreader, copy editor, and beta reader who specializes in romance and erotica. She is a member of the Toronto Romance Writers and the LGBTQ+ Editors Association.

A lifelong grammar nerd, Jacqueline loves dealing with finicky grammar rules so that authors can focus their energy on what matters—their writing.

When not buried in yet another romance novel, Jacqueline can be found playing board games, doing puzzles, writing, and participating in one of her many fandoms.

Elisha Fernandez is a Latina writer, poet, editor, and artist. She strives to uplift and empower young adults from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities through her work. Elisha writes fantasy, horror, romance, and poetry drawing from her experiences as a queer biracial woman navigating trauma, exploring ethnic identity, and finding resilience. They love infusing their stories and characters with grit, complexity, and authenticity.

Elisha is passionate about social/racial justice, mental health, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. She graduated with a degree in Editing and Publishing, publishing a thesis on her research about the representation of BIPOC in YA, and plans to use her career to advocate for publishing spaces to highlight traditionally marginalized experiences.

Outside of writing and editing, you can often find Elisha reading, playing a cozy game, crocheting, or drinking a mug of homemade chai. To connect with Elisha, find her on LinkedIn!

I studied art history, design, and typography and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art & Design. After launching a dozen science fiction and urban fantasy novels, I’ve turned my graphic design experience toward helping others publish successful novels. You can call me the Cover Villain.

Keila Gallardo (she/he/they) is a freelance editor, translator, and sometimes writer. Born in Peru, they are now based in New Brunswick, Canada. They’re working to be a better editor who can bring variety to the industry. Their specialties include prose fiction and poetry, but they also edit scripts and comics/manga.

Cathy lives with her husband of thirty-two years in Troutman, North Carolina. She earned her degree in Advertising and Graphic Design in 2008 and founded Avalon Graphics in 2009. Years before she attended college and gained a formal education in the medium, Cathy taught herself how to create graphics for the web and print media using Adobe Photoshop. Her formal education in 2008 gave Cathy the technical skills required in order to apply her creative talent in book cover design, marketing materials, and social media graphics. Cathy is an avid reader and fan of fantasy and history. If money were no object, Cathy would travel the world with a camera in hand.

“I have always been a creative soul. As a young girl, I was fascinated with photography, staging the scenes for my photos, and drawing in notebooks. Today I have found a niche in the graphic design field creating book cover designs for self-publishing authors around the globe. I have a serious addiction to coffee and a strong love for animals. I cannot pass up a cupcake either, which means that I am not a supermodel. I tend to photograph my cat, horses and a bunch of flowers.”-Cathy Helms

(https://www.youtube.com/user/avalongraphics )

Victoria Krouse (she/they) is a developmental editor and storycraft guide who supports authors in crafting powerful, inclusive stories—particularly in the realms of fantasy, horror, and romance. With a background in holistic healthcare and LGBTQ+ advocacy, Victoria brings a heart-centered, intuitive approach grounded in a deep understanding of storytelling foundations. They are the founder of Coven of Books, where developmental editing and story coaching blend craft with creative growth.

Michelle McCraw writes swoony, steamy contemporary romance that just might make you laugh. The author of ten published novels, she crafts stories that center on characters passionate about science, engineering, and technology. A native Texan, she now lives in Georgia and enjoys reading, travel, drinking bourbon, and spoiling her extraordinarily ill-behaved but adorable dog.

Isabella graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Bologna, Italy, in 1994 and is listed as Expert Interpreter and Translator at the local Chamber of Commerce. In 2019 she won the “Bottega deiTraduttori” (The Translators Workshop) literary translation contest. She is a native Italian speaker and her language pairs are English->Italian, Italian->English, Spanish->Italian and German->Italian She has worked for major international companies as well as publishers and specializes in literary translations and marketing materials. Literary translations and scouting comprise books in the following categories: Romance, Young Adult, Children, Crime fiction, Comic and Graphic Novels, Non Fiction and History. Her translations often made it to the top 10 best-selling kindle romances on Amazon Italy, with Crystal Kaswell’s Italian edition of her “Dirty Rich” hitting no. 1 in the general kindle ranking. Isabella is Top Reviewer on Netgalley since 2016 and is an active member in several online literary groups, both in her home-country as well as internationally. She is in contact with several book bloggers and is a passionate marketer of the books she translates.

Molly Rookwood (she/her) is a Jewish romance writer, writing coach, and freelance editor based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After graduating from the University of King’s College, she completed a publishing certificate program from Toronto Metropolitan University. Molly then founded her company, Rookwood Editing, where she works with romance, fantasy, and science-fiction writers. When she’s not editing, Molly teaches essay-writing skills to students at the University of King’s College and writes contemporary romance novels about Jewish characters with a Jane Austen twist. Molly’s first novel is currently on submission, and she hopes to be able to share it with the world soon. Learn more about Molly at www.rookwoodediting.com.

During the day, Shannon poses as a queer romance and queer detective thriller story coach and developmental editor. At night, she writes about flawed men learning how to heal themselves and each other.

Kyra helps high-masking and late-/un-diagnosed autistic and ADHD folks sort through all of the identity crises that come with understanding your brain for the first time in adulthood. They love nerding out about emotional processing tools that actually work for neurodivergent brains, teasing out the mindsets underneath your actions that are keeping you stuck and fighting against yourself, and helping you structure goals and lifestyles that work for you without ableist expectations. With their free coworking sessions, 1:1 coaching, and tools-based presentations, they’re always looking for more ways to help people build more joy and ease in their lives.

For the past 25 years, my specialty has been in collaborating with fiction authors to turn their books into the ones that readers can’t put down. I work with authors on book coaching and developmental editing.

I’ve been a lover of the English language for as long as I’ve been able to read. You know the kid who had a book and a flashlight under the covers long after she was supposed to be asleep? That was me. The one who carried a book everywhere and had her nose stuck in It whenever possible? Also me.

My entire career has been dedicated to either diving into my own editing projects or teaching others how to do it well. I taught fiction editing at the University of San Diego and journalism and writing at the college level.

In the rare times I’m not reading, I enjoy being with my family, dancing to 80s rock and roll, and watching New York Mets or Jets games.

Elona is the CEO and founder of The Author’s Journey which empowers authors to maximize both their brand and financial potential. With 25 years of marketing experience—including a decade in self- and traditional publishing—Elona brings a unique blend of corporate strategy and indie innovation to the literary world.

She is an award-winning indie publisher and a proud member of IngramSpark’s Pro Publishing program. Her company is recognized among IngramSpark’s expert book marketing services, and she has led campaigns for New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authors. Elona’s results speak for themselves: holding the #1 spot for PPC ads for 10 months at a Big 5 publisher, helping an A-list client sell 8,000 books in 1.5 months, and guiding first-time authors to sell 500 books a month and reach 1,000 sales within six months.

Elona is passionate about helping authors build authority, connect with their target readers, and grow sustainable, profitable writing careers—without compromising on integrity or impact.

Using art, photography, typography and digital collage techniques, Tamian Wood creates book covers that sell. She works with several publishers and a growing number of indie authors, in a wide variety of genres. With over 30 years in the design trenches, she is an active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), past member of the National Alliance of Independent Writers and Authors (NAIWE), and a co-judge for a monthly cover design contest at Discovering Diamonds Historical Fiction Review site. She is the director of a Facebook group, Authors Resource and has a weekly featured post (Critique Corner) in Authors Resource, and Writers of Non-Fiction Facebook groups, where she offers cover design critiques.

Winner of multiple awards for cover design, she holds degrees in Computer Science and Graphic Design Technology, and is a proud member of Phi Theta Kappa National Honour Society.

Alida Winternheimer provides developmental editing and coaching for fiction and nonfiction authors at Word Essential, where she specializes in helping writers at any stage of their journey grow into the sharpest writer they can be. Through manuscript edits, workshops, and group or one-on-one coaching, Alida inspires writers with insightful answers; mentors with process, strategy, and honest-to-goodness know-how; guides and supports through every step of a project; and nurtures writers’ creativity and growth.

With over a decade of experience teaching creative writing, editing hundreds of manuscripts in all genres, over 300 episodes of the Story Works Round Table podcast, and multiple novels and craft books under her writing belt—3 Pushcart Prize nominations and a notable in Best American Essays, too—Alida knows story craft…and she knows writers!