RWA Board of Directors

Contact the Board at board@rwa.org.

 

Avery Flynn, President

Avery FlynnTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.

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LaQuette, President-Elect

LaQuetteTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

Former president of RWANYC, LaQuette writes unapologetically sexy and diverse characters for Sourcebooks, Harlequin, and St. Martin's Press. She crafts emotionally epic tales deeply pigmented by reality's paintbrush. She fills her novels with a unique mixture of savvy, sarcastic, and brazen characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page.

Before romance, LaQuette was a college professor who taught literature, research & methodology, and creative writing to academically diverse and disadvantaged populations. She now uses her educational background to teach her Critical Lens course where romance writers learn how to consider the perspectives of marginalized voices.

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C. Chilove, Secretary

C. ChiloveTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

C. Chilove is the former CIMRWA President. She writes sexy, thought-provoking romance that explores the human condition while proving love transcends societal clichés. Her characters are strong, witty, and prove that diversity is beautiful. When she's not writing, she's living out her personal happily-ever-after by rockin’ the stands for her Volleyball star, cheering on her future MLB slugger, or celebrating date night with her hubby.

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Laura Alford, Treasurer

Laura AlfordTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Laura Alford is an Assistant Professor of Accounting in the Graduate School of Defense Management at the Naval Postgraduate School located in Monterey, CA. She spends her days educating some of the world’s finest students and researching scintillating accounting issues. As a native of Louisiana, she is gob-smacked daily by the natural landscape that inspired Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Stevenson’s Treasure Island. She has yet to persuade either of her children to move to the coast, but keeps their rooms ready and the freezer stocked with crawfish—just in case.

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Directors-at-Large

Elf Ahearn, Director-at-Large

Elf AhearnTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

Elf Ahearn is an award-winning Regency romance author. Her book, A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing, hit #1 in its genre on Amazon. During the years when Penguin Random House hired freelancers, she wrote blurbs for its historical romance novels. Additionally, she’s served as Hudson Valley RWA president, and taught at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writer’s Institute, as well as RWA’s Outreach International. Before Elf became a fiction writer, she garnered multiple awards as a corporate communications specialist and journalist. Her articles have appeared in the New York Post, Connecticut Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Romance Writers Report and many other publications.

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Clair Brett, Director-at-Large

Clair BrettTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

Indie published author Clair Brett currently has 5 novels selling wide in the historical romance genre. Clair has been an RWA members since 2004 and in that time has served her local chapter in many roles including president VP of Programs, and Conference chair. She found her home when she found RWA and wants to share her enthusiasm for the romance genre helping to make RWA an organization where all authors can thrive. As a former Admin. Assistant to a non-profit and an education background, she brings her understanding of non-profits and teamwork to the board.

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Antonia Cyn, Director-at-Large

Antonia CynTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

As a former travel agent, author Antonia Cyn enjoys taking readers on a journey in multiple genres. When not traveling by air, sea or her own imagination, Antonia lives with her husband, two sons and three dogs. Antonia believes living in the Pacific Northwest has its benefits. When it’s dreary outside, Antonia enjoys a mug of freshly brewed coffee or a glass of wine as she conjures story ideas. Antonia was the President of Evergreen RWA and a PAN member since May 2018 currently with two published romances.

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Kelly Garcia, Director-at-Large

Kelly GarciaTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

I live in the Chicagoland area with a typically tolerant husband, usually wonderful children, and mostly well-behaved dogs. My cats are evil. I am an active member of the Windy City Chapter, passionate about science and education, and the ability of all people, no matter their background, to bring joy to the lives of others. I believe a good stories come from bad experiences, and the best come when people triumph over adversity.

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Seressia Glass, Director-at-Large

Seressia GlassTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Seressia Glass has been a member of RWA since 1997. A 2016 Rita finalist, she’s won a Maggie Award of Excellence, an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and an Emma, and briefly made the USA Today’s extended bestseller’s list. She has published more than 25 works in contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance and urban fantasy as an indie and with publishers including Berkley, Harlequin, Pocket, and St. Martin’s Press. She is indie published and published in the French and German markets. She lives south of Atlanta with her husband, son, and two attack poodles.

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Leslie Hachtel, Director-at-Large

Leslie HachtelTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

Leslie Hachtel has been working since she was fifteen and her various jobs have included licensed veterinary technician, caterer, horseback riding instructor for the disabled and advertising media buyer, which have all given her a wealth of experiences. However, it has been writing that has consistently been her passion. She is a bestselling author who has written thirteen romance novels, including ten historicals and three romantic suspense.  She believes love is love and wishes there was more of it in the world. Leslie now lives in Florida with her very supportive husband, and her new writing buddy, Annie, the terrier.

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Siera London, Director-at-Large

Siera LondonTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Siera London is a USA Today best-selling & award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and crime fiction. Prior to her writing career, Siera completed 22 years in the United States Navy where she served as an equal opportunity advisor to the executive leadership. She has over 20 years of national and local government board experience.

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Amy Quinton, Director-at-Large

Amy QuintonTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Amy Quinton writes humorous historicals with heat, often from her back porch in Summerville, SC. But only when her dog and three cats allow.  She’s susceptible to sparkle, leather, thrift stores, Whisky, tattoos, Bunco with her Bitches, and men in kilts - not necessarily in that order. In her previous life, Amy was a software designer before becoming a Mom of Boys TM and hopes to contribute her passion, experience, dedication, time, and strong work ethic toward charting RWA on a new course toward diversity and inclusiveness via a newly defined progressive and forward-thinking organization in support of romance authors.

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Elizabeth Schechter, Director-at-Large

Elizabeth SchechterTerm expiration: 08/31/2021

Elizabeth Schechter has been called one of the top erotica and alternative sexuality writers in the world. Her writing credits include the award-winning steampunk erotic romance House of Sable Locks, the Celtic fantasy Princes of Air, and the ongoing Heir to the Firstborn serial, her first foray into New Adult fantasy. She was born in New York at some point in the past. She is officially old enough to know better, but refuses to grow up. She lives in Central Florida with her husband and son.

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Jessa Slade, Director-at-Large

Jessa SladeTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Jessa Slade joined RWA and Rose City Romance Writers, Portland Oregon, in 1997 and took ten years, more than a hundred rejections, and about a million final draft words to finally publish an urban fantasy romance with NAL Signet Eclipse. Since then, she has written paranormal romance for Harlequin and self-publishes now as Elsa Jade, writing science fiction and shifter romance. She has also self-published as Jenna Dales. She believes in the power of storytelling, HEAs, and the occasional well-placed F bomb. Powered by hope and chocolate, not necessarily in that order. She/her.

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Nikki Sloane, Director-at-Large

Nikki SloaneTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. For years she worked for a design firm in that extremely tall, black, and tiered building in Chicago that went through an unfortunate name change during her time there. Now she lives in Kentucky, is married and has two sons. She is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA© Finalist, also writes romantic suspense under the name Karyn Lawrence, and couldn't be any happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

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Beth Yarnall, Director-at-Large

Beth YarnallTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

USA Today best-selling author and RITA® finalist, Beth Yarnall, writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and the occasional hilarious social media post. She lives in Arizona with her husband, two sons, their rescue dogs, and a grand-kitten where she is hard at work on her next novel.

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Advisors

JoMarie DeGioia, Chapter Advisor

JoMarie DeGioiaTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

JoMarie DeGioia is a best-selling author of Historical and Contemporary Romance. She’s known Mickey Mouse from the “inside,” has been a copyeditor for her tiny town’s newspaper, and a bookseller. She is the author of over 40 Romances, and writes Young Adult Fantasy/Adventure stories and Paranormal Romance too. She has been an RWA member since 2000 and has served the organization and her local chapter in several capacities.

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Nancy C. Weeks, PAN Advisor

JoMarie DeGioiaTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Nancy C. Weeks has loved happy-ever-after romances since her early teens. She lives in suburban Maryland with her husband of more than thirty years and enjoys spending her days writing suspenseful happily-ever-after adventures outside on the deck as the local bird population keeps her company.

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Catherine Stuart, PRO Advisor

Catherine StuartTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Catherine writes quirky and flirty romance. In addition to writing, she works as a tech geek, wrangles two adorable toddlers, and plays house with her hot (and funny!) husband in Maine. She is a member of Maine Romance Writers, where she serves as the librarian and occasional web-conferencing technician. She also belongs to the online RWA chapter, From the Heart. Her novel, Princess of Meridian, was a finalist for the Golden Heart Award in Contemporary Romance – Short.

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