Speakers

We're so excited to announce our stellar lineup of speakers for RWA2022!

Amanda Arista

Amanda was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas, but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel. During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped. Along with her BA in English & Psychology and her MA in Education, Amanda is a graduate of the SMU The Writer’s Path and taught other aspiring authors for six years in the program. She has delivered lectures at several writer conferences and loves discussing craft, character, and structure. Amanda is the author of the Diaries of an Urban Panther series and The Merci Lanard Files. She is represented by Kimberly Brower of Brower Literary Management.

Maggie K. Black

USA Today bestselling author Maggie K. Black has written over twenty-eight romantic suspense novels that have sold over a million copies worldwide. She's also an award winning journalist and teaches self-defense. Maggie believes you're stronger than you think and that every book is a brand new challenge to face.

Shay (Shay Baby) Bohannon

Excitement, energy and versatility are just a few of the characteristics you can anticipate from Shay (Shay Baby) Bohannon; a well-known Atlanta, Georgia entertainment personality, whose professional career attributes consist of affiliations with many of the top radio shows throughout the greater Metropolitan Georgia area. Shay Baby began her career as a crew member and board operator on the popular Si-Man Morning Show (Classic Soul 102.5-Radio One of Atlanta). Thriving in popularity within the industry and a natural talent for production, Shay Baby’s growth and career progression was instantly propelled to the next level. Audience demand, a vivacious personality, poise and charm, earned Shay Baby the reputation of one of Atlanta’s most accomplished radio producers.

Shay Baby’s radio persona eventually parlayed to greater ventures, which included television, acting (stage plays and commercials) and hosting. Shay Baby’s list of credits includes numerous concerts, comedy, gospel and country music shows, all of which demonstrate the diversity of her professional achievements. Dubbed the first lady of Xtreme entertainment (one of the most recognized entertainment company in the LGBT community) Shay Baby has hosted multi-city Gay Pride Parades, Sizzle Miami, Tempted to Touch Las Vegas.

The overall success of her career, notoriety, and community sponsorship was formally acknowledged during a commendation ceremony sponsored by the NAACP, where Shay Baby received the prestigious Humanitarian Award for Broadcasting. Shay Baby embarked on a new adventure by mixing her experience in broadcast radio and special event hosting with her love for romance books, and The Brown Book Series was born. The Brown Book Series features high energy interviews and events with award-winning USA Today and New York Times best-selling authors.

T.B. Bond

T.B. Bond has been writing, drawing, and web designing for years. When she is not doing one of those things, she’s reading and watching anime. Nerdtastic to the core she’s a Whovian, Trekie, Otaku, and probably a whole host of other things. Described as one of the hardest working people known by her friends, she holds three degrees; one in science, one in art, and one in information technology. Currently, her main job is in a learning technology department where she uses elements all of three fields. She lives with her husband, a fellow nerd, in Virginia.

Karen Bonnick writing as KT Bond

KT Bond is an emerging author of contemporary sweet and erotic romance across many subgenres including interracial and multicultural, second chance, later in life, and age gap love stories. She is a retired English educator with an undying love for words, an avid reader of everything but horror stories, the mother of four adult children, Nana to a sweet little Japanese-Jamaican girl, and the chief cook and dog walker in her family. She’s been writing romance novels full time since 2015 and has been published in her own name since 2018, bringing the joy of love to her readers one story at a time. Real life is messy and complicated, as she will be the first to attest, but real love still wins, so always follow your heart.

Carly Brooks

Born and raised in a small town in Coastal Virginia, Carly writes small-town stories with a touch of magic. Her novels are full of real (and sometimes odd) relationships between the hardworking men and women of coastal Virginia and North Carolina. Meet her quirky, imperfect heroes and heroines and fall in love!

Michael Buzzelli

Michael Buzzelli is a stand-up comedian and sit-down author. As a comedian, he has performed all around the country, most notably, the Ice House, the Comedy Store and the Improv in Los Angeles. As a writer, Michael Buzzelli has been published in a variety of websites, magazines and newspapers. He is a theater and arts critic for Burgh Vivant, Pittsburgh's online cultural talk magazine. He is also a Moth Grand Slam storyteller and actor. His books, Below Average Genius, a collection of essays culled from his weekly humor column in the Observer-Reporter, and his romantic comedy, All I Want for Christmas is on sale at Amazon.com. His short story, “Study Buddy,” is in a collection of LGBTQ romance short stories titled Winter Break. Currently, Buzzelli is working on a LGBTQ romantic comedy called Why I Hate My Friends.

Linda Culbertson

A retired teacher/librarian from Columbus, Ohio, Linda began writing seriously in 2015. She writes seasoned romance — stories for those who've made a few more trips around the sun. She loves family, chocolate, dogs, hiking, travel, and reading and writing romance novels. Linda is currently working on her second novel and querying for agents and editors.

Susan Dansby

Susan Dansby has received seven Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy® Awards and four Writers Guild of America awards for her work as a writer on the CBS daytime dramas As The World Turns and The Young and the Restless. Most recently, she worked as story consultant for Y&R and consulting producer for Ambitions (a prime-time soap on OWN). In addition, Susan is a professional television director. Her credits include Guiding Light, Ghostwriter, Sesame Street and General Hospital. She holds a BFA in Drama from Carnegie-Mellon University.

Rebekah Fraser

Rebekah L. Fraser writes fiction, produces music and visual art, and offers creativity coaching and writing classes from her home-base in Connecticut. She brings the skills she used when she was a journalist into researching for the glacier-melting romance novels she writes as Tara L. Roí. Rebekah seduces her muse with exercise and mindfulness activities.

Tracee Lydia Garner

Tracee Lydia Garner is a best-selling and award-winning author of 17 books. She is a dynamic speaker, engaging and humorous presenter with a wealth of knowledge and resources. She writes fiction and nonfiction hoping to uplift, inspire as well as educate readers through her suspenseful tales of hope, love and overcoming adversity. A northern Virginia native, Tracee makes her home in a suburb just outside of the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and loves writing, reading and teaching all about the craft of writing, marketing and publishing. See more of Tracee's accomplishments and books at www.TraceeGarner.com.

Grace Goodwin

Grace Goodwin is the USA Today bestselling author of the Interstellar Brides Program universe with over 1 million books sold. She is full-time writer whose earliest movie memories are of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and real, working lightsabers. (Still waiting for Santa to come through on that one.) Now Grace writes sexy-as-hell sci-fi romance six days a week. In her spare time, she reads, watches campy sci-fi and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Jen Graybeal

Jen Graybeal (she/her) is a book coach, freelance editor, and author cheerleader working exclusively with romance authors. Her encouraging feedback, creative approach to problem solving, and gently-applied tough love inspires clients to take their books and business to the next level. She has a degree in English, an ever-expanding TBR, and a furball assistant that is usually on her lap. Visit her website for client testimonials at www.jengraybeal.com or follow her on Instagram: @JenTheEditor.

Patricia Gunning

Now in private practice, Patricia Gunning has more than 17 years’ experience in courtrooms across New York, having served as the Special Prosecutor and Inspector General for the New York State Justice Center. She also served as the Chief of the Special Victims Unit with the Rockland County District Attorney’s office, and spent 6 years as an Assistant District Attorney for Kings County in Brooklyn, New York, where she served in a trial unit and in the Crimes Against Children Bureau. Having handled many high-profile cases, she is frequently quoted in the national news media on cases involving domestic violence, child physical and sexual abuse, the abuse of vulnerable individuals, and workplace harassment.

Jaycee Jarvis

Jaycee Jarvis was an avid romance and fantasy reader long before she became a writer. With four fantasy romance novels out in the world, Jaycee is delighted to write stories with a romantic heart set against a magical backdrop, creating the kind of book she most likes to read.

Jaycee is proud to be a Golden Heart finalist and is always eager to learn more about the craft and business of writing. She gives back to the romance writing community by sharing her own insights--and spreadsheets. When not lost in worlds of her own creation, she resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three children and a menagerie of pets.

Jenna Jaxon

Jenna Jaxon is a bestselling, multipublished author of historical romance in periods ranging from medieval to Victorian. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she’s always loved a dark side to the genre—a twist, suspense, a surprise—and tries to incorporate all these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a menagerie of animals. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theater, working with local theaters as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage. Jenna is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and is very active in Chesapeake Romance Writers, her local chapter of RWA. She equates her writing to an addiction to chocolate, because once she starts she just can’t stop.

LaQuette

2021 VIVIAN Award finalist and DEIA activist in the romance industry, LaQuette writes sexy, stylish, and sensational romance. She crafts dramatic, emotionally epic tales that are deeply pigmented by reality's paintbrush. This Brooklyn native writes unapologetically bold, character-driven stories. Her novels feature diverse ensemble casts who are confident in their right to appear on the page.

She is the 2016 Author of the Year Golden Apple Award winner & the 2016 Write Touch Readers Award winner. Writing—her escape from everyday madness— has always been a friend and source of comfort. At the age of sixteen, she read her first romance novel and realized the genre was missing something: people that looked and lived like her. As a result, her characters and settings are always designed to provide positive representations of people of color and various marginalized communities.

She loves hearing from readers and discussing the crazy characters that are running around in her head causing so much trouble. Contact her on her website, LaQuette.com, via email at LaQuette@LaQuette.com, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Contact: https://dot.cards/laquette

Alex Lidell

Alex Lidell is the Amazon Breakout Novel Awards finalist author of The Cadet of Tildor (Penguin) and several Amazon Top 100 Kindle Bestsellers, including the Power of Five and Trident Rescue romance series. She is an avid horseback rider who believes in eating dessert first. Alex is easily bribed into a writing craft / writing business conversation with a lure of coffee and a quiet place to chat.

She writes as both Alex Lidell and A.L. Lidell.

Bella Love-Wins

Bella Love-Wins is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She loves reading and writing steamy, high-action romance stories about firefighters, billionaires, and alpha males who know what they want and aren't afraid of laying claim to the women who catch their interest.

Bella adores stories with a happy ever after ending. She also enjoys hiking, waterfronts, the countryside, and traveling to destinations unspoiled by commercial tourism, like Las Vegas... :)

Like so many characters in her novels, she likes action, romance and unexpected love connections that take your breath away. You'll often find her plotting and writing about stories on her Macbook.

Dete Meserve

Dete Meserve is a creator and producer of highly successful films and television series as well as a best-selling and award-winning novelist. As a partner of Wind Dancer Films, she oversees worldwide business and creative properties for the film and TV development, finance and production company that has generated over $4 billion in revenue from its properties, which include hit television series Roseanne and Home Improvement and feature films like What Women Want (Helen Hunt) and What Men Want (Taraji P. Henson).

Meserve is also leading her own company, Melrose Hill Entertainment, focusing on animation brands. She serves as Executive Producer on current projects in production including the award-winning PBS KIDS astronomy and earth science series Ready Jet Go!, Space Camp, a feature film for Universal, 1440, an animated TV for Apple TV+, and in development with a stop motion series, a series for a major family brand, and a comedy series for 6-11 based on an award-winning book.

Meserve is currently writing the screenplay and will produce the feature film Random Acts of Kindness based on her bestselling non-fiction book of the same name.

Candie Moonshower

Candie Moonshower is the author of the award-winning novel, The Legend of Zoey, and a biography for the school-library market, and also writes young adult fiction and adult romances. Her current work is First Comes Marriage. She is a Senior Instructor of English at Middle Tennessee State University, as well as a mentor for MTSU Write. Moonshower holds BA degrees in English and Philosophy, an MA in English Literature, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. She is happily married with grown children and four handsome grandsons, lives in a log home, and she and her husband are managed by two cats, Marzipan Bing Crosby and Pepper Ann.

Tee O’Fallon

Tee O'Fallon is the best-selling, award-winning author of the K-9 Special Ops, Federal K-9, and NYPD Blue & Gold Series. Tee spent twenty-three years as a federal agent conducting complex, long- and short-term criminal investigations, especially undercover operations, across many agencies at the federal level, and multi-state investigations as a police investigator. It felt only natural to combine her hands-on experience in the field with her love of romantic suspense. Tee has lived in New York State most of her life with a five-year stop in Colorado. When not writing, Tee enjoys cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and kicking back with her Belgian Sheepdogs, Loki and Kyrie.

Caridad Piñeiro

Caridad Piñeiro is a transplanted Long Island girl who has fallen in love with the Jersey Shore. When Caridad isn’t taking long strolls along the boardwalk, she’s also a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million romance novels sold worldwide. Caridad is passionate about writing and helping others explore and develop their skills as writers. She is a founding member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers and has presented workshops at the RT Book Club Convention, Romance Writers of America National Conference, as well as various writing organizations throughout the country. You can connect with Caridad at www.caridad.com.

Jane Porter

Jane Porter, the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of 75 romances, holds an MA in writing from the University of San Francisco and has been a finalist for the RITA award six times, winning in 2014 for Take Me, Cowboy. In 2008, Jane’s popular novel Flirting with Forty was made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear, and in 2021 two of her novels were turned into holiday movies for the new GAC Family channel. The founder of Tule Publishing, Jane lives in sunny San Clemente, California, with her surfer husband, three sons, and three dogs.

Renee Rose

Fourteen-time USA Today bestselling romance author Renee Rose is passionate about helping other authors find and maintain an abundance mindset to catapult their careers and create their best future. She employs energetic tools and techniques to help her clients clear resistance and money blocks, access their inner guidance, and tap into their love and appreciation for their books so they can achieve their dreams.

Laurie Schnebly

Laurie Schnebly loves giving workshops that draw on her background as a counseling therapist and a romance novelist who won "Best Special Edition of the Year" over Nora Roberts. Along with writing for a Phoenix ad agency, she enjoys recording for the blind, working at a food bank, vacationing in Sedona (the red-rock town named for her grandpa's mom), and teaching monthly email classes at WriterUniv.com. "People ask how I find time to do all that," Laurie says, "and I tell them it's easy. I never clean my house!"

Eve Vaughn

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Eve Vaughn has always enjoyed creating characters and stories from an early age. As a child she was always getting into mischief, so when she lost her television privileges (which was often), writing served as her outlet. Her stories have gotten quite a bit spicier since then! When she’s not writing or spending time her family, Eve is reading, baking, traveling or kicking butt in 80’s trivia.

Elizabeth Ann West

Elizabeth Ann West is the author of more than 25 titles with over a decade of independent publishing experience. Originally a forum warrior to teach and share her strategies for integrated marketing and trend-averse niche publishing, in 2018 she began holding online conferences teaching hundreds of indie authors fundamentals in technology, marketing, and business to pursue profitable publishing with her organization, What Authors Need to Know.