Celeste Barclay

Masterclass Speaker

Celeste Barclay, a nom de plume, lives near the Southern California coast with her husband and sons. Growing up in the Midwest, Celeste enjoyed spending as much time in and on the water as she could. Now she lives near the beach. She’s an avid swimmer, a hopeful future surfer, and a former rower. Before becoming a full-time author, Celeste was a Social Studies and English teacher. She holds degrees in International Affairs (BA), Teaching Secondary Social Science (MAT), and Political Management (MPS). She channels that knowledge into creating rich historical romances that bring the steam. You can find Celeste’s alter ego, Sabine Barclay, writing contemporary romances that’ll make your toes curl and your granny blush.

Tracey Livesay

Keynote Speaker

Tracey Livesay’s latest release, American Royalty is a dangerously sexy rom-com that evokes the real life romance between Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, and is one of the most buzzed about books of 2022. She’s the 2021 Emma Award winner for Best Interracial Romance for Like Lovers Do, which was also named one of the 100 Best Fiction Books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews. In addition to being named to USA Today’s list of “100 Black Novelists You Should Read,” she’s been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Entertainment Weekly and on CBS This Morning. A former criminal defense attorney, Tracey lives in Virginia with her husband–who she met on the very first day of law school–and their three children.

Maya Berger

Speaker

Maya Berger is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. She specializes in editing and proofreading erotic and romantic fiction, speculative fiction, and academic texts in the humanities and social sciences, and she appeared as a guest on The Editing Podcast speaking about editing erotica. Maya also launched The Editor’s Affairs (TEA) in 2020 to help fellow freelance editors manage their business affairs. After spending 13 years in the UK, Maya moved back to Canada in 2017, and she lives and works in Toronto.

Dana Claire

Speaker

Dana, an award-winning Young Adult author, has been in sales and marketing for over 20 years. Along with an advertising background, Dana also brings with her first-hand knowledge and a passion for the publishing world – putting her in a unique position to empathize with other writers and their pain points in marketing. For many aspiring as well as seasoned authors, writing a book is often the easy part. With so many moving targets in publishing, better insight into the ins and outs of marketing can be the key difference in success. Dana helps authors strategize with the intent of increasing sales. Dana, having experienced the journey herself, touts a unique perspective with her hybrid knowledge of both the literary world and marketing industry.

Elizabeth Flynn

Speaker

Elizabeth Flynn is a professional editor and has been for more than 40 years, working with academia, technology, finance, genre fiction, and comic books. She also writes as Eilis Flynn and has written fiction in the form of comic books, fantasies, and short stories. She can be reached at emsflynn.com (if you’re looking for an editor) or at eilisflynn.com (if you’re looking for a good read).

Katie Frey

Speaker

Authors Kristine Lynn, Katie Frey and Anna Grace were three hard-working, under-published authors when they met online in February of 2020. Within six months of working together, Katie had a two-book deal with Harlequin, and Anna and Kristine had signed with literary agents. Within eighteen months of meeting, the trio had a total of thirteen books published or under contract with major publishers. Together they’ve figured out how to launch newsletters, negotiate social media, and worked through countless sticky plot points together. We firmly believe that our rapid success is a result of working together, and supporting one another.

Kristine Lynn

Speaker

Authors Kristine Lynn, Katie Frey and Anna Grace were three hard-working, under-published authors when they met online in February of 2020. Within six months of working together, Katie had a two-book deal with Harlequin, and Anna and Kristine had signed with literary agents. Within eighteen months of meeting, the trio had a total of thirteen books published or under contract with major publishers. Together they’ve figured out how to launch newsletters, negotiate social media, and worked through countless sticky plot points together. We firmly believe that our rapid success is a result of working together, and supporting one another.

Anna Grace

Speaker

Authors Kristine Lynn, Katie Frey and Anna Grace were three hard-working, under-published authors when they met online in February of 2020. Within six months of working together, Katie had a two-book deal with Harlequin, and Anna and Kristine had signed with literary agents. Within eighteen months of meeting, the trio had a total of thirteen books published or under contract with major publishers. Together they’ve figured out how to launch newsletters, negotiate social media, and worked through countless sticky plot points together. We firmly believe that our rapid success is a result of working together, and supporting one another.

Rona Gofstein

Speaker

Rona Gofstein is a published author and an Author Accelerator certified fiction book coach. She describes her style as intensive feedback combined with compassionate enthusiasm because she knows that on this journey writers need both clarity and support. She has spoken on writing craft and business across the country and is the past president of the New Hampshire RWA chapter and Board Universe. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and sons, misses the 24-hour diners of her home state of New Jersey and is always up for getting coffee or talking about books, writing, and where to go out for dinner.

Steff Green

Speaker

Under her penname Steffanie Holmes, Steff Green is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 50 dark, gothic, and sinful new adult romance novels. She’s the 2017 recipient of the Attitude Award for Artistic Achievement, and a 2018 finalist in the NZ Women of Influence awards. Steff is also the creator of the Rage Against the Manuscript podcast and online community where writers can learn about self-publishing, find their readers, and build a badass author brand. Steff is passionate about helping authors from all walks of life to get their stories into the hands and onto the Kindles of readers.

Gwen Hernandez

Speaker

Gwen Hernandez, the author of Scrivener For Dummies, helps writers all over the world master Scrivener through online courses, in-person workshops, and private training. When she’s not using Scrivener to write romantic suspense while surrounded by houseplants, this lifelong nomad likes to travel, read, run along the beach, flail on a yoga mat, and explore her current home of Southern California. Learn more atgwenhernandez.com or ScrivenerClasses.com.

Melonie Johnson

Speaker

USA Today bestselling author Melonie Johnson―aka #thewritinglush―enjoys sipping cocktails that start with the letter m. Declared a “writer to watch” by Kirkus and a “fizzy, engrossing new voice” by Entertainment Weekly, her smart funny contemporary romances include her latest rom-com, Too Wrong to be Right, the follow-up to Too Good to Be Real, and her award-winning Sometimes in Love debut series: Getting Hot with the Scot, Smitten by the Brit, and Once Upon a Bad Boy. Her books have been selected as Amazon Best Books of the month, appeared on most anticipated romance lists for Goodreads, BuzzFeed, and BookBub, and featured in Cosmopolitan and Woman’s World. She lives in Chicagoland with her husband and their two redhead daughters. A former high school English and Theatre teacher, Melonie now spends her days in her Star Wars office, dreaming up meet cutes.

Ines Johnson

Speaker

Lover of fairytales, folklore, and mythology, Ines Johnson spends her days reimagining the stories of old in a modern world. She writes books where damsels cause the distress, princesses wield swords, and moms save the world. Ines writes books for strong women who suck at love. If you rocked out to the twisted triangle of Jem, Jericha, and Rio as a girl; if you were slayed by vampires with souls alongside Buffy; if you need your scandalous fix from Olivia Pope each week, then you’ll love her books! Aside from being a writer, professional reader, and teacher, Ines is a very bad Buddhist. She sits in sangha each week, and while others are meditating and getting their zen on, she’s contemplating how to use the teachings to strengthen her plots and character motivations. Ines lives outside Washington, DC with her two little sidekicks who are growing up way too fast.

Thien-Kim Lam

Speaker

Thien-Kim Lam writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. A recovering Type-Asian, she guzzles cà phê sữa đá, makes art, and bakes her feelings to stay sane. Her debut book Happy Endings was a Washington Post Romance Novel of the Year. She also coaches BIPOC writers and helps them finish their books because we need more diverse books on the shelves! Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She’s been featured on Jezebel, Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, and Oprah Daily.

Ruby Lang

Speaker

Ruby Lang/Opal Wei writes warm, witty contemporary romance featuring emotionally complex multicultural characters and their rambunctious families. Ruby’s work has been featured in NPR, Buzzfeed, and O, The Oprah Magazine. As Opal Wei, she is the author of the upcoming screwball rom-com Wild Life. She and her family are recent transplants to Toronto.

Romi Moondi

Speaker

Romi Moondi is a Canadian writer who primarily writes romantic comedies with the aim to make you laugh, activate your heartstrings, and maybe even make your eyes produce some salty discharge. When she's not writing novels, Romi can be found dreaming up screenplays, copywriting for clients, traveling, trying out new recipes, and loving Seinfeld forever.

Erin Olds

Speaker

Erin Olds loves to travel, read, and drink boba tea! She currently lives in Seattle, where she homeschools her two young children. Erin is the CEO of and editor at Salt & Sage Books. With a degree in English and French, Erin has worked with authors of all ages her whole adult life. Her poetry and short fiction have been published in various journals and magazines. She is a hybrid published author, with several indie books out under a pen name and her first traditionally published book (still a secret!) in progress.

Jessica Pryde

Speaker

Jessica P. Pryde is the editor of BLACK LOVE MATTERS: REAL TALK ON ROMANCE, BEING SEEN, AND HAPPILY EVER AFTERS. She has been reading and writing (and writing about) romance for over two decades.

Penny Sansevieri

Speaker

Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU. She is the author of 22 books, including From Book to Bestseller, How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon, 5 Minute Book Marketing for Authors and How to Revise and Re-Release Your Book!

Nisha Sharma

Speaker

Nisha Sharma is the critically acclaimed author of YA and adult contemporary romances including My So-Called Bollywood Life, Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance, The Singh Family Trilogy and the If Shakespeare was an Auntie series. Her books have been praised by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly and more. She lives in Pennsylvania with her Alaskan husband, her cat Lizzie Bennett and her dog Nancey Drew. You can find her online at Nisha-sharma.com or on Twitter and Instagram @nishawrites.

Romy Sommer

Speaker

Romy Sommer is the author of six contemporary romance novels published by HarperCollins London, and has also indie-published a further eight books under her own name and a pseudonym. ​ Her passion for encouraging and growing aspiring writers led Romy to found ROSA (Romance writers Organisation of South Africa). Through ROSA, she mentored and taught a great many writers, and now she offers her expertise via workshops and one-on-one coaching. Romy lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her menagerie of two precocious teens, six cats, and a bearded dragon.

Estelle Van de Velde

Speaker

Estelle Van de Velde is a Belgian indie author, speaker and video content creator on YouTube. She has a master’s in creative Writing from Brunel University London, has 10 years’ experience in marketing and is passionate about all things self-publishing. She’s also a mama writer, her son was born in May 2022, and she takes care of him when not writing or working on her author business.

Eliot West

Speaker

Eliot West (eliotwesteditorial.com) is an editorial freelancer specializing in romance and fantasy fiction, including narrative games. They have a PhD in English literature and particular interests in inclusive language, gender diversity, human sexuality, and consent—a knowledge base that informs their edits and queries.

Teri Wilson

Speaker

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.

Cathy Yardley

Speaker

Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin’s, Avon, and Harlequin, as well as self-publishing her geeky contemporary rom com series Fandom Hearts. She us also a successful writing coach, and has worked with authors across multiple genres for the past 12 years, helping them achieve their writing and publication goals.