KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker is J.C. Cervantes. J.C Cervantes is the New York Times best-selling author of The Storm Runner, The Fire Keeper, and Tortilla Sun. Her books have appeared on national lists, including the American Booksellers Association New Voices, Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Reader Books, and Favorite MG Science Fiction/Fantasy Top Ten Books, as well as Amazon’s Best Books of the Month. She has earned multiple awards and recognitions, including the New Mexico Book Award, and the Zia Book Award. J.C. lives in New Mexico (otherwise known as the Land of Enchantment), can read, write, and talk backwards, always roots for the underdog, and believes in magic. Her work is represented by Holly Root at Root Literary.
We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker is J.C. Cervantes. J.C Cervantes is the New York Times best-selling author of The Storm Runner, The Fire Keeper, and Tortilla Sun. Her books have appeared on national lists, including the American Booksellers Association New Voices, Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Reader Books, and Favorite MG Science Fiction/Fantasy Top Ten Books, as well as Amazon’s Best Books of the Month. She has earned multiple awards and recognitions, including the New Mexico Book Award, and the Zia Book Award. J.C. lives in New Mexico (otherwise known as the Land of Enchantment), can read, write, and talk backwards, always roots for the underdog, and believes in magic. Her work is represented by Holly Root at Root Literary.
Kathy Aarons - Kathy Aarons is the author of the GOURMET CAT MYSTERY series by Kensington Books and the bestselling CHOCOLATE COVERED MYSTERY series by Berkley/Penguin Random House. Kathy lives in San Diego with her husband of twenty-five years in the perfect location – close to Philz Coffee and the beach, and within visiting distance of her two grown daughters. When she’s not writing, she’s an advocate for youth arts education. You can follow Kathy on Facebook or Twitter or visit her at: www.kathyaarons.com
Aleta Barthell - (playwright) was a finalist for the 2016 HUMANITAS/CTG Playwriting Prize for her play, WINDOW OF SHAME. Her play, NIGHT WITCHES: FLIGHT INTO FANTASY, was part of the 2019 “Final Draft New Play Festival” at New Village Arts Theatre. She is currently developing a television series about the 12th century queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, for which she received a grant to study source material in Paris through the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Aleta was a panelist for “Writing from History” at the 2015 Dramatists Guild National Conference. She is a teaching artist with Playwrights Project and founder of the youth theater education program, Kids Act, at New Village Arts Theatre. She holds a B.S. from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and has trained at BADA (Oxford, England); Shakespeare and Company (Lenox, MA). She studied playwriting and screenwriting at UCSD with Allan Havis. Associate member Dramatists Guild. Member SAG/AFTRA.
Stephanie Diaz - Stephanie Diaz lives in San Diego, CA with her husband, writing stories and working as a freelance editor. She graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in film production. She is the author of the Extraction series, a YA sci-fi trilogy published by Macmillan. She has helped numerous self-published and agented writers build their craft and polish their manuscripts. Learn more about her work online at www.stephaniediazbooks.com.
Margaret Dilloway - A descendant of samurai and Irish-American coal miners, Margaret Dilloway often explores the intersections of class and race in her books. History usually plays a major thematic role, and Dilloway is particularly interested in epigenetics, or how our ancestors’ fates influence our own. Margaret Dilloway writes both fantasy and contemporary middle grade novels. Her first, MOMOTARO: XANDER AND THE LOST ISLAND OF MONSTERS, published by Disney-Hyperion, won the ALA’s Asian/Pacific Librarians Honor Award for Middle Grade Literature. She’s also the author of four critically acclaimed women’s fiction novels, and won the ALA’s Literary Tastes Award for Best Women’s Fiction. Her next book, SUMMER OF A THOUSAND PIES, which takes place in Julian, comes out in April. Dilloway lectures and conducts creative writing workshops for both children and adults. She also enjoys performing improv, baking, volunteering, and hiking. She lives in San Diego with her family, including Gatsby, a large fluffy Goldendoodle. She is the internationally published author of critically acclaimed middle grade and women’s fiction novels. The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns won the American Library Association’s Literary Tastes Award for Best Women’s Fiction. How to Be an American Housewife and Sisters of Heart and Snow deal with family secrets and biracial identity. Disney-Hyperion’s Momotaro books are about a contemporary half-Japanese boy who finds he’s the legendary warrior tasked with fighting the oni, monsters who cause all strife and natural disasters in the human world. The first book, Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters, has been optioned for film by 20th Century Fox Animation. She lives in San Diego with her husband, three kids, and a fluffy Goldendoodle named Gatsby, who co-stars in the Momotaro series.
Cornelia Feye - Cornelia Feye has published three mystery novels. Her novel, Spring of Tears, an art mystery set in France, won the San Diego Book Award for the mystery category 2011. Her second novel, House of the Fox, is set in the Anza Borrego desert and San Diego. Private Universe, a coming-of-age story and art mystery was published in 2017. She is the founder of Konstellation Press, an indie publishing company in San Diego, specializing in genre fiction and poetry. She has been teaching writing classes at Writers Ink since 2013. Her publications include art historical essays, short stories, and book reviews in English and German. www.konstellationpress.com
T. Greenwood - T. Greenwood is the award-winning author of twelve novels including Bodies of Water, Where I Lost Her, and Rust & Stardust. She teaches creative writing at San Diego Writers, Ink and online for The Writers Center. More information on T. Greenwood can be found at her websites: http://www.tgreenwood.com and http://www.ephemerafiles.com
Christopher Hamilton - Christopher Hamilton’s second-grade teacher called home to verify his reading log because, “No one could be reading that many books.” In high school he kept his obsessive reading a secret from his friends on the soccer team, discussing Jane Eyre discreetly after school with his favorite teacher, Mrs. Teegarden. This love of Literature led to graduate degrees in English Literature at UCLA, specializing in 18th and 19th century British Literature and Critical Theory. Christopher Hamilton taught hundreds of college students at UCLA in courses ranging from Introduction to Literature to seminars on Crime Fiction, and earned awards for his scholarship and his teaching. Christopher jumped ship from academia to commercial magazine writing, eventually becoming Editorial Director of a magazine focused on food, wine, and cooking. After gaining a few pounds but missing the energy and atmosphere of the classroom, Christopher became a partner in an international college consulting and test-prep company, and eventually went on to create additional companies devoted to helping ambitious student find a path to great colleges. In 2014 he founded Hamilton College Consulting, helping local and international students apply to selective colleges.Christopher Hamilton has helped literally hundreds of students gain access to Ivy-level universities, and thousands find a path to colleges of all descriptions.
Nikki Katz - Nikki is a recovering rocket scientist, author, editor, freelance writer, and social media stalker. THE MIDNIGHT DANCE is in stores now and THE KING’s QUESTIONER is set to be published 01.20 (both novels by Swoon Reads | Macmillan). Website: nikkikatz.com | Instagram: @nikkikatz
Shaina Krevat - Shaina Krevat is a software engineer at YouTube, living the dream of working for the company she used to upload to when she thought she was going to be a film director/YouTube Creator. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science, which she views as a perfect metaphor for the combination of art and programming in her life. She has spent her time creating fiction (mostly fantasy) in the form of short films, books, musicals, songs, and most recently short stories, like the ones found in her book and on her website, talesofmundanemagic.com. She lives in Los Angeles with her wonderful dog Atlas, who constantly reminds her that real, live dogs are better than fictional ghost dogs, except when they pee on couches.
Natalie Lakosil - Natalie is an agent at Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. Natalie has been an agent since 2009; after nearly four years at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and a brief dabble in writing author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Natalie joined Bradford Literary Agency in February 2011. Natalie’s specialties are all ages (PB, chapter book, MG, YA) of children’s literature (fiction and nonfiction), adult cozy mystery/crime, female-driven thrillers, and upmarket women’s/general fiction. She also represents illustrators and select adult nonfiction.
Agency: Bradford Literary Agency Twitter @Natalie_Lakosil Website: www.adventuresinagentland.com |
Kevin and Nancy Langdon - Kevin & Nancy Langdon are local singer-songwriters and performing improvisors. They coach and teach improv and musical improv at local theaters and their own classroom in Kearny Mesa. Both have completed the improv programs at the three major San Diego theaters as well as completing the Conservatory, Graduate and Musical Improv programs at Second City Hollywood. They have studied musical improv at UCB Hollywood, iO West and at theaters across the country. They have performed in numerous improv festivals, including the world’s first and largest musical improv festival: the New York Musical Improv Festival in Manhattan.
Jonathan Maberry - JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, is in production as a Netflix original series, starring Ian Somerhalder (LOST, VAMPIRE DIARIES) and will debut in early 2019. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include the Joe Ledger thrillers, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, Glimpse, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, Mars One, and many others. Several of his works are in development for film and TV. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, New Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, and others. His comics include Black Panther: DoomWar, The Punisher: Naked Kills and Bad Blood. He is a board member of the Horror Writers Association and the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He lives in Del Mar, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com
Viet Mai -Viet Mai is an educator, poet and entrepreneur from San Diego, CA. Upon finding his voice through spoken word poetry, Mr. Viet connects with community leaders throughout San Diego and other cities to inspire young people, promote civic engagement, celebrate art and culture, and elevate social consciousness. Highlights include: 2017 National Poetry Slam Championship, San Diego PoetrySLAM Team; 2016 Award of Merit, California Association of Teachers of English; 2015 Special Commendation, The City of San Diego Race and Human Relations Commission;
2014 Facilitator of the Year, Aaron Price Fellows Program Mr. Viet currently serves as a Program Facilitator with the Village of Promise Collective Mentoring Program, an Independent Consultant, and a 2019 RISE Urban Leadership Fellow. After completing his MA in Social Innovation from the University of San Diego, Kroc School of Peace Studies, Viet Mai is exploring the startup community and impact sector to find ways of designing and implementing sustainable change.
2014 Facilitator of the Year, Aaron Price Fellows Program Mr. Viet currently serves as a Program Facilitator with the Village of Promise Collective Mentoring Program, an Independent Consultant, and a 2019 RISE Urban Leadership Fellow. After completing his MA in Social Innovation from the University of San Diego, Kroc School of Peace Studies, Viet Mai is exploring the startup community and impact sector to find ways of designing and implementing sustainable change.
Jessica McGehee - Jessica McGehee, writing as J.Elle, is an African-American writer and active advocate for marginalized voices in both publishing and her community. As the founder of Your Story Is Your Power, a creative writing camp for #POC teens, she mentors teens on the craft of writing and the importance of sharing stories from their perspective. Jess’ most recent novel, Wings of Ebony, was pitched in #DVPit, an online contest that showcases stories from marginalized voices to publishing professionals. Her pitch received 200+ likes and retweets as well as, submission requests from multiple literary agents and 10+ editors at large publishing houses, indicating her story resonated with the market. Jess queried and eagerly accepted literary representation by Natalie Lakosil, veteran YA fantasy agent with Bradford Literary Agency. Wings of Ebony is book one in a young adult fantasy duology about a black teen from a 1-parent home in a drug-infested neighborhood that learns she’s half human, half-goddess. When she discovers racist gods flooding her block with violence and crime, she must tap into her Ghazani-god heritage to unlock magic to destroy them. Jess wrote this story because of a “lack of black heroines from urban settings in YA fantasy.” She said, “I want kids from where I grew up to see their lives and issues they face in the fantasy section of the bookstore.” Wings of Ebony was pitched as The Hate U Give meets Wonder Woman with a heavy dash of fantasy. For details on when and where Wings of Ebony will be published, please subscribe to her ‘Be Notified’ email list. Jess’s passion for empowering youth transcends her writing. She spent time mentoring students from low socioeconomic statuses to elevate their voices as a middle school creative writing teacher with KIPP. She also busies her time between writing by supporting fellow aspiring writers of color with complimentary manuscript critiques and mentorship through the querying process. Jess has a Bachelors in Journalism and a Masters in Educational Administration with an emphasis on curriculum development. Both influence her writing process, as well as shape her approach to mentoring future generations of writers. Jess is from Houston, Texas and loves southern food as much as she loves her 3 children. Transplanted to the west coast by her husband’s nomadic naval aviator career, she owns and operates a wedding photography business and online photography learning institute where she teaches creative entrepreneurs how to brand and market their businesses.
Laura Preble - Laura Preble is the award-winning author of the young adult series, Queen Geek Social Club (Penguin/Berkley Jam), which includes the novels Queen Geeks in Love and Prom Queen Geeks. Her next book, Anna Incognito, will be published later this year by Mascot. Her novel, Out, dealt with the concept of LGBTQ rights within a young adult dystopia; Alex Sanchez, author of Rainbow Boys says "Out explores an intriguing, mind-bending, and challenging portrait of an upside-down world that turns the tables on homophobia, acceptance, and love.” (Arthur Salm, former book editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Laura has also written the script for the musical Dracul, which was produced at the San Diego Repertory Theater.She has also won a Kurt Vonnegut Fiction Prize, and has been published in North American Review, Hysteria, and NEA Today.
Amen Ra - Amen Ra is an international spoken word poet from North Carolina. He was a member of the 2016 San Diego Poetry Slam team that took 2nd place in the National Poetry Slam in Decatur, Georgia. Last August, Ra was invited to Buenos Aires, Argentina to share his work in front of 100 college students from 30 different countries. Ra also hosts multiple poetry open mics and events in San Diego. His powerful and heartfelt work focuses on enlightenment, personal narrative, and the world around him.
James Matlack Raney - James Raney grew up all over the world, in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, leaving him with a lifelong love of adventure that escapes through his daydreams and lands on the pages of his stories. He is the author of the Jim Morgan series and Lord of the Wolves, is a two-time Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalist for Juvenile Fiction, and is the winner of the 2015 Writer's Digest Book Award for YA/Middle Grade Fiction. He is currently working on a new novel and visiting as many schools and bookstores in Southern California as will put up with him. James loves spinning yarns he would have howled at when he was a boy, eating sushi, strumming his guitar, and wishing he had a dog to play frisbee with on the beach.
Amy Spalding - Amy Spalding grew up in St. Louis, but now lives in the better weather of Los Angeles. She has a B.A. in Advertising & Marketing Communications from Webster University, and an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School. Amy studied longform improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She is the author of five young adult novels, including her latest, the bestselling The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles). The Summer of Jordi Perez received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, was named the hottest queer romance of the summer by Entertainment Weekly, and was listed as one of the best young adult novels of 2018 byCosmopolitan. By day, she manages the digital media team for an indie film advertising agency. By later day and night, Amy writes, performs, and pets as many cats as she can.
Barrie Summy - Barrie Summy amassed student loans and earned degrees in French, Canadian Literature, and Speech/Language Pathology before realizing she wanted to write middle-grade mysteries. She is the author of The Disappearance of Emily H. and the I So Don’t Do mystery series (all from Random House).
Website: barriesummy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Barrie.Cox.Summy
https://twitter.com/BarrieSummy
Website: barriesummy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Barrie.Cox.Summy
https://twitter.com/BarrieSummy
Greg van Eekhout - Greg van Eekhout is the author of seven novels for audiences ranging from adult to middle grade, including his latest science fiction adventure, Voyage of the Dogs. His work has been nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story and the Andre Norton Award for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. Find out more about him at www.writingandsnacks.com.
Sara Wolf - Sara Wolf is the author of the Lovely Vicious series. She lives in San Diego, California, where she burns instead of tans. When she isn't pouring her allotted life force into writing, she's reading, accidentally burning houses down while baking, or making faces at her highly appreciative cat.
Nick Zayas - Nick Zayas is a writer for both film and television. A graduate of Florida State University's film school, Nick spent years working for legendary film producer Scott Rudin before transitioning to TV. He spent 3 seasons as a writer on the TNT drama MAJOR CRIMES, and currently writes on the upcoming STAR TREK: PICARD from CBS: ALL ACCESS. This year, he sold his feature TIME CENTRAL to Netflix, where he is currently doing a rewrite, and also has a development deal with AMC.
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore will offer a 20% discount on speakers' books. Authors will be available for book signings during lunch and after the conference.