Keep scrolling for presenter bios!
The meeting will be held on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2-5 PM. ONLINE VIA ZOOM. To attend, please RSVP by filling out the form before noon on Oct. 24. The link will be emailed to you the day of the meeting.
Charlaine Harris, 40 Years of Writing Life
Charlaine Harris is a true daughter of the South. Born in Mississippi, she has lived in Tennessee, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas. Her career as a novelist began in 1981 with her first book, a conventional mystery. Since then, she’s written urban fantasy, science fiction, and horror. In addition to over thirty full-length books, she has written numerous short stories and three graphic novels in collaboration with Christopher Golden. She has featured on bestseller lists many times, and her works have been adapted for three (soon to be five) television shows. Charlaine now lives at the top of a cliff on the Brazos River with her husband and two rescue dogs. She has three children and two grandchildren.
Barb Goffman, A Glimpse Behind an Editor’s Curtain
Barb Goffman is an independent editor who focuses on traditional and cozy mysteries, providing developmental, line, and copy-editing services. One of the books she edited took home the Agatha Award for best first novel. Short stories she edited won the Ellery Queen Readers Award and the Derringer Award. She also edits a line of stories (mostly reprints) called Barb Goffman Presents for Wildside Press. Since 2009 she has co-edited the Chesapeake Crimes anthology series, every book of which has had at least one story that won or was nominated for a major award. She edited the 2016 Malice Domestic anthology, Murder Most Conventional. Last year the anthology Crime Travel, which she organized and edited, was nominated for the Anthony Award, and stories in the book were nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, Macavity, and Shamus awards.
In her spare time, Barb is a short-story writer. She’s won the Agatha Award twice, as well as the Macavity, Silver Falchion, and Ellery Queen Readers Award. She’s been nominated for major crime-writing awards thirty-three times for her short stories, including fourteen Agatha Award nominations (a category record), and multiple nominations for the Anthony, Macavity, and Derringer awards. Barb’s newest story, “Ice Ice Baby,” appears in the September/October issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. You can find more, including a list of her published stories, at www.barbgoffman.com.
Chelle Honiker, Self-Publishing 101
As the publisher of Indie Author Magazine, Chelle Honiker brings nearly three decades of startup, technology, training, and executive leadership experience to the role. She’s a serial entrepreneur, founding and selling multiple successful companies. She’s organized and curated multiple TEDx events. As a writer, speaker, and trainer she believes in the power of words and their ability to heal, inspire, incite, and motivate. Her daughters, Kelsea and Cathryn, are her greatest inspiration and they tolerate her tendency to run away from home for months at a time. It’s said she could run a small country with just the contents of her backpack.
Anne Tibbets, A Sister’s Guide to Pitching Crime
Recovering TV writer Anne Tibbets is an author, SCREAMS FROM THE VOID (2021, Flame Tree Press), and a literary agent with Donald Maass Literary Agency. Anne represents Adult and YA Thrillers, Mysteries, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and any anything else her clients toss her way. She has sold to hybrid and traditional publishers, working with authors such as Jaime Lynn Hendricks, Mandy McHugh, Emery Hayes, J.J. Blacklocke, Mia Tsai, Michael Howarth, Rus Wornom, and W.A. Simpson.
Anne lives in the Los Angeles area and receives queries via Query Manager. Her manuscript requests are listed on the Donald Maass Literary Agency website. You can always find Anne waxing poetic on Instagram and Twitter @AnneTibbets.