Schedule – Friday, August 18th, 2023
6:00 – 8:10 AM • Breakfast
Killer Nashville Network Breakfast
– Free to Those Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
– $19.99 for Those Not Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM • Registration
Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Maple / Oak) open
9:00 – 9:50 AM • Panels & Agent / Editor Roundtables
Panels
– Writing Action Adventure / AM Adair (mod), Baron Birtcher, Michael Lucker, S. Lee Manning, Richard Meredith, Jim Nesbitt (Magnolia)
– Writing Cozy Mysteries / Amy Denton, Christy Hoover, JD Webb, Becki Willis, C.B. Wilson, Lois Winston (mod) (Iris)
– The Criminal in Fiction—How to Write your Character with Authority Presentation – Jim L’Etoile (Azalea)
– Building Conflict / Venita Bonds, Angela Greenman (mod), Rodney Walther (Hickory)
– Foreshadowing & Planting Clues / Tracee de Hahn (mod), James Glass, Rick Glaze, J.B. Manning, Kelly Oliver, Marie Still (Sycamore)
– Writing as a Second Career / Darlene Dziomba, Pamela Ebel, Mary McFarland (mod), David Ryan, Lynn Slaughter (Redbud)
– Getting Booked at Reader Events & Festivals / Kayla Brown, Nina Wachsman (mod), Ronda Wells, Sara Wigal (Poplar)
– Establishing Career Goals: Slow, Steady, or Rapid / Bruce Robert Coffin (mod), Jason Schembri, Clay Stafford (Birch)
– How to Write a Series / Michael Bradley, J L Hill, Richard F. McGonegal (mod), Susan Ouellette, Bill Rapp, Randy Weir (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 1 - Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
10:00 – 10:50 AM • Panels & Agent / Editor Roundtables
Panels
– Writing Comedy Including Comedic P.I. and Crime Caper / Lawrence Allan, Mike Faricy, J. B. Manning, Amanda Pavlov, Gabrielle St. George (mod), Lois Winston (Magnolia)
– Writing Paranormal & Supernatural / Amy Denton, Valona Jones (mod), Randy Overbeck, Nancy Sartor (Iris)
– Adding Romance to Your Story / Mary Adams Belk, Ashley-Ruth Bernier, John Carenen, Melissa Collings (mod), Diane Sismour, Gay Yellen (Azalea)
– Faith, Mystery, and the Pious Detective Presentation / Michael Amos Cody (Hickory)
– A Look Inside the Criminal Justice System / Lewis Allan, Ida Mae Jones, Ernest Lancaster, Philip Kushner, Mark Zeid (mod) (Sycamore)
– Using Your Protagonist’s Goals to Drive the Story Forward / Chris Berg, Mary Dutta, S. Lee Manning, Randy Weir (mod), Becki Willis (Redbud)
– The “3 Acts” of Your Story and Why “Act 2 (The Middle)” is So Important Presentation / Jule Selbo (Poplar)
– Cold Cases Presentation / Bruce Robert Coffin (Birch)
– Editing Techniques to Make Your Manuscript Shine / Elaine Ash, John DeDakis (mod), Kathryn Lasky, Gretchen Stelter, Bud Tower , Rodney Walther (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 2 - Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Lyra (Suite 229)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
11:00 – 11:20 AM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Maple/Oak)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques 1/C – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM • Lunch
Killer Nashville Networking Lunch
– Free to all paid attendees with ticket (Birch/Chestnut)
12:00 – 12:20 PM • Keynote
Friday Lunch Keynote Speech
“The Long Leap to Passion” / Debra Goldstein – Free to all paid attendees with lunch ticket (Birch/Chestnut)
12:30 – 1:10 PM • Guest of Honor Interview Kathryn Lasky
Clay Stafford Interviews Guest of Honor Kathryn Lasky (Birch/Chestnut)
12:30 – 1:20 PM • Agent / Editor Roundtables
Agent / Editor Roundtable 3 – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Lyra (Suite 229)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
1:50 – 2:40 PM • Panels & Agent / Editor Roundtables
Panels
– Writing the Thriller: Spy, Espionage, Political, Legal, Medical, Mystery / Cindy Dees, Ross Carley (mod), Thomas Kelso, Jonathan Payne, Dana Summers, Rich Zahradnik (Magnolia)
– Getting White Collar Crime Right Presentation / Jack Sharman (Iris)
– Creating Believable Villains / Venita Bonds, John Carenen, Les Edgerton, James L'Etoile (mod), Jim Nesbitt, Randy Weir (Azalea)
– Detection of Deception / Frank Runles (Hickory)
– Novel Malpractice: Med School for Writers by Physician Presentation / Ronda Wells, M.D. (Sycamore)
– Marketing as Self-Published, Small Press, or Large Press Author / Mike Faricy, Valona Jones, Kiersten Modglin (mod), David Ryan, Jacy Sellers, Nina Wachsman (Redbud)
– Research: Writing What You DON’T Know for Story, Pacing, and Confidence / Dr. Marc J Aguilera, Amy Denton (mod), Christy Hoover, Susan Ouellette, A H Scott, Sara Wigal (Poplar)
– Life in the FBI Presentation / Darin Werkmeister (Birch)
– What Really Happens at a Crime Scene Presentation / Royce Wilson (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 4 - Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Lyra (Suite 229)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
2:50 – 3:40 PM • Panels & Agent / Editor Roundtables
Panels
– Writing Believable Amateur Sleuths / Rebecca Butler, Kathryn Lasky, Judy L Murray (mod), D.R. Ransdell, Lori Robbins, Gay Yellen – (Magnolia)
– Digital Deception Presentation / Carmen Amato (Iris)
– Crossing Genres: Combining Without Getting Muddy / John Carenen, Elizabeth Crowens, Cindy Dees, Susan Jacobs, J.B. Manning (mod), Terrence McCauley (Azalea)
– Effective Article Writing / Mary Adams Belk, Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes (mod), Christy Hoover (Hickory)
– Writing Realistic Courtroom Scenes / James Bernier, Brian Cuban, McCracken Poston Jr., Lisa Reppeto, Mike Rubin (mod) (Sycamore)
– Which Paid Ads for Authors Are the Most Worthwhile Presentation / Corrine Pritchett, Jennifer Vance (Redbud)
– That's Not The Way It Works: A No-Nonsense Look at the Craft and Business of Screenwriting / Michael Lucker, Bob Saenz (mod), Gabrielle St. George (Poplar)
– Adding Thriller Elements to Your Story / Shirley B. Garrett, Angela Greenman, Mary McFarland, Jacy Sellers, Dana Summers (mod), Lynn Chandler Willis (Birch)
– Writing a Synopsis / Elaine Ash, J L Hill, Ronda Wells (mod) (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 5 - Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
1:20 – 1:40 PM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Maple/Oak)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques 2/E – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
3:50 – 4:50 PM • Panels
Panels
– Writing the Mystery / Erin Flanagan, Marcy McCreary, Jule Selbo, JD Webb, Rich Zahradnik (mod) (Magnolia)
– Writing Set in Suburban Settings / Darlene Dziomba, Jane B. Lee (mod), Robert Mangeot, Lori Robbins, Marie Still (Iris)
– Description: Too Much or Not Enough / Baron Birtcher (mod), Michael Bradley, K.L. Murphy, Jim Nesbitt, D.R. Ransdell (Azalea)
– Outlining, Story Framing, Plot, and Structure / Kim Black, Kayla Brown (mod), James Glass, Michael Lucker, Jonathan Payne (Hickory)
– Writing to Heal Presentation / John DeDakis (Sycamore)
– Designing the Perfect Webpage Breakout / Corrine Pritchett, Jennifer Vance (Redbud) - Ticket Required
– Taking the Mystery Out of Marketing Presentation / Sponsored by Sisters in Crime of Middle Tennessee / Carmen Amato, Kelly Oliver, Lisa Wysocky (Poplar)
– Choosing the Right Agent & Publisher Breakout / Kathleen Foxx, Dean Krystek (mod), CeCe Lyra, Ken Sherman (Birch) - Ticket Required
– What Authors Should Know Before Signing a Deal Breakout / Alex Brown (mod), Renee Fountain, Steven Hutson (Chestnut) - Ticket Required
5:00 – 5:20 PM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Maple/Oak)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques 3/H – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
5:20 – 5:40 PM • Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques 4/I – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
5:30 – 6:20 PM • Marketing One-on-One – Advance Registration Required
Speed Date Your Way to Author Marketing Success Interactive Presentation
– Sponsored by Sisters in Crime of Middle Tennessee (Poplar)
5:30 – 6:30 PM • Open Bar
Killer Nashville Open Bar
– Free to Those Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
– Bar Tab for Those Not Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
5:40 – 6:00 PM • Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques 5/J – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
6:00 PM • Registration Closes
Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Maple / Oak) close
6:30 – 8:00 PM • Dinner
Dinner on your own
8:00 – 10:45 PM • Film Screening & Interview
Film Screening: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Followed by Discussion Between Clay Stafford and Writer Kathryn Lasky