Schedule – Saturday, August 19th, 2023
7:00 – 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 – 6:30 PM • Registration
Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Maple / Oak) open
8:10 – 8:50 AM • Guest of Honor Interview Cindy Dees
– Clay Stafford Interviews Guest of Honor Cindy Dees (Birch/Chestnut)
9:00 – 9:50 AM • Panels & Agent / Editor Roundtables
Panels
– Using Dialogue to Tell the Story / Les Edgerton, Rick Glaze (mod), Nancy Sartor, Benny Sims, Gabrielle St. George, Jaden Terrell (Magnolia)
– Writing Romantic Suspense / Kim Black, Linda Hughes, Jane B. Lee, Ruth Knafo Setton (mod), Ronda Wells (Iris)
– Making the Most of Setting & Location / Mary Adams Belk, John Carenen, Darlene Dziomba, K.L. Murphy (mod), Judy L Murray, Randy Overbeck (Azalea)
– Creating a Compelling Protagonist / Lawrence Allan, Angela Greenman, Kathryn Lasky, TJ O’Connor, Susan Ouellette, Alana White (mod) (Hickory)
– Writing True Crime / Chris Berg, David Bushman, Patrick Kendrick, Christine Mager Wevik, Lynn Chandler Willis (mod) (Sycamore)
– The Power of Multi-Author Cross Promotion / Debra H Goldstein, Valona Jones, Lois Winston (Redbud)
– The Logistics of Getting Your Book into Audio Presentation / Chris Andrew Ciulla, Scott Ellis (lead panelist), Lynda Rees, Amanda Stribling (Poplar)
– Law Enforcement in the Military / James Glass, Mark Zeid (mod) (Birch)
– What to Expect When Working with an Editor / AM Adair, John DeDakis, Tracee de Hahn, Erin Flanagan, Jonathan Payne, Gretchen Stelter (mod) (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 6 - Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Lyra (Suite 229)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
10:00 – 10:50 AM • Panels & Agent / Editor Roundtables
Panels
– Southern / Appalachian Gothic Fiction Presentation / Michael Amos Cody (Magnolia)
– Writing Stories Set in Urban Settings / Amy Denton, J L Hill, Meredith R. Lyons (mod), P. L. Riven, Lori Robbins, Ruth Knafo Setton (Iris)
– Writing Someone Not You: Men Writing Female, Women Writing Male, LGBTQIA2S+, Age, Class, Race / Ashley-Ruth Bernier, John DeDakis (mod), Tracee de Hahn, Bonnie Kistler, A H Scott, Lynn Slaughter (Azalea)
– Southern Clichés: From Billy Bob to Sweat Tea Panel Presentation / Rebecca Butler, Debra H. Goldstein, Valona Jones, Jeffrey Philips, Lynn Chandler Willis (mod) / Sponsored by SEMWA (Hickory)
– The Importance of Point of View / Jim Nesbitt, TJ O’Connor, Kelly Oliver, David Ryan, Rodney Walther (mod), Mark Zeid (Sycamore)
– Podcasting for Writers / Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Patrick Kendrick, Marcy Rein (mod) (Redbud)
– Firearms: Getting It Right / Jeff Shaw (Poplar)
– Getting Reviews & What To Do with Them / Mike Faricy, Nancy Sartor (mod) (Birch)
– A Police Officer's Guide to Common Avoidable Errors in Crime Fiction Presentation / Chris Berg, Paul J. Smith (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 7 - Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– 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 6/M – 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 Bradley Harper
Friday Lunch Keynote Speech
Why I Put a Book Down: BEST CURRVE / Bradley Harper – Free to all paid attendees with lunch ticket (Birch/Chestnut)
12:30 – 1:10 PM • Guest of Honor Interview Maureen Corrigan
Clay Stafford Interviews Guest of Honor * Seigenthaler Winner Maureen Corrigan (Birch/Chestnut)
12:30 – 1:20 PM • Agent / Editor Roundtables
Agent / Editor Roundtable 8 – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Lyra (Suite 229)
– 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 7/O – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
1:50 – 2:40 PM • Panels & Agent / Editor Roundtables
Panels
– Writing Suspense / Linda Duncan, Terrence McCauley, Kiersten Modglin, Terri Parlato, Jacy Sellers, JD Webb, Gay Yellen (mod) (Magnolia)
– The ABCs of Government Agencies: Who Does What and How They Work Together…Sometimes Presentation / Dan Royse (Iris)
– Adding Mystery to Your Story / Mary Dutta, Jim Nesbitt, A H Scott, Jule Selbo, Ruth Knafo Setton (mod), Rich Zahradnik (Azalea)
– Writing & Publishing Short Stories Presentation / Debra H. Goldstein, Robert Mangeot (Hickory)
– Writing a Memoir Presentation / John DeDakis (Sycamore)
– How to Enhance Mood and Ambiance in Your Prose through Poetry / Gary McDowell (Redbud)
– Computational Intelligence in Military and Civilian Applications / Ross Carley (Poplar)
– Life Inside the CIA Presentation / Bill Rapp (Birch)
– SWAT / Hostage Negotiation Presentation / Ernest Lancaster, Jeff Shaw (mod) (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 9 - 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 the Investigator: Police Procedural, Detective, Noir, Hard-Boiled, Private Eye, Journalist / Michael Bradley (mod), Bruce Coffin, James L'Etoile, Marcy McCreary, K.L. Murphy, Royce Wilson (Magnolia)
– How to Gain Confidence as a Writer Presentation / John DeDakis (Iris)
– Book Banning: Does It Affect You? / Syreeta Butler, Amy Denton, J.B. Manning, S. Lee Manning (mod) (Azalea)
– Clarify the Vision of Your Novel: What Is Your Story About? / Tracee de Hahn, Linda Hughes (mod), Jim Nesbitt, A H Scott, Gabrielle St. George (Hickory)
– Adding Suspense to Your Story / Angela Greenman, Jacy Sellers, Gay Yellen (Sycamore)
– Writing & Selling Storytelling Songs & Lyrics / Drew Ramsey, Bud Tower (mod) (Redbud)
– Lessons Learned from Debut Authors / Linda Duncan, Darlene Dziomba, Erin Flanagan, Terri Parlato, Joel Shulkin MD (mod), Marie Still (Poplar)
– Promises and Threats of Using AI Engines to Write Literature Presentation / Ross Carley (Birch)
– Creating Conflict Presentation / Debra H. Goldstein (Chestnut)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 10 - Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Hutson (Williamson)
– Krystek (Hospitality)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
3:50 – 4:50 PM • Panels
Panels
– Writing Horror / Amanda Pavlov, Nancy Sartor (mod), Diane Sismour (Magnolia)
– Writing Historicals / Kimberly Collins, Kathryn Lasky, Amanda McCrina (mod), Kelly Oliver, Bill Rapp, Alana White (Iris)
– Using Emotion to Appeal to Your Readers / John Carenen, Melissa Collings, Millie Naylor Hast (mod), Meredith R. Lyons, Terri Parlato, Gay Yellen (Azalea)
– The Thrill of Turning the Page: Narrative Momentum in the Novel Presentation / Susan Finch (Hickory)
– Interview Techniques for True Crime and General Fiction Research / AM Adair, David Bushman, John DeDakis, Patrick Kendrick, Joel Shulkin MD, Lynn Chandler Willis (mod) (Sycamore)
– Making the Most of Mentorships & Networks / Kim Black, Les Edgerton, Steven Hutson, Avram Lavinksy (mod), Sam Severn (Redbud)
– The Author / Agent / Publisher Relationship Breakout / Alex Brown (mod), Kathleen Foxx, CeCe Lyra (Poplar) - Ticket Required
– What Agents & Editors Really Want Breakout / Elaine Ash, Gretchen Stelter (mod) (Birch) - Ticket Required
– Moving Your Book to Film, Television and Theater / Subrights: What They Are, Who Sells Them, and Why You Need to Know Breakout / Renee Fountain, Dean Krystek (mod), Ken Sherman (Chestnut) - Ticket Required
5:00 – 6:00 PM • Special Breakout Session
– Building Your Brand Breakout / Wendell Moon (Hickory) - 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 8/R – 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 9/S – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
5:30 – 7:00 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 10/T – Advance Registration Required
– Brown (Suite 213)
– DeDakis (Atrium)
– Fountain (Franklin)
– Foxx (Boardroom)
– Sherman (Suite 204)
– Stelter (Hospitality)
7:00 PM • Registration Closes
Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Maple / Oak) close
7:00 – 10:30 PM • Killer Nashville Awards Dinner
Killer Nashville Awards Dinner
Nashville music, buffet, awards – Advance Registration Required – Ticket Required / Open to the public (Birch/Chestnut)