2025 Keynotes
The Joys of Writing and Publishing Later
Pamela Ebel is a Southern storyteller whose crime and mystery fiction has been featured in publications like Shotgun Honey and Yellow Mama. Based in New Orleans, her work often weaves together themes of family, folklore, and the mystical.
Pivoting When Life Doesn't Go As Planned
Debra H. Goldstein is a former judge turned mystery author, best known for her Sarah Blair cozy mystery series and award-winning short stories featured in publications like Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Her writing, often centered on themes of family and justice, reflects her diverse experiences in law and civic engagement.
Unleashing Your Voice
Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes is an award-winning author, speaker, and educational consultant whose work spans fiction, devotionals, and podcasting. She is the author of the espionage thriller A Fifth of the Story, host of the podcast Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality, and serves as a writing coach and sensitivity reader for Iron Stream Media.
Playing the Long Game
J.A. Jance is a New York Times bestselling author renowned for her mystery novels, including the J.P. Beaumont, Joanna Brady, Ali Reynolds, and Walker Family series. Born in South Dakota and raised in Arizona, she overcame early career obstacles to publish her first novel in 1985 and now divides her time between Seattle and Tucson.
How Precious is Too Precious?
Avram Lavinsky is a Boston-based crime fiction writer and former musician whose short stories have appeared in publications such as Mystery Tribune, Boston Literary Magazine, and Deadly Nightshade: Best New England Crime Stories 2022. His work has earned recognition as a finalist for the 2022 Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize and the Al Blanchard Award for best New England crime short story.
An Award-winning Debut Author's Journey: From Story Idea to Bestselling Book Launch and Beyond
Dr. Lisa Malice is a psychologist-turned-crime fiction writer. Her debut psychological thriller, LEST SHE FORGET, was released December 2023 by CamCat Books to rave reviews from authors, readers, and industry professionals and a month-long stay on the Amazon new thriller bestseller list. In 2024, she received the Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal for BEST NEW VOICE IN FICTION from the Independent Book Publishers Association. Lisa is an active volunteer for Thriller Writers, Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime, and Florida MWA.
Killer Nashville and My Publishing Journey
Kelly Oliver is an award-winning author of multiple mystery series, including the Fiona Figg Mysteries, Jessica James Mysteries, and the Pet Detective series. A Distinguished Professor Emerita of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University, she has also authored fifteen nonfiction books and over 100 articles on topics such as the refugee crisis, campus rape, women and the media, animals, and the environment.
Becoming a Bestselling Author
J. Michael Orenduff is an award-winning mystery author best known for his Pot Thief series, which follows Albuquerque pottery dealer Hubert Schuze as he navigates archaeological intrigue and murder with wit and philosophical insight. A former university president and philosophy professor, Orenduff transitioned from academia to fiction writing, earning accolades such as the Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery and the EPIC eBook Mystery of the Year.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Christine Mager Wevik is an award-winning author from southeast South Dakota, known for her paranormal mysteries Vacant Eyes and Borrowed Memories, as well as her nonfiction work Someone Knows, which highlights 52 of the state's cold cases. Her debut book, It’s Only Hair, offers a humorous and honest look at coping with hair loss, reflecting her personal experience with alopecia.
My Ten Year Journey to Getting a Clue
Lois Winston is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author renowned for her award-winning Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, which blends humor, mystery, and crafting, earning praise from Kirkus Reviews as “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” Drawing from her background as an award-winning craft and needlework designer, she also writes romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction, often incorporating her experiences in the crafts industry into her storytelling.