Schedule – Saturday, August 23rd, 2025
7:00 – 10:30 AM • Networking 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 (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea) open
8:00 – 8:40 AM • Guest of Honor Interview
– Clay Stafford interviews Guest of Honor Caitlin Rother
9:00 – 9:45 AM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels
– Selling the Short Story (Chestnut)
Panel: Henry Kaye, Paula Gail Benson, Robert mangeot, Warren Moore, Avram Lavinsky
Moderator: Debra Goldstein
– Co-Authoring Done Right (Birch)
Panel: Chris Berg, Paul Smith, Bruce Robert Coffin
Moderator: Cheryl Sommers
– Legal Issues for Writers (Oak)
Panel: Marty Ludlum, Virginia Lee, Miranda Darrow, Kem Hinton
Moderator: Erika Stribling
– Interrogation Techniques for Writers (Maple)
Presenter: James Glass
– Delightfully Devious: How to Create Compelling Villains for Children (Hickory)
Presenter: Kimberly Dana
– Writing the Cozy (Sycamore)
Panel: S.C. Merritt, DL Mitchell, TK Sheffield, Lois Winston, Lisa Wysocky
Moderator: Christy J. Kendall
– Writing Suspense (Redbud)
Panelists: Bret Hurst, J L Hill, Sonja Dewing, John Bukowski, JJ Cagney
Moderator: Sandy Clements
– Structure of a Mystery (Poplar)
Presenter: Jule Selbo
– The Editor/Author Relationship (Williamson)
Presenters: Traci Abramson, John DeDakis, Ami McConnell, & Amber Meyer
– How to Produce an Effective Podcast (Franklin)
Presenter: Keith Sharon
Agent Roundtable 6 (ART6) - Advance Registration Required
– Kristen Terrette (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong (Franklin)
– Dean Krystek (Harpeth)
– Katie Monson (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier (Board Room)
9:00 – 9:20 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC17] (Athletic Club)
9:30 – 9:50 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC18] (Athletic Club)
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC18] (Athletic Club)
– John DeDakis [EC18] (Athletic Club)
10:00 – 10:50 AM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels
– Is It a Thriller or a Mystery? Genre-Bending in a Changing Marketplace (Chestnut)
Panel: Gay Yellen, TG Wolff, JS Morrison, K. Scott Culpepper, Kelly Oliver
Moderator: Lisa Malice
– What Journalists Do (and DON'T Do) (Birch)
Panel: John DeDakis, Aliah Wright, Paul Sinor, David Ryan, Caitlin Rother
Moderator: Phil Hardwick
– You Want To Adapt Your Book Into A TV Show/Series or Feature Film? Here Are the Basics (Oak)
Presenter: Jule Selbo
– Succeeding as a Debut Author (Maple)
Panel: Sandy Clements, JA Jance, Zelly Ruskin, Bill Cusano, Kemper Donovan
Moderator: FE Davies
– Firearms for Writers (Hickory)
Presenter: Chris Grall
– Creating Conflict (Sycamore)
Panel: Bruce Robert Coffin, BJ Sloan, Debra Gaskill, Debra Goldstein, Mark Jones, Ernest Lancaster
Moderator: Peter W. J. Hayes
– Writing Romance (Redbud)
Panelists: Miranda Darrow, Paula Gail Benson, Jordyn Redwood, Miranda Darrow, Meredith R. Lyons, Lynn Slaughter
– Writing Action (Poplar)
Panelists: Jim Nesbitt, Ley Esses, Michael Lucker, Ron Clyburn, Peter Houlahan
Moderator: Teel James Glenn
– Website WOW: Insider Secrets for Building a Powerful Author Website (Williamson)
Presenter: Jeniffer Thompson
Agent Roundtable 7 (ART7) - Advance Registration Required
– Kristen Terrette (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong (Franklin)
– Dean Krystek (Harpeth)
– Katie Monson (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier (Board Room)
10:00 – 10:20 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC19] (Athletic Club)
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC19] (Athletic Club)
– John DeDakis [EC19] (Athletic Club)
10:30 – 10:50 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC20] (Athletic Club)
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC20] (Athletic Club)
– John DeDakis [EC20] (Athletic Club)
11:00 – 11:20 AM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)
– Kemper Donovan
– Sara Paretsky
– Caitlin Rother
– Sharon Barnes
– Samantha Beal
– Allison Bettes
– Venita Bonds
– John Bukowski
– Elise BurkeBrown
– Thomas Burns
– Elizabeth Crowens
– Angela Greenman
– Kerrie Faye Herron
– D.W. Hogan
– Mary Jumbelic
– Christy J. Kendall
– Ellen Kirschman
– Tilia KlebenovJacobs
– James L Hill
– John LaFalce
– Ernest Lancaster
– Marty Ludlum
– Lisa Malice
– Christine Mager Wevik
– S.C. Merritt
– DL Mitchell
– Barbara Newhart
– Randy Overbeck
– T.O. Paine
– Jeffrey Philips
– Edward Pila
– Meredith R.Lyons
– Bruce RobertCoffin
– Zelly Ruskin
– BJ Sloan
– W. T. Sanders
– Alex Thompson
– Lois Winston
– Gay Yellen
– Mark Zeid
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC21] (Athletic Club)
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC21] (Athletic Club)
– Kristen Terrette [AC6] (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong [AC6] (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber [AC6] (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino [AC6] (Franklin)
– Katie Monson [AC6] (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier [AC6] (Board Room)
11:30 AM – 1:10 PM • Lunch
Killer Nashville Networking Lunch
– Free to all paid attendees with ticket (Birch/Chestnut)
11:35 – 11:45 PM • Presentation of Debut Authors
12:00 – 12:20 PM • Keynote
Saturday Lunch Keynote Speech: Unleashing Your Voice – Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes
Free to all paid attendees with lunch ticket (Birch/Chestnut)
12:30 – 1:10 PM • Guest of Honor Interview
Clay Stafford Interviews Guest of Honor Sara Paretsky (Birch/Chestnut)
1:20 – 1:40 PM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)
– Kemper Donovan
– Sara Paretsky
– Caitlin Rother
– Samantha Beal
– Allison Bettes
– Elise BurkeBrown
– Thomas Burns
– T. B. Crattie
– Elizabeth Crowens
– K. Scott Culpepper
– Terry Friedman
– Angela Greenman
– Bradley Harper
– Julie Hatch
– Kerrie Faye Herron
– James L Hill
– D.W. Hogan
– Shannon Hrimnak
– Mary Jumbelic
– Ellen Kirschman
– John LaFalce
– Ernest Lancaster
– Marty Ludlum
– Meredith R. Lyons
– Christine Mager Wevik
– Lisa Malice
– S.C. Merritt
– DL Mitchell
– Brian Montross
– Natalie Musgrave Dossett
– Jim Nesbitt
– Randy Overbeck
– T.O. Paine
– Jeffrey Philips
– Edward Pila
– Michael Rigg
– Bruce RobertCoffin
– Zelly Ruskin
– Gregory J Stout
– Alex Thompson
– Lois Winston
– Gay Yellen
– Mark Zeid
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Miranda Darrow [EC22] (Athletic Club)
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC22] (Athletic Club)
– Kristen Terrette [AC7] (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong [AC7] (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber [AC7] (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino [AC7] (Franklin)
– Katie Monson [AC7] (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier [AC7] (Board Room)
1:50 – 2:35 PM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels
– A Voice in the Dark: Writing in Unique Perspectives (Chestnut)
Panel: Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Christine M Fairchild, AM Adair, Poppy Gee, Sam Severn
Moderator: Becki Willis
– Steal Like an Artist: Learning from Other Author's Novels (Birch)
Presenter: TO Paine
– Using AI Ethically to Your Benefit (Oak)
Panel: Pam Ebel, Linda Whitaker, KM Freeman, Jack Wolff, Nate Hoffelder
Moderator: Cal Stone
– Inside Death Row (Maple)
Presenter: Greg Laird
– Death, Drugs, and Toxins: A Primer for Writers (Hickory)
Presenters: Jennifer Seibert Evans & Christina VandePol
– Fixing Wandering Middles (Sycamore)
Panel: Alan Elliott, Ley Esses, Mark Jones, JJ Renek, Dianne McCartney
Moderator: TK Sheffield
– Treating Theme as a Character (Redbud)
Panel: Mary Lynn Cloghesy, Avram Lavinsky, Irene Schindler, Angela Greenman
Moderator: Lori Robbins
– Tips for Creating an eBook (Poplar)
Panel: Judith Gaines, Steven Womack
– How to Start and Build Your Career as a Writer (Williamson)
Presenter: Jaden (Beth) Terrell
Agent Roundtable 8 (ART8) - Advance Registration Required
– Kristen Terrette (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong (Franklin)
– Dean Krystek (Harpeth)
– Katie Monson (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier (Board Room)
1:50 – 2:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Miranda Darrow [EC23] (Athletic Club)
2:20 – 2:40 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC24] (Athletic Club)
– Jaden Terrell [EC24] (Athletic Club)
– Miranda Darrow [EC24] (Athletic Club)
2:50 – 3:35 PM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels
– Building Tension: The Art of Suspense in Writing (Chestnut)
Panel: Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Christine M. Fairchild, Jennifer Sadera, BJ Sloan
Moderator: Carol Gyzander
– Writing Intimacy: From Fade to Black to Open Door (Birch)
Panel: Marco Patitucci, JJ Cagney, Meredith R. Lyons, Ernest Lancaster
Moderator: Helen Aitkin
– Harnessing the Power of Partnerships as a Professional Author (Oak)
Presenter: Ashley Hagan
– Infiltrating the Shadows: The Logistics of Undercover Operations (Maple)
Presenters: Chris Berg & Paul Smith
– Sexual Assault (Hickory)
Presenter: Mark Rein
– Writing Your Memoir (Sycamore)
Panelists: Kem Hinton, Christina VandePol, Sam Severn, Carla Conti, Sonja Dewing
Moderator: Belinda Leigh Underwood
– Our Stories Besides Crime And Mystery (Redbud)
Presenter: Jule Selbo
– Writing Great Beginnings (Poplar)
Panel: Sara Johnson, Renda Knapp, TK Sheffield, Dianne McCartney, Lori Robbins, JL Yarrow
Moderator: Elise Burke Brown
– The Six-Step Revision Process (Williamson)
Presenter: Miranda Darrow
Agent Roundtable 9 (ART9) - Advance Registration Required
– Kristen Terrette (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong (Franklin)
– Dean Krystek (Harpeth)
– Katie Monson (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier (Board Room)
2:50 – 3:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC25] (Athletic Club)
– Jaden Terrell [EC25] (Athletic Club)
3:20 – 3:40 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC26] (Athletic Club)
– Jaden Terrell [EC26] (Athletic Club)
– John DeDakis [EC26] (Athletic Club)
3:50 – 4:35 PM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels
– Killer Nashville Author Speed Date (Chestnut)
Presented by: The Dangerous Pen Society
Panel: Carmen Amato, Bruce Coffin, Mike Faricy, Debra Kern Gaskill, Ashley S. Hagen, Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Avram Lavinsky, Robert Mangeot, Kelly Oliver, Lois Winston, Lisa Wysocky
– Writers and Taxes (Birch)
Presenter: Patrick Balester
– Diving into Action Presenter (Oak)
Presenter: Ama Adair & Angela Greenman
– The Top Things to Know About Writing Legal Matters and the Law (Maple)
Panel: C.A. Rowland, Erika Stribling, Greg Laird, JB Manning, Miranda Darrow
Moderator: Paula Gail Benson
– How to Write Like a Plotter (Hickory)
Panel: Ley Esses, Wendy Gee, Kari Bovee, Jeffrey "Hammerhead" Philips, JJ Renek
Moderator: Mally Becker
– The Power of “No,” The Power of “Yes” in Creating Stories (Sycamore)
Presenter: Jule Selbo
– Writing Great Endings (Redbud)
Panel: Irene Schindler, Terry Friedman, Kem Hinton, Ellen Kirschman
Moderator: TK Sheffield
– The Importance of Contrast (Poplar)
Presenter: J.A. Jance
– How to Face Rejection Head On (Williamson)
Presenters: John DeDakis & Bradley Harper
Agent Roundtable 10 (ART10) - Advance Registration Required
– Kristen Terrette (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong (Franklin)
– Dean Krystek (Harpeth)
– Katie Monson (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier (Board Room)
3:50 – 4:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC27] (Athletic Club)
– John DeDakis [EC27] (Athletic Club)
– Miranda Darrow [EC27] (Athletic Club)
4:20 – 4:40 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Amber Meyer [EC28] (Athletic Club)
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC28] (Athletic Club)
– John DeDakis [EC28] (Athletic Club)
– Miranda Darrow [EC28] (Athletic Club)
5:00 – 5:20 PM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)
– Kemper Donovan
– Sara Paretsky
– Caitlin Rother
– Samantha Beal
– Elise Burke Brown
– Thomas Burns
– Bruce Robert Coffin
– Elizabeth Crowens
– K. Scott Culpepper
– Wendy Gee
– Angela Greenman
– James L Hill
– D.W. Hogan
– Sara Johnson
– Christy J. Kendall
– Ellen Kirschman
– Tilia Klebenov Jacobs
– Ernest Lancaster
– Meredith R. Lyons
– Lisa Malice
– S.C. Merritt
– Sean Mitchell
– Jim Nesbitt
– Barbara Newhart
– T.O. Paine
– Jeffrey Philips
– Edward Pila
– Zelly Ruskin
– Jennifer Sadera
– Sam Stone
– Alex Thompson
– Lois Winston
– Gay Yellen
– Mark Zeid
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC29] (Athletic Club)
– Kristen Terrette [AC8] (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong [AC8] (Franklin)
– Ronald Gerber [AC8] (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino [AC8] (Franklin)
– James Mustelier [AC8] (Board Room)
5:20 – 5:40 PM • Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC30] (Athletic Club)
– Miranda Darrow [EC30] (Athletic Club)
– Kristen Terrette [AC9] (Franklin)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong [AC9] (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino [AC9] (Franklin)
– Katie Monson [AC9] (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier [AC9] (Board Room)
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 – Advance Registration Required
– Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC31] (Athletic Club)
– Miranda Darrow [EC31] (Athletic Club)
– Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong [AC10] (Franklin)
– Tara Gelsomino [AC10] (Franklin)
– Katie Monson [AC10] (Harpeth)
– James Mustelier [AC10] (Board Room)
6:00 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)
– Who Do You Think You Are? / Chris Wevik
– My Ten Year Journey to Getting a Clue / Lois Winston
– The Joys of Writing and Publishing Later / Pam Ebel
– Shipwrecked / Carmen Amato
– How Precious is Too Precious / Avram Lavinsky
– Playing the Long Game / J.A. Jance