Schedule – Saturday, August 22nd, 2026
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 Reed Farrel Coleman
9:00 – 9:45 AM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
— How to Succeed as a Self-Published Author (Chestnut)
Moderator: Chris Lengquist
Panelists: Franklin Horton, Mike Faricy, Mary Stone, Noelle Ihli, Leah Orr
— Regional Writing (Birch)
Moderator: Stacey Horan
Panelists: Carol Potenza, Roy Hiller, Cat Wyatt, James Owen, Patrick Balester
— Getting and Keeping Newsletter Subscribers (Oak)
Moderator: Carmen Amato
Panelists: Melissa Collings, Avram Lavinsky, Dee Armstrong, Renda Knapp, Dawn Barclay
— Using Poetry Techniques to Develop Your Prose (Maple)
Panelists: Michael Balter, Robert Mangeot, Reed Farrel Coleman
— Writing Stories That Actually Terrify (Hickory)
Moderator: Suzanne Junered
Panelists: Aimee Hardy, Elise Burke Brown, Jo Loveday, Patrick Kendrick
— Interrogation, Memory, and Truth: Writing Realistic Police and Witness Encounters (Sycamore)|
Presenter: John Peragine
— Revealing Plot and Emotion with Natural Dialogue (Redbud)
Presenter: T.O. Paine
— Choosing a Point of View and Avoiding Pesky POV Pitfalls (Poplar)
Moderator: Susan Tanner
Panelists: Zelly Ruskin, Lauren Whitley, Yvonne Ventresca, Terry Friedman, John Morrison
— Author Branding & Your Book Marketing Roadmap (Williamson) – Breakout, Ticketed Event
Presenter: Jeniffer Thompson
Agent Roundtable 6 (ART6) - Advance Registration Required
— Tommy Dean (Franklin)
— Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
— Dean Krystek (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam (Harpeth)
— Mason Rowlee (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette (Board Room)
9:00 – 9:20 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— John DeDakis [EC17] (Athletic Club)
— Dawn Barclay [EC17] (Athletic Club)
— Miranda Darrow [EC17] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC17] (Athletic Club)
9:30 – 9:50 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Amber Meyer [EC18] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC18] (Athletic Club)
— Dawn Barclay [EC18] (Athletic Club)
— Miranda Darrow [EC18] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC18] (Athletic Club)
10:00 – 10:50 AM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
— What Happens Next: Organizing and Plotting (Chestnut)
Moderator: James L. Hill
Panelists: Leigh Stroh, Maxine Schur, Kim Lajevardi, D.L. Wood, Susan Reiss
— SEMWA Panel: From Cozy to Creepy – The Range of Crime Fiction Genres(Birch)
Moderator: Valerie Burns
Panelists: Paula Gail Benson, Jeffrey Philips, Clay Stafford, Steven Womack, Rick Glaze, Dennis Murphy
— Organic Writing: How to Abandon Your Outline and Elevate Your Story (Oak)
Presenter: Steven James
— What They’re Hiding: Using Secrets to Build Tension and Depth (Maple)
Moderator: Janet Boydell
Panelists: Nancy G. West, SL Woeppel, Gledé Browne Kabongo, Sandra J. Cady, Yvonne Ventresca
— Medical Scenes In Fiction (Hickory)
Moderator: Dan Parrish
Panelists: Jo Loveday, Rosy Fenwicke, Alan Spira, Cheryl Fallin, Ronda Wells, MD
— Serial Offenders and Forensic Plot Points: Real Cases for Writers (Sycamore)
Presenter: Kimberly Lander
— After the Twist: Why the Ending Isn’t the End (Redbud)
Moderator: Amy Denton
Panelists: Christine M. Fairchild, Robert T. Kelley, Robert Mangeot, Carol Potenza, Denise Jendusa
— Big Ideas, Bigger Stakes: Writing High-Concept Novels (Poplar)
Moderator: Jody Madala
Panelists: Michael Maloof, T.O. Paine, Peregrine Finn
— Debut Authors: Publishing Tips for New Writers (Williamson) - Breakout, Ticketed Event
Presenter: Reed Farrel Coleman
Agent Roundtable 7 (ART7) - Advance Registration Required
— Tommy Dean (Franklin)
— Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
— Dean Krystek (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam (Harpeth)
— Mason Rowlee (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette (Board Room)
10:00 – 10:20 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Jaden (Beth) Terrell [EC19] (Athletic Club)
— Amber Meyer [EC19] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC19] (Athletic Club)
— Miranda Darrow [EC19] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC19] (Athletic Club)
10:30 – 10:50 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Jaden (Beth) Terrell [EC20] (Athletic Club)
— Amber Meyer [EC20] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC20] (Athletic Club)
— Miranda Darrow [EC20] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [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)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Amber Meyer [EC21] (Athletic Club)
— Miranda Darrow [EC21] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC21] (Athletic Club)
— Ronald Gerber [AC6] (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero [AC6] (Franklin)
— Kristen Terrette [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 AM • Presentation of Debut Authors
12:00 – 12:20 PM • Keynote
Saturday Lunch Keynote Speech: Facing Your Writing Fears – John DeDakis
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 Heather Graham (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)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Miranda Darrow [EC22] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC22] (Athletic Club)
— Tommy Dean [AC7] (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero [AC7] (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam [AC7] (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette [AC7] (Board Room)
1:50 – 2:35 PM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
— Nowhere to Run: Writing Stories in Isolated and Cut-Off Settings (Chestnut)
Presenter: Noelle Ihil
— Writing Tools and Techniques (Birch)
Moderator: K.M. Freeman
Panelists: Kim Megahee, Michael Lucker, Leigh Hull
— Taking Charge of Your Author Business (Oak)
Presenter: Lynda Rees
— Writing the Short Story (Maple)
Moderator: John Bukowski
Panelists: Avram Lavinsky, Robert Mangeot, Rich Hosek, Warren Moore, Tim "Cajun" Hardy Bischoff
— Bridging Multiple Genres (Hickory)
Moderator: Tom Wood
Panelists: Elizabeth Crowens, Kim Lajevardi, SL Woeppel, Darin Werkmeister, Brian Montross
— Sex Trafficking (Sycamore)
Presenter: Mark Rein
— Humor and Intensity - The Twins in the Mirror (Redbud)
Moderator: Matthew Minson
Panelists: Christine Mager Wevik, Shelley Marsh, Lois Winston, Kathleen Kaska
— Developing Theme in Fiction (Poplar)
Moderator: Thomas Burns
Panelists: Martha Reed, Ashley Hagan, Charles Salzberg, Zelly Ruskin
— Writing for Hollywood (Williamson) – Breakout, Ticketed
Presenter: Scott Moore
Agent Roundtable 8 (ART8) - Advance Registration Required
— Tommy Dean (Franklin)
— Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
— Dean Krystek (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam (Harpeth)
— Mason Rowlee (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette (Board Room)
1:50 – 2:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Miranda Darrow [EC23] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC23] (Athletic Club)
— Amber Meyer [EC23] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC23] (Athletic Club)
2:20 – 2:40 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Miranda Darrow [EC24] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC24] (Athletic Club)
— Amber Meyer [EC24] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC24] (Athletic Club)
— Jaden (Beth Terrell) [EC24] (Athletic Club)
— Dawn Barclay [EC24] (Athletic Club)
2:50 – 3:35 PM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
— Building a Social Media Following Before You Get an Agent (Chestnut)
Moderator: Jack Sharman
Panelists: Renda Knapp, Nate Hoffelder, Roy Hiller
— Writers and Taxes (Birch)
Presenter: Patrick Balester
— How to Create a Villain (Oak)
Moderator: Steven Fisher
Panelists: Terry Friedman, R.C. Reid, SL Woeppel, Ley Esses
— Using Music in Crime Fiction (Maple)
Presenter: Michael Cody
— Writing the Amateur Sleuth (Hickory)
Moderator: Amy Denton
Panelists: J.J. Cagney, Kirsten Shuford, Vanessa M. Knight, Nancy Herriman, Lynn Slaughter
— Intel 101: Understanding US Intelligence Agencies (Sycamore)
Presenter: Traci Abramson
— The Reality of Novel Violence (Redbud)
Moderator: Patrick Kendrick
Panelists: J.T. Ellison, T.G. Brown, John Lamb, J.E. Weiner, Michael Maloof
— Mystery and Magic: Can They Work Together? (Poplar)
Moderator: Rick Glaze
Panelists: Martha Reed, Sandra J. Cady, Christine Mager Wevik, Lorena Peter, Carolyn Rowland
— How to Bring Publishers to YOU through Indie Publishing (Williamson) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenter: Noelle Ihil
Agent Roundtable 9 (ART9) - Advance Registration Required
— Tommy Dean (Franklin)
— Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
— Dean Krystek (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam (Harpeth)
— Mason Rowlee (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette (Board Room)
2:50 – 3:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Miranda Darrow [EC25] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC25] (Athletic Club)
— Amber Meyer [EC25] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC25] (Athletic Club)
— Jaden (Beth Terrell) [EC25] (Athletic Club)
— Dawn Barclay [EC25] (Athletic Club)
3:20 – 3:40 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Miranda Darrow [EC26] (Athletic Club)
— Helen Thornton-Gussy [EC26] (Athletic Club)
— Amber Meyer [EC26] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC26] (Athletic Club)
— Dawn Barclay [EC26] (Athletic Club)
3:50 – 4:35 PM • Panels, Presentations, & Agent Roundtables
— The Power of Enneagrams - Ticketed Breakout (Birch)
Presenter: Susan Reiss
— Websites 101 (Oak)
Presenter: Jeniffer Thompson
— Running Your Writing Like a Business (Maple)
Moderator: Stephen Eoannou
Panelists: Carolyn Rowland, Lori B. Duff, Mary Stone, T.G. Brown, Tiara Platt
— Crafting Mystery Without the Gore: Cozy Mysteries (Hickory)
Moderator: Michael Rigg
Panelists: John Lamb, J.J. Cagney, Nancy Herriman, Marty Ludlum, Shelley Marsh
— Writing With Medical Accuracy (Sycamore)
Moderator: Rosy Fenwicke
Panelists: Harper Barrow, Renda Knapp, Cheryl Fallin, John Bukowski
— Moving Through The Muddled Middle (Redbud)
Presenters: Christine M. Fairchild, Zelly Ruskin
— Building Suspense (Poplar)
Moderator: Cathey Rhamy
Panelists: Helen Thornton-Gussy, Jennifer Sadera, J.T. Ellison, Rick Hosek, Rick Glaze
— Protecting Yourself and Your Work: The Four Pillars Every Writer Should Know (Williamson) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenter: Tisha Morris
3:55 – 4:35 PM • Killer Nashville Author Speed Date – Presented by: The Dangerous Pen Society
Killer Nashville Author Speed Date
— Bruce Robert Coffin
— Mike Faricy
— Avram Lavinsky
— Robert Mangeot
— Lois Winston
— Carol Potenza
— Debra Gaskill
— Jaden (Beth Terrell)
— David Bruns
— Steven Womack
— Ashley Hagen
— Carmen Amato
— Bradley Harper
— Lisa Wysocky
Agent Roundtable 10 (ART10) - Advance Registration Required
— Tommy Dean (Franklin)
— Ronald Gerber (Franklin)
— Dean Krystek (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam (Harpeth)
— Mason Rowlee (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette (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)
— Dawn Barclay [EC27] (Athletic Club)
4:20 – 4:40 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Amber Meyer [EC28] (Athletic Club)
— John DeDakis [EC28] (Athletic Club)
— Dawn Barclay [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)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— Dawn Barclay [EC29] (Atrium Front)
— Tommy Dean [AC8] (Franklin)
— Ronald Gerber [AC8] (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero [AC8] (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam [AC8] (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette [AC8] (Board Room)
5:20 – 5:40 PM • Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
— John DeDakis [EC30] (Atrium Front)
— Dawn Barclay [EC30] (Atrium Front)
— Tommy Dean [AC9] (Franklin)
— Ronald Gerber [AC9] (Franklin)
— Nikki Carrero [AC9] (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam [AC9] (Harpeth)
— Kristen Terrette [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
— John DeDakis [EC31] (Atrium Front)
— Dawn Barclay [EC31] (Atrium Front)
— Tommy Dean [AC10] (Franklin)
— Nicola Pittam [AC10] (Harpeth)
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)