Schedule – Sunday, August 23rd, 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)

8:00 AM – 3:00 PM • Registration

Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea) open

8:20 – 8:40 AM • Keynote

– Sunday Keynote Speech: Redefining Success: Beyond the Myth of Arrival – Mary Lynn Cloghesy

9:00 – 9:40 AM • Panels & Presentations

Panels & Breakouts
— Books Under Fire: Censorship and Book Banning and How It Affects Writers (Chestnut)

— Defining Characteristics of YA Novels (Birch)

— The Evolution of Gothic: Southern & Traditional (Oak)

— Writing Forensics: Getting the Science Right (Maple)

— How Secondary Characters Drive the Story (Hickory)

— Redefining the Purpose, Process, and Role of Literary Awards in Creative Growth (Sycamore)

— How to Work With an Editor (Redbud) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenters: Dawn Barclay, Miranda Darrow, John DeDakis, Helen Thornton-Gussy, Amber Meyer, Jaden (Beth) Terrell

— What Agents Expect from Their Clients (Poplar) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenters: Tommy Dean, Nicola Pittam, Kristen Terrette

— How to Get the Attention of an Agent (Williamson) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenters: Ronald Gerber, Dean Krystek

10:00 – 10:45 AM • Panels & Presentations

Panels & Breakouts 
— Critique Groups Dos and Don'ts (Chestnut)

— Nowhere to Run: Writing Stories in Isolated and Cut-Off Settings (Birch)

— The Art of Misdirection: Using Red-Herrings to Drive Your Mystery (Oak)

— Ending Every Chapter With a Bang (Maple)

— Conducting Research for True Crime and Fiction (Hickory)

— Law Enforcement Procedures (Sycamore)

— Show, Don't Tell. What Editors Actually Mean (Redbud)
Presenter: Helen Thornton-Gussy

— Native/Indigenous American Crime Fiction (Poplar)
Presenter: Michael Cody

— Illuminating the Shadows: First Pages that Intrigue and Haunt (Williamson) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenter: Tommy Dean

11:00 – 11:20 AM • Book Signings

Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM • Panels & Presentations

Panels & Breakouts
— Dismal Dialogue and How to Fix It (Chestnut)

— Debut Year from the Other Side: The Reality of Your First Year Published (Birch)

— Setting as a Character (Oak)

— Morality in Thrillers & Mysteries (Maple)

— Weaving Conflict Through Every Storyline (Hickory) 

— Beyond the Uniform: Portraying Authentic Military Complexity in Fiction (Sycamore)

— Writing In the World of AI (Redbud) 

— Mirrors, and Murder: Magician Techniques for Mystery Writers (Poplar)
Presenter: Sabrina Thatcher

— Being Your Own Storyteller / Author Interviews (Williamson) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenter: Stacey Horan

12:30 – 1:15 PM • Panels & Presentations

Panels & Breakouts
— The Craft and Art of Literary Storytelling (Chestnut)

— What Neuroscience Really Says About Creativity, Focus, and Productivity for Writers (Birch)
Presenter: Brent Maguire

— Digging Deeper: Research Techniques Every Writer Needs (Oak)

— Psychological Stakes & Tension in Mystery & Thriller Fiction (Maple)

— Writing Romantic Suspense (Hickory)

— Courtroom Procedures (Sycamore)

— Writing and Selling a Series (Redbud)

— Writing as A Healing Practice (Poplar)

— 5 Key Relationships Your Main Character Must Have (Williamson) - Breakout, Ticketed
Presenter: Christine Fairchild 

1:30 – 1:50 PM • Book Signings

Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)

3:00 PM • Registration Closes / Conference Ends

Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea) close