2002 Conference Speakers
EDITORS
 Doris
Booth
Doris Booth is editor-in-chief and owner of Authorlink.com and of Authorlink
Press. She was an award-winning newspaper editor for 11 years and also owned
a Dallas-based advertising and marketing agency. Her book, Writer’s Handbook
of FAQs (Authorlink Press) was released in 2001. Authorlink.com showcases and
markets ready-to-publish manuscripts to the publishing industry. Authorlink
Press publishes trade paperback originals and reprints, primarily in true crime/criminology,
women’s fiction, and a wide range of nonfiction and biographies. Appearing
at the Heartland Writers Conference for the second time, her workshop is What
Editors Really Want: That Mysterious Element Called "Voice".
 Brad
Crawford
Brad Crawford is editor at Writer’s Digest Books and Betterway Books
and former editor at Writer’s Digest magazine, where he specialized in
freelance markets and reported on contract issues and writing scams. He has
worked as a copy editor and newspaper reporter and edits books on writing,
genealogy, photography, and business/time management. Originally from Saint
Louis, he lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is his first appearance at the Heartland
Writers Conference. His workshop is Breaking Into the Magazine Market: Submitting
Your Articles for Publication.
Steve Wilson
An editor with McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers since 1991, Steve
Wilson coordinates the acquisitions program for an annual list of 220 titles
and is involved in all facets of this scholarly and reference publisher's editorial
operations. He handles manuscript proposals in all subject areas within McFarland's
list and serves as managing editor of the twice-yearly Journal of Information
Ethics. His personal interests include Southern literature, woodworking and
automotive history. He is participating in the Heartland Writers Conference
for the second time, his workshop is The Case for Serious Nonfiction.
AGENTS
Bob Robison
Bob Robison of Nashville, Tennessee, is originally from Cape Girardeau,
Missouri, went to Central High School and holds a master’s degree from
Southeast Missouri State University. He previously worked in the music industry
prior to becoming a literary agent. He has been an agent for more than 25 years
and represents most genres (men’s adventure, westerns, murder mysteries,
some romance, some inspirational). Some of Bob’s authors include Chet
Hagan, who produced NBC News; Barry Sadler (Battle of the Green Beret) and
Ralph Compton, one of the top western writers in the world today.
Katharine Sands
Katherine Sands is a New York literary agent with the Sarah Jayne Freymann
Literary Agency, a media management firm. Her mandate is to publish books in
a broad range of categories, from commercial fiction and nonfiction (including
popular culture, beauty, lifestyle, home arts, entertainment and cookbooks)
to serious nonfiction (psychology, social thought, history and health-related
topics) to the more eclectic (popular reference, self-improvement, travel,
humor and spirituality. She represents a wide variety of recent and forthcoming
books and gives seminars on the subjects of writing and publishing. She has
been a guest speaker and panelist for writing forums such as the American Society
of Journalists and Authors (New York), The Writing Center (New York), The Boston
Center for Adult Education, The Write Business (Rhode Island), and the Williamette
Writers’ Conference (Oregon). She has served as an auditor for the Literature
Program of the New York State Council on the Arts. Her book reviews have appear
in The New York Times Book Review, AudioFile and Publishers Weekly.
Sue Yuen
New York agent Sue Yuen handles only commercial adult fiction for Susan
Herner Rights Agency, where she has worked the past 12 years in book agenting.
A graduate of New York University, she holds an MS in biology as well as an
MA in fine arts and classics. Prior to becoming an agent, she worked for more
than 10 years in editorial and contract positions for commercial book publishers.
PUBLISHERS
 Shirleen
Sando
Shirleen Sando is President and Marketing Director of Skyward Publishing
in Dallas, Texas. This Southeast Missouri native is also the founder of Living
Healthy Foods and the author of Beyond Low-Fat Baking: Cancer Fighting Foods
for the Millennium. Shirleen is Vice President and an active member of
the Heartland Writers Guild. Her workshop is Niche Marketing: Increasing Your
Book Sales.
Virginia Gholson Messer
Virginia Gholson Messer is Publisher at Eakin Press in Austin, Texas.
She represents historical fiction (adult and children’s reading levels
4-6), nonfiction history, Civil War, and Southwest Studies. Her workshop, entitled
Small Press Publishing: An Author’s Alternative to New York, reveals
how small and regional presses offer new opportunities to authors of all kinds.
SPECIAL GUESTS
  Marilou
Clark Shaner
and Julia Lawrence
Marilou Clark Shaner and Julia Lawrence will be presenting a workshop entitled
Inside the Crime Lab. Shaner has been a practicing attorney for 20 years and
works as a public defender. She is an active member of the Heartland Writers
Guild.Lawrence has a master’s degree in forensic science. She worked
for the Illinois State Police for 14 years and has set up a crime lab as well
as worked in one. She will graduate from Southern Illinois University Law School
in 2002.
AUTHORS
 Connie
Bennett
Connie Bennett, author of 20 contemporary and historical romances returns
to the Heartland Writers Conference for her 10th year as a speaker. She was
twice nominated for the prestigious Rita Award from Romance Writers of America
and winner of the Romantic Times Life Achievement Award for Best Romantic Mystery.
Two years ago, Connie started her own web design and desktop publishing company,
Silver Moon Designs (www.affordablewebpages.com), and she still conducts a
series of full-day and weekend seminars on plotting the popular fiction novel.
Her workshop topic is What the Heck is a Plot Point?
Vicki Cox
Vicki Cox of Lebanon, Missouri, is the author of Rising Stars and Ozark
Constellations and Profiles of Courage, Ingenuity and Success (Skyward
Publishing, Dallas); They Died Too Young: Diana, Princess of Wales (Chelsea
House); and Women Who Win: Marion Jones (Chelsea House). She is a freelance
feature writer of nearly 500 profiles in numerous publications including the St.
Louis Post Dispatch, Christian Science Monitor, American Profile Magazine,
Today’s Christian Women, Western Horseman, American Cowboy, Grit Magazine,
the Memphis Flyer, Mobile Register and newspapers in 14 states. She is
an adjunct professor for Drury University teaching Culture of the Ozarks. She
is a multiple Missouri Writers Guild winner in categories including best newspaper
story, best magazine story, best essay and best juvenile book. Her workshop
topic is Always Shave Your Legs and Other Tips on Freelancing.
 Don
Donaldson
Since 1968, Don Donaldson has been a faculty member at the U. of Tennessee
Medical School, where he has published dozens of papers on wound healing and
taught microscopic anatomy to over 5,000 medical students. For many years,
writing as D. J. Donaldson, he has authored a mystery series for St. Martin's
press that features protagonists Andy Broussard, Chief Medical Examiner for
New Orleans, and Kit Franklyn, a psychologist who works for Broussard as a
suicide investigator and psychological profiler. More recently, writing as
Don Donaldson, he has produced two medical thrillers, Do No Harm and In
the Blood, which were published by the Berkley division of Penguin Putnam.
He will present a workshop on Structuring the Thriller.
 Diana
Fox
An award winning screenwriter and published author of three books, Diana
Fox started her writing career with a weekly, humorous newspaper column and
has sold articles, short stories and photographs to a variety of magazines.
She teaches creative writing and time management classes and is pursuing a
BA in Creative Writing at Western Michigan University. She works full time
as a financial analyst for Kellogg Company and is working on several writing
projects, including how-to books, a mystery series, screenplays and short stories.
A returning Heartland Writers Conference speaker, her topic is Screenwriting
Tips and Techniques.
‘Fog’ Gilbert
Poet “Fog” Gilbert grew up near Yankee Stadium but calls Carbondale,
Illinois, home since he first began attending Southern Illinois University
in 1968. He has self-published five books of poems under the pseudonym “jacob
erin” and has had more than 70 of his poems published in journals and
magazines since he began writing seriously in the 1980s. “Fog” now
teaches poetry workshop at John A. Logan College. This is his third appearance
at the Heartland Writers Conference. His topic is Meet Me at the Typewriter
at Sundown.
 Charlotte
Hubbard
While she was a school librarian and English teacher, Charlotte Hubbard
started selling confessions to such magazines as True Confessions and Secrets.
She has sold more than 70 stories and moved into book-length fiction with her
first historical romance, Colorado Captive, in 1991. In 1997, she opened a
writing and editorial service, Novel Possibilities, which offers writing instruction
and manuscript critiques. Writing as Melissa MacNeal, she is the author of
three Black Lace novels and a serialized erotic romance online. Her topic is
The Ins and Outs of Erotica. She lives in Jefferson City, Missouri, with her
husband, Neal, and her Border collie, Kelly.
Rob Simbeck
Rob Simbeck is a widely-known writer of great versatility. His recent books
include Daughter of the Air (Atlantic Monthly Press) and Tennessee State Symbols
(University of Tennessee Press reprint). His magazine articles, on topics ranging
from business to astronomy, have appeared in scores of publications, including Field & Stream,
Guideposts, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, American Songwriter, Birder’s
World, and Country Journal. Rob is a contributor to American Country
Countdown, a syndicated radio show. He has also written press bios for entertainers.
This is his second appearance at the Heartland Writers Conference. His workshop
is on Sellable Nonfiction.
 Bobbi
Smith
Bobbi Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 historical
romance novels and has also participated in five short story collections. Since
her first publication in 1982, Bobbi has, to date, over 5 million books in
print. Eden, (December 2001) and Lone Warrior (July 2002) are
her latest additions to a prolific career. A speaker at the first Heartland
Writers Conference and a guild member, Bobbi is in her 10th year as a staff
member and second year as director of the “Great Beginnings” Writing
Competition. Her workshop is...
 Harry
Spiller
Nonfiction author Harry Spiller, who is serving his second consecutive
term as conference coordinator, is the author of nine books, including the
regional bestseller Sheriff and Vietnam: Angel of Death. His
recent books include Pearl Harbor: I Was There and Vietnam POWs,
released by McFarland & Company. He is also the author of numerous true
crime short stories. A former U.S. Marine and sheriff, Harry is an associate
professor in criminal justice at John A. Logan College in Illinois. His workshop
is on Crime Scene Processing.
 Jeanie
Stewart
Jeanie Stewart is a longtime member of HWG and has twice served as its
president.She is also a member of SCBWI. Her first book, Elizabeth’s
Heartbreak, in Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley University series,
was published in 1997. Since then she has written five more romances and two
thrillers for the series. Last year she completed two novels, Ten Book Summer and Davy’s
Disaster, to be released later this year as part of an educational series
for reluctant readers. Her workshop is Writing for Children and Young Adults.
TOP
|
