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Rebecca Barray is a hybrid romance author, often partnering with Tobi Doyle. A West Virginia native, she also has ten years of experience copy editing and developmental editing romance novels.
Session titles: (note: co-presenting with SG Redling and Tobi Doyle):
- What am I writing?
- Are you ready to submit your book?
- Writing the Synopsis Clinic.
- Character-Driven Revisions
Doc Benson (www.DocBenson.org) has produced, directed, and even starred in films screened at top international film festivals, received multiple Best Director and Best Screenplay awards, and has been privileged to see his films receive distribution worldwide. He has also served as a television producer, station manager, newspaper journalist, and script doctor, and is a past recipient of the Top Columnist award from the West Virginia Press Association. He holds advanced degrees in Business and Ministry and serves as president of the non-profit Appalachian Cinematic Arts Council.
Session Titles:
- Examining Screenwriting From Start to Finish (a three-part track over three sessions)
Tobi Doyle – A hybrid romance author, Tobi Doyle has published over a dozen romance books. She writes HEAs with heat and humor, romantic suspense, and cozy mysteries. Tobi created content for Romance Writers of America's Pen to Paper Program: a guide to romance writing. She’s also the current President of RWA’s romantic suspense chapter, Kiss of Death, a member of Central Ohio Fiction Writers, West Virginia Writers and other local writing groups.
Session Titles: (note: co-presenting with SG Redling and Rebecca Barray):
- What am I writing?
- Are you ready to submit your book?
- Writing the Synopsis Clinic.
- Character-Driven Revisions
Eric Eyre was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting in 2017 for stories on the opioid crisis. He's now an investigative reporter at Mountain State Spotlight, a new nonprofit news outlet. He is the author of Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight Against the Drug Companies That Delivered the Opioid Epidemic. Eyre previously worked as a reporter for the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette-Mail for 22 years, covering state government, health, business and education. Other awards include the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) Medal, Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize in Education Reporting from the Education Writers Association, National Headliners Award, Society of American Business Editors and Writers award, Gerald Loeb Award for business writing, and an Association of Health Care Journalists award. His investigative stories have mostly spotlighted issues in rural West Virginia communities. Eyre graduated from Loyola University of New Orleans and received a master's degree from the University of South Florida at St Petersburg while on a Poynter Fund Fellowship. He lives in Charleston with his wife Lori, and two cats, BlackieBella and Abby.
We are honored to have Eric Eyre as our 2022 Keynote Speaker.
Connie Kinsey is a former military brat who has put down deep roots in a converted barn on a dirt road at the top of a hill in West Virginia. She lives with two dogs and a cat and is pursuing happiness, one cup of coffee at a time. Her award-winning writing has been published online and in print. She is also a spoken word artist and the Writer-in-Residence for the Museum of the American Military Family. Connie has blogged at https://wvfurandroot.com since 2008 and is wild about comments. You can reach her by email at c_kinsey@frontier.com.
Session Titles:
The Power of the Prompt: Provoked to Write
- Read, Write, Speak – Why You Should Be Doing Open Mics and Spoken Word
- Literary Citizenship and Feats of Derring-Do
Valerie Nieman's new novel is In the Lonely Backwater, a YA/crossover mystery in the Southern gothic tradition. To the Bones, her genre-bending mystery/folk horror about coal country, was a finalist for the 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award, joining three earlier novels, a short fiction collection, and three poetry collections. She has published widely in journals, and has held state and NEA creative writing fellowships. A native of western New York, Nieman was a journalist and farmer in West Virginia. She holds degrees from West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte and recently retired as a creative writing professor at NC A&T State University.
Session Titles:
- Observation and Detail
- Creating Complex Characters
- All into the Pool: Writing the Cross-Genre Novel
Jason Pell is a West Virginia based graphic novelist largely recognized for his work on Zombie Highway, Suicide 5, Zorro: Rise of the Old Gods, Season's End, and Pinpricks. His decades of experience range from him being a writer, artist, colorist, and letterer. His newest book, Bear Skin, will be released in October.
Session Titles (with Mike Tener):
- Creating and Formatting a Story for a Graphic Novel
- Putting Together a Team
- Marketing and Crowdfunding Your Work
SG Redling is the author of more than a half dozen novels, including the best-selling thrillers, FLOWERTOWN and THE WIDOW FILE. A former morning radio host and avid traveler, Sheila is also a language geek, wine enthusiast, and a so-so gardener. She currently lives in her home state of West Virginia with a wide array of wildlife. You can find out more about Sheila on her website: sgredling.com.
Session titles: (note: co-presenting with Tobi Doyle and Rebecca Barray):
- What am I writing?
- Are you ready to submit your book?
- Writing the Synopsis Clinic.
- Character-Driven Revisions
Becky Robinson is the Founder and CEO of Weaving Influence, a full-service marketing agency that specializes in digital and integrated marketing services and public relations for authors, business leaders, coaches, trainers, speakers, and thought leaders.
Since launching nearly a decade ago, the firm has provided a wide range of services to help clients launch more than 150 books, enabling authors to build their brands, acquire more business customers, and increase book sales.
In April 2022, Becky is publishing her first book with Berrett-Koehler Publishers titled, “Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause,” which shares how to create the biggest possible audience for an idea, book, business, or cause.
Session Titles:
- Publishing Choices - The pros and cons of various publishing approaches
- Optimizing the Four Phases of Reach to Grow Influence for Your Book
- Introduction to Podcasts to Market Your Book or Business
Elizabeth Savage is a poet, feminist critic, and professor based in West Virginia. As poetry editor for Kestrel: A Journal of Literature & Art since 2008, she has shaped the biannual publication into one famous for its eclecticism and humanity, a home for emerging and established writers alike.
Elizabeth has published two books and four chapbooks of poetry and has received awards supporting her writing and editorial work, including fellowships from West Virginia Council for the Humanities and Virginia Commission for the Arts. Composer and colleague Daniel Eichenbaum put three of her poems to music and won juried prizes for them. Two new chapbooks, Here, a Portico & Noncallable Debenture, will be published by Trainwreck Press and Dancing Girl Press this summer.
Session Titles:
- Experimental Poetry
- Editing and Publishing Your Poetic Works
- Collaboration With Others (presented with Doug Van Gundy)
Dr. Larry (Lawrence A.) Schardt (pronounced Shard) loves people and has researched human behavior for over 40 years. Being the oldest of eight, he’s had lots of practice.
He regularly shares his messages of inspiration, encouragement, and hope with audiences across the United States and Territories, from Alaska to the US Virgin Islands in his "Success That Rocks" presentations.
He is known for his presentations and writings on success, leadership, motivation, happiness, and living with a positive attitude.
His next book is scheduled to be released in May 2022 . . . "My Runaway Summer," is about running away from Pittsburgh to Ocean City, New Jersey at 15, to escape adversity and survive on his own. Larry is a man who greets everyone with exuberance, the peace sign, and his favorite blessing, “Rock ’n’ Roll!!!”
Session Titles:
- Live Your Passion: Begin with Baby Steps
- Powerful Tools to Enhance Your Writing Success . . . From Aspiring Writer to Empowered Author
- Success That Rocks! . . . How to Live a Lifetime of Happiness and Success
Diane Tarantini hails from Huntington, West Virginia, but now calls a 112-year old Sears kit house in Morgantown home. Tarantini earned a Bachelor’s in Journalism from West Virginia University, and later an MFA in creative nonfiction from Converse College. Her recently published children’s book, The Brave Knight, was chosen to be distributed to each of the 7,000 foster children in West Virginia. Her stories have placed in the West Virginia Fiction Competition (2nd place) and the Writers’ Digest Annual Writing Competition (3rd place, inspirational category). Her story “Black Lungs” placed 2nd in the West Virginia Writers’ Annual Writing Contest, Appalachian category, judged by Silas House. She lost out to Terry McNemar that year but didn’t mind one bit. “Black Lungs” went on to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The link to her blog post, “Killing Her Softly,” retweeted by The Pioneer Woman, has been viewed 26,000+ times. As much as Tarantini loves writing down words, she loves speaking them out loud every bit as much.
Session Titles:
- So You Want to Be a Writer
- Platform 101
- A 12-step Process for Getting a Book From Idea to Published
Mike Tener has lived his whole life in southern West Virginia, growing up loving comics, movies, and video games. Visual storytelling is something he's always wanted to be a part of. He is the creator of Black Jackets, Midnight Highway, and Dead End Moon, all of which had incredibly successful campaigns on Kickstarter.
Session Titles (with Jason Pell):
- Creating and Formatting a Story for a Graphic Novel
- Putting Together a Team
- Marketing and Crowdfunding Your Work
Doug Van Gundy directs the low-residency MFA writing program at West Virginia Wesleyan College. His poems, essays and reviews have appeared in many national and international publications, including Poetry, The Guardian, and The Oxford American. He is co-editor of the anthology Eyes Glowing at the Edge of the Woods: Contemporary Writing from West Virginia and the author of a collection of poems, A Life Above Water and two chapbooks, The October Poems and Pictures & Poems, a collaboration with photographer Matt Eich.
Doug is also a respected traditional musician, and plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and harmonica in the old-time string duo, Born Old. He has won many awards for his fiddle and banjo playing.
Session Titles:
- Persona Poetry
- Shorter Poetry Forms and Techniques
- How to Revise Your Own Poetry