The 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA Ceremonies will take place VIRTUALLY and LIVE from Tuesday, Sept. 8 – Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.

Hindenburg Workshops on Audiobook Creation and Podcast Editing & Production will take place VIRTUALLY and LIVE on WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2020.

Master Writing Classes with Jessica Morrell will take place VIRTUALLY and LIVE on Thursday and Friday 9:30 – 12:30, Sept. 17 & 18, 2020.

Master Writing Classes with Donald Maass will take place VIRTUALLY and LIVE on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020: Morning and Afternoon Sessions.

The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms

We have a spectacular line-up of experts in marketing, book publicity, publishing, and advanced writing craft lined up for the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference!

Hashtag: #VCAC20 #Storytellers #ContentCreation #LearnFromTheBest

Headliners and Special Guests

Robert Dugoni, Scott Steindorff, Donald Maass, Paul Cutsinger, J.D. Barker, C.C. Humphreys

Robert Dugoni is critically acclaimed New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Best Selling Author of The Tracy Crosswhite series, The Charles Jenkins Series, and the David Sloane series. Since 2013, Dugoni has sold more than 5,000,000 books in the series, and My Sister’s Grave. His new espionage Charles Jenkins series’ first book The Eighth Sister is currently in development with Lionsgate Productions for 11-episodes for TV. His books are sold worldwide in more than 25 countries.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Panel Moderated by Chris Leibig: Book to Film Discussion with Scott Steindorff, J.D. Barker
  • Learning from the Best: Writing Craft: Plotting the Opening – One Chance to Make a First Impression

J. D. Barker, Master of Suspense

J.D. Barker successfully published his debut as an indie and sold enough copies to land on the radar of the traditional publishers in a BIG way including seven-figure advances, two feature films, and a television program.

His debut, self-published novel Forsaken, drew the attention of agents and traditional publishers to his debut thriller series, The Fourth Monkey, which lead to pre-empts and auctions worldwide with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt picking up for the U.S. and HarperCollins in the U.K.

J.D. is an internationally bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Panel Moderated by Chris Leibig: Book to Film Discussion with Scott Steindorff and Robert Dugoni
  • Panel: Writing Craft – Making the Unbelievable Believable with Joy Ross Davis, Avanti Centrae, and Chris Leibig
  • Panel: Writing Craft – How to Create a Sustainable and Compelling Series with Diane Garland, Wendy Delaney, and Pamela Beason

Robert Scott Steindorff: Beyond the Book — Entertainment, Film, and TV

Robert Scott Steindorff is an American film and television producer who is known for adapting literary works into film works.

Scott established his own production company, Stone Village Productions. He works with some of the top people in the entertainment industry such as Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, Ewan McGregor, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Will Farrell, Jack Black, and others.

Scott will join us again and share the latest insider information for the Film Industry. He is currently in production for a film adaption of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. On October 18, 2019, it was announced that Station Eleven would be adapted into a 10-episode miniseries that will premiere on HBO Max. Hiro Murai is set to direct, with Patrick Somerville as showrunner and writer. They will both also serve as executive producers alongside Scott Steindorff, Scott Delman, and Dylan Russell. The miniseries will star Mackenzie Davis as Kirsten and Himesh Patel as Jeevan.

Scott is a professor of practice in both the School of Art and the School of Film, Dance, and Theatre at his alma mater, Arizona State University.

Sessions and Participation at VCAC 20

• Book to Film Panel Discussion with Scott Steindorff, Robert Dugoni, and J.D. Barker. Moderator is Chris Leibig
• Exploration of New and Revolutionary Ways of Storytelling including delving into immersive, mixed reality, and digital art. Nonlinear Story Lines and Using Imagery (words or visuals) to Create an Emotional Affect
• It Takes a Village to Make a Film – Authors, Actors, Screenwriters, Producers, & Directors a Discussion with Scott Steindorff, Tina Sloan, Kaylin McFarren, and TBD.

Scott has produced Chef, Jane Got A Gun, Las Vegas and Empire Falls (TV Series with producer Paul Newman), The Human Stain, Love in the Time of Cholera, and other works.

Michele Miron, Editor for Press Publications wrote that “When producer Scott Steindorff buys rights to a book, there’s a good chance that story will show up on the big screen.” She continues to report that “he makes two to three movies each year.”

Known as Hollywood’s bookman – Scott has chosen the books from these authors to adapt to movies include Philip Roth, Richard Russo, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, T.C. Boyle, Nicholas Sparks, as well as Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer and Mikhail Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita. His latest work that he is producing is Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel.

Click here to watch Scott’s interview on On Word Talks with Storytellers (less than 3 minutes long but he gives some insightful tips).

Paul Cutsinger – Head of Amazon Alexa Labs–

With +100 million devices in use, Voice-enabled technology, and how it affects storytelling and the publishing industry. ●Why Voice-Enabled Technology is Here to Stay ● The Publishing Industry and Voice Technology ● Storytelling and Voice Technology ● Audio-books and Voice

• Conference Sessions:
  • Hi ALEXA! Voice-Driven Technology and the Future of Publishing
  • Voice-Driven Technology and Publishing

Chris (C.C.) Humphreys – Author/Actor on Audiobooks on a Budget with Hindenburg

Chris has played Hamlet in Calgary, a gladiator in Tunisia, and a dead immortal in Highlander; he’s waltzed in London’s West End, conned the landlord of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street, commanded a Starfleet in Andromeda, and voiced Salem the cat in the original Sabrina. He has published 18 novels including The French Executioner, The Jack Absolute Trilogy; Vlad – The Last Confession; A Place Called Armageddon; and Shakespeare’s Rebel. His novel Plague won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in Canada in 2015. He is now writing epic fantasy with the Immortals’ Blood Trilogy, for Gollancz; the first book, Smoke in the Glass, was published in 2019.

• Conference Sessions:
  • How to Create Awesome Audiobooks on a Budget with Elana Mugdan, and Hindenburg Systems’ expert, Jonathan Hurley
  • Writing Craft: Historical Fiction: How to Both Fictionalize Real Characters and Realize Fictional Ones
  • A Kaffeeklatch: Getting Your Work Noticed in the Entertainment Biz/Hollywood with Elana Mugdan

Two World-Class Leaders in Podcast Generation & Audiobook Creation present VCAC20 Workshops

Learn from the Best!

Hindenburg Systems Team Members:

ANITA MICHALSKI and JONATHAN HURLEY

Master Workshop Sessions on Wednesday, Sept 16, 2020:

Two 3- Hour Workshops. Participants must sign up ahead of time for these two workshops to receive the link to download the proper Hindenburg apps vital for the class. You will be using your laptops. Come prepared!

AUDIO-BOOK CREATION Workshop– each attendee will receive a 6-month license to Audiobook Creator (HABC) upon completion of Chris’ workshop. Seats are limited. Please reserve your spot today.

JOURNALIST PRO Workshop– each attendee will receive a 6-month license to Journalist Pro for Podcasters upon completion of Anita’s workshop. Seats are limited. Please reserve your spot today.

Conference Session:

• Introduction to Audio-book Creation – and Save Money with Jonathan and authors Elana Mugdan and Chris Humphreys who used the HS app to produce their audiobooks and saved thousands of dollars. (Attendees will have access to the online tutorial sessions and system updates post-conference from Hindenburg Systems.)

Audiobook Creation Workshop – Jonathan Hurley

Jonathan Hurley graduated from Berklee College of Music is 2004. In the following years, he has recorded, edited, and produced various records, film scores, and other audio projects. Jonathan also worked for several years as a teacher in the Massachusetts public school system, developing his pedagogical and training skills.

From 2014 to 2020 Jonathan worked as an audio editor and Digital Production Specialist at Perkins School for the Blind. Perkins produces 50 audio-books a year and with a staff of 35 narrators.

As Digital Production Specialist, Jonathan was responsible for all training and audio-related production at the Perkins recording studios. In this role, he trained narrators in how to use Hindenburg Audio Book Creator to independently narrate, record, and produce complete audio-books.

Jonathan’s training included all aspects of technical production and narration techniques, ranging from preparing for recording, breath-control, posture, and alignment to correct microphone use. The training regime he created improved the ability of narrators to create an audio experience that people want to listen to.

Jonathan also trained the reviewers and editors at Perkins to format and edit the books for final production, including creating a Table of Contents structure, adding correct room tone and marking corrections to be rerecorded, as well as ensuring that the final audiobook files were exported to meet standards for audiobook hosting platforms such as Audible’s ACX.

Jonathan has recently started working for Fluent Learning producing and sound designing two serial podcasts.

Jonathan Hurley, Hindenburg Systems Team

PODCAST Workshop – Anita Michalski

Anita Michalski is Media Creative and Radio Broadcaster. She graduated from Melbourne Polytechnic and RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. She is Radio Trainer for PBS and Schools on Air Producer for SYN Media. Anita is a member of SheMentors, an organization that empowers women in business.

• Conference Session:
  • Don’t be Left OUT and OFF the Airwaves – Introduction to Podcasting with Anita Michalski (Attendees will have access to the online tutorial sessions and system updates post-conference from Hindenburg Systems.)

Anita Michalski, Hindenburg Systems Team

Jessica Page Morrell: Writing Craft Sessions that Will Take Your Work to the Next Level

Jessica Page Morrell

Learn from the Best!

Each year we offer writing craft sessions from the best editors and authors in the publishing industry. This year we are excited to announce that we have Jessica Page Morrell as the teacher of the Master Writing Class Sessions.

Jessica understands both sides of the editorial desk–as a highly-sought after developmental editor and author. Her work also appears in multiple anthologies and The Writer and Writer’s Digest magazines. She is known for explaining the hows and whys of what makes for excellent writing and for sharing very clear examples that examine the technical aspects of writing that emphases layering and subtext. Her books on writing craft are considered “a must-have” for any serious writer’s toolkit.

Master Class taught by Jessica Morrell — additional fee required.

Master Class: Between the Lines: Master the Subtle Techniques of Fiction Jessica P. Morrell ©

Between the Lines: Master the Subtle Techniques of Fiction – September 17, 2020; 9:30 – 12:30
Readers want to be haunted by stories, characters, and specific scenes that linger in their memories. While reading they want to be transported to another time and place. The best fiction does this; touching the deep layers in us. A writer achieves this effect by embedding many techniques into his story to create a deep and simmering story world. Yet, since some elements in fiction are suggested or remain invisible they’re difficult to analyze. This workshop brings these fictional elements into the light to help you create your own nuanced, layered, and compelling stories. We’ll combine discussion and exercises, and read three short stories during the workshop session, we’ll cover various vital techniques for creating fiction with depth and resonance. Generous handouts will be included.

These techniques include:

• Using subtext and subtlety to create deeper meanings.
• How themes whisper and enhance other aspects of the story.
• How to make pacing decisions and how to milk highly charged scenes for maximum drama.
• How tension and suspense contribute to every page.
• How foreshadowing creates credibility.
• The proportion of details needed to create a story world that breathes.

Master Writing Class SUBPLOTS: The STORIES WITHIN STORIES – Level Intermediate to Advanced – September 18, 2020 – 9:30 – 12:30

Subplots are miniature stories woven into the main storyline, complete and intriguing in their own right, and serve to contrast, reinforce, or divert attention from the main plot. Subplots canto drive the story forward while complicating the protagonist’s life, prove that life is messy and entwined, and echo themes or feature secondary characters. Some subplots affect the story’s outcome, some do not.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Captivating Co-Stars: Why Secondary Characters Need More Attention
  • Writing Craft Session: Presenter’s Choice
  • KaffeeKlatch – Round Table Discussion – Word Nerds with Jessica and Kiffer

Donald Maass, Founder, and President of the Maass Literary Agency

Donald Maass (New York, NY) heads the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City, which represents more than 150 novelists and sells more than 150 novels every year to publishers in America and overseas. He is a past president of the Association of Authors Representatives, Inc., and is the author of several books writing craft books.

Donald Maass comes to the VCAC20 prepared!

Donald Maass: The Masterclasses will take place on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 9:- 12:30; 1:30 – 4:30 in the afternoon.

Session 1: The Breakout Novel 2.0, Part 1

Session 2: The Breakout Novel 2.0, Part 2 (You do not have to take Part 1 to register for Part 2.)

Simon-Pierre Marion, CEO of Scenarex – the developer of BOOKCHAIN – the online secure selling platform that allows you to retain more of your royalties.

Simon-Pierre Marion, CEO of Bookchain by Scenarex

The main reason he founded Scenarex, is to provide publishers and content creators with innovative and effective tools based on blockchain that allows them to manage their digital files and protect their content against piracy and theft, and all without compromising their accessibility or impeding their impact on the public.

Scenarex’s flag product, Bookchain®, is the first worldwide online platform to publish, sell, and read ebooks using blockchain technology and allowing for local currency for purchases and rights holders’ royalty distribution. With over 20 years of experience in supervising IT application development, budgeting, and project management, he also holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (B.Sc.) and an Executive Master of Business Administration (eMBA), with a specialization in technology management. Simon-Pierre manages the overall operations and resources of the company while ensuring its continued development and growth.

Conference Sessions:

• 5 Reasons Why You Should Publish Your Epubs on Bookchain

DID YOU KNOW? Bookchain is hosting the e-pub VCAC Virtual Book Fair!

Do you want to upload your works to Bookchain? Set up a time after the session to have the CEO himself help you navigate this secure platform for selling digital books.

Amy and Wayne of CHATABLES – to present a 3-tiered workshop on Conversational Storytelling at the Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference (VCAC 20).

These sessions will build on each other. Those who complete the 3 sessions will be invited to join an exclusive group of authors that is by invitation only. There is no cost to join.

Amy Stapleton

Amy Stapleton is Co-Founder of Chatables, a publisher of voice-first conversational stories and tools to support authors. Prior to Chatables, Stapleton founded Tellables and served as a voice app designer, writer, and editor of content for the Tellables Amazon Alexa story experiences “Tricky Genie” and “My Box of Chocolates. Stapleton retired from a career at NASA to pursue her vision of transforming talking devices into a platform for engaging new story experiences.

Wayne Richard

Co-founder of Chatables and publisher of Voice First conversational stories and tools to support authors. Wayne has published a series of “advisor” skills on Alexa. He is embracing the voice user interface as the next new tech powerhouse.

• Conference Sessions, Chatables in 3 Tiers:
  
  • Tier 1: Why Amazon’s Alexa Should be Telling Your Story
  • Tier 2: A New Money-Making Platform for Authors
  • Tier 3: How and Why We Publish Your Story to Alexa: A Round Table Discussion
    

Janice Ellis, Ph.D.

Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D., Award-winning author, newspaper columnist, Political Scientist

For 30 years, Dr. Ellis analyzes educational, political, social, and economic issues across race, ethnicity, age, and socio-economic status. Janice Ellis holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts, and two Master of Arts degrees, one in Communications Arts and a second in Political Science, all from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. Her novel, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream won the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize in the Journey Awards. Dr. Ellis continues to be an important voice in race and gender relations.

• Conference Session:
  • The Critical Role Authors Play in Fostering a Better Society

As a CIBA JOURNEY Grand Prize Award Winner for her From Magnolia to Liberty memoir, Janice will pass the torch as she announces the award winners at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs).

Diane Garland

Diane Garland and her editorial company Your WorldKeeper, specializes in the world of continuity. Multiple USA Today best-selling and award-winning authors in various genres rely on her system of cataloging and organizing the minutiae and rules of their story worlds. Growing up as an AF Brat, Diane traveled extensively as a child, which has fueled her passion for travel and reading. She graduated from Florida State University and is a life-long learner. She, along with her husband and two cats, have recently relocated to Columbus, Ohio from the Seattle, Washington area.

Join Diane at her sessions about the necessity, creation, and organization of a story bible along with pointers on maintaining and using it to take your author career to the next level.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Panel: Writing Craft – How to Create a Sustainable and Compelling Series with J.D. Barker, Wendy Delaney, and Pamela Beason
  • Your Story World: Beyond Eye Color and the Weather

Tana Hope

Tana Hope is a certified Perfect Posture Instructor and a certified 3MAP practitioner (Acupuncture Meridian, Muscle, Massage, Anatomy & Physiology).

Tana’s knowledge base is due in part from her unique multi-culture background. Tana was born & raised in Korea, has lived in Japan and now in the U.S. Tana’s work history includes the Korean National Congress, U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Octel Communications, and U.S. Customs District office.

Tana designed and delivers The HOPE (Healthy Optimal Posture Education) Workshop to help people understand the basic fundamental principles of how body functions and to learn how to operate body in harmony and operate wisely based on the body design principals to produce the maximum performance and longevity.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Writers: Improve Your Productivity and Your Health by Correcting Posture – Part 1 Healthy Optimal Posture Education workshop
  • Remedies and Correcting Posture for Writers: Improve Your Productivity and Your Health – Part 2 Healthy Optimal Posture Education workshop –

Kaylin McFarren has received 50 national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious RWA Golden Heart Award nomination for FLAHERTY’S CROSSING – a book she and her oldest daughter, New York Times/USA Today best-selling author Kristina McMorris, co-wrote in 2008 and was then opted and made into a Hallmark film. Prior to embarking on her writing journey and developing the popular, THREADS psychological thriller series (Twisted Threads was the CLUE Book Awards Grand Prize winner). She enjoys giving back to her community through participation and support of various charitable, medical and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Her latest release, HIGH FLYING, takes readers on an unusual time-travel adventure, which asks challenging questions that will linger long after the final twists are revealed.

• Conference Session:
  • How to Have 1,048 Readers Requesting Your Booko in the 1st Day of a 100 Book Giveaway
  • Panel: It Takes a Village to Make a Film – Authors, Actors, Screenwriters, Producers, & Directors: with Scott Steindorff, Tina Sloan, and Moderated by Bellingham’s own Talking to Crows, film production company leads, Cassidy and Stacy

As a CIBA CLUE Grand Prize Award Winner for her Twisted Threads novel, Kaylin will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs).

Elana Mugdan: Marketing Expert, Book Tour Aficionado, Cos-Player, Fantasy Author

Elana will participate in our Market Panel and discuss out-of-the-box marketing techniques that have expanded her audience. As the Vitamin Water Challenge Winner, even more market space has been added to her already impressive resume’.

If you are struggling with ideas on how to promote your work, you will not want to miss this panel!

• Conference Sessions:
  • How to Create Awesome Audiobooks on a Budget with C.C. Humphreys and Hindenburg System’s Jonathan Hurley
  • A Kaffeeklatch: Getting Your Work Noticed in the Entertainment Biz/Hollywood with C.C. Humphreys

As a Grand Prize for her book, The Dragon Speaker, Elana will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs) on Tuesday evening.

Elana will also recognize the finalists and announce the Grand Prize Winner for the 2019 CIBA Divisions, and perhaps announce the Overall Grand Prize Winner on Sunday evening.

Pamela Beason – P.I., Ghost Writer, and Author of the Four Mysteries Series

Pamela Beason – author of 14 mysteries and experiences BookBub user. She will share her knowledge of Bookbub and how to write a sustained series with us.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Bookbub and Book Discovery Services for Readers
  • Panel: Writing Craft – How to Create a Sustainable and Compelling Series with J.D. Barker, Wendy Delaney, and Diane Garland

As a Grand Prize for her book, The Only Witness, Pamela will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs) on Friday evening.

Janet Shawgo started writing in 2009 and has five books published to date. Her Look for Me series has some thirty awards and acknowledgments. Janet has added interest to her stories from her own travels. Janet lives in Galveston Texas but over her twenty plus years as a travel nurse, her life has crossed the United States. Being a nurse for over thirty-three years (most of those in Labor and Delivery) has assisted in her writing.

• Conference Sessions:
  • How and Why We Publish Your Story to Amazon Alexa: A Round Table Discussion with Chatables: Tier 3/3 with Amy Stapleton, Wayne Richard, and authors PJ Devlin and Kelly Abell
  • Just Call Out Name: Collaborating with Other Authors with Sean Dwyer

As a CHATELAINE Grand Prize Winner for Find Me Again, and First in Category for Archidamus, Janet will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs) on Saturday evening, and recognize the finalists and announce the Grand Prize Winners on Sunday evening.

Sean Dwyer: Award-winning Novelist & Renaissance Man

Sean has been a writer since he discovered that people strung words together to tell stories. He is also a polyglot and has written creatively in Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Latin, and Irish. Sean has finished three novel projects and published stories in several journals, anthologies, and Chanticleer Magazine. A native of Gary, Indiana, and Dwyer teaches Spanish, German, and Portuguese at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. The author of over 100 songs, Dwyer is also an active member of Red Wheelbarrow Writers, Whatcom Writers and Publishers, and Upstart Crows.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Virtual Author Events: How to Pivot from LIVE to VIRTUAL for Book Launches, Book Clubs, and Books Events with Janet Oakley and Gail Noble-Sanderson
  • Just Call Out My Name – Collaborating with Other Authors with Janet Shawgo

As a CIBA SOMERSET and JOURNEY Grand Prize and First Place Category Winner for his works, Chocolate on the Pillow and A Quest for Tears, Sean will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs) on Saturday evening.

Sean will also recognize the Finalists and Announce the Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2019 Division on Sunday!

Janet Oakley: Award-Winning Author and Historian, and Community Leader

J. L. Oakley writes historical fiction that spans the mid-19^th century to WW II with characters standing up for something in their own time and place. She is an award-winning author and a recipient of the 2013 Bellingham Mayor’s Arts Award; the 2013 Chanticleer Grand Prize; the 2014 First Place Chaucer Award; an Everybody Reads and Bellingham. When not writing, she demonstrates 19th-century folkways in the schools and at San Juan Island National Park. She also has a cat who thinks she’s editing. Read pick and the 2015 WILLA Silver Award, Pulpwood Queen Book Club 2016 backlist pick for February 2016.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Virtual Author Events: How to Pivot from LIVE to VIRTUAL for Book Launches, Book Clubs, and Books Events with Sean Dwyer and Gail Noble-Sanderson

As a First in Category winner in the Goethe, Laramie, and Chatelaine Awards for Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity, the Chaucer Award for Timber Rose and The Jøssing Affair, and the OVERALL Grand Prize for her book, Tree Soldier, Janet will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs) on Saturday evening and recognize the finalists and announce the Grand Prize winner, and perhaps the Overall Grand Prize winner on Sunday evening.

Christopher LeibigChristopher Leibig is a criminal defense attorney and an award-winning novelist. His last novel, Almost Mortal, a legal thriller about a serial killer with a biblical/metaphysical twist, was a best seller in the legal thriller category on Amazon in the Spring of 2017. Almost Mortal won many national awards, including the Grand Prize in Paranormal Fiction at the 2017 Chanticleer International Book Awards (And First Place Category Winner for Mystery and Fantasy), Best Religious Fiction of 2016 at the Next Generation Independent Books Awards, and the Pencraft Award for Best Legal Thriller of 2017. Chris is a full-time criminal defense attorney and former public defender in Alexandria, Virginia, and regularly handles serious criminal cases throughout Virginia.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Book to Film Panel Discussion with Scott Steindorff, Robert Dugoni, and J.D. Barker. Chris will moderate this panel.
  • Writing Craft – Making the Unbelievable Believable – Panel: with Joy Davis Ross, J.D. Barker and Avanti Centrae

As a CLUE First in Category Winner for Almost Mortal, Chris will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs) on Tuesday evening, and recognize the finalists and announce the Grand Prize Winners on Sunday evening.

Tina Sloan is best known for her twenty-six-year role on CBS’s soap The Guiding Light and as the author of Changing Shoes: Getting Older – Not Old – with Style, Humor, and Grace based on her autobiographical one-woman show. The Changing Shoes book release coincided with the launch of the show in New York, which went on to grace stages across the U.S. and in London. Her debut novel Chasing Cleopatra, a suspenseful romantic thriller features an irresistible heroine.

Tina has appeared on Law & Order: SVU, Third Watch and in numerous films including Woody Allen’s Celebrity and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The Brave One with Jodi Foster, Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck, The Guru with Marisa Tomei, People I Know with Al Pacino and Black Swan with Natalie Portman. Her latest projects include being part of an all-star cast on the soap web series Beacon Hill and Venice, and she continues to be a sought after speaker.

• Conference Sessions:
  • It Takes a Village to Make a Film – Authors, Actors, Screenwriters, Producers, & Directors a Discussion with Scott Steindorff, Kaylin McFarren, and TBD.

Avanti Centrae is the author of the International Award-Winning VanOps thriller series. The Lost Power took home a genre grand prize ribbon at the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) 2017, and an Honorable Mention at the 2018 Hollywood Book Festival. Her work has been compared to that of James Rollins, Steve Berry, Dan Brown, and Clive Cussler. She resides in Northern California with her family and German Shepherds.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Panel: Writing Craft – Making the Unbelievable Believable with J.D. Barker, Avanti Centrae, and Chris Leibig

Joy Ross Davis After a twenty-five-year career as a college English professor, Joy retired and traveled to Ireland where she worked as a writer and photographer, publishing numerous travel articles and photos for a travel agency. She has been a contributing feature writer for a local newspaper and has published articles in Southern literary magazines. Her first novel, Countenance, won the Gold Medal for Excellence from Readers’ Favorites. Her newest novel The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove won the Grand Prize in Paranormal Fiction in 2018 from Chanticleer Author Awards in Seattle and was picked up for publication by Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Writing Craft – Making the Unbelievable Believable – Panel: with Christopher Leibig, J.D. Barker and Avanti Centrae

Gail Nobel-Sanderson

Gail Nobel-Sanderson worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist and published many educational programs for children with special needs. She now turns her attention to the writing of historical fiction. She published her first historical fiction novel, The Lavender House in Meuse. In September 2017, the sequel to her first book, The Passage Home to Meuse, was published. She is currently working on her next book in this series and a book of short stories.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Virtual Author Events: How To Pivot from LIVE to VIRTUAL for Book Launches, Book Clubs, and Book Events with Janet Oakley and Sean Dwyer

Denise Ditto Satterfield

Denise Ditto Satterfield is a multi-award winning novelist who specializes in Children’s Literature. Denise is a graduate from the University of Houston-Downtown, Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Professional Writing. She published two short stories in her university literary magazine, The Bayou Review, 2001 and 2007 Edition, and won First Place in the Creative Writing Contest for her short story, Summer Breeze. Denise won two Grand Prizes in consecutive years in the Little Peeps Awards for her work in The Tooth Collector books.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Children’s Book Panel: Writing and Selling Children’s Books – Children’s Book Authors Share Their Tip & Tricks with Barbara Jean Hicks and M.J. Evans

As a double Grand Prize winner for her books, The Tooth Collector Fairies: Batina’s Best First Day, and The Tooth Collector Fairies: Home from Decay Valley, Denise will present at the 2019 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards ceremonies (The CIBAs) and recognize the finalists and announce the 1st Place Winners on Wednesday evening.

Barbara Jean Hicks

Barbara Jean Hicks is an award-winning author, storyteller, speaker, and educator. She’s published eight picture books, taught at the preschool, middle school, and community college levels, and worked in an urban elementary school as author-in-residence, program facilitator, and parent educator. She has also written adult novels and novellas and marketing copy for numerous businesses and trade publishers and worked as an editor and proofreader.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Children’s Book Panel: Writing and Selling Children’s Books – Children’s Book Authors Share Their Tip & Tricks with Denise Ditto Satterfield and M.J. Evans

Wendy Delaney is the author of the award-winning Working Stiffs Mystery series and a sought-after “plotstormer” who loves to help other writers develop their storylines. With over twenty years in the business of being an author, Wendy speaks at regional writers’ conferences and has coached writers to help them map out their stories as well as their author goals. As a veteran of both the traditionally published and indie author worlds, she has a wealth of experience she loves to share with other writers.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Panel: Writing Craft – How to Create a Sustainable and Compelling Series with J.D. Barker, Diane Garland, and Pamela Beason

P. J. Devlin tells stories about relationships. Her characters meet at the intersection of acceptance and rejection and their choices impel them to understand what it means to be human. Whether writing of a witch, a dwarf, an elderly woman, white and black teenagers, or a black indentured servant, Devlin’s characters exist in the Philadelphia of her birth and share her love of the Wissahickon Creek.

• Conference Sessions:
  • How and Why We Publish Your Story to Amazon Alexa: A Round Table Discussion with Chatables: Tier 3/3 with Amy Stapleton, Wayne Richard, and authors Janet Shawgo and Kelly Abell

Kelly Abell is the author of internationally best-selling romances and romantic suspense. Her characters are filled with passion, power, and purpose in predicaments that keep a reader turning the pages. She lives in Florida where she helps other writers by teaching workshops and sharing writing tips.

• Conference Sessions:
  • How and Why We Publish Your Story to Amazon Alexa: A Round Table Discussion with Chatables: Tier 3/3 with Amy Stapleton, Wayne Richard, and authors Janet Shawgo and P.J. Devlin

MJ Evans has always loved writing, and for seventeen years she coached Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams, forming one-act plays for children. MJ has a deep love for horses, they are the subject of most of her books…from the non-fiction equestrian trail guide books titled “Riding Colorado”, “Riding Colorado II” and “Riding Colorado III” to her fantasy stories and novels.

• Conference Sessions:
  • Children’s Book Panel: Writing and Selling Children’s Books – Children’s Book Authors Share Their Tip & Tricks with Denise Ditto Satterfield and Barbara Jean Hicks

Sarah Stamey

Sarah Stamey is an award-winning novelist who loves treasure hunting, teaching scuba in the Caribbean, backpacking worldwide, operating a nuclear reactor, and owning a farm in Southern Chile – and teaching creative writing at Western Washington University.

As a Grand Prize winner in the GLOBAL THRILLERS Awards for her book, The Aridane Connection, Sarah will recognize the finalists and announce the 1st Place Winners of the 2019 Global Thriller Divsion on Friday evening.

Jacquie Rogers

Jacquie Rogers is a former software designer, campaign manager, deli clerk, and cow milker. Her 2007 release, Faery Special Romances, won the Fall NOR Award for Best Print Sci-fi/Fantasy Romance and final-ed several other contests. Jacquie won 4 Will Rogers Gold Medallions, the Laramie Award Grand Prize Winner, and a RttA Winner for books in her, Honey Beaulieu, Man Hunter series.

As a Grand Prize winner in the LARAMIE Awards for her book, Hot Work in Fry Pan Gulch: Honey Beaulieu – Man Hunter #1, Jacquie will recognize the finalists and announce the 1st Place Winners of the 2019 Laramie Divsion on Thursday evening.

Michelle Rene

Michelle Rene is a creative advocate and the author of a number of published works of historical fiction and speculative fiction. She is the author of novels, short stories, essays, and video games. She has won multiple indie awards. Her novel, Hour Glass, won Chanticleer Review’s “Best Book of the Year” award in 2018. Michelle’s latest Fantasy novel, Manufactured Witches, is a Finalist in the 2019 DANTE ROSSETTI and OZMA Awards.

As a Grand Prize winner in the LARAMIE Awards for her book, Hour Glass, Michelle will recognize the finalists and announce the Grand Prize winner in the Laramie Awards, and perhaps the Overall Grand Prize Winner of the 2019 CIBAs on Sunday evening.

Peter Greene

Peter Greene is the author of The Adventures of Jonathan Moore books, a three-volume series includingWarship Poseidon, Castle of Fire, and Paladino’s War. Warship Poseidonwas awarded the 2012 Adventure Writer’s Competition Grandmaster Award, the “Clive” trophy, sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector’s Society. Greene won Grand Prize in the GOETHE Awards for Paladino’s War.

Talking Crows Film Production Company is a full-service video production company specializing in story brand videos, live events, and human-interest profiles.

• Conference Sessions:
  • It Takes a Village to Make a Film – Authors, Actors, Screenwriters, Producers, & Directors a Discussion with film producer Scott Steindorff, actress Tina Sloan, author Kaylin McFarren, and Bellingham’s own Talking to Crows, film production company with Cassidy and Stacy Moderating the Panel

The Concise List of Faculty, Presenters, & Panelists for VCAC 20 by First Name

Learn from the Best!

• Amy Stapleton – Chatables – Interactive Voice-Driven Devices
• Andrew (Argus) Brown – COO & CTO – Chanticleer Media
• Anita Michalski – Radio Broadcaster and Media Creative – Hindenburg Systems
• Avanti Centrae – author
• Barbara Jean Hicks – children’s books author
• Chris (C.C.) Humphreys – actor & author
• Chris Leibig – author
• Denise Ditto Satterfield – children’s books author
• Diane Garland – world & continuity editor
• Donald Maass – literary agent
• Elana Mugdan – actor, producer, & author
• Gail Noble Sanderson – author
• Jacquie Rogers – author
• Janet Oakley – author & historian
• Janet Shawgo – author & nurse
• Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D. – social issues analyst, newspaper columnist & author
• J.D. Barker – author
• Jessica Morrell – developmental editor & author
• Jonathan Hurley – musician & digital production – Hindenburg Systems
• Joy Davis Ross – author
• Kaylin McFarren – author
• Kiffer Brown – head hen
• Kimberly Abell – author
• Michelle Renee – author
• M.J.Evans – children’s books author
• Pamela Beason – author
• Paul Cutsinger – Amazon Alexa
• PJ Devlin – author
• Robert Dugoni – author
• Sarah Stamey – author
• Scott Steindorff – film producer
• Sean Dwyer – author & translator
• Sharon Anderson – editor & author, Chanticleer Team
• Simon-Pierre Marion – Bookchain.ca
• Tana Hope – #MAP practitioner and Perfect Posture Instructor
• Tina Sloan – actor & author
• Wayne Richard – Chatables
• Wendy Delaney – author

… Kiffer Brown

Kiffer is the founder of Chanticleer Book Reviews and International Writing Competitions, LLC. She also specializes in curating books with the potential to become fully actualized intellectual properties.

Her addiction is finding sparkling gems that will become tomorrow’s bestsellers. She is known for her instinct in picking winners. She also acts as an independent acquisitions editor for publishers and entertainment companies. Kiffer is known for her marketing talent and networking skills. She truly loves what she does and her passion shows!