2024 Authors & Workshops

David Arnold

David Arnold writes books for a living, but he used to write songs for very little money, and even then, he was often fired. Like that time Applebees® hired him to write a commercial jingle, and when he turned in the song—which sounded *exactly like* what they asked for, mind you—they said they wanted something different. After a few rounds of this, David (whose patience and goodwill is known the world over) got fed up and recorded a rap song about the only Applebees® in Middle-earth, frequently patronized by Gandalf the Grey who just couldn’t get enough of those tasty boneless wings. Alas, the suits at Applebees® had long outgrown their senses of humor, and so, fired David. He accepted his fate with aplomb, and now writes books for a living, which, joke’s on them, he much prefers to writing songs for suits. Learn more (about David, not Applebees®) at davidarnoldbooks.com and follow him on Instagram @iamdavidarnold.
 
Writing Workshop
DIALOGUE THEATER
Witty repartee! Clever banter! People talking, for the win! The best dialogue isn’t a call and response: it’s a duet, each voice with its own part of the story to tell. Dialogue Theater will explore the ways in which story is propelled by nothing more than two people talking. We’ll look at examples of great (and not so great) dialogue, and then implement what we’ve learned into our own original, dialogue-forward scenes. Aspiring thespians are encouraged (though not required) to pair up and read aloud what they’ve written.
 
Featured Books
I Loved You in Another Life (HS),
Mosquitoland (MS/HS),
The Electric Kingdom (HS),
The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik (HS)

Mayra
Cuevas

Mayra Cuevas is the author of multiple novels for teens, co-founder of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival and a former award-winning journalist for CNN. She is an Island girl from Puerto Rico who currently lives in Atlanta. She loves to try new foods from around the globe, belly pet her Chihuahua Maggie Moo, and hang out with her 88-year-old abuelita. In high school she was horrible at sports, a total book nerd and president of her student council. She’ll read anything. Really. From the descriptions in the King Arthur Baking Catalog to romance, thrillers and even gothic horror. Did I say she’s a total book nerd? 
 
Writing Workshop
Plot like an author!: Maybe you have an amazing idea for a story, but you don’t know where to start, or worse—you are stuck in the muddy middle. This workshop will guide you through the steps of the three-act structure so you can plot your story like a pro. We will be working in small groups to break down the elements of story, brainstorm ideas and develop a story. Writers will also be encouraged to mine their lived experience for raw material that will make their stories and characters come to life on the page.  
 
Featured Books
Salty, Bitter, Sweet (HS) 
Does My Body Offend You? (HS)

Shelli R. Johannes

Shelli is the author of 25 children's books including picture books, Early Readers, chapter books, a middle grade, and teen novels. She loves cheese dip, jelly beans, animals and her own jokes. She can often be found on highways and country roads saving strays and jaywalking critters, including grumpy snapping turtles, feathered friends, and trapped livestock. She’s a self-described Web MD expert and married her British husband because he was "Dr." (Only to discover later that he only had a PHD in topography and not in a medical field).
 
Writing Workshop
Secrets to Being a KickA$$ Writer
(and maybe even a spy)**
In this “confidential briefing", you will learn how to: - Train as a "Writer in Black" (WIB) to learn tricks of the trade that you can use on the page. - Take down your Inner Enemy (who is always trying to stop you!) - Create cool dudes and sassy chicks (that we want to love and hate) - Adding some humor (because we can always use a good laugh.) - Write a story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats (without falling off - because let’s face it - that’s just embarrassing!) Plus uncover a bunch of really classified stuff that I can’t mention in this summary for fear that my cover may be blown.
 
Featured Books
Untraceable (YA)
Uncontrollable (YA)
Unstoppable (YA)
ReWired (YA)
On the Bright Side (MS)

vanessa L. torres

Vanessa L. Torres is a Mexican American author of books for young readers. Fun fact: she did not like to read as a child, mostly because she never saw herself in books. She's set on changing this through her books. But Vanessa hasn't always been a writer. And because becoming Indiana Jones never happened, she loves to reinvent herself every so often, which makes for awesome book material. Here's just a snippet of who she's been. "Cart-girl" on a golf course. Ballet dancer. The Minneapolis Junior Fire Chief. Waitress. Bartender. Shoe saleswoman, Flight medic in a helicopter. Paramedic in Guatemala. Server trainer for The Hard Rock Cafe. Firefighter. Rock climber. SCUBA diver. Trail runner. Ski patrol. A mother. A wife. An author!
 
Writing Workshop
Contemporary Romantacy: entangling romantic fantasy with reality. 
A deep dark gaze that makes a heart flutter. The anticipation of a secret meeting. A scent that stirs the memory of a sweet kiss. Love is Love, whether it is grounded in realistic fiction or entangled in a mystical world filled with unknowns. In this workshop we will combine the two and learn the secrets to writing grounded fantasy romance that takes flight.

Featured Books
 THE TURNING POINTE 
ON THE WINGS OF LA NOCHE (Spring '25) 

Lisa
​McMann

Lisa McMann is the NYT bestselling author of middle grade fantasy books like The Unwanteds series, Clarice the Brave, and The Forgotten Five series, as well as young adult books like the WAKE trilogy and Cryer's Cross. She is left-handed in most things, but is ambidextrous when it comes to sports. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, and her whole family is creative! Her husband Matt is a writer, her son Kilian is an artist, and her daughter Kennedy is an actor.
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Writing Workshop
Writing Characters Your Readers Will Care About: Lisa goes in-depth on how to write characters who are interesting, multi-layered, sympathetic, and different from each other, and how they intertwine, shine, and work together to advance the plot. We'll discuss various ways to dig deep inside yourself to help make your characters unique, flawed, and remarkable, and we'll work together to build a memorable character who is sure to jump off the page. 

​Featured Books
​​​​The Forgotten Five: Dangerous Allies (MS/HS)
The Forgotten Five: Map of Flames (MS/HS)
The Forgotten Five: The Invisible Spy (MS/HS)
Forgotten Five: Rebel Undercover (MS/HS)
The Unwanteds (MS/HS)
The Unwanteds: Island of Silence (MS/HS)
Clarice the Brave (MS/HS)
Don't Close Your Eyes (HS)

Matt
​McManN

As a professional musician, MATT MCMANN played an NFL stadium, a cruise ship, and the International Twins Convention. Now he writes the kind of spooky mystery-adventure books he loved as a kid, including the MONSTERIOUS series. He’s hiked the Pacific Northwest, cruised Loch Ness, and chased a ghost on a mountain. While he missed Bigfoot and Nessie, he caught the ghost. He enjoys brainstorming new books with his wife, New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann; viewing his son Kilian McMann’s artwork; and watching his daughter, actor Kennedy McMann, on television. Visit him online at mattmcmann.com, and follow him on X (Twitter) and Instagram @matt_mcmann.​

Writing Workshop
Mysteries, Monsters, and Mayhem:
​How to Write Engaging Stories with Compelling Characters
Do you love stories full of mystery and spooky adventure? Matt McMann, author of the monster mystery series MONSTERIOUS, will share how he writes engaging tales with compelling characters. Filled with practical examples and fun exercises, this class will lead you on a path through the dark woods to create your own gripping stories.

​Featured Books
MONSTERIOUS Series (MS/HS): 
#1 Escape from Grimstone Manor,
#2: The Snatcher of Raven Hollow,
#3: Terror in Shadow Canyon,
#4: The Beast of Skull Rock 

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BRITTNEY MORRIS

Brittney Morris' favorite video games include Undertale, Papa & Yo, and Life is Strange. Her favorite food is tonkatsu ramen and her least favorite food is okra of any kind. She is a Dance Dance Revolution master and will challenge literally anyone to a match including her own grandmother.
 
Writing Workshop
Video Game Writing: How it All Works

What makes video games unique as a storytelling medium, including the visual graphics?  What's so different between novel writing and video game writing?
 
Featured Books
This Book Might Be About Zinnia

Christian
​Paige

Christian Paige is a father with top tier dad jokes. A writer who loves to create and teach young people. He loves to watch Bluey, is secretly a Swifty, and grew up watching spoken word poets create magic. Paige describes himself using a single phrase - somebody who wants community to work for everybody.
 
Writing Workshop
Writers and orators have used their craft and their voices to inspire change throughout history. In this workshop, we will learn from those who have come before us and how we can shape the world for those who will come after us. We will learn to write with purpose and answer the question, “What story do we have a moral responsibility to tell?
 
Featured Books
Debut work is in progress!

Jen
​St. Jude

Jen St. Jude (they/them) loves Power Rangers, Yellowjackets, and Black Mirror. Their very first job was as an operating room janitor and they'd use their breaks to write fan fiction...in the janitor's closet. They now live in Chicago where they are grateful to have an office that doesn't smell like cleaning products and secrets. They live with their wife, dog, and daughter. 
 
Writing Workshop
Writing Tough Stuff:
Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, it can be scary to share your trauma, emotions, and fears with readers.How can you take care of yourself while writing about heavy themes? How do you find the line between being brave and vulnerable in your work and not sharing more than you're comfortable with? How do you write about things you're still going through? This workshop will talk about some techniques for protecting your own heart as you open it to the world. 
 
Featured Books
If Tomorrow Doesn't Come (HS)

Lauren Thoman

Lauren Thoman lives outside of Nashville, TN, with her husband, two teenagers, two dogs, and way too many fish. Sometimes her family also takes in foster dogs, because she has a very hard time saying no to puppies. She writes speculative mysteries and occasionally gets paid to write about TV and movies on the internet, but in an alternate universe, she is probably a lawyer, a data analyst, or a psychologist. In zero alternate universes is she a baker, because she is extremely bad at it. Other things that Lauren is bad at include sports, patience, and (according to her kids) Gen Z slang. However she is VERY good at remembering the name of that one actor from that show you watched that one time, a skill that is now useless because of IMDb.
 
Writing Workshop
Roll Call!
​Tips and Tricks for Writing from Multiple Points of View
Sometimes, one main character just isn't enough. But writing from multiple points of view comes with its own set of unique challenges. How do you make your characters feel different from one another? How do you keep them all interesting? And how the heck do you even keep track of all these people? Fortunately, author Lauren Thoman is allergic to writing from only one point of view, and is here to share her best tips and tricks for keeping your whole cast of characters in line, whether or not they feel like cooperating.  

Featured Books
I'LL STOP THE WORLD (HS)

Kristin O’Donnell TubB

Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is a champion 4-leaf clover-finder. She has a pug named Myrtle who is the apple of her eye, and 3 other pets who *might* be plotting Myrtle's demise. Kristin loves to travel and hike and eat queso, though her doctor has warned her against one of those things. She LOVES talking about writing and stories how they connect us to each other. 
 
Writing Workshop
"Now What?!"
So you have this fantastic idea/character/event, but you don't know what to do next? This is the workshop for YOU! This workshop will show you how to plot a story from 4 different starting points: 1) you have a character, now what? 2) you have a plot idea, now what? 3) you have a cool historical event/real fact, now what? 4)you have a fully formed idea but don't know where to begin, now what? Ideal for those of you pulling your hair out thanks to writer's block. No more bald spots - we got you! 

Featured Books
The Decomposition of Jack (MS)
A Dog Like Daisy (MS)
Zeus Dog of Chaos (MS)
 Luna Howls at the Moon (MS)
The Story Collector (MS)
The Story Seeker (MS)