SATURDAY CHAT HOUSE PRESENTERS
AGENTS AND AUTHORS!
Meet them, get to know them, learn from them!
| Agents |
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| Andrea Brown |
| Andrea Brown Literary Agency |
www.andreabrownlit.com
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Andrea Brown is the President of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. Founded in New York City in 1981, it was the first literary agency to represent both children's book authors and illustrators. Prior to opening her own firm, Andrea was an editor at Alfred A. Knopf, and worked in the editorial departments of Random House and Dell. In 1990, she moved her literary agency to Northern California. Her literary agency has sold approximately 2,000 books to publishers, from toddler board books to serious, award-winning young adult. She has had her own cable television show in New York City, “An Afternoon with Children’s Books,” and has appeared on C-SPAN’s “Book Notes,” and PBS’s “Authors and Critics.”
Andrea is also the author of WRITERS' AND ARTISTS' HIDEOUTS: Great Getaways for Seducing the Muse, the only travel/writer's guide available.
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| Amy Burkhardt |
| Kimberley Cameron & Associates |
| www.kimberleycameron.com |
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Amy Burkhardt joined Kimberley Cameron & Associates (www.kimberleycameron.com) in 2007 and represents fiction and nonfiction projects for the adult market. In fiction, she looks for literary and commercial fiction, women's fiction, thrillers, mysteries, and historical fiction. In nonfiction, she seeks narrative nonfiction, memoirs, and prescriptive nonfiction written by experts in their field. She has a soft spot for lifestyle, humor, food, and current events topics. In any genre, she looks for accomplished writing, compelling characters, fresh voices, and timely themes. Amy has an MFA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and a BA in English from Bates College.
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| Andrea Hurst |
| Andrea Hurst & Associates |
| www.andreahurst.com |
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Andrea Hurst, President of Andrea Hurst Literary Management, works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices as well as New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile adult nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times. She is looking for: commercial women’s fiction, comic and cozy mysteries, literary and genre fiction. In nonfiction, she seeks: parenting, advice/ relationships, women’s issues, personal growth, health and wellness, science, business, true crime, cookbooks, gift books, animals, pop culture, spirituality & religion, memoir, and psychology.
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| Rob Daniels |
| Andrea Hurst & Associates |
| www.andreahurst.com |
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The newest member of Andrea Hurst’s agency, Rob recently emerged from the trenches of advertising and marketing, with several award-winning campaigns in his career (which also includes writing and graphic design). He is interested in quality fiction and nonfiction: memoir involving important events and/or personalities and anything related to the entertainment industry; mystery and suspense with a literary tone; spiritual writing; and young adult literature. He is inviting queries and looks forward to working with authors who have polished products and are willing to put in additional effort in order to be competitive in today’s marketplace.
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| Jill Marr |
| Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency |
| www.dijkstraagency.com |
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Jill is an associate agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, one of the most respected literary agencies in the U.S, with over 100 authors based around the world. SDLA represents an impressive client roster that includes Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Lisa See, Diane Mott Davidson, Chalmers Johnson and Eric Foner, among others. Jill is interested in commercial fiction, especially women’s fiction, multi-cultural fiction, historic fiction, mysteries and thrillers. She is also looking for non-fiction in the areas of self-help, inspirational, cookbooks, memoir (she especially loves travel and foodie memoirs), parenting, history, health & nutrition, pop culture, humor and music.
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| Sharlene Martin |
| Martin Literary Management |
| www.martinliterarymanagement |
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Sharlene Martin founded Martin Literary Management in 2003. Her rise in the publishing industry is demonstrated by a rapidly growing list of non-fiction sales to such renowned major publishers as Ballantine, Crown, Regnery, Rodale, Harper Collins, St. Martin's Press, Penguin Putnam, Sterling Publishing, Grand Central (Warner) as well as a host of boutique publishers for specialized genre books. She is looking for a wide range of nonfiction. Her recent book, Publish Your Nonfiction Book: Strategies for Learning the Industry, Selling Your Book, and Building a Successful Career, co-written with Anthony Flacco, shares many of the secrets of success that Sharlene uses to counsel her own clients on their road to authorship. |
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| Laurie McLean |
| Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents |
| www.larsen-pomada.com |
| www.agentsavant.com |
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For more than 20 years Laurie ran a multi-million dollar eponymous public relations agency in California's Silicon Valley. She is passionate about marketing, publicity, negotiating, editing and a host of other business-critical areas. She is also a writer herself, so she can empathize with the author's journey to and through publication.
At Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents, Northern California’s oldest literary agency, Laurie represents adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, nouveau westerns, mysteries, suspense, thrillers, etc.) as well as middle-grade and young-adult books. She looks for great writing, first and foremost, followed by memorable characters, a searing storyline and solid world building.
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| Authors and Poets |
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| FICTION: |
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| Cherry Adair, www.tflac.com |
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Cherry is a prolific writer of award-winning, bestselling romance and romantic suspense. Her popular T-FLAC series, which began with Kiss and Tell in 2001, takes her into the world of thriller adventure and paranormal romance. She has won numerous awards in her highly successful career, and her work has appeared on the bestseller lists of Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today and the New York Times. Romantic Times Bookreview Magazine calls her “one of the reigning queens of romantic adventure.”
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| Jamie Ford, www.jamieford.com |
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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, has hit the bookmarket with vigor: National Bestseller, IndieBound NEXT List Selection, Borders Original Voices Selection, Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection, and the #1 Book Club Pick for Fall 2009/Winter 2010 by the American Booksellers Association. Jamie is also an award-winning short-story writer and a popular speaker and presenter. He is working on his new novel, due out in early 2011, and has a YA series in the making.
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| Susan Wingate, www.susanwingate.com |
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A novelist, poet, memoirist, playwright and screenwriter, Wingate’s stand-alone novel, Bobby’s Diner, has received a three-book contract extending the story into a series. Bobby’s Diner has received finalist awards in two prestigious book competitions: the 2009 National Best Books Award (USA Book News) and the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Award. Susan’s work which includes five novels and two short story collections, can be found in bookstores across the country.
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| Anthony Flacco, www.anthonyflacco.com |
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Anthony’s diverse and prolific literary career includes success in nonfiction, historical fiction, true crime and screenwriting for film and television. His most recent books are The Road out of Hell, a USA Book News Best Books Award Winner, and Publish Your Nonfiction Book, co-authored with his wife, Sharlene Martin. In addition to his publishing success, Anthony is a freelance editor and a stage actor with over 2,000 performances as an Equity Actor.
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| Terry Persun: Biography appears in POETRY |
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| NONFICTION and MEMOIR: |
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| Sheila Bender, www.writingitreal.com |
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A published nonfiction writer, memoirist, and poet, Sheila’s books include Writing and Publishing Personal Essays (forthcoming); A Year in the Life: Journaling for Self-Discovery; The Writers Journal: 40 Contemporary Writers and Their Journals; poetry collections Sustenance: New And Selected Poems and Love From the Coastal Route. Her newly released memoir is A New Theology:Turning to Poetry in a Time of Grief. The founder of Writing it Real, Sheila mentors writers toward their goals.
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| Valerie Easton, www.valeaston.com |
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Val is a weekly garden columnist for Pacific Northwest Magazine of The Seattle Times and author of the popular garden blog, Plant Talk. A prolific nonfiction writer, her articles have appeared in Metropolitan Home, Fine Gardening and Gardens Illustrated. Her books include Artists in their Gardens, A Pattern Garden, Plant Life: Growing a Garden in the Pacific Northwest >and The New Low-Maintenance Garden. Val speaks to getting published by writing about what one does best.
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| Barbara Field, www.sandiegowriters.ning.com/profile/BarbaraField |
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Barbara Field has made a living at writing for thirty years, writing fashion copy, writing and editing for CBS, Scripps, Harcourt Brace and ad agencies. Her articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and online. She just won First Place for Mainstream Fiction in Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards with The Deeper, the Bluer. Barbara teaches at UC, San Diego and speaks to the many opportunities for writers as journalists, editors, authors, copywriters or marketers.
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| Anthony Flacco and Susan Wingate: Biographies appear in FICTION |
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| POETRY: |
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| Elizabeth Austen, www.elizabethausten.org |
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Poet, teacher and performer, Elizabeth has been interviewing poets and producing poetry segments for KUOW since 2001. Her poetry is found in anthologies, literary magazines, newspapers, and online; her audio CD of original poetry, skin prayers, is available online. She teaches with Hugo House and has been a visiting artist in western WA schools and colleges. Elizabeth is launching two chapbooks this year: The Girl Who Goes Alone and Where Currents Meet, and her poetry.
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| Lorraine Healy, www.lorrainehealy.com |
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Lorraine is the winner of several national awards, including the Hackney Prize, and has been published extensively in both the U.S. and her native Argentina. With years of experience teaching at the college and graduate level, she has published two chapbooks and won a Pushcart nomination. Her first full-length book of poetry, The Habit of Buenos Aires, published by Tebot Bach Press, won the Patricia Bibby First Book Award and will be launched in April, 2010. |
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| Terry Persun, www.terrypersun.com |
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Terry is at home in the world of creative writing as well as the world of strategic marketing. A prolific poet, he has six chapbooks available and a full-length poetry collection, Barn Tarot, produced by Implosion Press. A novelist as well as a poet, he has won acclaim from USA Book News, and Wolf’s Rite, a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year finalist, won a Star of Washington Award. His latest novel is The Resurrection of Billy Maynard, published by Treble Heart Books. |
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| CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE: |
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| Kirby Larson, www.kirbylarson.com |
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Hattie Big Sky, a historical novel for young adults, won a Newbery Honor Award in 2007. Kirby has also written books for children, including award-winning, The Magic Kerchief. With Mary Nethery, she wrote two award-winning nonfiction picture books; the second, Nubs: the True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle, spent two months on the NY Times Bestseller list. Kirby is getting ready to launch two more novels in Fall, 2010 and Spring, 2011. |
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| Patrick Jennings, www.patrickjennings.com |
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Patrick is the author of fifteen books of fiction for young readers. His books have earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus and The Horn Book, and have been honored by organizations such as the PEN Center USA and the editors of Smithsonian Magazine. Kate and the Electric Dogs is being adapted for the screen. “The Guinea Dog,” one of his short stories, won a Distinguished Achievement Award for Children’s Fiction by the Association of Educational Publishers. |
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