In This Section
Keynote Speakers
Jonathan Maberry
Opening Keynote Speaker
Jonathan Maberry is a NYTimes bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner,
4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, editor, writing teacher, poet, playwright,
and comic book writer. He writes in multiple genres including thriller, horror, sci-fi,
mystery, and fantasy. V-WARS (Netflix) was based on his books/comics; Alcon is developing
his Rot & Ruin novels for film; and Chad Stahelski, director of JOHN WICK, is developing
his Joe Ledger thrillers for TV. Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER was partly
based on his work. He’s written more than 55 novels, 200 short stories, 30 graphic
novels, 1200 feature articles, and two dozen nonfiction books. Jonathan has also edited
30 anthologies, including Aliens, The X-Files, the official tribute to Scary Stories
to Tell in the Dark, and many others. He’s the president of the International Association
of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. www.jonathanmaberry.com
Christine Fairchild
Closing Keynote Speaker
Christine Fairchild brings 35+ years of experience as a writer, editor, and book doctor.
She’s conducted celebrity interviews (XFiles, SciFiMall.com), edited for technical
giants (Microsoft, Hitachi), and served as a communications and marketing specialist
for consumer product clients including DHL, Cingular, and AT&T. She now specializes
as a Book Doctor in Suspense Fiction and helps authors take their work, and their
career, to the next level through her online workshops, conference classes, and craft
books. Christine also writes romantic suspense, mystery, women’s fiction, and historical
fiction, so she understands the challenges authors face in the publishing industry.
Find more information, including free tips and tricks, at EditorDevil.blogspot.com.
Conference Presenters
(listed alphabetically by last name)
We are currently booking our speakers for CCWC 2026.
This page will be updated as more faculty members are confirmed.
Please check back again soon!
Patricia Alexander
Patricia Alexander calls her 50-year career “highly eclectic” and fulfilling. She
is gratified to present a laundry list of accomplishments: line editor, award-winning
author, columnist, journalist, teacher, workshop leader, inspirational speaker, and
humorist. Now living in Paso Robles, Patricia was born and raised in Los Angeles.
That’s where she stumbled into her first writing job in 1976 working for Rona Barrett
on Good Morning, America. Patricia went on from there to write and edit for animation,
advertising, public relations and marketing, while freelancing dozens of articles
to magazines and newspapers. Eventually she became a personal-perspective columnist
for the Ventura County Reporter. Along the way, she started up Writing Support Groups,
fulfilling her passion to help other writers work on and complete their projects,
while guiding them through writing, rewriting, publishing, and marketing. Semi-retired,
Patricia currently takes great joy in being a freelance line editor and a fulltime
health nut.
Teri Bayus
Step into the captivating world of Teri Bayus, where words come alive, and worlds
are built. With two self-published novels under her belt and a portfolio bursting
with two optioned screenplays and four teleplays, Teri’s creativity knows no bounds.
Dive into The Greatest Of Ease, a thrilling tale of her time as a trapeze artist,
or Consumed, an erotic culinary romp. Before the world shifted, Teri graced television
screens with Taste Buds, celebrating chefs’ talents worldwide. For two decades, she
savored the roles of food and film critic, and for six years, she led the Central
Coast Writers Conference as its executive director, and in 2025, she was awarded the
Lillian Dean Award. Through countless writing and marketing classes, Teri’s passion
for nurturing creativity has touched many lives. Find more info at teribayus.com.
Debbie Black
Debbie Black brings her passion for writing and for breaking rules to this year’s
Central Coast Writers’ Conference. Never one to worry about genre-hopping, she toggles
back and forth between adult fiction and MG (middle grade, ages 8-12). Her MG series,
which includes Deetjen’s Closet and The Old Secret at Hotel Oregon, has won multiple
awards including the prestigious Gertrude Warner International Middle Grade Fiction
Awards and Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. Debbie is also a columnist for Estero
Bay News and author of the popular blog RV Camping in Your Own Backyard. She’s an
active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, SLO NightWriters,
and The BookShelf Writers, and has been a presenter at the Central Coast Writers’
Conference, SLO NightWriters, and numerous service groups, book clubs, and classrooms.
She writes from the coast in San Luis Obispo County. See more at DebbieNobleBlack.com.
David Congalton
David Congalton is a screenwriter, radio host, and former director of the Central
Coast Writers Conference. He wrote the screenplay for the 2014 rom-com Authors Anonymous
with Kaley Cuoco, Chris Klein, and Jonathan Banks. A second screenplay, Mrs. Strissel
and the Dogs, is currently in pre-production with director Kerstin Karlhuber. David
is a founding faculty member of the Rocaberti Screenwriting Retreat in Barcelona.
Find more information at davecongaltonstories.com.
Jennifer Coté
Jennifer Coté is a Hollywood screenwriter and TV producer. She developed the Jennifer
Lopez vehicle Shades of Blue for NBC, and wrote/produced USA Network’s Eyewitness,
which won a GLAAD Award for best limited-series. A dynamic and energizing speaker,
she delivers practical, confidence-building tools that help writers pitch clearly,
strengthen their storytelling, and trust their creative instincts. When not developing
new projects or teaching at writers’ conferences, she can be found hiking along the
California coast with her husband and their waggly dog. Find more information at cotewrites.com.
Diane Frank
Diane Frank is the author of nine books of poems, three novels, and a photo memoir
of her 400- mile trek in the Nepal Himalayas. While Listening to the Enigma Variations:
New and Selected Poems won the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Poetry. Her
new book of poems, Prayer to the Invisible, was an overnight bestseller – #3 for American
Poetry, #3 for Poems by Women. She teaches poetry, flash fiction and memoir workshops
at San Francisco State University and Dominican University. Her first novel, Blackberries
in the Dream House, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her new novel, Mermaids
and Musicians, is an unusual love story, full of music and a plea to save the Earth.
Find more information at dianefrank.com.
Bill Froehlich
Bill Froehlich has been a writer-director-producer-author for 40+ years whose work
is seen throughout the world. Initially guided and encouraged by his mentor, Rod Serling
(The Twilight Zone), while at Ithaca College, he has done motion pictures, television
series, TV movies and documentaries with the involvement of such stars as Katharine
Hepburn, Paul Newman, Burt Lancaster, Anthony Hopkins, George Clooney, Suzanne Pleshette,
Kurt Russell, Ryan Reynolds, Francis McDormand, Robert Wagner, Stephanie Powers, Richard
Dean Anderson, and Ron Howard. Bill has produced 10 TV series, many as a showrunner
or co-showrunner, including the original MacGyver, Scarecrow & Mrs. King, and The
Outer Limits, as well as Freddy’s Nightmares, Poltergeist, The Legacy, and A Fine
Romance. His romantic thriller, Chasing the Goddess, is his first solo novel and available
online worldwide. Bill is a member of the WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA and the Television Academy.
Find more info at BillFroehlich.com.
Joey Garcia
Joey Garcia is an author platform coach who helps writers get known and build income
streams while she’s editing their manuscripts. Her clients have been interviewed by,
or have bylines in, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian magazine, Ms. magazine, CNN,
and The Tamron Hall Show, among others. A former newspaper advice columnist, Joey
has been featured in HuffPost, USA Today, Deutsche Welle, KVIE public TV, and Slate’s
Dear Prudence podcast. Her poetry, essays, and short stories have been published,
anthologized, and performed. In 2024, she received the Queen Mary Wasafiri Life Writing
Prize judged by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Cristina Rivera Garza. Find more info
at joeygarcia.com.
Henry Herz
Henry Herz has authored 14 traditionally published picture books for Pelican, Schiffer,
Sterling, Kane-Miller, Familius, and Tilbury House: Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes,
When You Give An Imp A Penny, Mabel & The Queen Of Dreams, Little Red Cuttlefish,
Cap'n Rex & His Clever Crew, How The Squid Got Two Long Arms, Alice's Magic Garden,
Good Egg And Bad Apple, 2 Pirates + 1 Robot, I Am Smoke, I Am Gravity, I Am Light,
I Am Wind, and A Book About Nothing. His middle grade, young adult, and adult short
stories have appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Weird Tales, Pseudopod, Metastellar,
Highlights for Children, Ladybug Magazine, and anthologies from Titan Books, Penguin-Random
House, Albert Whitman, Blackstone Publishing, Third Flatiron, Baen Books, elsewhere.
In addition, Henry has edited ten anthologies. henryherz.com
Tara Jacobi
Tara Jacobi is a publishing professional and attorney. In 2024, she obtained a master's
degree in professional studies (MPS) from George Washington University in publishing,
focusing her legal acumen on challenges within the publishing industry. Currently,
she is editing legal titles for Carolina Academic Press and compiling an anthology
of short stories for Running Wild Press. Tara published an academic article entitled,
"Artificial Intelligence as a Creative," in the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing
exploring the legal and artistic aspects of AI working as a writer and presented on
this same topic at the 13th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference. As a writer for Books
Are Our Superpower (BAOS) on Medium, she also reviews books focusing on literary fiction,
iconic writers, women, travel and lifestyle. taraljacobi.com
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Fantasy Author. Swordswoman. Chicken Mama. These are just a few of the titles Jenna
Elizabeth Johnson goes by. She is the author of over a dozen novels, novellas, and
short stories, including the award-winning Legend of Oescienne series, the Otherworld
series, and the Draghans of Firiehn novella series. Besides writing fantasy adventures
featuring domineering dragons, headstrong heroines, brooding Celtic warriors, and
all the magical creatures in between, she is a competitive HEMA (Historical European
Martial Arts) practitioner, participating in longsword tournaments whenever she gets
the chance. During her down time, Jenna can be found exploring the open spaces of
California’s Central Coast, camping in Yosemite National Park, reading books and webcomics,
or hanging out with her flock of overly-affectionate lap chickens. You can join Jenna’s
readership at www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com.
Kalyn Josephson
Kalyn Josephson is a New York Times bestselling author, sometimes-baker, and full-time
consumer of too much tea. She lives on the California coast with two tiny black cats
in a house in constant need of repair. She is the author of several fantasy series
for kids, teens, and adults, as well as the owner of The Cove Books. Find more information
at kalynjosephson.com.
Lisa Diane Kastner
Lisa Diane Kastner is the Founder and Executive Editor of Running Wild, LLC, a content
creation, distribution, and licensing company. Currently publishing four imprints:
Running Wild, RIZE, Trompe L'Oeil, and Junkyard Rooster, Running Wild's imprints focus
on those stories that don't fit neatly in a box, and changing the world through story.
Featured in FORBES and several other publications, she’s been an author and editor
for more than twenty years. With multiple books that have been named best of the year
by Kirkus Reviews, and groundbreaking across genres, Lisa has been mentored by such
greats as Percival Everett, Wally Lamb, Da Chen, Porochista Khakpour, and Jonathan
Maberry. Lisa received her MFA and MBA acknowledging both the creative and business
sides of the industry.
Rebecca Langston-George
Rebecca Langston-George is the author of nineteen books for children including her
new middle-historical fiction novel One Fine Voice, which Kirkus called “a swift,
compelling story about standing strong against hate” and her newest picture book Rover
Rolled Over. A retired teacher and board member of the California Reading Association,
Rebecca is the Regional Advisor for the Central-Coastal California chapter of the
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI CenCal), helping other
writers learn the craft. She writes, and mostly re-writes, on a treadmill desk at
one mile per hour. Find more info at rebeccalangston-george.com.
Ian Lendler
Ian Lendler is a multiple award-winning writer of picture books, non-fiction (adult
and middle-grade), and graphic novels. After selling his first book at age 21, he
has been working for over 25 years as a professional writer. Ian has worked in every
capacity of the writing life – as a copy editor, magazine editor, freelance journalist,
and publishing assistant at Harper Collins. Ian has also written for commercials,
television, and film in solo projects and as a script doctor. He is a graduate of
Columbia University where he majored in screenwriting. As an agent and Creative Director
with McKinnon Literary, what Ian looks for most in any project is story. While he
specializes in children's literature, he is always looking for narrative non-fiction
and adult fiction that elevates story, character, and the narrative structure supporting
both of these. mckinnonliterary.com
Juan Pablo Luzuriaga
Juan Pablo Luzuriaga was born in Ecuador and immigrated to the United States in 2000.
He studied Neuroscience at Rutgers University and English at the University of California,
Merced. Juan teaches poetry in prisons, currently at California Men’s Colony, and
at Cuesta College. He has been a featured panelist at UC Merced, the Central Coast
Writers’ Conference, the San Francisco Writers Conference, Litfest, and other literary
events. His work appears in Acentos Review, San Diego Poetry Annual, Monterey Poetry
Review, Cholla Needles, Poetry Breakfast, as well as in numerous anthologies. Find
more information at juanology.com.
Juliet McDaniel
Juliet McDaniel is an author and screenwriter who specializes in messy, complicated
female characters. Her first novel, Mr. & Mrs. American Pie, was adapted by Apple
TV as the series Palm Royale, and her forthcoming novel, Screaming Ball of Chaos,
is also in development for television. Additionally, she is the screenwriter of the
award- winning indie film rom-com, QWERTY. Prior to embarking on a career as an author,
Juliet taught composition, literature, film, and screenwriting to community college
students. She holds a B.A. in American Studies from Lake Forest College, and an M.A.
in writing from DePaul University. She lives in Los Angeles. Find more information
at julietmcdaniel.com.
Nicole Meier
Nicole Meier is a certified book coach, developmental editor, and author of four upmarket
novels. Her books have been recognized by Booklist, Refinery29, BookBub, and Popsugar.
Nicole also hosts The Whole Writer podcast for fiction writers that shares insights
and encouragement to help you build confidence, nurture your writing craft, and create
stories that truly connect with readers. You may find more about her at nicolemeier.com.
Becky Mosgofian
Becky Mosgofian is a seasoned communications professional with 30 years of experience
in public relations, marketing, and event planning. As the founder of YOBECKO, Brand
Cheerleaders & Storytellers, and an advisor with the Small Business Development Center
at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she believes every entrepreneur and author has a story
worth telling — and she helps them uncover it. Her career spans television, print,
and radio, and includes directing a university alumni relations program and serving
as editor-in-chief of its publication before launching her consulting practice in
2002. Becky has been a proud member of the CCWC community for six years as an advisory
board member and returning presenter — and this year she's back with proven, practical
strategies to help authors stop waiting to be discovered and unlock their media success.
Find more information at yobecko.com
Natalie Obando
For nearly two decades, Natalie Obando has worked in the world of books as a book
publicist. The founder of Do Good Public Relations Group and the grassroots organization,
Women of Color Writers Podcast and Programming, she has dedicated her career to amplifying
authors and voices often on the margins of publishing. Natalie serves on the executive
board of the 107-year-old non-profit, the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA),
overseeing programming across all ten chapters across the nation. As the first Latina
president of the national organization, her goal has been promoting diversity in publishing
via strategic grassroots efforts. Find more information at dogoodprgroup.com and follow
her at: Instagram @wocwriters and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-obando.
Colleen Paeff
Colleen Paeff is the author of The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s
Poop Pollution Problem, winner of a Robert F. Sibert Honor Award; Firefly Song: Lynn
Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain Discovery, named a Best Book of 2025 by Kirkus
Reviews, BookList, and others, and Pufflings Fly Free!: A Rescue Tale from Iceland (available
June 2026). A lifelong Californian, Colleen received a Bachelor’s Degree in set design
for theater from California State University Fullerton before becoming a bookseller,
preschool teacher, and newspaper columnist. (She never did become a set designer!)
Eventually, she figured out how to roll books, kids, and writing into a career as
a children’s book author, and now she shares her enthusiasm for books and learning
by visiting with students both at home and abroad. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
colleenpaeff.com
Jaime Parker Stickle
Jaime Parker Stickle is the author of Vicious Cycle and Take Hart books one and two
of the Corey in Los Angeles series. She is a writer, actor, podcaster, and professor
of film and TV at Montclair State University. She is the co-creator and cohost of
the true crime podcast The Girl with the Same Name as well as the hilarious podcast
about side hustles, Make That Paper. Jaime lives in Los Angeles with her husband,
son, two fur babies and a chameleon named Tilly. Find more information at jaimeparkerstickle.com.
Mark Parsons
Mark Parsons has written primarily non-fiction for several years, penning over 200
articles for national publications as well as a pair of non-fiction books before turning
to book-length fiction. His first YA novel ROAD RASH (Knopf/Random House) was named
to the ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list, as well as Bank Street College’s
Best Children’s Books of the Year list. His latest YA novel, THE 9:09 PROJECT (Delacorte/Random
House) explores the healing power of art. It was a Kirkus Reviews Best of The Year
selection, and a Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year selection. It has received
critical acclaim (Kirkus calls it “A brilliant literary portrait…wryly funny, extremely
intelligent, and sweetly romantic” in a starred review) and has been translated into
Russian, Polish, and Chinese. He currently has other works making their way through
the publishing landscape. Find more info at markhparsons.com.
Leanne Phillips
Leanne Phillips lives, reads, and writes on California’s Central Coast. She is a professional
editor and a book coach certified in fiction, nonfiction, and memoir. Her work has
appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The
Coachella Review, Kelp Journal, and elsewhere. Her debut novel-in-collected-stories
is coming in fall 2027 from Sibylline Press. Leanne earned a BA in English from Cal
Poly, an MFA in fiction with a cross-emphasis in creative nonfiction from UC Riverside
Palm Desert, and a copyediting certificate from UC San Diego. You can find Leanne
at leannephillips.com.
Jordan Rosenfeld
Jordan Rosenfeld is author of the novels Fallout, Women in Red and Forged in Grace and
eight books on the craft of writing, including the forthcoming Writing Through the
Pause: Mining Midlife For Powerful Writing (Jan '27), The Sound of Story: Developing
Voice and Tone in Writing, How to Write a Page-Turner, the bestselling Make a Scene,
Writing the Intimate Character, A Writer’s Guide to Persistence, Writing Deep Scenes (with
Martha Alderson) and Write Free (with Rebecca Lawton). Her freelance writing has been
published in hundreds of publications, including: The Atlantic, the New York Times,
Publisher’s Weekly, Salon, Scientific American, the Rumpus, Writer’s Digest Magazine, and
many more. Jordan is also a freelance manuscript editor, writing coach, and teaches
online classes. Find more information at jordanrosenfeld.net.
Brian Schwartz
As founder and CEO of SelfPublish.org, Brian Schwartz has empowered over 750 authors to successfully publish and promote
their work since 2009. His author concierge service and consulting firm bridges the
gap between traditional and self-publishing through proven strategies that deliver
professional results. Brian's distinguished leadership as former director of the Central
Coast Writers’ Conference and past president of the Colorado Independent Publishers
Association reflects his commitment to the writing community. His mission: "to bridge
the gap between self-publishers and traditional publishing by applying the proven
strategies and techniques of successful independent publishers." Innovating beyond
consultation, Brian has developed online platforms catering to the needs of author
publishers which include ever evolving AI tools specifically designed to give authors
an advantage and accelerate their time to market. Using these tools and his expert
guidance, Brian transforms how independent authors navigate the publishing landscape,
staying at the forefront of innovation in publishing.
Cody Sisco
Cody Sisco is a freelance editor specializing in developmental editing, book coaching,
and advising authors on creativity and career development. Thematically, he enjoys
working with writers who grapple with dark subject matter and LGBTQ+ authors of fiction
and memoir. As the executive editor of Made in L.A. Writers, Cody also publishes and
edits short fiction, and he runs a literary events and media company called BookSwell.
He serves as a co-chair on the Board of Directors for the Editorial Freelancers Association.
Cody is the author of Broken Mirror, Tortured Echoes, and Altered Bodies. Find more
information at codysisco.com.
Laurie Woodward
Laurie Woodward is a multi-award-winning author and screenwriter who brings wonder
to life through her novels, screenplays, and blog. Her published works include the
science fiction novel Time Murmurations, the coming-of-age story Finding Joy, the Artania
Chronicles fantasy series, the middle-grade adventure Forest Secrets, and numerous
short stories and poems. Her work has received many awards and has reached the screen
through projects such as the anti-bullying DVD Resolutions. She also co-wrote the
memoir Dean and JoJo: The Dolphin Legacy, a story featured in the IMAX film Dolphins and
programs on Animal Planet. A former bilingual teacher and peace consultant, Laurie
believes creativity has the power to transform lives. She is currently producing a
short film she wrote and developing a new science fiction trilogy as part of her mission
to craft hopeful stories where imagination can change the world. Find more information
at artania.net.