Opening Keynote
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books have been published in over thirty languages. Guided by the motto, “Life is better with happily-ever-afters,” she loves writing about love in all its forms. Among her accomplishments, Susan created the sports romance with her novel Fancy Pants. She is best known for her Chicago Stars and Wynette, Texas series, as well as multiple stand-alone books. Visit Susan’s website at www.susanelizabethphillips.com.
Mariana Zapata
Mariana Zapata lives in a small town in Colorado with her husband and two oversized children—her beloved Great Danes, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, spending time outside, forcing kisses on her boys, or pretending to write.
Closing Keynote
Tia Williams
Tia Williams had a fifteen-year career as a beauty editor for magazines including Elle, Glamour, Lucky, Teen People, and Essence. In 2004, she pioneered the beauty-blog industry with her award-winning site, Shake Your Beauty. She wrote the bestselling debut novel The Accidental Diva and penned two young adult novels, It Chicks and Sixteen Candles. Her award-winning novel The Perfect Find is a Netflix movie starring Gabrielle Union. Her latest novel is New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Bookclub pick, Seven Days in June, published by Grand Central.
Tia currently lives with her daughter and her husband in Brooklyn.
Author Lineup
Mazey Eddings
Mazey Eddings is a neurodiverse author, dentist, and (most importantly) stage mom to her cats, Yaya and Zadie. She can most often be found reading romance novels under her weighted blanket and asking her fiánce to bring her snacks. She's made it her personal mission in life to destigmatize mental health issues and write love stories for every brain. With roots in Ohio and Philadelphia, she now calls North Carolina home.
Lauren Morrill
Lauren Morrill is the author of spicy adult and sweet YA romance. Active on social media, Mashable called her “one of those rare authors who tweets more about others’ books than her own.” Her publicist would like her to tweet a little bit more about her own books. She’s working on it. Lauren grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, graduated with two degrees from Indiana University, spent four years playing roller derby in Boston, and now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her husband and two sons.
Carlie Walker
Carlie is a big fan of rescue dogs, 90’s rom-coms, and books with happy endings. She lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. The Takedown is her first novel for adults.
Tracy Solheim
Tracy Solheim writes books with shirtless men on the cover. Some of them are actually best-sellers. The books, not the men. When she's not writing, she's practicing her curling. . . bottles of wine, that is. She's been known to cook dinner but no more than two nights in a row. Most days, she'd rather be reading, which to her is just necessary research. She lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and a neurotic Labrador retriever. Her two adult children visit but not often enough.
Mia Tsai
Mia Tsai is a Taiwanese American author of speculative fiction. Her debut novel, a xianxia-inspired contemporary fantasy titled BITTER MEDICINE, will be published by Tachyon Publications on March 14, 2023.
She lives in Atlanta with her family, and, when not writing, is a hype woman for her orchids and devoted cat gopher. Her favorite things include music of all kinds (really, truly) and taking long trips with nothing but the open road and a saucy rhythm section.
Jackson Pearce
Jackson Pearce currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with a slightly cross-eyed cat and a lot of secondhand furniture. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy and currently works for a software company even though she auditioned for the circus (she juggled and twirled fire batons, but they still didn’t want her). Other jobs she’s had include obituaries writer, biker bar waitress, and receptionist.
Vanessa Riley
Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of Island Queen, A Good Morning America Buzz Pick and the forthcoming Queen of Exiles. Riley's historical novels showcase the hidden histories of Black women and women of color, emphasizing strong sisterhoods and dazzling multicultural communities. Her works encompass historical fiction, historical romance, and historical mystery and have been reviewed by the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publisher Weekly, and the New York Times. Riley was named the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Literary Fiction Winner for Sister Mother Warrior.
Kate Dramis
Kate Dramis is an Atlanta-based writer whose obsession with fantasy worlds and escaping into a good love story eventually drove her to chase her dreams of being an author.
Inspired by a dream about a woman calling down lightning to save a friend, The Curse of Saints is Kate's debut fantasy novel and the first in the trilogy.
When she's not busy writing banter that makes her laugh in an embarrassingly loud fashion, you can find her impulse-booking her latest travel adventure, snuggling with her three dogs and cat, or tormenting her growing legion of readers on TikTok and Instagram with vague book teasers.
Meryl Wilsner
Meryl Wilsner writes happily ever afters for queer folks who love women. Their books include SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT, MISTAKES WERE MADE, and CLEAT CUTE, an instant USA Today Bestseller. Born in Michigan, Meryl lived in Portland, Oregon and Jackson, Mississippi before returning to settle in the Mitten State. Some of Meryl’s favorite things include: all four seasons, button down shirts, the way giraffes run, and their wife.
Jen Comfort
Jen discovered romance novels as a Very Cool (TM) teenager, when she volunteered at the local library after school (as Very Cool teens often do). At the time, the specific appeal was that they had way more sex in them than the Nancy Drew books she'd been reading... but she also loved the feminism, optimism, and unrelenting pursuit of happy ever after—even in the darkest times.
Determined to become a romance writer, Jen made the obvious decision to major in astrophysics. When that didn't work out (did you know they require you to do homework?), she got a degree in hospitality instead, then spent a decade managing restaurants in NYC and Portland before finally settling down to write.
Annabeth Albert
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. She has penned many critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series. To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, be sure to join her reader group on Facebook! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and particularly loves uncovering unique main characters. In her personal life, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two active children. She’s a compulsive knitter, late night reader, obsessive gamer, and happy bi-pride flag waver.
Jen Devon
Jen Devon wrote her first romance when she was eight. Now she writes vivid, cinematic love stories about imperfect people finding their perfect match. A former biology academic and lecturer, she currently works in the tech industry and dreams of writing full-time. She’s an avid gardener, photographer, and boardgamer, a thrift store enthusiast and unapologetic nerd. She’s a mom of six (three kids, two rescue mutts) and lives in central Ohio with her engineer husband. Bend Toward the Sun is her first book.
Paige Lavoie
Paige Lavoie is a Halloween-loving cinnamon roll who writes stories about misfits, monsters, and falling in love. Her affection for cozy autumn moments, charming protagonists, and all things cute and creepy reflects in the worlds she creates. When Paige isn’t writing, she can be found hunting for treasures at the local antique mall and sipping oat milk lattes under a lacey parasol as she hides from the sun in her home state of FL.
Lauren Kung Jessen
Lauren Kung Jessen is a mixed-race Chinese American writer with a fondness for witty, flirtatious dialogue and making meals with too many steps but lots of flavor. She is fascinated by myths and superstitions and how ideas, beliefs, traditions, and stories evolve over time. She also has a food and film blog, A Dash of Cinema, where she makes food inspired by movies and TV shows. She lives in Nashville with her husband, two cats, and dog.
Ashley Herring Blake
Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author and teacher. She loves coffee, cats, melancholy songs, and happy books. She is the author of the young adult novels Suffer Love, How to Make a Wish, and Girl Made of Stars (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and the middle grade novels Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World and The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World was a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. Her YA novel Girl Made of Stars was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. She’s also the author of the adult romance novel Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, and a co-editor on the young adult romance anthology Fools in Love. You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at @ashleyhblake and on the web at www.ashleyherringblake.com. She lives on a very tiny island off the coast of Georgia with her family.
Wendy Qualls
Wendy Qualls was a small town librarian until she finished reading everything her library had to offer. At that point she put her expensive and totally unrelated college degree to use by writing smutty romance novels and wasting time on the internet. She lives in Northern Alabama with her wife, two kids, two dogs, and a seasonally fluctuating swarm of unwanted ladybugs. Wendy can be found on Twitter as @wendyqualls. She is represented by Moe Ferrara of BookEnds Literary Agency.
Kimberly Lemming
Kimberly Lemming is on an eternal quest to avoid her calling as a main character. She can be found giving the slip to that new werewolf that just blew into town and refusing to make eye contact with a prince of a far-off land. Dodging aliens looking for Earth booty can really take up a girl’s time. But when she’s not running from fate, she can be found writing diverse fantasy romance. Or just shovelling chocolate in her maw until she passes out on the couch. https://www.kimberlylemming.com/ You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok all under Kimberly Lemming!
Falon Ballard
Falon Ballard is the author of Lease on Love and Just My Type and co-host of the podcast, Happy to Meet Cute. When she’s not writing fictional love stories, she’s helping real-life couples celebrate, working as a wedding planner in Southern California.
Kate Goldbeck
Kate Goldbeck grew up in a literal village and dreamed of living in New York, even though her parents warned her that the apartments on Friends were not realistic. In college, she studied film and art history—limiting her employment prospects to “film museum.” Since earning a master’s degree at an engineering school, she’s designed award-winning museum exhibits and immersive experiences all over the world. She adores bantering with her partner, falling asleep to British audiobook narrators, and scratching dogs behind the ears.
Jenna Levine
By day, Jenna works to increase access to affordable housing in the American South. By night, she writes romance novels where ridiculous things happen to beautiful people. When Jenna isn't writing she can usually be found crying over k-dramas, starting knitting projects she won't finish, or spending time with her family and small army of cats.
Elizabeth Everett
Elizabeth Everett lives in Upstate New York with her family. Her Secret Scientists of London series has received critical acclaim from Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. Elizabeth’s work is inspired by her admiration for rule breakers and belief in the power of love to change the world.
Harper St. George
Harper St. George was raised in the rural backwoods of Alabama and along the tranquil coast of northwest Florida. It was a setting filled with stories of the old days that instilled in her a love of history, romance, and adventure. By high school, she had discovered the historical romance novel which combined all of those elements into one perfect package. She has been hooked ever since.
She lives in Atlanta area with her husband and two children. When not writing, she can be found devouring her husband’s amazing cooking and reading.
Krista & Becca Ritchie
Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.
Sharon C. Cooper
USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. She writes contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense and enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Her stories have won numerous awards over the years, and when Sharon isn’t writing, she’s hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, visit www.sharoncooper.net
Seressia Glass
Seressia Glass is an award-winning author of more than twenty-five contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy stories. Her paranormal series, (Shadowchasers, Sons of Anubis) are steeped in Egyptian mythology. Her most recent release is THE LOVE CON, a story about a plus-sized nerd in a cosplaying reality show competition. She lives south of Atlanta with her guitar-wielding husband, gamer son, and two attack poodles. When not writing, she’s at her day job as an instructional designer or watching K-dramas.
Taj McCoy
Oakland native and law grad, Taj McCoy, is committed to writing stories championing Black and multiracial women of color, plus-sized protagonists, Black love, and characters with a strong sense of sisterhood and familial bonds. Her debut novel--a romcom featuring a plus-size heroine--SAVVY SHELDON'S FEELING GOOD AS HELL will be published by MIRA Books (Harlequin HarperCollins). When she’s not writing, she may be on Twitter boosting other marginalized writers, trying to zen out in yoga, sharing recipes on her website, or cooking private supper club meals for close friends.
Ginny Baird
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author GINNY BAIRD writes wholesome contemporary stories with a dash of humor and a lot of heart. She’s fond of including family dynamics in her work and creating lovable and memorable characters in worlds where romance is a given and happily ever afters are guaranteed. She lives in North Carolina with her family. Sign up for her newsletter to stay posted on her books!
Nikki Payne
Nikki Payne is an anthropologist who can. not. turn. it. off.
She loves to force my characters into new environments, new cultures and in finding love, they change the way they see the world. Church, cemeteries and romance novels are still the most segregated places in America. Her romances, inspired by the classics turn expectations on their head. It's cultural commentary, for the hopeless romantic.
Tati Richardson
Tati Richardson is a fiction writer, podcaster, and (sometimes) blogger from the eastside of Atlanta, Georgia. As a kid, Tati’s mother instilled in her a love of books and she started reading full sentences by the age of 3. It was a trip to the library at age 13 with her mother that she discovered the world of romance in an old, well-worn copies of historical romances by Beverly Jenkins.
After graduating Magna cum Laude from Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in English, Tati received her Master of Arts in English (Editing and Publishing) from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 2003.
Jo Segura
Jo Segura lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and doggo, who vies for her attention with his sweet puppy dog eyes whenever she's trying to write (her dog, that is... though sometimes her husband, too). Her stories feature strong, passionate heroines and draw upon aspects of her life, such as her love of good food, her Mexican heritage, and her fascination with archaeology. When she's not writing you can find her practicing law, shaking up a mean cocktail, or sitting out on the patio doing Buzzfeed quizzes (though she doesn't care what the chicken nugget quiz said--her favorite fruit is not banana).
Alicia Thompson
Alicia Thompson is a writer, reader, and Paramore superfan. She is the author of romances including Love in the Time of Serial Killers and With Love, from Cold World. She currently lives in Florida with her husband, two children, and a mischievous cat named Luna.