CAPA University Writers Conference

CAPA University 2010
7th Annual Writers Conference
May 8 at the Hartford Steam Boiler Convention Center, Hartford, CT

CAPA-U Keynote
Doctors Henry Lee & Jerry Labriola

“Writing True Crime”

The writing team of Drs. Henry Lee and Jerry Labriola work together to create stories that cronicle of some of the most puzzling crimes of all time. Dr. Henry Lee, internationally known forensic scientist is the author of thirty books, three of them co-authored with Dr. Jerry Labriola, CAPA’s co-founder and retired doctor and professor of medicine. They have built their partnership writing about true crime, recent and those that have fascinated readers down through history. Their three books to date are: Famous Crimes Revisited, Dr. Henry Lee’s Forensic Files and The Budapest Connection. Dr. Labriola also is the author of seven mystery novels, the most recent being The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Note: Change in Speaker
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Brian Jud will not be able to speak. However, we are honored to have
Eric Kampmann, president of Midpoint Books, to take his place in Session 1.

The fifteen one-hour workshops at CAPA-U cover a variety of topics of interest to everyone in the world of books. They are divided into three sessions from which attendees may choose one per session or a total of three for the day.

Session 1 - 11:30 am — 12:30 pm (choose one of the five speakers)

Rosemary Harris - Writing Mysteries Need some help putting mystery in your writing? Rosemary Harris will help solve the case. She’s the author of Pushing Up Daisies, the first novel in the Dirty Business Mystery series. Born in Brooklyn she has been a bookstore manager, a video producer, and a television executive. She and her husband split their time between New York City and Fairfield County, Connecticut, where she is a master gardener and where she grows the ideas for her mysteries. Visit her Web site at www.rosemaryharris.com.

Eileen Albrizio - Writing Poetry - Is there enough poetry in your life? Eileen Albrizio is a writer of poetry and prose and will help bring out the poetry in your writing. Her poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals and publications. She is the author of three volumes of poetry: Messy On The Inside, Rain – Dark As Water In Winter, and Perennials: New & Selected Poems (Nominated for the 2008 CT Book Award). A recitation of her poetry on CD was produced in 2003. She has also penned several plays, two novels, and is currently working on a compilation of short fiction. She is a 2003 and 2008 recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowships from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, she has taught creative writing in several colleges and cultural institutions as well as the York Correctional Institute, CT’s maximum-security prison for women. In 2005, Albrizio left a 12-year career as a radio news host and broadcast journalist, working primarily for National Public Radio and its Connecticut affiliate. During her broadcasting career, she was repeatedly awarded 1st-prize honors from the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists

Shirley Webb - Writing Young Adult - Do you need guidance in writing for a young audience? Shirley Webb takes her experience as author of numerous books for young reader to help you understand this genre. She is the author of Tales from the Keeper of the Myths: Cherokee Stories For Children and Cherokee Love, Dance In The Rain and Song Of Love, a three novel Howell Women Saga for Young Adults. Well known throughout the U.S. for her school sessions, Shirley has developed a one-hour long program called The Muse Plus The Mouse Equals the Magic. The stories in Tales of the Keeper of the Myths are stories her Cherokee grandmother told her when she was a young girl and reflect the myths of her ancestors.

Peggy Gaffney - Do It Yourself Publishing - Do you want to earn $1 per book or $20? Has the search for a publisher discouraged you? Do you want your book done your way? If the answer is “Yes!”, Peggy Gaffney can show you how. Author of Do It Yourself Publishing Nonfiction In Your Spare Time and seven knitting books for dog lovers, she knows how hard the business can be if you have a small niche market for your ideas. Publishers can’t afford to produce books that won’t sell in the millions, so if your book has a smaller audience, consider publishing the book yourself. As self publisher, you do the work, you keep the control and—the best part— you get the money!

Eric Kampmann - Marketing Outside The Box - Eric Kampmann is one of the three original founders of Midpoint. From the beginning Midpoint has focused its talent and energy on helping independent publishers build successful publishing programs in the trade marketplace. Midpoint has worked with several national bestsellers, but the sales people at Midpoint take special pride in working with back list titles. Midpoint currently works with more than 250 independent publishers. Many of Midpoint’s largest publishers have worked with Midpoint for nine years or more. Eric is the author of The Book Publishers Handbook: The 7 Keys to Publishing Success published by Beaufort Books, Inc in 2007. Eric has also taught book publishing courses at Harvard, Columbia, Hofstra and New York University. He has also served on panels at PMA University, SPAN,and other venues.

Toni Andrews - Writing Paranormal Romance - Toni Andrews will guide you through the world of the paranormal and talk about what it takes to create these books. She likes to say it's easier to list the jobs she hasn't tried. From lifeguard to lounge singer, bartender to bill collector, door-to-door salesperson to corporate business analyst--Toni has been there and done that. Then, she decided that what she really wanted to be was a writer. After fifteen years in Southern California and seven in Miami, Toni has recently returned to the lakeside cottage in Connecticut where she spent her childhood summers, where she writes full time. Some of her books are Cry For Mercy, Beg For Mercy and Angel Of Mercy. Toni also writes romance novels under the pen name Virginia Reede.

James King - Entering Contests - Think you’ve got what it takes to win a writing contest? James King wasn’t sure he did, but he won the 2009 Amazon Annual Breakthrough Novel Award with Bill Warrington's Last Chance. He earned a publishing contract with Penguin and a $25,000 advance. James King is a corporate-communications specialist, but has wanted to be a writer since he was a child. He was born in Ohio, and currently lives in Connecticut with his wife and children. King wrote most of Bill Warrington’s Last Chance while earning a Master of Arts in creative writing from Manhattanville College (Purchase, NY). James’ novel beat out 9,999 other entries from all 50 US states and 21 foreign countries. He’ll tell you about his experiences—and what you should be prepared to do to improve your chances of winning.

Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick - Breathing Life into History - Learn how to research your historical novel and brushstroke it in living color across the pages of your novel. How to use plotting techniques that make your pages practically turn themselves. How to make those historical characters breathe…and breed, if desired! From the submarine shipyards of Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, and the clubs of Rodeo Drive, to the forges of Pennsylvania and the electronics manufacturers of Massachusetts, these two have spent their lives gathering material for their novels. Nikoo, a mechanical engineer, and Jim, who has a Ph.D. in sixteenth-century British literature, have written 27 novels and two works of nonfiction. Writing historical novels as May McGoldrick and Nicole Cody and contemporary suspense thrillers as Jan Coffey, these prolific and popular authors have been the recipients of numerous awards for their work. They now reside in Watertown, Connecticut.

Richard La Porta - Publishing with a Local Small Press - Tired of being rejected by big publishers? Rich LaPorta will show you what a local publisher can do for you to get your book published. Husky Trail Press LLC provides high quality educational books and materials to Teachers, Educators, Administrators, Students, Children, and Parents. In addition to publishing its own titles, Husky Trail Press LLC distributes for Penguin Putnam, Hachette, Random House, Houghton Mifflin, and Harcourt.

Harry Rinker - How to Get On Radio Shows - After listening to Harry Rinker, you'll learn exactly what to do to get your book on mainstream radio stations. Rinker hosted seventy-eight (78) half-hour episodes of Collector Inspector, a weekly show devoted to seeking out antiques and collectibles in private homes, on Home & Garden Television (HGTV). Rinker is a frequent television and radio guest. His television credits include Oprah, Home Matters, Martha Stewart Living, Inside Edition, Wall Street Journal Report, the NBC-TV Today show, the ABC-TV Good Morning America show, the CBS This Morning Show and Sunday Morning, CNBC-TV Market Rap, and MPT Wall Street Week With Louis Rukeyser, along with many regional and local talk shows. Rinker is the host of WXCI, 91.7 FM Meet the Author program in association with Western Connecticut State University.

Jean Stone a.k.a. Abby Drake - Writing Women’s Fiction - Who is Abby Drake, and what is women’s fiction, anyway? Abby Drake, a.k.a. Jean Stone, is a native New Englander whose 15 novels are set in locations from Martha's Vineyard to Manhattan. Drake writes about women…their laughter, their lives, and their men who come and go and occasionally stick around, whether they're wanted or not. Each of her stories focuses on the connections between women with vastly different families, careers, and issues, but with a common problem that bring them together. In Good Little Wives, the problem is murder; in Perfect Little Ladies, the problem is panties! Lavender lace panties. They have been kidnapped. A ransom note has been received. And Elinor must dig up a half-million dollars for their return before all of New York, Washington, and maybe the world finds out.

C. Marina Marchese - Your Book Promotes Your Business and Your Business Promotes Your Book - Does your small business need more customers? Do you want to learn the most inexpensive way to market your small business? Do you want to use your book to develop a new business? If you answered “Yes” to any of these three questions, then you won't want to miss this engaging talk by C. Marina Marchese. “Although I’ve been a beekeeper for a long time, I will never forget my very first taste of fresh honey straight out of the beehive." So begins Honeybee, in which C. Marina Marchese considers herself accidental in the art of beekeeping, but smart in using writing to build a business.

Elizabeth Bear - Speculative Fiction - Speculative fiction is a fiction genre speculating about worlds that are unlike the real world in various important ways such as science fiction, fantasy fiction, horror fiction, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history. Elizabeth Bear is the winner of the 2005 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Short Story for "Tideline," and the 2009 Hugo Award for her novelette "Shoggoths in Bloom.” Her first novel Hammered was published in January 2005 and was followed by Scardown and Worldwired in the same year. The trilogy features Canadian Master Warrant Officer Jenny Casey, who is also the main character in the short story “Gone to Flowers”. Hammered won the Locus Award for Best First Novel in 2006. She’ll help you find the “What if” in your writing.

Shel Horowitz - Grassroots Marketing - Do you need marketing help? Shel Horowitz has been assisting businesses, services, authors and publishers, and nonprofits with marketing for over 30 years. The author of eight books (four of which won awards), he's an expert in frugal, ethical, and effective marketing, including major media publicity, social networking, powerful joint ventures, and much more. A popular speaker and media guest, Shel just co-authored a book on green and ethical marketing, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green, with Jay Conrad Levinson (originator of Guerrilla Marketing)--which became a category bestseller on Amazon within two weeks of publication. Shel is also the author of a whole book on book marketing: Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers.

Adele Annesi - Making The Most Of Your Work - From Blog Post to Story— Ever wonder how to make more of your writing and gain visibility at the same time? This seminar by award-winning writer and CAPA publicity chair, Adele Annesi, will show you how to take something as simple as a text message or blog post and leverage it into a monthly column, short story, kudos on LinkedIn and publicity on Twitter.

Follow Up Session - 4:00—5:00 pm

Meet all the presenters and chat.
Have your favorite speaker or author autograph copies of their books in the CAPA-U Bookstore.

Drawing will be held at 4:00 pm.
1st. Prize—Refund of your CAPA-U registration fee!
2nd. Prize—Membership in CAPA for one year!

Ann Collette
Ann Collette spent 15 years as a freelance writer and editor before joining the Helen Rees Literary Agency ten years ago, a background that comes in handy when developing first novels. Her fiction list includes literary, horror, mystery, women’s fiction, and crime novelists, including Steven Sidor and Vicki Lane. Her non-fiction interests include memoir, biography, pop culture, and military (particularly Vietnam and anything set in the Asian theater).

Jennifer Didik
Jennifer Didik - Before joining Loretta Barrett Books, Inc., Jennifer Didik was a Department Manager with Barnes & Noble in Central New Jersey where she purchased books faster than she could read them. She attended Boston University and graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Art History and American Literature. Novels that successfully blur the line between commercial and literary fiction are her favorite reads. While she mostly reads fiction, her nonfiction interests include history, memoir, current events, politics (and of course political humor), and baseball.

Jeanne Fredericks
Jeanne Fredericks has run her own literary agency since 1997 specializing in quality adult nonfiction by experts in their fields. Jeanne has represented more than 75 authors to more than 50 publishing companies. Most of the books she represents are practical popular reference. Her favorite categories are health, lifestyle (especially “green”), psychology/relationships, science/nature/pets, gardening, business, cooking, elite sports, parenting and travel.

Mollie Glick
Mollie Glick - Foundry Literary & Media. Mollie's list includes literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and a bit of practical non- fiction. She's particularly interested in fiction that bridges the literary/commercial divide, combining strong writing with a great plot, and non-fiction dealing with popular science, medicine, psychology, cultural history, memoir and current events.

Evan Gregory *added after the brochure had gone to press.
Evan Gregory is an Associate Agent at the Ethan Ellenberg Literary agency, and is currently seeking new clients. He attended Pratt Institute and cut his teeth at the Susan Golomb Literary Agency (Jonathan Franzen, Marisha Pessl, William T. Vollman etc.). In addition to servicing his own clients, Evan manages the subsidiary rights sales for agency clients such as John Scalzi, Mary Janice Davidson, Christine Warren, Gail Martin, and Eric Rohmann. He recently negotiated a deal on behalf of his client Adam Harmon for a business management book which will likely be released by Portfolio next summer. He currently resides in Brooklyn. Interests include: Fiction: Children's, Historical Fiction, Literary, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense, Women's Fiction, Young Adult/Juvenile. As for Non-Fiction: Art, Architecture & Photography, Biography, Business, Science & Technology, History, Home & Garden, Parenting & Family, Politics & Current Affairs

Miriam Kriss
Miriam Kriss joined the Irene Goodman Literary Agency just as she was finishing her master's degree in Fine Arts at New York University in early 2004, and quickly became one of the hottest young agents in town. Miriam's focus remains on commercial fiction and she represents everything from hardcover historical mysteries to all subgenres of romance, from young adult fiction to kick ass urban fantasies, and everything in between. If it's fun to read, she probably represents it. She doesn't look for specific stories, focusing instead on finding a voice she can fall in love with and champion. This strategy of taking on only clients she's passionate about has lead to six-figure deals for first-time authors and numerous clients appearances on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. During one memorable week, she had two authors appear on the Times list at the same time.

Linda Roghaar
Linda Roghaar has been in the book business since 1974. She worked in retail bookstores, and for many years was a publishers' rep who sold independent and university presses to bookstores, chains and wholesalers. This experience prepared her well for her career as an agent, which began in 1996. The Linda Roghaar Literary Agency represents authors with substantial messages and specializes in nonfiction. Linda sells to major, independent, and university presses. Linda is a generalist, but does not handle romance, horror, or science fiction.

Jessica Sinsheimer has been reading and campaigning for her favorite projects since 2004. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she went east for college and stayed for the opportunity to read soon-to-be books for a living. Now an associate agent at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, she's developed a reputation for fighting office members to see incoming manuscripts first—and for drinking far too much tea. Her most recent sale is Falling Under, a Young Adult paranormal romance, and its sequel. Always on the lookout for new writers, she is most excited about finding women's, literary, and Young Adult fiction--and psychology, parenting, and works that speak to life in the twenty-first century.

Dr. Uwe Stender
Dr. Uwe Stender, founder of TriadaUS Literary Agency, is a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors’ Representatives). Our best known clients are former CNN anchor Daryn Kagan, bestselling author and 2001 NAACP Image Award Recipient for Outstanding Literature in Fiction Omar Tyree, bestselling author Michael Konik, BET’s Jeff Johnson, bestselling author and relationship expert Dr. Joel Block, legendary NBA referee Bob Delaney, and author Dan Fante. We are open to all submissions in nonfiction and fiction. In fiction, we are particularly looking for literary fiction, women’s fiction, YA and mysteries.

From 10:30 - 11:30 there will be panel discussions with all of the agents.

Eileen Albrizio
Poetry
Author of:
Messy On The Inside
Rain – Dark as Water in Winter
Perennials

Toni Andrews
Writing Paranormal Romance
Author of:
Beg for Mercy

Angel of Mercy
Cry Mercy

James King
Entering Contests

Richard LaPorta
Benefits of Publishing with a Local Small Press

Eileen Albrizio Poetry Author of: Messy On The Inside Rain – Dark as Water in Winter Perennials

Toni Andrews Writing Paranormal Romance Author of: Beg for Mercy

Angel of Mercy Cry Mercy

James King Entering Contests

Richard LaPorta Benefits of Publishing with a Local Small Press

Eileen Albrizio
Poetry
Author of:
Messy On The Inside
Rain – Dark as Water in Winter
Perennials

Toni Andrews
Writing Paranormal Romance
Author of:
Beg for Mercy

Angel of Mercy
Cry Mercy

James King
Entering Contests

Richard LaPorta
Benefits of Publishing with a Local Small Press