Best Writer's Conference EVER!

***Permission to Forward to all Loops, Blogs, and Websites***Did you know people who attend writers' conferences increase their ability to sell their manuscripts by as much as 50%? This is because attendees have the opportunities to meet agents and editors face-to-face instead of blindly querying them. They also enter contests and attend workshops enabling them to improve their craft. With those odds, a weekend investment in the affordable (half the price of some conferences) Desert Dreams Conference from April 4 - 6, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort and Hotel in Chandler, Arizona should be considered a MUST for every writer's career. But the deadline is only days away - you must register online at www.desertroserwa.org or call 866-267-2249 NO LATER THAN March 15, 2008, or you will have missed your opportunity until 2010!Just take a look at the fabulous editors and agents waiting to meet you at this year's conference:Desert Dreams Agents:JessicaFaust, Bookends, Inc.As a literary agent and cofounder ofBookEnds, LLC, Jessica Faust prides herself on working closely with her authorsto make their goals come to fruition. Her areas of expertise includehistorical, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and erotic romance, erotica,women's fiction, mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. In nonfiction, Jessicaspecializes in business, finance, career, parenting, psychology, women'sissues, self-help, health, sex, and general nonfiction. While open to anything,Jessica is most actively seeking unique fiction with a strong hook, andnonfiction with creative ideas and large author platforms.A veteran of publishing, Jessica began hercareer in 1994 as an acquisitions editor at Berkley Publishing, Macmillan, andWiley, where she had the unique opportunity to acquire and edit both fictionand nonfiction. Jessica takes her editing experience to the agency, where sheworks closely with her authors to create the best possible proposal submissions.MichelleGrajkowski, Three Seas LiteraryFrom the moment MichelleGrajkowski first opened her doors to the 3 Seas Literary Agency in August of2000, she has been living her dream. (What could be better than surroundingyourself with great authors and their exciting and imaginative books?)Since then, she's successfully soldinto major publishing houses including Harlequin, NAL, Berkley, Dorchester,Kensington, Avon, Pocket, Random House (both here and in the UK), Knopf,Andrews McMeel, Warner, St. Martin's and HarperCollins.Currently, she is looking forfantastic authors with a voice of their own. Michelle focuses on romance,women's fiction, Chick-Lit young adult and middle grade fiction.Bob MeCoy – now has his own Literary Agency and features manyaward-winning authors. Feel free tovisit his website.Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency – Joined The Knight Agency inSeptember of 2005 to manage our continual onslaught of queries and submissions.She acts as the liaison between clients, publishers, and agents as ManuscriptCoordinator and an Associate Agent here at TKA. With a strong background inboth comparative literature and economics at the University of Georgia , she has experience with legalcontracts and executive management, as well as writing, editing, andpublishing. Consistently producing strong results with a high degree ofintegrity, dedication, and efficiency, Elaine is a perfect addition to the TKApowerhouse. Rachel Vater, Folio Literary Management – Representswriters of commercial and literary fiction. She is open to first-time authorsand is especially looking for beautifully written fiction with an originalconcept and unique voice. She is looking for young adult fiction dealing withcontemporary teen issues and also young adult fantasy. She handles genrefiction, but does not handle horror, westerns, poetry, screenplays, stage playsor category romance.Fornonfiction, she is currently looking for well-credentialed authors who have astrong platform and are writing in the areas of business, personal finance,career books, women’s issues, social issues, spirituality, psychology, health,pop culture and narrative nonfiction. Of special interest are books that delvebehind the scenes, reveal a forgotten piece of history or expose a new side ofsomething most people don’t know about.Desert Dreams Editors:AngelaJames, Samhain Publishing – A formerharem princess, Duchess of York andglobe-trotting superhero, I’ve lived an extensive fantasy life thanks to theworld of books. But after all that, I settled for the job of Executive Editorat Samhain Publishing.In lovewith everything involving the world of publishing and most especiallyepublishing, every day is a new adventure for me as I learn something new aboutediting, publishing and administrating (is that a word?) This job might keep mebusy but it’s never dull!Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester Publishing – She has beenwith Dorchester Publishing for more than seven years. After several years inPublic Relations and Promotions, she's now back to doing what she lovesmost—editing books. Leah heads the Making It line for chick lit and also workson historical, paranormal, futuristic, time-travel, and just about any otherkind of romance. In 2002 she was listed among the Who's Who of ProfessionalManagement.Amy Pierpont, Grand Central Publishing - She is a Senior Editor at GrandCentral Publishing and Editorial Director of Forever. She is a passionatereader of women's fiction, commercial literary fiction, thrillers and historicalfiction, and as a news and pop culture junkie, she's always delighted when ahealth title, media related book, or big, branded commercial lifestyle projectcrosses her desk. As Editorial Director of Forever, she looks forward toworking with the Grand Central editors to develop a program chock-full of thebest romantic suspense, erotica, and historical romance writers in the genre. Most recently she plied her editorial skills at Random House/Clarkson Potter,where she worked with bestselling garden writers Ken Druse, P. Allen Smith, andTovah Martin, and developed lavishly illustrated lifestyle books on such variedtopics as vintage style, big, beautiful green homes, stylish decorating anddelicious cocktails.Toni Plummer, Thomas Dunne Imprint, St. Martin’s Press -Toni Plummergrew up in Los Angeles County, California. She attendedthe University of Notre Dame, earning a B.A. in Philosophy. She then earned aMasters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California. In 2004, she began working at ThomasDunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press, in New York City. The eclecticnature of the imprint's list has allowed her to pursue a range of literary andcommercial fiction, including women's fiction, chick lit, mysteries (from coziesto hard-boiled), and romance in the vein of Barbara Taylor Bradford andNicholas Sparks. Her nonfiction interests include memoir, travel, humor,advice/relationships, and social issues. Her recent acquisitions are Exposed:Confessions of a Wedding Photographer by Claire Lewis and The Down andDirty Dish on Revenge: A Girl's Guide to Getting Back at that Lying, CheatingBastard by Eva Nagorski. The titles are self-explanatory. Also, she'sacquired The Accidental Santera by Irete Lazo, a novel about a Latina scientist whoenters the mysterious world of Santeria, the often misunderstood religionbrought to the New World by African slaves. Toni isparticularly interested in Latino authors and in books with multiculturalthemes.Joanna Raisanen,Harlequin Superromance –Johanna Raisanen has worked for Harlequin Enterprises for over ten years. She has worked on a variety of series, including Harlequin American Romance, Superromance, NEXT and Love Inspired Suspense. She loves to read, so it's lucky for her she has a job where she get to read all the time! Johanna lives in Toronto.And don't forget: Best-selling authors Sherrilyn Kenyon and Carly Phillips are sure to deliver some awe-inspiring words as our keynote speakers. Hope to see you there!--Stacey Goitia, PR Committee, and Susan Lanier-Graham, Conference Chair for the 2008 Desert Dreams Writers' Conference