Speakers for the 19th Annual Rochester Writers’ Conference
Fiction, Nonfiction, Craft, and Business Topics presented as Lectures, Workshops, and Panel Discussions. Featuring Michigan Authors, Speakers, Agents, and Educators.
- Saturday | October 17, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Held in the Oakland Center at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan
Morning Keynote Speaker
Sara Maurer is the author of A Good Animal (St. Martin’s Press, February 2026), a coming-of-age debut that captures the ache of first love, and the beauty and brutality of rural life. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and called it “a deeply felt examination of the heartbreaking choices people make for love.” Kirkus called her prose “undeniably beautiful and evocative.” It was a Book of the Month Club selection and the Chicago Review of Books named it one of its most anticipated books of 2026. Maurer lives with her family in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. www.SaraMaurerWrites.com
Afternoon Keynote Speakers
Karen Bell-Brege and Darrin Brege are a husband and wife, author and illustrator, comedy team. Both are from Michigan, Karen is the writer and Darrin is the artist. When they present, their goal is to inspire, educate and entertain. All of their presentations are high-energy and interactive. Also, they think that if their audience is laughing, then they’re learning. Rochester Writers is pleased to welcome back Karen and Darrin. www.KarenAndDarrin.com
Literary Agents
Alice Speilburg is the CEO and founding literary agent of Speilburg Literary Agency, where she represents commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction for the adult market. With more than 15 years in publishing, she has worked across editorial development, literary representation, and contract negotiation, including earlier roles at John Wiley & Sons and Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. She guides authors through acquisitions, multi-book deals, subsidiary rights, and long-term career strategy, and she also helps executives, associations, and entrepreneurs turn ideas into books that build authority and lasting impact. www.SpeilburgLiterary.com
Linda S. Glaz spent thirteen years as an agent and author with Hartline Literary Agency, and once they shuttered their doors, she went out on her own at Linda S. Glaz Literary Agency. She’s an agent and understands authors because she is one. Married with three grown children, she also brags about six grands and two greats. And needless to say, she LOVES books and is always looking for that next wonderful All American best-selling novel. She handles nonfiction and fiction in both the Christian and general markets. However, no speculative fiction or children’s. www.LindaSGlaz.com
Carrie Howland has been a literary agent for nineteen years, founding Howland Literary, LLC in 2018. She represents a combination of adult literary and upmarket fiction as well as narrative and prescriptive nonfiction. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two-year-old son. In her spare time, she volunteers as a foster for a local dog rescue. www.HowlandLiterary.com
Conference Speakers
Terry Hojnacki, author of I Can See With My Eyes Shut Tight, is an award-winning writer, editor, and founder of Sterling Script: A Local Author Collection. As a former teacher and coach, she enjoys sharing her experience to help others. Hojnacki facilitates the Creative Writers’ Workshop and serves on the Sterling Heights Public Library Board of Trustees. She’s a member of Detroit Working Writers and the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. When not lost in the world of words, she’s gardening, practicing Tai Chi, or cherishing time with family and friends. www.TerryHojnacki.com
Brenda Hasse is a multi-award-winning author. She has published fiction and nonfiction novels through traditional and independent publishing. Her works span various genres – romantic suspense, second-chance romance, young adult historical romance, pre-teen fantasy, metaphysical/visionary fiction, biography, local history, and picture books for children. Brenda is an active ‘volunteer employee’ at her local bookstore, where she has deepened her understanding of a retailer’s perspective on the business and the factors that increase a book’s chances of selling. She lives in Fenton, Michigan, with her husband, Charles, and her cats, Petey and Max. www.BrendaHasseBooks.com
Kristin Bartley Lenz is a writer and social worker in Metro Detroit. Her rock climbing adventures inspired her debut young adult novel, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go, which was a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Great Lakes Great Books Award honor title. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, an array of literary journals, and two anthologies (Rhyme & Rhythm: Poems for Student Athletes and Just YA: Short Poems, Essays, & Fiction for Grades 7-12). Look for her new novel, The Door Swings Open, in spring 2027, and learn more at www.KristinBartleyLenz.com
Rachael Doolen is a professional audiobook narrator from Michigan, but her love of storytelling began on a red dirt road in the middle of Kansas. With no television to occupy her time, she spent her childhood reading and creating outrageous stories to tell her dolls. Her curious nature brought her to the audiobook world many years ago as a listener, which led to an amazing career in which she now tells stories to humans. When she is not in her booth, she can be found hanging out with her family or spending time outside in nature. www.RachaelDoolen.com
Kate Crane is a journalist and former editor at Wall Street Journal publications whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Slate, Men’s Journal, and Time Out New York. Her debut, What Ever Happened to Eddy Crane? (Hanover Square Press, April 2026) is an investigative memoir of her father’s 1987 disappearance from his Baltimore trucking company. Kirkus calls her “a gifted writer with deep reserves of feeling and talent for describing it” and says WEHTEC is “a story with jaw-dropping twists told by a writer to watch.” A Baltimore native and longtime New Yorker, Kate lives in California. www.KateCrane.com
Registration to attend the 2026 Fall Rochester Writers’ Conference includes keynote addresses, breakout sessions, coffee, snacks, lunch, and parking. Check-in will begin at 9:00 a.m. with the first talk at 9:30 a.m. The conference will conclude by 5:00 p.m. No refunds after October 1, 2026. Registrations are transferable upon request.
Attendees may bring a fully charged laptop or tablet. Although not necessary, a computer will enhance the experience with a hands-on feel. Use the hashtag: #RochesterWriters before, during and after the event in your posts, likes, and tweets.
Fresh hot coffee and tea available throughout the day. Light breakfast snacks and a full lunch included with registration. Please contact us if you have special dietary concerns. A charging station will be available for mobile devices in the registration area.
Attendees will be able to choose one presentation per session time at the conference. Schedule could change without notice – Rochester Writers reserves the right to add, subtract, or substitute any of the presentations and speakers. Thank you.
Please Note: All events take place in the Oakland Center of Oakland University (312 Meadow Brook Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326). Use the parking lot (P1) and walk East for the shortest distance into the Oakland Center. Use the Interactive Map to zoom in and view parking and building information. The Oakland Center is positioned between the parking lot and the Clock Tower. Look for Bright Yellow Signs. The Oakland Center on this Campus Map (zoom in for a better view).
