2018 FALL SPEAKERS

Click on the presenter’s name for more information

Kristi Trevarrow is the Executive Director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority (DDA), a Great American Main Street award-winning community. She has over 20 years of experience in downtown development and destination marketing. Her duties include business recruitment & retention, marketing, site development, community relations, fundraising and administration.

Lev Raphael has published twenty-five books in many genres: memoir, mystery, advice for writers, essays, literary fiction, historical fiction, supernatural fiction, short story collections, psychology, biography, and self-help for adults and children. His fiction and creative non-fiction have been taught at colleges and universities coast-to-coast and he’s had stories and essays appear in several dozen anthologies in the U.S. and England. Lev’s books have been translated into fifteen languages and he’s done hundreds of invited readings and talks on three continents, at venues that include the Library of Congress and Oxford University. Visit his website www.LevRaphael.com.

Cindy La Ferle is a Detroit-area journalist and photographer whose work has appeared in Better Homes & Gardens, The Christian Science Monitor, Country Gardens, The Detroit Free Press, Michigan Blue, Reader’s Digest, Victoria, and many other national magazines and newspapers. Her book, Writing Home, is a collection of her award-winning newspaper columns and personal essays. She enjoys helping others share their own life stories. Visit her website www.laferle.com.

In a former life, David Sticklen was an airport police chief with 30 years experience in law enforcement. Now retired, he has written a series of three sought after Middle Grade (MG) fantasy adventure books: Beneath and Beyond, Through the Eyes of the Beast and The Heart of the Swarm. His books and school visits are filled with magic and creativity. David is also an active SCBWI advisory committee member. For more information go to www.BlackWaterPond.com.

Coming from Mount Morris, Michigan is award-winning young adult fantasy author, Mackenzie Flohr. She is the author of the popular series The Rite of Wands, published traditionally with BHC Press, which has caught the attention of Doctor Who and Harry Potter fans worldwide. Readers agree that Mackenzie has crafted a robust tale of secrets, mystery, and uncertain destiny that rivals the works of Tolkien, Lewis, and Rowling. Visit www.MackenzieFlohr.com for more information.

Devon Drake is the author of the Nightstone Saga and the Doctor Madangelle short stories. He resides in Michigan with his family where he spends his days and nights being a martial artist, poet, gamer, amateur philosopher, and hobbyist actor. Once in a while, he finds time to sleep.

 

Zieva Konvisser is the author of Living Beyond Terrorism: Israeli Stories of Hope and Healing. Her diverse career has evolved from pharmaceutical chemist to automotive executive to earning a post-“retirement” PhD in human development. As a Fellow of the Institute for Social Innovation at Fielding Graduate University and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Wayne State University, her research focuses on the human impact of traumatic events, such as terrorism, genocide, war, and wrongful conviction. Visit www.ZievaKonvisser.com for more.

Mel Corrigan is a freelance writer from Clarkston and the business manager at Scribe Publishing Company in Royal Oak. Her writing has been published in The Oakland County Times, Scribe Publishing News, and the Michigan Midwives Association. She’s currently polishing essays and co-authoring a memoir-of-sorts with a surgeon. Sign up for Mel’s newsletter at www.MelCorrigan.com.

Jeff Large is an agency owner, teacher, and podcaster. He leads his team at Come Alive Creative in producing podcasts for businesses and brands. Favorite things include family, board games, and learning something new every day. Visit his www.JeffLarge.com to find out more.

 

Stephanie Steinberg is the managing editor of SEEN, a monthly lifestyle magazine and website in Metro Detroit. Previously, she was a features reporter at The Detroit News and a health and finance editor at U.S. News & World Report in Washington D.C. Stephanie is a University of Michigan alum, where she majored in Communication Studies, and wrote for The Michigan Daily student newspaper. She is the editor of the book In the Name of Editorial Freedom: 125 Years at the Michigan Daily that was published by the University of Michigan Press in 2015.

Howard Meyerson is an award winning reporter/writer/photographer with more than 30 years’ experience writing about outdoor recreation, the environment and natural resources. Today he is the managing editor of Michigan BLUE Magazine, a bi-monthly statewide publication about waterfront living and lifestyles. He regularly works with freelance writers, photographers and illustrators.

Carrie Howland joined Empire Literary as a Senior Agent after eleven years as an agent at Donadio & Olson, Inc. She represents adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult, and middle grade authors, as well as select picture book authors and illustrators. Carrie’s background is in poetry, so beautiful language is one of the first things she looks for in any project. Also important are a strong voice and great story, which she’s looking for across genres. Visit www.ECarrieHowland.com for more information.

Bethany Morehead is a young, enthusiastic, award-winning author and Jr. Agent of Cyle Young at Hartline Literary Agency. She fell in love with writing at a young age, even plotting out stories on napkins and the corners of her notebooks in school. She enjoys both writing and reading fiction books, especially romance. Bethany, a child at heart who enjoys working with children, also has a heart for children’s literature and a soft spot for fairy tales. She manages her own blog on www.BethanyMorehead.com.

Hope Bolinger is a literary agent with Cyle Young Literary Elite. She is a professional writing major at Taylor University. Her YA novel Den was contracted by IlluminateYA while she was still in college (to be released June 3, 2019). More than 200 of her works have been featured in various publications. She is a multi-award winner from being a finalist in the Jerry B. Jenkins short story contest to her one-act earning second place in the Searchlight Playwriting Contest. She has served in various publishing capacities from working at newspapers, magazines, and publishing houses.

Alyssa Roat is a literary agent with Cyle Young Literary Elite. She is a professional writing major at Taylor University, the online editor for The Echo News, a freelance editor with Sherpa Editing Services, and a research assistant at Zondervan Library. She has also worked for Illuminate YA Publishing and Little Lamb Books. Dozens of her articles have been featured in various publications, and she has won several awards, including second place in the Jerry B. Jenkins short story contest, 1st place in the 2016 We the Students Essay Contest out of 20,000 entrants, and 1st place in the 2018 FOFG college division poetry contest. She can be found at www.alyssawrote.wordpress.com.

Lisa Howard is a freelance writer and editor who works with print magazines, online publications, individual businesses, and marketing firms. Her cookbooks, The Big Book of Healthy Cooking Oils and Healthier Gluten-Free, are available anywhere books are sold. Along her editorial work, she’s also a public speaker and cooking instructor. Feel free to stop by www.TheCulturedCook.com any time to browse through Lisa’s recipes and culinary tidbits.

Sonya Julie creates freelance content for print and digital publications about health, fitness, spirituality, lifestyle, travel, and community. Publications include Michigan Sports Edge and Rochester Media. She is Executive Administrator at Rochester Writers. She facilitates workshops, creates jewelry, and is currently writing her memoir. A passionate believer in creative growth, Sonya enjoys encouraging people to find their inspiration.

Michael Dwyer is a freelance writer and managing editor with Rochester Media. He has published hundreds of articles in local newspapers and in national print magazines. Michael writes about local lifestyle, Michigan travels, and worldwide destinations. In 2008, he founded Rochester Writers, an organization that supports writers with contests, conferences, networking, and more.

See the Full Schedule for October 20

Please Note: All events take place in the Oakland Center of Oakland University (2200 N Squirrel Road, Rochester, MI 48309). Use parking lot 1 (P1) and walk East for the shortest distance into the Oakland Center. The Oakland Center is positioned between the parking lot and the Clock Tower. Look for Bright Yellow Signs. The Oakland Center is #13 on the Campus Map.