Speakers

Ifalade Ta’Shia Asanti

Award-winning fiction writer, essayist, poet, journalist, TV producer, Ifalade Ta’Shia Asanti, is a widely requested columnist, writer and speaker on all things literary and media. Ta’Shia’s poetry, essays and articles have been published in Essence, Poets & Writers Magazine, Urban Spectrum Newspaper and in dozens of anthologies, journals and newspapers across the country. Ta’Shia is president of the Eleda Literary Agency and works as Acquistions Editor for Glover Lane Press. Ta’Shia is VP of Content & Programs at Your World TV Enterprises where she produces, The Window, a World View News & Talk Show and Inspiration Kitchen, a show highlighting Chef’s who specialize in Cultural Cuise. Ta’Shia has made numerous appearances on TV and in film including PBS’s Award-winning Think-Tank Talk Show, Colorado State of Mind.

Her publications include “The Bones Do Talk,” “The Sacred Door: A Spiritual Guide to Power Living,” “The Seer: Legacy of Stone & Spirit,” “From Where I Sit-Black Writers Write Black Youth,” “Silent No More Anthology” (various poems), and others. Ta-Shia is the recipient of the Audre Lorde Black Quill Award for creating positive images of African-American women in the media and the Courage in Journalism Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Field of Journalism by the International Media Women’s Foundation. Her website is www.tashiaasanti.com.

Dr. Linda Beed

Dr. Linda Beed is an author, educator, speaker, storyteller and children’s minister. She earned her Master of Theology (Magna Cum Laude) and Doctorate of Religious Education from A. L. Hardy Academy of Theology where she is now faculty emeritus.

She is the founder and president of On Assignment Publications. Through this entity her award-winning inspirational book, Business Unusual was published. Through the Fire will release in the summer of 2012. Her collaborative project, Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships was nominated for 2011 anthology of the year.

As a conference coordinator and facilitator she has shared in the success of local and national conferences that include literary and social organizations. She currently serves on the faculty of the 2012 Black Writers and Reunion Conference. Her 2012 newsletter/blog—‘The Write Plan’ has been created to help you keep abreast with industry news and events, partake of writing tips, book reviews and much more.

Dr. Linda is the founder and president of The Write Plan a course for those seeking to become writers and to learn the business side of the craft. In support for others she has shared her articles at Shades of Romance Online Magazine, Blogging in Black and is co-moderator of Real Sister Writers.

Her one-woman presentation, ‘Tell Them’ relays the last day of Carol Denise McNair, the youngest victim of the 1963 Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. Coupled with a carefully developed workshop the presentation serves to encourage children to seek to make a difference. The adult version speaks to the necessity of nurturing our children toward purpose.

Dr. Linda is a member of the Seattle chapter of the Professional Women of Color Network and National Council of Negro Women.

Dr. Angela Benson

Though Angela Benson began writing fiction in Miss Milizo’s fifth grade English class, her first book was not published until 1994, more than thirty years later! Since then, Angela has published twelve novels, two novellas, and a nonfiction writing book. Her books have appeared on national, regional and local bestseller lists, and she has won several writing awards, including Best Multicultural Romance from Romantic Times magazine, and Best Contemporary Ethnic Romance from Affaire de Coeur magazine. She was a finalist for the 2000 Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award in Multicultural Romance.

After publishing seven romance novels and one novella with Pinnacle Arabesque and Silhouette Special Edition, Angela made a faith move to Christian fiction in 2000 with the publication of Awakening Mercy, the first book in her Genesis House series from Tyndale House Publishers. Awakening Mercy was a finalist for both the RITA Award given by Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction. The second book in the Genesis House series, Abiding Hope, was published in September 2001. Abiding Hope was awarded the Emma Award for Best Inspirational Romance presented by the Romance Slam Jam. The third book and final book of the series, Enduring Love, is not yet scheduled.

BET Books, now Harlequin’s Kimani Press purchased the mass market rights to Awakening Mercy and Abiding Hope in 2000 and released mass market editions of the titles in June 2002 and June 2003, respectively.

Angela’s first hardcover title, The Amen Sisters, was released in September 2005 by Walk Worthy Press. The Essence bestselling title won the Emma Award for Best Inspirational Romance. The trade paperback edition was released in November 2007.

Up Pops the Devil, published by HarperCollins (Avon A) in August 2008, was Angela’s eleventh novel. It was selected the November 2008 African-American Book Club Pick at Books-A-Million and was featured in the September-October 2008 issue of UPSCALE Magazine.

Angela’s twelfth novel, Sins of the Father (Avon A), hits bookstores in September 2009. Her second novella, Showers of Blessings, in the A Million Blessings (Dafina) anthology, was published in March 2010.

Angela has a diverse education and work history. She majored in mathematics at Spelman College and Industrial Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and worked for fifteen years as an engineer in the telecommunications industry. She holds Masters degrees in operations research and human resources development. Her most recent degree is a doctorate in instructional technology from the University of Georgia. Dr. Benson is now an associate professor of educational technology at The University of Alabama.
Dr. Venise Berry

Venise Berry is an associate professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.   She received a BA (1977) in Journalism and an MA (1979) in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa.  Her Ph.D. was awarded in 1989 in Radio. TV and Film at the University of Texas in Austin.  Her professional media career began in radio news but has expanded into teaching, media research and criticism, as well as fiction, script and non-fiction writing.

She is the author of three national bestselling novels; So Good, An African American Love Story  (1996), All of Me, A Voluptuous Tale  (2000) and Colored Sugar Water (2002).  Her fourth novel, Pockets of Sanity is expected in 2008.  In 2003, she received the “Creative Contribution to Literature” award from the Zora Neale Hurston Society.  All of Me received a 2001 Honor Book Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and also in 2001 she was recognized with an Iowa Author Award from the Public Library Foundation in Des Moines.

Berry’s research is in the area of African American Cultural Criticism.  Her focus is a conceptual theory called racialism that explores the influence of the mediated racial images and messages.  She is published widely in academic circles with numerous articles based on her research in the area of media, youth and popular culture.  Her current non-fiction project I Used to be a Rap Music Fan: Racialism and the Media is based on her research.

She has co-authored two non-fiction resource books with S. Torriano Berry, an associate professor in Film at Howard University, The Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema  (Scarecrow Press, 2007) and The 50 Most Influential Black Films (Citadel 2001).  Mediated Messages and African-American Culture: Contemporary Issues  (Sage, 1996), a co-edited, a non-fiction project, won the Meyers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in North America in 1997. Another edited book called What Do You Believe? Reflections on a Higher Power will be published in 2008.

Each summer, Berry teaches a one-week workshop on novel writing, at the University of Iowa Summer Writers Workshop.  She also conducts several seminars: Weight and Wellness: Challenging Myths, Racialism and the Media, Words That Set You Free, I Used to be a Rap Music Fan, and Success in the 21st Century.

For more information visit Venise Berry’s web site at: www.veniseberry.com

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

ReShonda Tate Billingsleyalways did have an active imagination. From making up stories to crafting award-winning poems, the national bestselling author has always maintained a love for telling stories. After numerous rejections from publishers, ReShonda stepped out on faith, established her own publishing company, and released her debut novel, My Brother’s Keeper. The book caught the attention of one of the country’s top literary agents, who secured a deal for ReShonda with megahouse publisher, Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books.

A former television and radio news reporter, ReShonda has been in the journalism business for more than two decades. Currently, she is the co-host of From Cover to Cover literary talk radio show, a freelance reporter, an editor for the Houston Defender Newspaper, as well as a professional editor, ghost writer and literary consultant.   ReShonda recently added ‘actress’ to her impressive resume, starring in the national touring stage play “Marriage Material,” along with Allen Payne, Tank, T-Boz, Michael Colyar and Jill Marie Jones.  ReShonda has worked as a reporter for The National Enquirer and as an anchor and reporter for NBC, ABC and FOX television stations in Beaumont, TX, Oklahoma City, OK and Houston, TX. She left her job at FOX 26 News in Houston in 2007 to write full-time.

And write she does…

ReShonda is the national bestselling author of 21 titles (Eight adult novels, eight teen novels, one non-fiction, three anthologies and one poetry book). Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, is being made into a movie of which she is Executive Producer and actress Regina King is the director.  Her teen books, Nothing But Drama and Caught up in the Drama are also being made into movies.

A much sought-after public speaker, ReShonda has won numerous awards for her journalism, fiction and poetry writing skills. She is a five-time winner of the National Association of Black Journalists Spirit in the Words competition. Considered one of the top Inspirational Fiction authors in the country, her books have appeared on the Essence Bestseller’s list more than 20 times, as well as The Washington Post and Dallas Morning News Bestseller’s lists. Her books have also been featured in USA Today and Ebony Magazine as Summer Sizzlers and she was recently inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, along with R&B singer, Ne-Yo.

ReShonda’s upcoming projects include A Good Man is Hard to Find (Mar. 22, 2011), Saints and Sinners (collaboration with Victoria Christopher Murray, Jan. 2012), Say Amen, Again (July 2011) and A Little Bit of Karma (March 2012). Her current books include: Holy Rollers, The Devil is a Lie, Can I Get a Witness, The Pastor’s Wife, Let the Church Say Amen, Everybody Say Amen, I Know I’ve Been Changed and My Brother’s Keeper. Her teen novels include Drama Queens, Caught Up in the Drama, Nothing But Drama, Blessings in Disguise, With Friends Like These, Getting Even, Fairweather Friends, Friends ‘Til the End, and Caught up in the Drama. And the anthologies Have a Little Faith and Four Degrees of Heat. She has one non-fiction title, Help! I’ve Turned into my Mother.

A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, ReShonda is married with three small children and was recently voted a Top 25 Woman of Houston by Rolling Out Magazine.

Anna Christian

Anna Christian is the author of four books, Daniel’s Wife, contemporary fiction, 2010; The Big Table, a children’s book, 2008; Mrs. Griffin is Missing and Other Stories, a preteen novel, 2005; and Meet it, Greet it, and Defeat it! The Biography of Frances E. Williams, Actress/Activist, 1999. She has two biographical entries in the 2008 African American National Biography Project published by Oxford University Press; one of Frances E. Williams and one of Rupert Crosse, actor. A freelance writer, her articles have appeared in Image Magazine and the Skanner Newspaper in Portland, Oregon. She has written book reviews for Sisterhood Agenda Magazine and the Salem Public Library, and book evaluations for L.A. Unified School District. In addition to her blog, “Celebrating Life” on blogspot.com, she has blogged for the Oxford University Press.

She has an M.A. in English from CSULA. She taught Language Arts for L.A. Unified School District and Moreno Valley Unified School District from which she retired. In addition, as an adjunct professor with Riverside Community College, she taught English and worked in the Teacher Preparations Special Projects. Presently she facilitates a Creative Writing/Life Story class at the Moreno Valley Senior Center.

She is the recipient of the 1999 Research and Status of Black Women in the Arts award from the Southern California Conference Branch, Women’s Missionary Society of the AME Church.

Christian is a member of the Renaissance Writers of Riverside and the California Writers Collective.

Diane Dorce’

Diane Dorce’ is the talented author of Loving Penny, Devil in the Mist, and 52 Broad Street, as well as one of the contributing authors in the breakout short-story collection, Bloggers Delight – Stories of Love and Redemption. Diane is also the CEO/Publisher of Firefly Publishing & Entertainment, publishing over 14 titles in various genres, poetry, romance, mystery/thrillers, sci-fi and non-fiction. Firefly Publishing and its authors are breaking new ground in the literary world. While publishing and writing keeps her busy, Diane’s passion for sharing spills over in her popular blog called “Write for Life” at http://readingwritingblogging.blogspot.com, where she discusses life, publishing and writing. Her website is www.fireflypublishingent.com.

Brian Egeston

Brian Egeston majored in mechanical engineering at Tennessee State University because
he never wanted to be a starving artist. After obtaining his degree and working as an
engineer for RCA and Motorola, Brian left his cubicle and thousands of dollars in
company stock to become, you guessed it, a starving writer.

After making the leap from engineering to writing, Brian wrote and published six novels,
was featured in three anthologies and became an NPR commentator.

His fourth novel, Granddaddy’s Dirt was adapted to a screenplay and is currently in
development. A producer at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta read the screenplay and
invited Brian to audition as a staff writer for Tyler Perry. Brian landed the writing
position and in less than three years at TPS, Brian has worked on 192 episodes and three
series. (Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, Meet The Browns and For Better or Worse) After
only two seasons, Brian was promoted to Head Writer and lead writing staffs for 82
episodes. To date he has written more than 30 scripts for the studio, one of which was
nominated for the Movieguide Faith & Values Award. His first year as Head Writer
resulted in the series winning its eighth NAACP Image Award.

Now Brian is anxious to achieve more having developed four television pilots while
continuing to work on his feature films. During his matriculation at Tennessee State,
Brian pledged Omega Psi Phi and met his future wife Latise. They have a four-year-old
son Zachary who often lies across Brian’s laptop when it’s time to stop working and start
playing.

Tonya Evans, Esq.

Tonya M. Evans, is Associate Professor of Law at Widener University School of Law (Harrisburg campus) and an attorney specializing primarily in the areas of entertainment law (literary, music and film) and intellectual property (copyright and trademark).

She is a nationally recognized speaker who presents to various audiences regularly on publishing and intellectual property law issues.

She is a former Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Sports, Entertainment and Art Law Committee, and has served as an adjunct professor of copyright, publishing and licensing at York College of Pennsylvania.

Tonya, known affectionately as “Lawyer by Day, Poet by Night” is also a performance poet, singer and writer, and the author of numerous books, including Contracts Companion for Writers, Copyright Companion for Writers, Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark, and Contracts in Plain Language, Seasons of Her and SHINE! Her short story, Not Tonight, appears in an anthology titled Proverbs for the People, published by Kensington.

Renee Flagler

Renee Flagler is an award-nominated author and an award-winning freelance writer who has served in marketing, promotions and events for more than a decade. Under the divisions of her company Aspicomm Media, she has been able to marry the things that she enjoys the most; marketing, events and writing, all into one fulfilling career.

Renee is the author of three novels, Mountain High Valley Low, Miss-Guided, and In Her Mind, and she’s currently working on her next releases, The House Guest, Raging Blue, Still Raging and Like It’s My Last. Her novels have been known to be, as some reviewers have quoted, “deliciously dramatic.”

Renee is the founder of The Self-Publishing Symposium, a business conference for self and independent publishers, The S’Indie Awards, which honors the works and accomplishments of self and independent publishers and the Divas of Literature Tour, a multi-city book tour featuring authors across various genres. She was formerly one of the four resident “Literary Leaders” for WBAI radio’s talk show, ‘Off the Page.’ And she was named in John Kremer’s book entitled, Self-Publishing Hall of Fame.

Back in 2008, she received an award for Excellence in Journalism by the New York Association of Black Journalists. She was honored by Black Star News for her accomplishments in business for starting the Self-Publishing Symposium and also honored at the Unlock Your Dreams conference for pursuing my dreams.

Her books and writings have been featured in The Network Journal, Black Enterprise Magazine, Ebony Magazine, The New York Amsterdam News, Our Times, Caribbean Life, Jolie Magazine, Booking Matters, and Black Star News, to name a few.

She has been tagged as somewhat of a relationships expert because her books deal with the dynamics of relationships. As a result, she’s penned advice in relationship columns and has sat on quite a few relationship panels. She currently pens a relationship column in XI Magazine (www.ximagonline.com).

In December 2010, she started SheBiz.net (www.shebiz.net), a lifestyle blog for women who are pursuing their passions to help, inspire and encourage fellow passionistas.

Another passion of hers is mentoring at-risk teens and impacting literacy in inner city communities.

She is a graduate of New School University with a Masters in Media Arts, as well as a graduate of St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. She recently returned to grad school to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing.

She a born and bred New Yorker and she still lives in the great colorful city with her family.

Gwynne Forster

Gwynne Forster is a national best selling author of fort-nine works of fiction, including her latest of eleven mainstream novels BREAKING THE TIES THAT BIND. Gwynne is author of thirty-eight romance novels and novellas, of which the latest novels are LOVE ME TONIGHT and A COMPROMISING AFFAIR, both of which are Harrington stories. She has won numerous awards for fiction writing, including the Romantic Times 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, the Romance In Color Author of the Year award, the Gold Pen Award and has been inducted in the Affaire de Coeur Hall of Fame. A demographer by profession, she is formerly a senior United Nations Officer, Population Division, United Nations, New York, where she was chief officer in charge of Research in Fertility and Family Planning studies. Gwynne is author of twenty-seven publications in demography. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in sociology and a master’s degree in economics/demography. As an officer, first for United Nations and later for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, London, England, Gwynne traveled and/or worked in sixty-three countries. Gwynne loves to read and listen to music, especially jazz, classical music, opera and blues. She also loves to dance and enjoys entertaining at small dinner parties. She lives in New York with her husband, who is her true soul mate.

Sharon Ewell Foster

Unlike most writers who actually make it to publication, Sharon Ewell Foster tried to talk herself out of it . . . for years. When Sharon attended Western Illinois University for a quarter during her freshman year, Dr. Evie Adams Welch tried to inspire her.

Dr. Welch, who taught South African Literature and African American History, told Sharon that there were so many stories that needed to be told and she wrote well enough to do it. Sharon says, “I heard her, but I couldn’t dream that dream for myself. It seemed impossible. How could someone like me be a published writer?”

Sharon went on to attend U of I at Champaign/Urbana and graduated from University of Maryland at College Park. She married, had a career, and wrote technical manuals, lesson plans, book reviews, and news stories—all the while still running from creative writing. “I still couldn’t believe.  I was afraid to try.”

But her kids picked up where Dr. Welch left off, nudging her toward writing. Finally, Sharon says, “I felt God pushing me toward what I thought was impossible. Long story short, here I am.” Her first book became the NAACP Book of the Year in 2000 and won the Christy Award. “The impossible is possible! Not just for me, but for all of us.”

Her writing has been embraced by Christians and non-Christians.

Sharon’s ability to effortlessly weave together seemingly unrelated disciplines and information is at the heart of her success as a creative and best-selling writer.   Her acclaim has come for sources as varied as Essence Magazine, Christianity Today, Romantic Times, the NAACP, and The Historical Novel Society.

Sharon blazed onto the publishing scene nine years ago with the first successful work of African American Christian fiction–the critically acclaimed and Christy Award-winning Passing by Samaria. In fact, it was that first novel that opened the flood gates of interest in fiction with ethnic and inspirational flavor.

This double-RITA Award finalist and Daily Guidepost contributing writer weaves multicultural tales that span racial, religious, age and gender boundaries to share the best of the human heart. Hailing from a Department of Defense background, the author and speaker uses poetic and prophetic words to dramatically inspire and masterfully entertain while seamlessly weaving faith and scripture into unique stories that enthrall readers of all ages.

T.D. Jakes has said, “To me, she is one of America’s best-kept secrets-but not for long! Sharon writes for those of us who want more than just words on a page, but pictures painted on the canvasses of our minds. She has proven to be ‘the Picasso of the pen!“

She holds a B.A. in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Maryland and is a graduate of the Act One Screenwriting Program. Sharon’s writing has earned multiple awards including the Christy Award (she is a three-time finalist and the only African American Christy Award winner), Golden Pen Award (Black Writers Alliance), NAACP 2000 Book of the Year, and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award.

Sharon has combined her love of history to pen historical novels like Passing by Samaria, the Christy Award-winning novel chosen by the NAACP as it’s Book of the Year in 2000.

Elaine Garcia

Elaine Garcia began as a freelance editor in 2006, training under some of the best editors and contracted through well-noted editing companies and regional publishers before launching Before You Publish, a full service editing firm specializing in Copyediting, Comprehensive Editing, Transcribing, eBook Conversion, and more. She is also the published author of four titles, a discussion leader, and founder of the Dallas based Closed Critique Sessions (CCS), a writer’s group started in 2008 to provide a place where writers can get honest and useful feedback on their work from committed members who take their writing careers seriously.

Kaneisha Grayson

Kaneisha Grayson is the founder of dating advice site CrazyGirl Nation (http://crazygirlnation.com) and the author of forthcoming book Be Your Own Boyfriend: Decide to be Happy, Unleash Your Sexy, and Change Your Life. CrazyGirl Nation has over 16,000 unique visitors per month (40% of whom are men!), and Kaneisha receives dozens of questions about dating and relationships every month from women all around the world. She moderated the panel “Power Couples: Aligning Personal and Professional Success” for the Harvard Business School H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference in 2010, as well as moderated a town hall forum on the State of Black Dating for the Harvard Business School African American Student Union. Her relationship and dating advice has been featured at sites such as xoJane, Betty Confidential, Yahoo! Shine, IvyDate, and The Fresh Xpress. She is an MBA and MPA graduate of Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, and also runs an admissions consulting company called The Art of Applying. She lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas.

Dr. Jacqualyn Green is the owner of Green Enterprizes, a counseling, consulting and training firm based in Indianapolis Indiana. In addition to counseling, which she provides to individuals and families, Dr. Green specializes in cultural diversity consulting and leadership development with corporations, religious, educational institutions, social service agencies, and health organizations. She designs, and facilitates training programs and reviews training materials and employee handbooks. She often works with groups on finding balance and recently designed a seminar on “Busting Burnout.”

Dr. Green has worked extensively throughout the United States and has begun to work abroad. She has presented at numerous workshops and conferences. Dr. Green presented a paper on Diversity and Chemical Dependency in Egypt and a paper on Aging & Diversity in Toronto, Canada. Jackie’s extensive travels in Africa and the Caribbean have enriched her understanding of diversity and spirituality. She has presented at the BWRC Conferences in Florida, Texas, Las Vegas and Atlanta. Her experiences abroad and throughout the United States have inspired her writing.

Dr. Green has authored two books, with accompanying workbooks. “Spiritual Resilience” assists those seeking increased spiritual strength. Dr. Green outlines health, financial, relationship, and other challenges faced by African Americans. She encourages readers to adopt strategies, which will reenergize their body, mind and spirit to allow them to best respond to life’s demands. Her second book, “Racial Resilience” denotes African American student experiences and recommendations regarding successful tips whether attending a Predominantly White Institution or a Historically Black College or University. A workbook that allows students to assess their skills and educational needs is included in the publication or as a stand-alone document. Dr. Green is also a featured author in the 2011 publication of “Healing Black Women from Violence.” She has served as a contributing author to The Indianapolis Recorder Magazine and as the Relationship Thursday expert on WTLC radio station.

Dr. Green received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Fisk University, and Master and Doctorate in Social Work from Indiana University. She has received numerous awards for her work within the profession and her community. Some of her awards include: the Sagamore of the Wabash (State of Indiana), Phyllis Wheatley (YWCA), Mary McLeod Bethune (NCNW), Trailblazer Award and Creative Leadership Award (National Association of Black Social Workers) and Breakthrough Women Award (Coalition of 100 Black Women). Last year, she received the Service Award from the International Congress of Black Women. Dr. Green was recently inducted into the Consortium of Doctors.

Dr. Green equates people to trees. Both need nourishment and care. If the care is regularly and properly provided, both can bloom, prosper and even nurture others. Maintaining balance, the topic of her presentation at BWRC this year, is a critical aspect of self-care. One of her favorite quotes is: “The danger in putting yourself on the back burner is that sooner or later you’ll get burnt!”

Dawn Michelle Hardy

Dawn Michelle Hardy is an award-winning publicist who founded Dream Relations, PR & Literary Consulting in 2004 after running the day-to-operations for Teri Woods Publishing. She was awarded the 2010 “Book Publicist of the Year” honor by the African Americans on the Move Book Club. Some of her author clients include National Bestselling Author Niobia Bryant, Black Expressions featured author Ebonee Monique, Essence Bestselling Authors, Kiki Swinson, Miasha, Danielle Santiago and Michele Fletcher. Her agency also represents the “Behind the Books” documentary on urban fiction.
Dawn Michelle recently joined the team at Serendipity Literary Agency as a book agent looking to acquire non-fiction, pop-culture, womens fiction and empowerment titles. Along with her colleagues at Serendipity Literary Agency Dawn Michelle has been featured online with Ebony and The Network Journal.
She consistently does interviews and contributes articles on publishing trends and book publicity. Dawn Michelle has been interviewed by several online outlets including Black Enterprise/BE NEXT where she speaks about the popularity of urban fiction, XI Magazine, 21 Black Street, Urbania Magazine, Urban Book Source, She-Blogs, In Her Shoes, and Teen Diaries discussing her dual career as a book publicist and agent. www.dreamrelations.com

Dr. Anita Heiss

Dr. Anita Heiss is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales and is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors of Aboriginal literature.

Her published works include the historical novel Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, non-fiction text Dhuuluu-Yala (To Talk Straight) – Publishing Aboriginal Literature, and a literacy reader entitled Me and My Mum. Anita has also edited Life in Gadigal Country and co-edited with Penny van Toorn, Stories Without End.

In 2007 Anita released three titles: Not Meeting Mr Right (Bantam Books) for which she won the Deadly Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature. Her poetry collection I’m not racist, but… (Salt Publishing) won the Scanlon Prize for Indigenous Poetry and her kids novel Yirra and her deadly dog Demon (ABC Books), was launched at the 2007 Sydney Writers Festival by Her Excellency Marie Bashir, Governor of NSW.

In 2008 Anita released Avoiding Mr Right (Bantam Books) and The Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature (Allen & Unwin) which she co-authored with Peter Minter. The Anthology won the 2008 Deadly Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature. In 2010 she released Manhattan Dreaming (Bantam) for which she won the Deadly Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Literature.

In 2011, Anita released Paris Dreaming (2010) which won the Most both through Bantam, and Demon Guards the School Yard (2011) co-written with the students of La Perouse Public School for the award-winning Yarning Strong series.

Anita has performed her works nationally (Sydney Writers’ Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Melbourne Writers’ Festival, Adelaide Writers’ Week, Byron Bay Writers’ Festival, Message Sticks, Brisbane Writers Festival, Somerset Festival of Literature, Watermark, Big Sky, Sprung, Wordstorm, among others) and internationally in Spain, Austria, the USA, Canada, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, China, France, the UK, Tahiti and New Caledonia. She has also been published widely in journals, anthologies and on-line.

Anita was Communications Adviser for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board (2001-2003), was a member of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) Committee of Management from 1998-2004 and Chaired the organisation 2008-2009. Anita was Deputy Director of Warawara Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University from 2005-2006.

In 2003 in recognition of her literary achievements Anita was awarded the ASA Medal for Under 35s for her contribution to Australian community and public life.

In 2004 Anita was awarded the NSW Indigenous Arts Fellowship and was listed in The Bulletin magazine’s “Smart 100”. In the same year she wrote and directed her first short-film “Checkerboard Love” as part of the Lester Bostock mentorship program through Metro Screen, Sydney. She was writer in residence at Macquarie University, and was also nominated for a 2004 Deadly Award for Outstanding Achievement in Literature.

Anita has made guest appearances on the Einstein Factor, Message Stick, Vulture, Critical Mass, A Difference of Opinion (all ABC), The Catch Up (Channel 9), Living Black (SBS), The Gathering (NITV), 9am with David and Kim and The Circle (both Channel 10).

Anita is currently working as a full-time writer and is an Adjunct Associate Professor (unpaid) at the University of Western Sydney, attached to the Badanami Centre for Indigenous Education. Anita volunteers her time as a Books in Homes Ambassador, an Indigenous Literacy Day Ambassador and as a Board Member of the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy. She is the patron of WEAVE and the Alliance of Girls’ Schools of Australia.

Anita’s latest book is Am I Black Enough For You?

For more information on Anita, visit www.anitaheiss.com.
Anita’s showreel

Jeanette Hill

Jeanette W. Hill is a prolific playwright, producer, director and now filmmaker. She has written and produced numerous stage plays for youth and adults. Active in the artistic community, she has presented and participated in a number of community and civic activities including the 2011 International Artists Kuumba summit, the Faith-Based Arts Conference, Texas Organized Professionals, the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce Legislative Brunch and the Austin Juneteenth Celebration.

Recent stage productions include Dealing With Daddy’s Devils!, The Best Lesson, The Silent City and Bruised But Not Broken and two short youth films Paying the Costs (date abuse) and Courage the Hard Way (bullying awareness).

Her workshops and presentations include “What?! Drama in the Church!!”, What If…? Beating Writer’s Block, Who is He?! Character Development! and It All Adds Up! Financing Your Project. As well as conducting the annual Believe Beyond Boundaries Creative Arts Summer Camp. Ms. Hill also serves on the staff of The Write Plan program.

Current projects-producing the second season of The Amen Circle, a local cable television series she created. Her first book of urban youth plays Courage, the Hard Way!, will launch Spring 2012 and addresses ways that our young people can deal with the issues of both physical and cyber-bullying.

She is also the founder and executive director of Sight Ain’t Seeing Productions (SASP), a non-profit creative arts organization entertains as well as teaches adult and young members of underserved urban communities.

LaVonda Howard

LaVonda Howard, mom of two and wife of 15 years in Washington, DC, is the author of 4 books, including the popular D-Cup Divas series. She is also the Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of Black Literature Magazine (2011 AALA Literary Magazine of the Year). LaVonda has been doing graphic design since 2001, but received her Associates in Graphic Design and Web Design from Sessions School of Design in 2005. After which, she started her own design firm, Cupcake Creative Studio. She has gone on to design for numerous new and well-known authors such as Brian W. Smith, Marissa Montielh and Harold Fisher just to name a few. More information on Vonda can be found on her website www.VondaHoward.com and on her graphic design website, www.CupcakeCreativeStudio.com.

Nakia Laushaul

Nakia R. Laushaul resides in Houston, Texas with her lovable teenage son. She is employed as a Finance Administrator for a major furniture retailer. Nakia is a poet, novelist, blogger, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur. She has always loved to read and early on in life guessed that her love for writing would play a major role in her future.

Inspired and fueled by attempts to be molded into the norm, she wrote and published her first collection of poetry and essays titled “The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose” which was released in early 2010 by Serendipity Bound Books, a publishing and consulting company that she founded. “Running from Solace”, her debut novel was released in April 2011. She is currently working on her second novel titled “Do You Know Daisy McCloud?” Nakia also operates A Reader’s Perspective, a typesetting service (interior book design and layout). Visit her website for more information: www.nakiarlaushaul.com

Miranda Parker

Miranda Parker has been featured in RT Book Reviews Magazine, Publishers Weekly, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. She has also made featured author appearances for the 2011 (NBCC) National Book Club Convention, Black Pearl Magazine’s Chocolate Social, The Decatur Book Festival, and the Atlanta Press Club. She is also the Social Media/Marketing Head for the [ITW]International Thriller Writers, Inc. Debut Authors Program and a contributing editor to The Big Thrill.

Akilah Richards

Stop presenting. Start being present!

That’s the life chant™ at The Life Design Agency, brainchild of Akilah S. Richards, entrepreneur, author, and advocate of all things Empowered Woman.

Akilah‘s Work-Life mantra—Define, Design and Live your Fullest Version of Self—has landed her in
the role of trusted lifestyle management resource for women who crave less stressful, more fulfilled lives.

Akilah continues to be called upon to share her effective Life Design strategies that explore lifestyle topics such as entrepreneurship, marriage, parenting, partnerships, and writing.

The self-published author and longtime writer uses her Radical Self-expression tools to show professionals how to craft written content to convey their best assets.

She speaks at women’s conferences, health and wellness-based events in the United States and the Caribbean, and at her self-produced events that provide lifestyle guidance to women, mothers, and entrepreneurs.

Akilah’s work and lifestyle tools have been featured in national publications, including Essence and Real Simple magazines in print, as well as Clutch and MSNBC’s Today Moms online.

The Jamaican-born lover of good books and meaningful music resides in metro Atlanta with her husband and their two daughters.

Jamillah Warner

Jamillah Warner is a poet with a passion for business. She writes a weekly marketing column at SmallBizTrends.com, help small business owners market their messages on a budget, and she speak on effective communication at corporations, small businesses and conferences.

Bryan-Keyth Wilson

Takeyah Young

Takeyah A. Young, speaker, lifestyle expert, health coach and yoga teacher, offers access to and strategies for personal sustainability. Each of us have a Lifestyle Equation that equals clarity + confidence in our bodies and minds; her work will help you design that space.

Through her company, Core Connection Lifestyle, Takeyah helps her clients craft customized systems that fit an optimized approach to their natural flow. Together they focus on core value/daily action alignment, self-exploration, and ultimately addressing and providing solutions to the challenges they’ve had in creating and maintaining optimal health and wellness.

Her offerings draw from her academic background as an engineer, her global wellness experiences and her emphasis on soul-centered wellness practices that facilitate mindful eating, gentle exercises, and an overall knowledge of your bodyís unique needs.

Core Connection Lifestyleís dedication to providing life essentials for well being and tools for healthful living has not gone un-noticed. Takeyah’s work has graced the pages of CRAVE DC, and have had the honor of being an invited speaker at the lauded Shakti Love Fest in Jamaica. Her annual Yoga and Wellness Retreat (held in Jamaica) is fast gaining popularity with women looking for ways to integrate wellness into their everyday lives.

At CORE CONNECTION LIFESTYLE, she and her clients move past deep breaths and basic recipes, and hone in on practical lifestyle design for energized and passionate lives.