Martin S. “Marty” Rudoy is a partner of Rudoy Fleck Attorneys, and screenwriter. A lawyer since 1974, handling everything from litigation to drafting motion picture contracts, Marty represents clients in a wide variety of transactional and litigation matters including bankruptcy, business law, real estate, wrongful death and entertainment law. His present and former clients include financial institutions and prominent celebrities. He is currently representing the estate of the woman found hanged, naked, bound and gagged in the famed Spreckels Mansion on Coronado last July. A former stand-up comic, Marty also produces major comedy benefits and sits on the board of philanthropic organizations including the Board of Governors of City of Hope.

Jusine Musk is the author of two dark-fantasy novels, Bloodangel and Lord of Bones, published by Penguin, and the young adult supernatural thriller, Uninvited, published by an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Called "a vivid, talented writer and a voice we'll be hearing from a long time" by cult horror author Poppy Z Brite (Liquor, Prime), Justine's voice is indeed one that not only is heard, but followed and re-tweeted by countless writers and indie creatives everywhere. Obsessed with social media long before Oprah introduced Twitter to the masses, Justine's immensily popular blog, TribalWriter.com is geared to creatives seeking to come to grips with social media in a way that is not only fun and rewarding, but builds careers and enriches lives.

Andrew Wetzel is an associate agent with Martin Literary Management, having recently joined the agency after serving time in the New York publishing scene, first with a brief spell at Soft Skull Press and later as a junior literary scout for Aram Fox, Inc. He is interested in "Literary with a capital L" fiction (think Eugenides, Houellebecq, Murakami, Cormac McCarthy, Martin Amis) as well as the dark corner of the literary list that is slightly less pretentious and slightly more commercial (think Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Dennis Johnson). Andrew concedes, "I love a great story, but style is just as important to me sometimes." He is also very interested in reading young adult novels, specifically those with a macabre sensibility or a fascinating dystopian or fantasy setting. On the non-fiction front, he's seeking pop (think Mary Roach, Legs McNeil and, admittedly, gimmicky books based on popular blogs/Tumblrs) and "non-fiction for boys"--funny books by comedians, pop culture oral histories, books by-or-about criminals, memoirs of all sort and stripe, though instead of the inspirational memoir side of it, more a mix of warts-and-all athlete/musician/comedian memoirs (or possibly even the sleazy memoir, like Tucker Max/Neil Strauss).

Advance Submission Critique: Male-centric fiction and non-fiction. First 15 pages

T. Jefferson Parker's debut novel, Laguna Heat, written on evenings and weekends while he worked as a journalist, was published to rave reviews and made into an HBO movie starring Harry Hamlin, Jason Robards and Rip Torn. The paperback made The New York Times Bestseller list in 1986. His following novels—all dealing with crime, life and death in sunny Southern California—have been published to rave reviews and appeared on many bestseller lists. Jeff's writing has been called "potent and irresistible" (L.A. Times) and "resonant, literate and powerful" (Kirkus). The New York Times wrote that "T. Jefferson Parker is a powerhouse writer." Writing in the Washington Post, reviewer Carolyn See called The Triggerman's Dance "a masterpiece." Where Serpents Lie and The Blue Hour appeared for five weeks on the L.A. Times bestseller list. Red Light and Silent Joe made number one on that list in May of 2000 and 2001, respectively and Silent Joe went on to win the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best Novel and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller. Cold Pursuit was named Novel of the Year by the Southern California Booksellers Association, while California Girl won Jeff his second Best Novel Edgar. His 19th novel, The Jaguar, is out January 2012 from Dutton.

Indy Quillen is a novelist, freelance writer, and owner of Media Fast Lanes. Having watched with interest the ever-growing dominance of social media in building a solid writing platform for marketing, she decided she had better learn her way around or get left behind. What she discovered, as we all have, is that social media can eat up time like a voracious carnivore, leaving us scraps for our precious writing time. Passionate to share her knowledge with the writing community, she decided to put all those hours of research and studies to good use – to save others the time of learning it on their own. Indy will help you understand the strong points of each social media venue, how to use them effectively, and develop your own strategic game plan for day-to-day tasks. Her goal is to show you how to add social media to your life–and still have time for what you do best–writing.

Babette Sparr grew up with publishing in Europe where she received her MA in German and English Literature as well as Cultural Anthroplogy. She has worked at Peter & Paul Fritz Agency in Zurich, Circulo de Lectores in Barcelona and Simon & Schuster in New York. She also worked at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency handling subsidiary rights as well as the development side of the agency in close cooperation with Sandy Dijkstra. After moving to Los Angeles she freelanced for Phoenix Pictures, reading and evaluating screenplays and books for development into film before starting her own literary agency, representing fiction and non-fiction titles. In fiction she is especially drawn to literary fiction, upmarket women's fiction, anything that has to do with the immigrant experience, cross-cultural and diaspora literature. In non-fiction she is looking for: science, political science, history, and current affairs.

Advance Submission Critique: Literary and upmarket commercial fiction, women's fiction (no romance), thriller, mystery,; narrative non-fiction. First 15 pages

Bettie B. Youngs, Ph.D., Ed.D., is the critically acclaimed author of 36 books translated into 28 languages. A former Teacher-of-the-Year and university professor, Bettie is widely considered an expert with a pulse on social issues, and is a frequent guest on television and radio talk shows, including The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Oprah, Good Morning America. Time magazine, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, The Washington Post, New York Post, Redbook, Newsday and Working Woman have all recognized her work. Though her earlier work focused on education and developmental issues for youth, family and educators, in recent years she is best known for her series of poignantly written short-story books that clearly and warmly elucidate the human spirit, captivating the American psyche and winning her wide-range appeal with audiences young and old alike. Bettie is the recipient of numerous publishing awards, including having an imprint bearing her name. She is founder and CEO of Bettie Youngs Books Publishing Co. and founder and co-publisher of its dedicated imprint Teen Town Press, and a popular reading series for kids, Kendahl House Press.

Cathy Lubenski Phillips spent over 25 years in the newspaper industry and has plenty of scars from dueling with pesky editors to show for it. She survived with her sanity relatively intact and has continued writing for pleasure. Her debut novel, Trashy Chic, is out January from Vantage Point. The first in a series featuring reporter Bertie Mallowan, New York Times bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker (The Jaguar, The Border Lords) raves, “Don’t miss this utterly delightful mystery... a perfect humor-to-heart ratio. Bravo!” And Parnell Hall (Caper) calls it, "fast and funny." Cathy's follow-up, Snarky Park, is due summer of 2012.

Orna Ross worked for 20 years in writing and publishing in Dublin, as a journalist, editor, author, creative writing lecturer and literary agent.  Having moved to London in 2009 to write fulltime, her sweeping sweeping, multigenerational murder mysteries include Lover's Hallow (now available on Kindle as After the Rising), which spans the end of the Irish War of Independence in 1922 to mid-1990s San Francisco, and A Dance in Time, both published by Penguin. Now an indie author of fiction, film scripts, poetry and nonfiction writing about creative intelligence, which she blogs about at The Creative Intelligence Blog, Orna's latest titles include a collection of poems, Ten Thoughts About Love, and Inspiration Meditation, an eBook introducing a meditation method devised to foster innate creative intelligence.

Bio coming.

Andrew Zack, literary agent and author coach, is a genuine publishing entrepreneur. Founder of The Zack Company, Inc., a literary agency representing authors of fiction and non-fiction, as well as Author Coach, LLC, an author-services firm representing independent editors and assisting authors in revising and refining their works, he has recently launched Endpapers Press, a “managed self-publishing” solution for authors interested in bringing their works out as reprint or original eBooks or print-on-demand editions. Before becoming an agent, Andy rose quickly from Foreign Rights Assistant at Simon & Schuster, to Editorial Assistant at Warner Books, to Assistant and then Associate Editor at Donald I. Fine, and finally to Editor at The Berkley Publishing Group. All in just over two years! As a freelance editor, he edited titles for Berkley, DIF, Dell, and Avon, and became a Consulting Editor for Tom Doherty’s Forge Books. Today, he is seeking authors in a wide variety of areas for representation. For a full list of areas of interest, see the “What We Want” page on his site. And if you are interested in learning more about editorial services and managed self-publishing options, please visit www.authorcoach.com.

Advance Submission Critique: Historical, practical and narrative non-fiction; commercial and genre fiction; first 15 pages

Kathleen Rushall is the newest member of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. She started as an intern at the Sandra Dijkstra Agency, and then spent almost two years at Waterside Productions. She looks forward to garnering fresh voices, strong narratives, and whimsical tales in all areas of young adult literature including fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, dystopian stories, and contemporary fiction. She is open to all genres of YA, but has a soft spot for well-researched historical narratives, edgy or paranormal plots, humorous voices, and would love to find a dark mystery. Kathleen is open to unique, quirky picture books and all genres of character driven middle grade fiction as well (especially multi-cultural or boy-driven MG).

Advance Submission Critique: Young adult, character-driven middle grade, and picture book (author/illustrators only, please); first 15 pages

Kristin Miller is an associate agent D4EO Literary Agency, a position to which she was promoted in February of 2011 after interning with rep Mandy Hubbard. A graduate of the University of Washington with degrees in English Lit, Women's Studies and Secondary Education, Kristin publishes magazine and website articles and young adult novels under a pen name, teaches writing and works editorially with clients and other writers. Her leading clients include Carey Farrell, Alison Kemper and Vonna Carter.  She is interested in historical fiction YA, sci-fi YA, contemporary YA with feminist and social issues themes, commercial beach reads YA that are heavy on the romance and fun, and YA horror (psychological, not in-your-face gore). For middle grade, authentic voice is most important; fun, adventure, mystery and big, big characters. And with picture books, unique, groundbreaking, inventive art; playful, character-driven stories; humor. PB manuscripts should be less than 750 words. Author/illustrators only, please.

Advance Submission Critique: Middle grade, young adult and picture book (author/illustrators only, please); first 15 pages

Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero, Esq. is an agent with the L. Perkins Agency, an author, as well as an attorney. She is the founder of The Corvisiero Law Practice, P.C., a boutique law firm in midtown New York City. She is focusing on science fiction, fantasy, horror and romance, as well as young adult and children's literature. In non-fiction, she is interested in seeing proposals for memoirs, how-to (in any industry), guides and tales about the legal practice, parenting, self-help, and mainstream science. No text books please.

Advance Submission Critique: Genre fiction, YA and children's literature; practical and narrative non-fiction; first 15 pages

Greg Gutierrez is a writer, teacher and artist. He did his undergraduate and graduate work at San Diego State University and his collection of short stories, Zen and the Art of Surfing, which Writer's Digest proclaimed, "Spellbinding!" is in its ninth printing. The San Diego Union Tribune has called his writing, “Mythological.” After 9/11 he went to NYC to write a piece on fallen surfer/firefighter Steve “Bells” Belson and was nearly arrested investigating the story. His short stories, articles, and essays have garnered awards and his work has appeared in: The Surfer’s Journal, Surfer Magazine, Surfing Magazine, Western Outdoor News, The San Diego Union Tribune, Ocean Magazine, Salt Magazine, The San Diego Reader, MorSurf Magazine, Carlsbad Magazine and Art News.

Kirsten Imani Kasai's richly woven debut fantasy adventure, Ice Song, explored issues of identity and difference on a world where DNA has mutated amok between humans and animals. Library Journal proclaimed it, "Reminiscent of Ursula Le Guin's paradigm-shattering The Left Hand of Darkness, this piercingly moving story belongs in most fantasy collections." While Publishers Weekly declared it simply, "Strikingly original." PW call its recently release follow-up, Tattoo (Del Rey/Random House), "lushly erotic while remaining aware of the costs of addiction and self-indulgence." And National Book Critics Circle member Paul Goat Allen hails, "Lyrical, forlorn, dreamlike, and, at times, painfully passionate.

Deborah Halverson is the award-winning author of Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies (July, 2010) and the teen novels Honk if You Hate Me and Big Mouth. Deborah edited books at Harcourt Children’s Books for ten years—until she climbed over the desk and tried out the author chair on the other side. Now she writes books for teens and for adults full-time. Armed with a masters in American Literature and a fascination with pop culture, she sculpts stories from extreme places and events—tattoo parlors, fast food joints, and, most extreme of all, high schools. She is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences and a writing teacher for groups and institutions including UCSD’s Extension Program. Deborah is also the founder of the popular writers’ advice website DearEditor.com and freelance edits fiction and non-fiction for both published authors and writers seeking their first book deals.

Advance Submission Critique: Fiction, young adult, children's; narrative and practical non-fiction; first 20 pages

Daniel J. Silva is the Editor-in-Chief for ZOVA Books and the Director of Creative Development for ZOVA, Inc., the parent company of ZOVA Books. Dan has edited a wide range of subjects, from marketing books to educational workbooks. Now he has found himself back where his heart has always been, fiction. Dan brings a keen eye for detail and discriminating ear for talent to the ZOVA team. Combining many years of writing and management experience, Dan is responsible for the creative direction of the company.

Advance Submission Critique: Genre fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense; first 20 pages double-spaced

Molly Lewis serves as the CEO and Publisher for ZOVA Books and is a partner with ZOVA, Inc., the parent company of ZOVA Books. Her vision for the company is to create the next generation business model for independent publishers by focusing on the partnerships between all parties involved. Her keen focus on finding talent, promotion of literacy and love for books drives ZOVA. Molly’s business acumen has been honed from working at all levels of the retail book industry, including being a published author. Molly received her Master’s Degree in literature from the University of Edinburgh.

Advance Submission Critique: Commercial & literary fiction, YA; non-fiction; first 20 pages double-spaced

Journalist Sylvia Mendoza is the author of The Book of Latina Women: 150 Vidas (Lives) of Passion, Strength and Success, highlighting the contributions of 150 women whose accomplishments in history, science, politics, art, and entertainment -- past and present -- have impacted the world. The book was selected for the 2007 California Collection for High Schools by the California Readers Association. In addition to serving as parenting columnist for Siempre Mujer magazine, Sylvia's work has appeared in Hispanic Outlook, Uptown, OurCity San Diego, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, Writers' Journal, San Diego Writers' Monthly, Decor & Style, Living Better, Kids' Wall Street News, Hispanic, and elsewhere. Her awards for Journalistic Excellence include First Place for Non-Daily Reporting & Writing/Multicultural Stories from the Society of Professional Journalists and First Place, Non-fiction from the National Federation of Press Women. And her novel, Serenade, won a prestigious Latino Literary Hall of Fame Award. Serving the current president of Southern California Media Professionals, Sylvia is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Press Club and National Women’s History Project. Promoting the power of the written word, Sylvia volunteers at San Diego Juvenile Hall as a book club facilitator for young women living there.

Advance Submission Critique: Narrative non-fiction, profiles; fiction, romantic fiction, chick-lit; first 20 pages

Linda Thomas-Sundstrom is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical paranormal romance novels, writing for Kensington Publishing, Dorchester Publishing, and Silhouette Nocturne.  Of her 2009 release, Barbie & The Beast, Janet Evanovich (Sizzling Sixteen) called it, "wonderfully charming and light-hearted romantic adventure full of two of my favorite things... cookies and furry friends."  Currently fulfilling a five-book contract for Nocturne, in 2010 alone Linda had three books come out in her Wolf Moons series, Red Wolf, Moon Marked, and Wolf Trap.  The first of a new Vampire Moons series, Golden Vampire, is her most recent. Guardian of the Night is out February. She is also Vice President of Programming for the Romance Writers of America's San Diego chapter, is the Writers' Workshop coordinator for some of San Diego's County libraries, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and cons around the country. Find out more about Linda's work at: www.lindathomas-sundstrom.com.

Jeremy Lee James is a web developer and Internet marketing strategist. His company, Write Click Media, provides individuals, organizations, and small businesses with compelling content, and custom web site solutions built on commercial-grade CMS-driven publishing platforms. He also offers training and consulting in the areas of sales conversion, social media and community building, customer retention, and information architecture.  A writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Jeremy is a passionate advocate for fellow writers seeking to succeed in the business side of their art.  Through his company and partnerships, Jeremy provides web-based tools to both traditionally published authors, and self-published writers, for building a personal brand, engaging their audience online, and promoting their art.

Rick Ochocki is a novelist and writer of creative nonfiction living in Bakersfield, California. His contest-winning flash fiction has been published in the San Diego CityBeat weekly magazine. He is a contributor to BakerfieldExpress, a website promoting arts, culture and civic engagement in Kern County. An active member of Romance Writers of America, Rick is the librarian for the Los Angeles Romance Authors, chapter 25 of RWA. During an eight year Emergency Medical Service paramedic career in the Harlem and Washington Heights neighborhoods of New York City, Rick received the Medal of Honor for saving a stranded infant from an apartment fire.

Ernessa T. Carter's Ernessa T. Carter's tragicomic debut novel, 32 Candles (HarperCollins/Amistad), was declared by Booklist in a starred review,, "[A] captivating debut... With all the charm of a clever romantic comedy and peopled by appealing, memorable characters, Carter’s first novel is a winner on all fronts.” Kirkus called it, "Potent and well rendered.” Essence hailed it, “This summer’s juiciest beach read." And author Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey) raves, “32 cheers for Ernessa T. Carter! She’s created one of the freshest, funniest characters I’ve ever read about." A true writer, Ernessa has also worked as an ESL teacher in Japan, a music journalist in Pittsburgh, a payroll administrator in Burbank, and a radio writer for American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest in Hollywood. She’s also a retired L.A. Derby Doll.

Mark I. Reichenthal is an intellectual property and entertainment law attorney with Branfman Law Group P.C., with the emphasis of his practice centered on intellectual property, entertainment law, licensing, internet and book & magazine publishing. Prior to joining BLG, Mark worked at Simon & Schuster, William Morrow, Avon Books, was a Senior Counsel at Wiley Publishing, publisher of the wildly successful "...For Dummies" series where Mark was responsible for managing the day-to-day legal affairs of the company including the negotiation of book contracts, supervising the enforcement of the “…For Dummies” trademark, and all company trademark and copyright licensing.

Paul Fedorko built his career on both the publishing and literary agency sides of the book business before bringing his considerable expertise of working directly with established authors, new writers and personalities to talent management pioneer N.S. Bienstock as its first literary representative. Prior to joining Bienstock, Paul had been an agent at Trident Media Group, ran The Paul Fedorko Agency and spent more than 20 years as a publishing and marketing executive at Bantam Doubleday Dell, Simon & Schuster and William Morrow working with many brand name, as well as first-time, authors. His clients range from the mega-successful John Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man) to novelists discovered at writer's conferences, through queries and through other clients, such as Kathy Haines, author of a brand new YA series set during WWII, bestseller Craig Nova, parenting expert Amy McCready, novelists Shari Shattuck (Loaded) and George Shuman (18 Seconds). His most recent projects include The Doors' John Densmore's new book, Break on Through, Dan Rather's forthcoming memoir, CNN's Ali Velshi and Christine Romans' How to Speak Money, and books by journalists Richard Engel, Ron Insana and Jack Cafferty, among others. Says Paul, "My passion is helping authors develop their projects and partnering them with the right editor and publisher."

Advance Submission Critique: Commerical and genre fiction (excluding sci-fi); practical and narrative non-fiction; first 15 pages

Maralys is the author of a dozen published books in a variety of genres, including the techno-thriller Scatterpath, of which The New York Times said, "Her cockpit sequences all but put the reader at the controls," and four romance novels. Her nonfiction includes the critically lauded Higher Than Eagles: The Tragedy and Triumph of an American Family, which chronicles the loss of two of her sons and has been optioned for film five times, and Save My Son: A Mother and a Sheriff Unite to Reclaim the Lives of Addicted Offenders (with Michael Carona). Her latest titles include A Clown in the Trunk, a sequel of sorts to her light-hearted memoir, A Circus Without Elephants, and Damn the Rejections: Full Speed Ahead.

Advance Submission Critique: Mainstream, literary and historical fiction; memoir and narrative non-fiction; first 20 pages double-spaced

Mike Sirota is a freelance editor and author of 19 published novels including The 22nd Gear, Bicycling Through Space and Time, Demon Shadows and The Well, from such publishers as Bantam Books, The Berkley Publishing Group, Pocket Books and Zebra Books. Among his client successes: Michele Scott's Tacked to Death, Jeff Sherratt's The Brimstone Murders, Dr. Paul Bernstein's Courage to Heal, and A Bum Deal: An Unlikely Journey from Hopeless to Humanitarian, by Barry Soper and Rufus Hanna. He was the long-time editor and feature writer for a San Diego newsmagazine, honored with the prestigious Simon Rockower Prize for investigative reporting, and an award from the San Diego County Medical Association. New York Times bestseller John Lescroart said of Mike's recent novel, Fire Dance, "[E]ven for non-aficionados of ghost stories, these pages sing.” And Lisa Gardner (Live to Tell) hailed, “So great to have a new book from legendary writing coach Mike Sirota. When he writes, you should listen!” The Burning Ground, "a chilling novel of vengeful spirits," is out February from ZOVA Books.

Advance Submission Critique: Mainstream, literary, adult & young adult novels, and narrative nonfiction; up to 20 pages, double-spaced

Editor-in-Chief of award-winning independent press Sunbelt Publications, and prose editor for the San Diego Writer's Ink anthology A Year in Ink, Vol 3, Jennifer Silva Redmond is also founding editor of the critically-acclaimed Sea of Cortez Review (1998-2001). Joining Sunbelt as Acquisitions Editor in 2000, Jennifer was named Editor-in-Chief in 2004, with titles she's edited having garnered numerous awards and critical recognition. As an author, she has sold stories, poetry, and essays to many publications and was recently featured in Latinos in Lotusland: An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature. Jennifer is also a sought-after book doctor who enjoys speaking to writers' groups and working with authors, based on her 12 years of guiding authors through the acquisition, editing, and production of their books.

Advance Submission Critique: Fiction, nonfiction, short stories; first 20 pages double-spaced

Frederick Ramsay is the prolific author of the Ike Schwartz mystery series, which premiered in 2006 with his critically acclaimed debut novel, Artscape. Secrets, Buffalo Mountain, Stranger Room, Choker, The Eye of the Virgin and this past summer's Rogue (Poisoned Pen Press) have followed, each earning wide praise. His stand-alone Impulse was called by Booklist, "A touching reflection on the changes that come with growing older in a society prejudiced against the elderly," while Predators , the launch of his series set in  Botswana, was "starred" by Library Journal and called by Booklist, "a finally engaging mystery." Its follow-up, Reapers elevated the stakes in the unusual setting.  Fred's other titles include Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal and the debut of a new series in February, The Eighth Veil: A Jerusalem Mystery (Perfect Niche).

Laurel Corona is the author of The Four Seasons: A Novel of Vivaldi's Venice, awarded both the coveted Theodor S. Geisel Award for book of the year and best in Historical Fiction at the 2009 San Diego Book Awards. Booklist praised it a "charming, exquisite, and poetic" depiction of "the dazzling light of Venice and…two orphaned sisters full of ambition, heart, and steadfast love."  Penelope's Daughter (Berkley Trade), revisiting the Trojan War and its aftermath from the point of view of Odysseus and Penelope's daughter, received equal accolades. And of her latest, Finding Emile (Gallery Books), set in 1749 France, Publishers Weekly raves, "Corona brings a changing world, peopled with fascinating historical figures like Diderot and Voltaire, to vibrant life." Laurel is also the author of young adult and trade nonfiction, most recently Until Our Last Breath: A Holocaust Story of Love and Partisan Resistance (with research contributed by Michael Bart).

Mark’s first horror novel, 6:02, was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. It was followed by Children of the End and Lorelei, both of which received multiple nominations and awards. As with his The Land of Nod, all of his books have been optioned for film, and he also wrote the script for an original short, Dreamweavers, starring Robert Carradine and Frank Gorshin. A read & critique workshop leader for the SCWC for over 20 years, Mark is currently at work on a new novel, The Black Queen.

Advance Submission Critique: Horror, mainstream, commercial and genre fiction; narrative nonfiction; first 20 pages double-spaced

Michele Scott is the author of the popular Wine Lover’s Mystery Series and The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries (a.k.a. The Horse Lover’s Mysteries).  Michele grew up in the country thirty minutes east of San Diego, where her parents bought her first horse which she learned to ride at five.  At nine years old she wrote a short story and showed it to her dad, written on one of his legal pads.  After he read it, he said to her, "You are a writer."  With those words spoken, Michele's been writing stories ever since.  A graduate from The University of Southern California, where she studied journalism and hoped to be a reporter, in 2004 Michele received “the call” from her literary agent that Berkley Prime Crime wanted to sign her for the first three books in the Wine Mysteries.  Today Michele has now written numerous novels in a variety of genres, including a young adult adventure, Zamora's Ultimate Challenge, La Patron, a family saga set in the narco-trafficking underworld of South America, and her latest, under her pen name of A.K. Alexander, Covert Reich.

Matthew J. Pallamary’s first novel, Land Without Evil, set in ancient Paraguay, has been acclaimed by readers and critics alike.  Ray Bradbury declared "Bravo!" for Matt's The Small Dark Room of the Soul, a short story collection originally self-published.  A memoir, Spirit Matters, chronicling his life-long search for truth, which took him from false faith on the bloody mean streets of Boston's Irish Catholic ghetto to the discovery of spiritual affirmation in the jungles of the Amazon, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Spiritual Book and was an Award-Winning Finalist in the autobiography/memoir category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.

Advance Submission Critique: Horror, fantasy, transformative fiction; first 20 pages double-spaced

Lynn is editorial director of Behler Publications, an independent publisher with an impressive variety of award-winning titles. A 2007 Independent Publisher Book Award recipient herself, for her novel Donovan's Paradigm, Lynn's passion for working with some of the most exciting new voices in American literature, on subjects tackling medicine, aging, family issues, death, abandonment, love, prejudice and more, has produced for Behler a growing list of poignant, lauded personal journeys in both fiction and nonfiction. Recent books include Kate McLaughlin's Mommy I'm Still In Here: Raising Children with Bipolar Disorder, Chip Jacob's Wheeling the Deal: The Outrageous Legend of Gordon Zahler, Hollywood's Flashiest Quadriplegic and Douglas Light's East Fifth Bliss.

Advance Submission Critique: Narrative non-fiction, fiction; first 20 pages double-spaced

Jean is a freelance editor (MsRewrite.com) and consultant to writers. Having worked with a number of authors, she has successfully shepherded to print both genre and mainstream novels for publishers such as Random House, Avon, St. Martins, Rutledge Hill Press, Tor Donald I. Fine, Hellgate Press, Eschelon Press, Georgetown Press, Aberdeen Bay Press, and Crossroads-Four Ways West Publications, and maintained her popular "Ask J.J." column for San Diego Writers' Monthly for several years. Jean also "moonlights" for cable television programs, various production houses and numerous attorneys. Several books on which she has consulted are nearing publication with major houses.

Advance Submission Critique: Mystery, suspense, thriller, police procedural; narrative non-fiction; first 20 pages, double-spaced

Andrew Peterson's breakout first novel, First to Kill, featuring former Marine Corps sniper and ex-CIA operative Nathan McBride, was cited by Ridley Pearson (Killer Weekend) as featuring, “the most brutally effective thriller hero to appear in years.” And Publishers Weekly reported it "kicks off a series in fine style... complex and action-packed." Knowing full well the subject of what he writes, Andrew is a life-long competitive marksman having won numerous titles, earning Master classification status in the NRA’s High Power Rifle ranking system.  His latest is Forced to Kill, out on Audible.com being read by none other than the voice of Jack Reacher, Dick Hill.

Ken Kulken's stories have appeared in Esquire and dozens of other magazines and anthologies, been honorably mentioned in Best American Short Stories and earned a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. With Alan Russell, in Road Kill and No Cats, No Chocolate, he has chronicled the madness of book promotion tours. Ken’s novels are Midheaven, chosen as finalist for the Ernest Hemingway Award for best first novel and the Tom Hickey California Century series: The Loud Adios, San Diego and Tijuana, 1943 (Private Eye Writers of America/St. Martin’s Press Best First PI Novel); The Venus Deal, San Diego, Mount Shasta, and Denver, 1942; The Angel Gang, Lake Tahoe and San Diego, 1950; The Do-Re-Mi, rural Northern California, 1972 (a January Magazine best book of 2006 and finalist for the 2006 Shamus Award); The Vagabond Virgins, rural Baja California, 1979; and The Biggest Liar in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 1926.

Drusilla Campbell is the author of fourteen novels, most recently the best sellers The Good Sister, Bone Lake and Blood Orange. For more than twenty years she has taught classes, seminars and workshops designed for the writer who wants to be successful in today’s challenging market without sacrificing literary quality. As a motivational speaker, her personal story of success-to failure-and-back-to-success has inspired hundreds of writers to stick to their dreams. Her next novel, Little Girl Gone, is out January, 2012 from Grand Central Publishing.

Judy is a writer and educator with more than 20 years of experience as a workshop leader. She is the author of four books on writing, including A Writer's Book of Days, named a "hottest book for writers" by Writer's Digest magazine. The other books are Writing Alone, Writing Together, A Creative Writer's Kit, and The Writer's Retreat Kit. She teaches creative writing at UCSD Extension, holds private workshops, and speaks at writing conferences internationally. In addition to her work as a writer and writing provocateur, Judy co-founded The Writing Center, a nonprofit literary arts organization and is executive director of San Diego Writers, Ink. New World Library will publish a 10th Anniversary Edition of A Writer's Book of Days this fall.

Advance Submission Critique: Memoirs, narrative non-fiction, women's fiction; up to 20 pages double-spaced

Marla Miller’s Marketing the Muse workshops featured in video segments at www.MarlaMiller.com and www.TheWriterMag.com are popular among writers on the road to publication. Her first book was published by Simon & Schuster. For 18 years, she penned three columns for the Orange County Register. Her interests range from pop culture to nonprofits, health care, sports and food/chefs. She has written for many publications; in addition to More Magazine and The Writer Magazine, her work has appeared in Writer’s Digest, Los Angeles Times & Oxygen.com. From 2006-2009, she was founding editor-in-chief of a quarterly Southern California coastal lifestyle magazine. For eight years, she co-hosted a radio talk show on an NPR affiliate and interviewed many notable writers and public personalities. A former nurse practitioner, she writes/consults in health care and on health care sites. In addition to Critique My Query, Miller has penned several series for The Writer Magazine including a Q/A series featuring noted authors discussing their ‘salad days’ and HOOKED: Query Letters That Piqued An Agent’s Interest. Contact her through MarlaMiller.com, her website that offers guidance/tutorial to authors on the road to publication. Social media hook ups: www.Twitter.com/writersMAMA, Facebook: Marla Miller MtheMuse, http://www.youtube.com/user/ocwriter2

Advance Submission Critique: Fiction, narrative nonfiction; up to 20 pages double-spaced

The author of 22 novels, Laura Taylor lives a double life as a writer and a personal editor to several other successful writers. Her critically acclaimed Honorbound - an RWA Rita Mainstream Fiction Award Finalist and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection - received endorsements from authors Pat Conroy, W.E.B. Griffin, and Stephen King. She is also the recipient of 6 Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement and Career Achievement Awards, 2 Maggie Awards for Mainstream Fiction from GRW/RWA, and the first Golden Rose Award given by the RWA chapter she co-founded. She is an active member of The Authors Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Novelists, Inc. Intimate Strangers, a recent novel, and contemporized editions of Fallen Angel, Desert Rose, and Midnight Storm from her extensive backlist, are scheduled for digital release on Kindle and B&N Nook in August, 2011.

Advance Submission Critique: Mainstream, historical and genre fiction, romance; first 20 pages double-spaced

Jeremy Lee James is a web developer and Internet marketing strategist. His company, Write Click Media, provides individuals, organizations, and small businesses with compelling content, and custom web site solutions built on commercial-grade CMS-driven publishing platforms. He also offers training and consulting in the areas of sales conversion, social media and community building, customer retention, and information architecture.

A writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Jeremy is a passionate advocate for fellow writers seeking to succeed in the business side of their art.

Through his company and partnerships, Jeremy provides web-based tools to both traditionally published authors, and self-published writers, for building a personal brand, engaging their audience online, and promoting their art.

Edwin is a freelance journalist and columnist whose work has appeared in The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Reader, Modern Drunkard Magazine, Seattle Stranger, Tucson Weekly, Cleveland Scene and other magazines and newspapers across the country. His satiric and sometimes controversial column, "Sordid Tales," runs every other week in San Diego CityBeat.  His book Barzilla and Other Psalms was nominated for a 2007 San Diego Book Award and his performance piece, “Questioning Innocence is Questionable,” won the grand prize for the San Diego Visual Arts Performance Slam.  Website: www.EdwinDecker.com.

Wes has had a hand in helping make a number of dreams come true for aspiring authors over the years. His efforts continue to foster a better sense of community for writers throughout Southern California and beyond. With more than twenty years experience in law enforcement, he has policed some of the most challenging neighborhoods in the United States, experience earned while serving in a number of capacities such as a patrolman, training officer, field evidence collections and ultimately detective sergeant. Wes’s latest book, Black & White, generated immediate agent interest and is being shopped as a series.

Michael is an independent filmmaker and WGA screenwriter of material ranging from mainstream drama and bio-pics to animated action-adventure and videogames. He has scripted series for Fox, UPN and HBO, directed television and features in a variety of genres, and been involved as a writer, producer or director in over 150 short films. His recent longform projects include the award-winning doculogue We, The Screenwriter, the romantic-comedy A Valentine Carol, and groundbreaking Don King Presents: Prizefighter for 2K Games.  His books include the popular Disc Golf: All You Need to Know about the Game You Want to Play (Trellis).