A native Texan, Kendall Berdinsky fell in love with the Junie B. Jones books she discovered in kindergarten and has been an avid reader ever since. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in professional writing with a minor in English literature. During her junior year abroad, she interned in the children’s department at Simon & Schuster UK; after graduation, she served as an editorial assistant at Foundry Literary + Media and attended the Columbia Publishing Course.

Kendall is interested in seeing upmarket romance, book club fiction, psychological thrillers, and narrative nonfiction. Overall, she is looking for work from underrepresented communities with new stories to tell.

Since 1994, Timothy Travaglini has worked in trade marketing for Scholastic, Inc.; been a bookseller for Books of Wonder, an all-children’s bookstore in New York City; and has edited for Henry Holt and Company, Walker & Company, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, and Open Road Integrated Media where he was the director of children’s acquisitions.

Books he has acquired and edited have been, among other things, #1 New York Times bestsellers, a Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Year, Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner, Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction winner, have been made into an award-winning musical, made into an award-winning animated television show (currently on Netflix), and traveled on board the International Space Station. He has edited, published, and now represents artists and authors who either previously won, or have gone on to win, nearly every award and honor under the sun. He has edited an American Library Association’s 10 Most Frequently Challenged book as well as a Christianity Today Book Award for Fiction winner.

Tim is a Senior Agent at Transatlantic Agency. He represents fiction and nonfiction for adults, as well as for young readers of all ages. Tim loves a book that makes him laugh out loud. He loves a book that makes him cry. He loves a book that makes him fall in love, and he loves a book that breaks his heart.

He is interested in biographies or memoirs of people or groups that inspire: overcoming adversity, perseverance, hard work, compassion, empathy, giving back to the world. He is interested in nonfiction about topics that are amazing: but is also particularly interested in aviation, architecture, caves/tunnels/mines, cemeteries/memento mori, environmental concerns, island settings, outer space, politics, reading/writing/storytelling, all things Scandinavian/Nordic, socialism or anything the less-informed may label as socialism, and travel.

Tim has a fondness for science fiction and fantasy (SFF) in all forms, graphic novels and comics, bibliomysteries, literary horror, romantic comedies, literary romance, middle grade boy books, goofy energetic picture books, swashbuckling adventure, ghost stories, well-loved stories reimagined in new ways, exotic settings, parodies, anything over-the-top or weird or macabre, innovative books that break new ground, and anything to do with roller derby.

Jennifer Griffith is a USA Today bestselling author, and has received several awards for her writing, including two Swoony Awards (for outstanding clean secular romance). She has been nominated for a Whitney Award, as well as named among the Best Books of 2012 by news station KSL.com. A regular presenter at writing conferences, Jennifer is the author of roughly 50 novels and novellas, with over 46 million KENP page-reads on Kindle Unlimited, and 200,000 e-book and print copies delivered to readers of light fiction. Her work has been optioned for film, read in high school and university classrooms, and has also been called boring and a waste of time by people who aren’t the audience for fluff. Parents of five brilliant young adults, Jennifer and her husband live rurally in the hot Arizona desert, where her husband works as an attorney and as Jennifer’s muse.

Michelle Wilson is an inspirational author, speaker, podcaster, and editor. She has published inspirational nonfiction books with Deseret Book, Covenant Communications, and Cedar Fort, and has a new title coming out this August. She has taught writing nonfiction at ANWA, Storymakers, and LDSPMA Conferences for the past ten years. But Michelle’s real claim to fame is the time Lisa Mangum dressed up as her at an ANWA gala a few years ago. Michelle also enjoys writing fiction and is querying her latest WIP now, so she’s very familiar with rejection and consolation chocolate. Michelle loves to teach and mentor those who have a desire to share light through writing. She can be found at michellewilsonwrites.com

Whitney Award Winning author, Tyson Abaroa, was born in Provo, UT but raised in Gilbert, AZ. His freshman year of high school he was assigned to write an essay on what he’d be when he grew up. He turned in a step by step plan to become world dictator. That should have been his first clue that maybe he should keep imagining. In July 2001 between his junior and senior year of high school he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves. After graduating high school, boot camp, and MOS school; his unit was deployed to build a fuel hose line in support of the invasion of Iraq. After this deployment he served in the Chile Santiago East Mission. He married soon after returning home and just before his first anniversary was deployed again. This time to Djibouti, Africa as part of a provisional security company. Tyson’s ADHD has led to an eclectic career after the Marine Corps. He has been a credit card collector, a claims processor, a Track Director for USA BMX, and now a Pest Control Technician. He draws from his experiences and develops stories to write about in his spare time.

CJ Anaya is a Plottr Education Lead and the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Healer. She writes teen and young adult fantasy romance, and when she isn’t writing, she’s coaching other authors on publishing and marketing their books.

Anika Arrington is the author of the Havensgate Chronicles: The Accidental Apprentice (a Whitney Award Finalist) and Ideal Apprentice. She runs the Youtube channel Story Serpent reviewing middle grade and YA literature. When she isn’t writing or running a load of laundry she likes to paint watercolors, watch baseball, and hike with her loving husband and their truckload of children.

Stephanie Black is the author of fourteen books, including the Natalie Marsh mystery series and, most recently, The Trespassers. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner for Best Mystery/Suspense and a finalist for Best Speculative Novel. She thinks the ANWA Conference is one of the best events on the planet and loves to hang out with a bunch of people who understand hand-wringing over characterization, the thrill of twisting a plot, and the temptation to overuse em-dashes.

Johan Twiss is an award-winning author who’s passionate about writing exciting science fiction and fantasy stories that are suitable for tweens, teens, and adults alike. He has nine published works, including his award-winning novel, Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace, and the I Am Sleepless series. He’s the recipient of the Lonestar.Ink Rising Star Award, finalist in the Screencraft Cinematic Book Competition, and runner-up in the Book Pipeline Adaptation Contest. He has over forty published children’s stories available on the Sleepy Stories App and doubles as an audiobook narrator when time permits. He’s a loving husband and father with five amazing children and enjoys playing sports, a variety of musical instruments, painting, and exploring the world on road trips with his family. Learn more at www.johantwiss.com.

Ashley Bustamante has created stories from the moment she could scribble and staple sheets of paper together. She simply cannot recall a time when writing was not a force in her life. She strives to create stories with positive messages that encourage others to come together. She enjoys participating in the writing community and hopes to nurture other writers in the way she was nurtured by so many throughout her youth.

Darci Cole is an author, narrator and podcaster. Her debut series THE UNBROKEN TALES is a set of intertwined fairytale retellings for young adults. She has been part of Brandon Sanderson’s beta team since 2015, and co-hosts the Pineapple P Podcast with Gina Denny. Darci lives in Arizona with her husband and four children. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok, and her website at darcicole.com.

Gina Denny is a writer, editor, publishing professional, podcaster, speaker, and erstwhile music teacher. She is a contributing editor to the online magazine In Omnia Paratus, has been on numerous writing conference faculties including Storymakers and ANWA, and on the Storymakers conference committee from 2020-2022. Through her freelance work she has supported a multitude of authors along their journey to publication toward both indie and trad, and in addition to providing publishing advice on TikTok to thousands of followers, she is currently the royalties and commissions administrator for Ayesha Pande Literary.

Paige Edwards is an award-winning author of inspirational romantic suspense novels. Due to her deep British roots, Paige’s books are often set in the UK, and she hops the pond whenever she gets the chance. She is styled the Lady Paige Edwards when in Scotland, but her favorite title is Grandma. When she isn’t writing, she serves as president of her area’s Interfaith Community Council, enjoys hiking, consumes way too much Dr. Pepper, and is currently converting a Sprinter van into a camper. Paige loves to connect with readers. You can reach her by visiting her website authorpaigeedwards.com.

Camille Fairbanks earned her BA in English Literature at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, and has worked as a copywriter, proofreader, managing editor, and social media marketing specialist. Her essay “Divine Nature” was published in Fresh Courage Take: New Directions by Mormon Women (Zvirzden et al., Signature Books). A proud member of the Red Mountain Writers chapter, she finally completed her first manuscript and credits ANWA with showing her how. She is a passionate hand-talker and if you ask her about feminism, sustainability, or the Oxford Comma, you’ll see exactly what she means.

A photographer and graphic designer, Brekke has an eye for imagery and composition. An International Award Winning photographer, she has earned her Professional Photographer Certification through the Professional Photographers of America. She has photographed on request for national cover submissions, as well as shot custom images for author’s books and author headshots. She designs word art and graphics used for retail production, school productions, and commissioned projects.

Danyelle Ferguson is the author of the award-winning Crystal Creek sweet romance novels. She loves writing stories that feature strong women conquering difficult challenges and finding love along the way. She also writes nonfiction that has been published world-wide in 30+ languages. Once upon a time, she majored in business & marketing and has an ongoing love affair with spreadsheets and graphic design. When she’s away from her laptop, Danyelle enjoys dancing in the kitchen with her family, all things pink, and is obsessed with pretty pens. Follow her online for IRL goofiness, cat photobombs, and writing life updates. www.DanyelleFerguson.com

Katie Harris is an Arizona native who loves reading, writing, and definitely not arithmetic. A freelance copywriter, Katie has over a decade of experience creating marketing copy for local and global businesses. When she’s not using words to change the world, she can be found ignoring the laundry, playing chauffeur to her four kids, or wishing she was at Disneyland.

Tara (T.M.) Holladay is the creator of “The Only Character Workbook You’ll Ever Need,” along with the other bestselling workbooks in a series to help writers craft immersive worlds, captivating characters, and gripping plots. She lives in Arizona with her family and writes YA fantasy and rom-com, with four published novels and a novella. She thrives in “project mode” and doesn’t know how to do things halfway; ipso facto, her story-bible-building workbooks are re-launching as a desktop and mobile app in the fall of 2024. Creating intriguing story worlds is about to get a tech upgrade!