The stories that keep people on t he edge of their seats and up all night are filled with unexpected twists and turns. By integrating plot Twists, plot Reversals, and moments of heightened Danger (TRDs) at tactically sound moments, your stories will captivate readers with their I-can’t-wait-to-see-what-happens-next unpredictability. When your plot twists come at the right moments, your pace will be quicker and the action more focused, and these are the nuanced, multifaceted books that sell, and that find a devoted readership.

Jane K. Cleland writes both fiction and nonfiction, including the multiple award-winning Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries [St. Martin’s & Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine] and the Agatha-award winning best-sellers, Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot and Mastering Plot Twists [Writer’s Digest Books]. Jane Austen’s Lost Letters, the 14th in her series, will be published in December. She is a member of the full time faculty at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York, a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine, and the chair of the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella Award (BONA) in partnership with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. She is a frequent workshop leader and guest author at writing conferences, association meetings, and MFA Residencies. Also, Jane offers free monthly virtual workshops on the craft and business of writing, and Mystery Masterminds, a series of small group virtual workshops. More details are available at www.janecleland.com.

What Makes You Buy One Book Over Another and What this Means for Authors -We will examine the 8 codes of primal branding and how they impact how we all choose a book or author, and why. You’ll never look at branding the same way.

You’ll also be amazed to find:

• What Nora Roberts, J.K. Rowley and Stephen King have in common.
• What is meant by pagans or unbelievers.
• How key words can differentiate YOUR brand in a good way.
• Why some authors, stories and poems are much more memorable than others and why [hint: it’s not about the writing].

USA Today bestselling author Mary Buckham learned to get into and out of trouble at a very early age. Time has added to her opportunities—detained by Israeli intelligence; strip-searched by a Greek border patrol while traveling with a priest, sneaking into Laos. When not personally avoiding nuisances caused by her insatiable curiosity she writes Urban Fantasy, Romantic Suspense and Young Adult novels as well as an upcoming Mystery Series. In her spare time Mary writes Writing Craft books including, A Writer’s Guide to Active Setting, Writing Active Hooks and Break Into Fiction®:11 Steps to Building a Powerful Story for writers of all genres. MaryBuckhamOnWriting.com

This talk first addresses the question of why we might use humour even if we’re not writing comedy. It will offer a personal take on what is funny (and what is not) and will take an objective look at where to site the humour, a question not often covered and one that can cause enormous tonal problems if ignored. I will run through some tricks of the trade and also some ways that sentence structure can help a joke or kill it stone dead. Note: talking about humour isn’t inherently funny, but the examples should make you chuckle. Here’s one to be going on with: Aman walks into a bar and says “ouch”.

Catriona McPherson National-bestselling and multi-award-winning author, Catriona McPherson, was bornin Scotland and lived there until immigrating to the US in 2010, where she lives on Patwin ancestral lands. Shewrites historical detective stories set in the old country in the 1930s, featuring gently-born lady sleuth, DandyGilver. After eight years in the new country, she kicked off the comic Last Ditch Motel series, which takes awry but affectionate look at California life from the POV of a displaced Scot (wherever do we get our ideas?).She also writes a strand of contemporary psychological thrillers. The latest of these is A GINGERBREADHOUSE, which Kirkus called “a disturbing tale of madness and fortitude”.

Catriona is a member of MWA, CWA, Society of Authors, and a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime. www.catrionamcpherson.com