Faith Black (editor) is an Editor with The Berkley Publishing Group, an imprint of Penguin Group, where she acquires mysteries and westerns. Her mystery acquisitions are published under Berkley’s successful Prime Crime imprint. Previously, she worked at New Horizon Press, Cambridge University Press, and Avalon Books. She is a graduate of Williams College where she earned her degree in English. She also received her Masters from Rutgers University in English and previously studied at Oxford University.

Eleanor Jackson (agent) Eleanor Jackson joined the Markson Thoma Literary Agency in 2008. Previously, she was an agent at the Queen Literary Agency and at InkWell Management. She is a graduate of Colby College and the Columbia Publishing course. Her list includes bestselling authors of fiction and non-fiction in a wide range of categories, including literary, commercial, young adult, memoir, art, food, science, history and illustrated/lifestyle. She looks for books with deeply imagined worlds and for writers who are not afraid to take risks with their work. She is a member of AAR, the Association of Authors’ Representatives.

Al Longden (agent), Albert T. Longden Associates, is a member of AAR, the Association of Authors’ Representatives. He’s spent 20 years in the publishing industry, in all aspects from sales and distribution to publisher, General Manager, and Financial executive for business, religious and trade publishing operations. And now agent. His agency handles fiction and non-fiction, including the areas of thrillers, mysteries, psychology, careers, health and nutrition. Longden loves old fashioned story telling.

Beth Cornelison (author) received a degree in Public Relations and worked in that a little of a year before quitting to pursue her love of writing. She now has a dozen books published. Her romantic suspense Chasing a Dream reached the final round of the 2000 Golden Heart Contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America. The next year, her Protective Custody won the top prize. Under Fire has received several awards, and Danger at Her Door won the “Most Emotional” category in another contest.

Peggy Moss Fielding (author) is a native of Oklahoma, but has lived in Cuba, Japan, and the Philippines. She has published hundreds of articles, short stories, and a number of books, both fiction and non-fiction. The Oklahoma Writer’s Federation awarded her “OWFI Mentor of the Year,” the only person to receive such an award. Her former students have gone on to write and publish more than 350 books.

Jacqueline "Jackie" King (author) Jacqueline “Jackie” King is a full time writer who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her first book was a novella, Flirting at Fifty. This became a part of Chik-Lit for Foxy Hens. The anthology was a success and inaugurated the Foxy Hens series. She has since written The Spinster, The Pig and the Orphan, Murder Most Fowl, and The Ghost Who Wouldn’t Skedaddle. The Inconvenient Corpse was published by Deadly Niche Press in 2009. Although fiction is her first love, King also writes non-fiction books.

Dusty Richards (author) published his first novel in 1992. He expects to publish his 100th book in 2010. His book The Natural won the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation “Book of the Year” award in 2003. The following year, he won again for his Abilene Trail. In 2007, he won two Spur Awards, the first person to win two in one year. Dusty devotes much of his time to helping writers who want to learn. He has been inducted into the Arkansas Writer’s Hall of Fame. He has served on the board of the Western Writers of America, and is currently on the boards of the Ozark Writers League and the Ozark Creative Writers Conference.

Rusty Shelton is managing director of Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists, a widely-respected literary publicity firm. He has built relationships with leading publishing houses like B&H Publishing Group, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Tor/Forge, St. Martin’s Press, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. He has also forged industry partnerships with top literary agencies and leading industry organizations, including American Christian Fiction Writers, the Texas Book Festival and The Writers’ League of Texas. Additionally, Rusty is a featured faculty member (now in his 5th year) at Harvard Medical School’s annual publishing conference and speaks regularly at industry events, including the Mt. Hermon Writing Conference, the San Francisco Writers Conference and numerous others."