Southwest Washington Writers Conference

Kristina McMorris, a former actress and New York Times best-selling author of the popular novel Sold on a Monday and six other historical novels, will keynote the 12th Annual Southwest Washington Writers Conference on September 12. She first wrote Sold on a Monday after seeing the infamous newspaper photograph of a mother standing on a porch with her face turned away while four youngsters sit on the steps. A posted sign reads “4 Children for Sale” with the note “Inquire Within.” Her 2018 novel, which delves into the life of a Depression-era reporter who snaps a similar photo with devastating consequences, spent five months on the New York Times bestsellers list. It sold more than a million copies and garnered many five—star reviews. Her other novels include The Ways We Hide, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, The Pieces We Keep, The Edge of Lost, When We Had Wings (a collaborative novel with two other authors) and her latest, The Girls of Good Fortune, which explores the Shanghai Tunnels in 1888 Portland. At age nine, McMorris hosted an award—winning kids’ television program and acted in films while living in Los Angeles. She later owned a wedding and event planning company and hosted The WB Television Network’s weekly Weddings Portland Style program for six years. She wrote for Portland Bride & Groom magazine and directed public relations for an international conglomerate for a decade. Find out more at: https://www.kristinamcmorris.com/home

Rosanne Parry, New York Times bestselling author of A Wolf Called Wander, A Whale of the Wild, and nearly a dozen other novels for young readers, writes from her tree house studio in her cozy backyard in Portland. She also works at a bookstore called Annie Bloom’s Books and visits schools to talk to her readers about her books, the joy of writing, and the beauty of the natural world. Her novels for middle grade students, highly recommended by Library Journal, often focus on the realistic portrayal of animals and their struggles for survival. Rosanne grew up in Oregon and never planned to be a quiet and studious author. She loves the outdoors, enjoys moving rather than sitting, and dreamed of a career as a circus flyer. But she liked to make up stories of adventure and mystery, animals and magic, for her older brother. Her first novel, Heart of a Shepherd, was published by Random House Children’s Books in 2009. Her other books include A Horse Named Sky, Big Truck Day, The Wolf Effect, Last of the Name, The Turn of the Tide, and Second Fiddle. Find out more: https://rosanneparry.com/

Every other year, the Southwest Washington Writers Conference invites the Washington State Poet Laureate to teach. This year, Derek Sheffield is the eighth poet laureate, a program sponsored by Humanities Washington and the Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA. Sheffield, who grew up in the Willamette Valley and on the shores of the Salish Sea, will teach a poetry workshop.

Sheffield is the author of four books—Not for Luck, which won the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize; Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry, which won the 2024 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award; Through the Second Skin; and Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habitat, Defiance, and Democracy. His poems also have appeared in High Country News, Poetry, and Orion. He is on the English faculty at Wenatchee Valley College and Western Colorado University. He also teaches a Northwest Nature Writing class. Find out more: https://www.dereksheffield.com/

Developmental editor Christine Pinto holds a Certificate in Writing for Children and a Certificate in Editing from the University of Washington. Over a decade of experience teaching writing to children and adults, she has gained a deep understanding of the craft of writing and strong communication skills for sharing that knowledge with writers. Christine’s own journey as a writer informs her editing work with deep empathy for writers preparing a manuscript for publication. Her most recent publication is Klahowya: A Fort Nisqually Book in Chinook Wawa and English. More information can be found on christinepintowrites.com and allegoryediting.com.

After graduating from Mossyrock High School in 1978, Shawn Inmon studied prelaw at the University of Washington before dropping out to enroll in Ron Bailie School of Broadcast, where he graduated in 1980. After working decades as a disc jockey, he became a real estate broker for 23 years and then launched his writing career in 2012, when he penned a novel called “Feels Like the First Time” about his first love, his high school sweetheart. They both married other people after high school but reunited after raising their separate families and married. Since then, Inmon has published 53 books, including 24 in his popular Middle Falls time-travel series, and earns a six-figure income from writing.

Mary Boone has written 70+ nonfiction books for young readers, most recently Unfathomable: 20 (Wild But True) Stories of the Ocean (a Junior Library Gold selection), Flying Feminist, Pedal Pusher, School of Fish, and Bugs for Breakfast. She loves stories that make readers say: WOW! Mary and her family live in Tacoma with a stubborn Airedale terrier named Ruthie Bader. Visit Mary’s website at: https://www.boonewrites.com/

Charlotte Chipperfield is an award-winning author, speaker, trainer, and story strategist who helps authors, leaders, and organizations harness narratives to inspire action and alignment. She is the founder of Her Narrative, a creative development company elevating women’s voices and using story as a catalyst for cultural change. A certified developmental editor and coach, Charlotte brings more than a decade of experience in marketing and brand storytelling, bridging creativity and strategy to help individuals communicate with clarity, confidence, and conviction. She is the author of Write with Intention, an instructor at Literary Arts, and a book judge for national literary organizations. Find out more at: https://www.hernarrative.com/

Christina Suzann Nelson is an award-winning author and inspirational speaker whose stories explore belonging, resilience, and the long shadows—and healing—of family and trauma. She is the author of multiple novels and the recipient of both the Christy Award and the Carol Award. Her work is deeply rooted in the belief that people can become who they were created to be, no matter where they started. She lives in Oregon, where she writes, speaks, and connects with readers who long for hope that feels honest and hard-won. Christina is the mother of six and grandmother of two. Find out more at: http://www.christinasuzannnelson.com/

Erick Mertz is a professional ghostwriter and developmental editor. In his twenty-year career, he has ghostwritten fiction, screenplays, business books, and memoirs for clients around the world. He is the author of the Strange Air series of paranormal mysteries following a local sheriff on his investigation into the paranormal in his hometown. Find out more here: https://erickmertzwriting.com/

Maryka Biaggio specializes in historical fiction based on real people. Doubleday published her debut novel, Parlor Games, in 2013. Daisy Goodwin called it “a wildly entertaining and constantly surprising ride.” Her latest novel, Margery and Me (Regal House, 2026), has been hailed by Valerie Martin as “a wry, lively, and wicked-good read.” Her fiction has won several accolades, including Willamette Writers Award, Oregon Writers Colony Award, Historical Novel Society Review Editors’ Choice, La Belle Lettre Award, and an Upper Peninsula of Michigan Notable Books Award. She has mentored writers in the AWP’s Writer-to-Writer Mentorship program since 2020. Find out more here: https://marykabiaggio.com/

Sue Fagalde Lick escaped Silicon Valley years ago to write, play music, and walk the beaches of the Oregon Coast—when it isn’t raining sideways and blowing sand in her teeth. Her recent books include a novel, Between the Bridges; a poetry collection, Dining Al Fresco with My Dog; and a memoir, No Way Out of This: Loving a Partner with Alzheimer’s. She writes about the solo life at her Substack, “Can I Do It Alone?” The answer is yes. Visit her website: https://suelick.com/

Leslie J. Hall is the author of the Kaitlyn Willis Road Signs Mysteries, a humorous, amateur sleuth series starring a Pacific Northwest code enforcement officer. She also writes women’s fiction. Leslie began her writing journey in elementary school where she and a friend co-wrote her first suspense story: How to Wash a Ghost. When not writing, Leslie is a cheerleader for beginning writers through teaching, critiquing, and finding ways to encourage their stories to come to life. Afterward, you’ll find her at the beach with a book (or three). Learn more at www.lesliejhall.com

Patricia Crisafulli is an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author. Her debut novel, The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor, was published in 2022 by Woodhall Press, followed by The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm in 2023, and The Secrets of the Old Post Cemetery in 2025. She earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree and the Distinguished Thesis Award in Creative Writing from Northwestern University. Patricia has taught workshops for Wordcrafters in Eugene, Oregon, and at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Northwestern University in Chicago. She is the founder of https://faithhopeandfiction.com/

Award-winning and best-selling author, speaker, panelist, workshop presenter and voice actor Aaron Ryan is the prolific author of the best-selling Dissonance 6 book alien invasion saga, the Christian dystopian fiction trilogy The End, the Talisman trilogy, the sci-fi thrillers Forecast, The Slide, and The Phoenix Experiment, and more than 40 books. Find out more: https://authoraaronryan.com/

Dawn Shipman is the author of the award-winning YA fantasy series, The Lost Stones of Argonia. Dawn, who knew she wanted to be an author in Mrs. Juell’s tenth-grade creative writing class, has since traveled the world to visit the places her favorite authors used to create their amazing works of fantasy (Oxford, Edinburgh, and Forks, Washington!). In addition to Lost Stones, she’s written short stories, articles, plays, poetry, and blog posts. Dawn makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a roving band of dogs, cats, and horses. Find her on Facebook and Instagram, and at https://dawnshipmanfiction.com/

Scott Eagan opened Greyhaus Literary Agency in 2003, focusing exclusively on traditional romance and women’s fiction. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and master’s degrees in both Literacy and Creative Writing.

Scott is an active member of the Romance Writers of America and still dabbles in writing as a hobby.

Outside of the agency, Scott is an instructor of publishing with the UCLA Extension Program. He has provided critiques with Writer’s Digest and with Publishers Weekly. Scott also provides educational workshops and mentorships through Greyhaus Educational Services at www.greyhauseducationalservices.odoo.com.

Larry Lehnerz is a writing teacher, humorous storyteller, and author of two novels, Summer of ‘74 and Gloaming, both imbued with humor and warmth. A native of the Pacific Northwest, he enjoys creating stories about places he will always remember and people he’ll never forget while mixing a dose of romance and a dollop of humor. Most days, you can find Larry avoiding yard and housework by pretending to write. He is a husband, father, son, and grandfather. His greatest joy is time with grandchildren who love to point out that his hair is grayer than he admits. Find out more: https://www.larrylehnerz.com/

A. Muia is the winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for her novel A Desert Between Two Seas (University of Georgia Press.) Her stories have appeared in The Baltimore Review, Chicago Review, Grist, Image Journal, The Orison Anthology, Water~Stone Review, West Branch, AWP’sThe Writer’s Chronicle, and other journals. Her novel is a 2026 Top Pick for the Southwest Books of the Year and was a finalist for the Iowa Short Fiction Award. She is pleased to serve as a teaching writer with Underground Writing, leading workshops with young people in juvenile detention. Find out more at https://www.amuia.net/

Julie Merrick is a former educator and the author of A Letter a Week and A Letter a Week During the School Year, two journal books that invite writers of all ages to rediscover the power of handwritten correspondence. Julie, who is working on a new work of fiction, writes hundreds of letters each year and inspires others to build lives of connection—one page at a time.