I am a lucky writer.
A year before my first novel was published, I received a job offer from Chanticleer Book Reviews. For someone whose previous career did not intercept with the publishing industry in any way, this was a fortuitous turn of events that has led me to learn by osmosis. All day I have the privilege of talking with bestselling, award-winning authors and learn from my co-workers about the publishing industry, the writing craft, and what life as an author is all about. It’s an education that I do not take lightly.
One of the most anticipated events we look forward to each year is the annual Chanticleer Authors Conference & Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA). It’s our biggest event of the year, bringing authors across the globe to learn and celebrate great books. Each author brings with them their own unique stories of how they came to be an author and what informs their work.
I’ve been writing about this year’s line of up guest speakers and I thought I’d share their remarkable stories here.
Keynote Speaker: J.D. Barker, award-winner and bestselling author who has been ghost writing for the world famous author James Patterson. His book Forsaken has gotten the attention of Stephen King and he received notes from Bram Stoker’s descendants for his novel, Dracul.
Masterclass Presenter: Christine Fairchild, Book Doctor, professional copyeditor, speechwriter and freelance reporter. Writer and editor for publications like XFiles and SciFiMall.com, and provided executive communications, marketing, branding, and press releases for corporate giants, like Microsoft, AT&T, and DHL.
Presenter: Kim Hornsby, bestselling and award-winning author and screenwriter. Her adventurous life as a scuba diver, singer, and traveler have inspired screenplays picked up by Lifetime Television and other streaming services.
Presenter: Reenita Malhotra Hora, produced content for Bloomberg and other corporate entities and her writing has been published by major media companies like The Wall Street Journal, The Hindu, The New York Times, South China Morning Post, CNN, among others.
Presenter: Tim Facciola, 2023 Chanticleer International Book Award (CIBA) Overall Grand Prize Winner and Grand Prize Winner in the Ozma division for Fantasy Fiction.