Mark Your Calendar for the
16th Annual
Liberty States Fiction
Writers Conference
April 10, 2027
Hilton Garden Inn, Hamilton, NJ
Meet Our Keynote Speaker
Leticia Gomez
Editor-at-Large for DAFINA/KENSINGTON BOOKS
& Founder and Principal Agent of Savvy Literary Services
Leticia Gomez is an Editor-at-Large for Dafina Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing
Corp., which focuses on high-quality fiction and non-fiction that centers on race, identity, and its impact on our experiences. She is also the founder and principal agent of Savvy Literary Services, a Texas-based literary agency that specializes in bringing culturally diverse voices to the forefront. She has helped her clients secure deals with the largest publishers in the world and has seen several of her projects successfully optioned for TV and film adaptation. Leticia is actively seeking to acquire fiction and nonfiction in all genres from mainstream authors as well as stories for marginalized communities with a focus on voices of color.
Additional Workshop Presenters
Maria K. Alexander is an award-winning contemporary romance author of the Tangled Hearts and Pelican Bay series. She writes about smart and sassy women and the tortured and sexy men who aren’t afraid to go head-to-head with them. Together, they’ll overcome tragedy and fears on their journey to falling in love. Her heartfelt stories have strong connections with family and friends and often involve tantalizing food and laugh-out-loud moments. She’s been writing for eighteen years, while holding a full-time job in IT and raising her family. Recently retired, she lives in New Jersey with her husband. When not writing, she reads, bakes, plays pickleball, visits the beach, and watches romantic comedies. You can read more about what Maria writes at www.mariakalexander.com.
Carla Conti is a journalist-turned-true-crime author whose debut, Chained Birds: A Crimemoir, won multiple national and international book awards, including 1st Place in True Crime from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (NGIBA), a True Crime Silver Medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), and a 1st Place Nellie Bly Journalism Award from CIBA.
Her new book, The Jacklighter: Murder, Betrayal, and Justice in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, returns to a case Conti first covered as a young reporter: the 1976 shooting death of small-town attorney Marty Dillon, and the three-decade fight to convict the family friend responsible. The Jacklighter was released in October 2026 by Crimemoir Press.
Conti has appeared on more than a dozen podcasts related to her books and teaches workshops nationwide on the craft of writing true crime and how to succeed as an indie author. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband.
Rona Gofstein is a published author, developmental editor, and Author Accelerator Certified Fiction Book Coach who is passionate about helping women write stories centered on women’s lives, choices, and transformations. Whether writing romance, women’s fiction, fantasy, or other genre, Rona combines intensive feedback with compassionate enthusiasm to strengthen stories, develop compelling characters, and help authors make meaningful progress toward their writing goals. Rona also works as a publicist with InkSlinger PR, supporting authors in promoting their books and connecting with readers.
Tracey J. Lyons is a Publishers Weekly and Amazon publishing bestselling author who sold her first book to a major publisher on 9/9/99 the day everyone thought computers would crash! Tracey has written for Kensington Publishing, Avalon Books, Waterfall Press, and Harlequin’s Love Inspired line. Her novels—small-town, sometimes quirky, contemporary and historical romances—have been finalists in contests such as the Bookseller’s Best, the Reader’s Choice and New Jersey’s Golden Leaf. During her 26-year publishing career she has presented workshops covering topics on the craft and career of writing. An upstate New Yorker at heart, she loves cooking, dabbling in watercolors, and features New York State in all of her novels. You can learn more about Tracey’s books by visiting her website at www.traceyjlyons.com.
L.G. O’Connor spends her free time spinning fantasy, contemporary, and mystery stories that touch the heart with themes of family, redemption, forgiveness, and above all, hope. Besides writing, L.G. is a Mayo Clinic & Board-Certified Wellness Coach and Book Coach. She’s passionate about connecting with readers and loves food, antiques, and excellent coffee. Follow L.G. on Instagram @lg_connor, or on her website: www.lgoconnor.com
Michael J. McLaughlin, MD, is the award-winning author of many short stories and several thriller novels, including No Harm Intended, Fugue, Woods, and Extinction. Following earlier careers as a surgeon and the owner of a medical writing business, he now writes in New Jersey, where he lives with his family and two enormous rescue dogs. He strives to create characters that will inspire his three daughters and scare their boyfriends. Learn more at mclaughlinbooks.com. Follow on social media @mclaughlinbooks.
Linda Rawlins is an American writer of mystery fiction best known for her Misty Point Mystery Series. She is also known for her Rocky Meadow Mystery Series as well as two independent novels, Midnight Shift and Mystery of Heather House.
Linda loved to read as a child and started writing her first mystery novel in fifth grade. She then studied science, medicine, and literature, eventually graduating from medical school and establishing her medical career. She currently works in medicine and as a university professor teaching physician assistants.
Linda Rawlins lives in New Jersey with her husband, family, and spoiled dog. She loves spending time at the beach and visiting Vermont. She is an active member of Mystery Writers of America. As a member of Sisters in Crime, Linda was the President of the Central Jersey Chapter for 2022, 2020, 2019, and the VP in 2018, 2025. She is an Amazon Best Seller and is currently working on a new series in addition to her Misty Point Mystery Series. You can visit Linda’s website at www.lindarawlins.com.
Originally from India, Jawahara Saidullah has lived in several places across the United States, in Germany, and in Switzerland. After teaching Communications as an adjunct instructor at the University of Kentucky and IUPUI, in Indianapolis, she worked as an Acquisitions and Development Editor for computer book publishers like Macmillan, Prima, and SAP Press for several years. Jawahara has always written and is published in magazines, literary journals, newspapers, and book anthologies. In the early 2000’s she was a cultural issues columnist for Midday, a newspaper in Mumbai, India, read by over a million people. Her first novel, The Burden of Foreknowledge, was published in 2007 by Roli (India) Press. Where the Rivers Meet, her second novel, was published in 2023 by Tara Press. Her memoir, We Are…Warrior Queens was published in 2024 by Scarsdale Press. Currently, Jawahara is writing her third novel and produces Kissa: A Story Podcast, in which she tells stories—real and fictional—from the global South. Jawahara is serving her first term as President of Women Who Write, Inc., a New Jersey based nonprofit and is a founding member of The Women Writers Collective (formerly The International Women Writers Guild, the IWWG). She lives in Franklin Lakes, NJ with her family.
Paulette Stout is a multi-award-winning author of contemporary fiction read in 45 countries. She’s also a seasoned marketer with decades of experience crafting marketing solutions for everyone from global brands to solo authorpreneurs. Paulette co-hosts The Best of Book Marketing Podcast where she shares tips to help authors make the most of their author journeys, regardless of publishing path. Whether speaking at conferences, engaging in the author community, or coaching authors, Paulette loves to tap into her experience to help writers navigate the pitfalls of publishing and make sense of book marketing. Connect with Paulette on her website at paulettestout.com, on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @paulettestoutauthor.
Paula Chaffee Scardamalia is a book coach, dream and tarot intuitive and the author of Enchanting Creativity: How Fairy Tales, Dreams, Rituals & Journaling Can Awaken Your Creative Self. She also wrote Tarot for the Fiction Writer, as well as the award-winning Weaving
a Woman’s Life: Spiritual Lessons from the Loom, and her novels, The Tempting Voice, and In the Land of the Vultures. For more than 20 years, Paula's presented workshops across the country for national and regional Romance Writers of America and other writing groups’ events, both online and in person. She publishes Divine Muse-ings, a weekly e-newsletter on writing, creativity, myths, fairy tales, dreams, and tarot. She lives with her husband in the foothills of the Catskills in an 1840s Greek Revival farmhouse, constantly in need of TLC.
From an early age, best-selling and award-winning author, Stacey Wilk, told tales as a way to escape. At six she wrote short stories in composition notebooks, at twelve she wrote a novel on a typewriter, in high school biology she wrote rock star romances in her binder instead of paying attention. But it wasn’t until many years later, inspired by her children and a looming birthday, that she finally took her story-telling seriously. And published her first novel in 2013. Since then, she’s gone on to publish thirty-five more so women everywhere can indulge in books with heroines just like them. Older. Wiser. Looking for love. She isn’t done telling stories. Not by a long shot. If you want to read her emotional and honest books about family, romance, and second chances, visit her at www.staceywilk.com. To see what she writes next join her newsletter – https://bit.ly/2A0jEFk
More workshop presenters coming soon!