Tony Eldridge, President of Lonetree Entertainment. A producer, writer, and director, Tony began his career in the entertainment business as an actor appearing in dozens of commercials and a number of feature films. As a producer, he has been developing and producing feature films, television movies and reality based programs for over a decade. He is a producer on the Denzel Washington movie, “The Equalizer” and has projects in development at HBO, Lionsgate and Relativity Media. Lonetree currently controls or manages the rights to over 50 literary properties that include original screenplays, bestselling books and true life stories

Marsha Zinberg, Executive Editor of Feature and Custom Publishing at Harlequin and celebrating her 30th year there. She is responsible for various programs under the Harlequin series imprint, such as the anthology program, The Nora Roberts reissue program, and all series backlist programs. She also manages the Worldwide Library suspense and mystery programs, the Gold Eagle imprint, all Direct-to-Consumer-only projects, and the new Heartwarming four- book original series. She has played a key role in co-ordinating the company’s annual More than Words fiction program since the i launch of this philanthropy initiative.

She joined Harlequin Books as an Assistant Editor in 1983 and moved up the ranks to Senior Editor of the Superromance line, a position she held from 1986 to 1993. She has been actively involved in book discussion groups, has directed study and given workshops. She has often served as a media spokesperson for Harlequin.

When she's not on the job, Marsha's hours are filled with travel, volunteer work, flower arranging, gardening, theatre and decorating. But most important is spending as much time as possible with her large extended family, her three grandsons ages 7, 5 and 3, and her granddaughter, who is 4 going on 22!

Susan Crawford is head of the Crawford Literary Agency, with offices in Florida and New Hampshire.  She represents commercial Fiction and  Non-Fiction, including many award-winning writers. Susan is always looking for exciting new material that can stand out on crowded book shelves! Intriguing mysteries and thrillers are always in demand in today's ever-changing marketplace, as is narrative non-fiction about high-stakes action and adventure, true-crime stories, "how-to" books and "prescriptive non-fiction". Memoirs are hot today, including celebrity autobiographies. Crawford Literary Agency has sold Kelsey Grammer's, Muhammad Ali's spiritual memoir, "Spiderman" creator Stan Lee's 'bio-autography' (his word), John Travolta's memoir, and that of legendary entertainers Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, whose careers spanned half a century. The audio of their book won the Grammy Award for 'Best Spoken Word' Audio. 

Austin Camacho of Intrigue Publishing has more than 12 years of experience in the publishing industry, and brings a wealth of knowledge and knowhow to the publishing world. He is also the author of five detective novels in the Hannibal Jones series: The Troubleshooter, Blood and Bone, Collateral Damage, Damaged Goods, and Russian Roulette; plus three action thrillers - The Payback Assignment, The Orion Assignment and The Piranha Assignment. Active in several writers’ organizations, Austin is a past president of the Maryland Writers Association and teaches writing at Anne Arundel Community College. In 2012 he helped launch Intrigue Publishing. Austin will accept pitches for Crime fiction (open to all variations of mystery as long as the story has lots of serious twists, the characters are engaging, and the author has read enough to truly understand his or her subgenre -- be it cozy, hard boiled, police procedural or whatever, it must solidly fit into its slot); Young Adult: Strong story is important here, but loveable characters the reader will respect and relate to are even more vital. A quick pace is needed, and we need to see a clear victory for the protagonist; Sensual erotica: NOT pornography -- stories of interpersonal relationships that are unapologetically sexual without sinking to the level of porn; not focusing on graphic physical details at the expense of the exciting emotions involved with romance; and Urban Drama: powerful journeys of self-discovery and tales of family or interpersonal drama.

Christine Witthohn is a literary agent and the founder of Book Cents Literary Agency, as well as the U.S. Sales and Licensing Agent for leading French publisher, Bragelonne. She is one of the main sponsors of the International Women’s Fiction Festival held annually in Matera, Italy and she teaches brainstorming, branding, and social media classes in the U.S., London and Italy. She is member of AAR, RWA, and MWA. Christine is on the hunt for well-written commercial and women’s fiction, romance (rom suspense, contemporary, rom coms), mysteries (cozy or soft boiled), and thrillers. She is not looking for: middle grade, young adult, inspirational, westerns, sci fi, horror, erotica, or poetry. A few of her top 2012 titles: Murder For The Halibut (Liz Lipperman), Fury Of Seduction (Coreene Callahan),  Flowertown (S.G. Redling), Corpse In The Crystal Ball (Kari Lee Townsend), Temptation Rising (A.C. Arthur), Knight Avenged (Coreene Callahan), The Birthday Scandal (Leigh Michaels), Child of the Mountains (Marliyn Sue Shank). For a complete list of her 2012 published titles, her sales and what she represents, visit Publisher's Marketplace at: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/BookCents/.  

Like many small publishers, L. Sue Eggerton established Weaving Dreams Publishing with the intention of publishing her own work. Her venture evolved in December 2008 when she accepted a manuscript submitted by another author, and Weaving Dreams Publishing truly embarked on its mission of letting writers weave their dreams through writing. Today, she and Weaving Dreams Publishing -- and its new imprint, True Grit Publishing -- have a rapidly growing stable of authors, editors, artists, and consultants. Sue also mentors a young writers group; works with an adult critique group; teaches classes and gives presentations on "Writing to Get Published" and "Publishing Do's and Dont's;" and keeps her hand in writing non-fiction, romance and mysteries.

Marlene Stringer founded Stringer Literary Agency in December 2008 after spending almost seven years with the Barbara Bova Literary Agency. As a full-service literary agency based in Naples, Florida, Marlene represents a wide range of commercial fiction in romance, mystery, thriller, fantasy, women’s fiction, YA and MG, historical and earth-based science fiction. Among her clients are authors Alex Bledsoe (the Eddie LaCrosse series), Memphis series, (Tufas -The Hum and the Shiver, Wisp of a Thing); Alyxandra Harvey (The Drake Chronicles, Haunting Violet, and Stolen Away); YA author Shari Maurer (Change of Heart); Liane Merciel (The Ithalas Series); Geoffrey Wilson(The Land of Hope and Glory series); MG authors Jen K Blom (Possum Summer), and Randi Barrow (Finding Zasha, Saving Zasha); some select nonfiction; and many other authors.

Peter Miller aka the Literary Lion, President and CEO of Global Lion Intellectual Property Management, Inc. will give a one-hour presentation on the Metamorphosis of a Book into a Film.  His lecture will focus on stories about many of the 150 film and television deals he has made and the now eighteen films that have been produced based on books that he has managed and or he has produced. His decades of experience and representation of authors around the world combined with his countless contacts and relationships with Film Producers, Directors, Screenwriters, Motion Picture Studios, Distributors, Financiers, Cable and Television Companies make this a special presentation. Miller brings to the conference vast experience on every level of the motion picture and television industries as well as how Hollywood relies on Books to make great film and television and cable productions.   His literary management work in the film and publishing worlds is on the pulse of the enormous sea changes that are taking place in the entertainment and publishing worlds.  As a special gift to every attendee of the conference he is offering a digital pdf file of his book Author! Screenwriter!   He suggests that you have a chance to read it before you attend his lecture because it will make the experience extremely more valuable.

Karen L. Syed of Echelon Press is one of those people who just can't decide what to be good at. She's done everything from teaching two-year-olds how to count, put their own shoes BACK on, and go pee pee in the potty to selling gold chain by the inch to truck detailing for Ford Motor Company to running her own publishing house. The latter is by far her favorite.

One of her greatest loves is writing. With too many stories to tell and not enough life expectancy to write them all, she finds pure joy in publishing the words of others. Working with authors to help them find their potential and place is just about the coolest thing.

Raised as a good Methodist girl in Florida, she has moved around a bit, only to find herself back in Florida. She recently converted to Islam and is finding a lot more joy and peace in life. And it doesn't hurt that she gets to go to Walt Disney whenever she wants.

Emily Clark Victorson is the owner/publisher of Allium Press of Chicago. Prior to starting the press she worked as a librarian, historian, and book designer. Allium was founded in 2009 as a small, independent press and publishes literary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and young adult fiction, all with a Chicago connection. 2012 releases included the fourth book in Frances McNamara's Emily Cabot Mysteries series, Death at Woods Hole; Libby Fischer Hellmann's thriller, A Bitter Veil; and David J. Walker’s thriller, Company Orders. All Allium Press books are published both in print and as ebooks. 

Deni Dietz of Five Star Mysteries has been in the publishing business for over 20 years, and has been reading fiction for longer than that. When she was in grade school she tried to hide her mom's hardcover Gone With the Wind inside her Dick and Jane reader. She got caught, learned her lesson, and hid her mom's paperbacks instead. Deni still feels the same sense of joy and discovery when she reads a non-clichéd, well-written, character-driven novel. She says she wants to BE THERE, in the scene. For example, she doesn't want to know that General Santa Anna was captured in 1836. She prefers to know that he was naked except for his underpants. Deni is the Senior Editor for Five Star. Her list of authors include: Edgar-nominated Kate Flora, Shamus and International Thriller Writers winner Richard Helms, best-selling authors Jonnie Jacobs, Robert Levinson and Annette Mahon, Left Coast Crime "Lefty" winners Kelli Stanley and Linda Richards, and Agatha-nominated Amanda Flowers. Deni says when she offers an author a contract she does a Snoopy dance.

Maryglenn McCombs is an independent book publicist based in Nashville,Tennessee. She has been actively working in the book    publishing industry since 1993,and has been involved in the publication and promotion of hundreds of books. After starting her own publishing company in 1995, Maryglenn transitioned into the role of book publicist in the late 90s. She represents some non-fiction titles, but focuses primarily on titles within the mystery/suspense/thriller genres. Maryglenn lives in Nashville with her husband, Tim Warnock, and their Old English Sheepdog, Majordomo Billy Bojangles.

Marcy Posner has spent a lifetime in books. She started out with a brief stint as a librarian, but found it a bit too staid, so moved on to publishing. Her first job was at Pinnacle Books where as assistant to the President she was given a book to edit the third week of my employment. She then moved on to Rodale Press and then Salem House where she helped bring British books to the US, finally moving up the publishing ladder to Pantheon’s Associate Publisher, where she worked with some of the major cultural icons of our time, including Noam Chomsky, Studs Terkel, Matt Groening and Art Spiegelman. After fifteen years on the editorial side of the business, she made the jump to agenting – spending twelve years as at the William Morris Agency as an agent and as Vice President and Director of Foreign Rights; five years as president of her own agency; five years at Sterling Lord Literistic as an agent and Director of Foreign Rights; and now – and very happy – at Folio. Her clients include Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestseller Jacqueline Kelly, other New York Times bestsellers, Sheri Reynolds and Jill Barnett, along with Kristi Cook, Christopher Grant, Georgia Bockoven and Jerri Corgiat. For more information on what she is looking for (and not looking for), click here.

Marcia Markland, Senior Editor at Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, will join us for Pitch Perfect at Love Is Murder 2013. Marcia describes herself as "still on a never-ending quest for that good book," and is happy to come looking at Love Is Murder. As a former editor of The Mystery Guild, she knows crime and suspense novels and has found them all around the world. To quote from her bio, if you have a good book for her, chances are it will make her happy.

When Marcia was a young girl, her mother used to tell the babysitters, "Oh, just give her a good book, and she'll be happy." Well, nothing's changed. Marcia's still on a never-ending quest for that good book. Along the way she's enjoyed a stint as the editor of The Mystery Guild, so she does especially love fine crime and suspense novels. She just bought the latest thriller by Iceland's Arnaldur Indridason, and is also the editor here in the U.S. of Sweden's bestselling authors Kjell Eriksson and John Ajvide Lindqvist, whose superlative novel Let the Right One In has been made into two major motion pictures.  

On the nonfiction front, Marcia likes to read about animals, psychology, social issues, women's issues, current events, and science. Her most recent foray into that area is The Vertical Farm, by Dr. Dickson Despommier, which aims to solve many of the world's food and water problems by building farms in skyscrapers.

Marcia's taste may be a wee bit off the beaten track, but a good book will make her happy!

Sue Petersen of Brain Snacks Bookstore in Downers Grove, IL will once again be the exclusive new-book seller for Love Is Murder XIV.

Brain Snacks is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery, science fiction/fantasy, and romance books. Since opening in 1994, Brain Snacks has evolved to find its place in the book business.

In addition to the bookstore, Sue is involved in providing the books for book conferences, author signings, and author appearances. If you are an author needing a bookseller for an appearance or book launch, please contact her: sue@brnsncks.com . Libraries or groups planning author events can also contact her for bookselling services.

Authors who want Brain Snacks to sell their books in the book room should contact Sue by Dec 15, 2012 with book title and publisher information. Small press-published authors whose books need to be ordered directly from the publisher may want to contact Sue earlier than that.

Note: An increased demand for books during the winter holidays can affect your publisher’s ability to respond to and ship orders in a timely manner. Tio be sure your biooks are available to conference attendees, be sure to give Sue adequate lead time for ordering.

REMEMBER: DEADLINE FOR CONTACTING SUE PETERSEN IS DEC. 15, 2012

Phone: 630.241.1040

Fax: 630.241.1043

Email: sue@brnsncks.com