Novel Bookcamp and Writing Retreat
2026 Instructors and Industry Professionals
All Genre Workshop Instructors
Christina Marrocco returns again as instructor for All Genre Workshops. She is an author and poet who works in multiple genres including Literary Fiction, Short Story, Creative Nonfiction, and an assortment of poetic modes. She often sets her work in Illinois and the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, having a foot in each state all of her life. Her debut novel, Addio, Love Monster won Best New Indie Fiction, 2022, Chicago Writers Association. She has a second novel forthcoming with a UK press, and is working on two book length pieces of Creative Nonfiction. Her poetry appears in many journals, including Silverbirch Press, Ovunque Siamo, Red Fern Review, House Mountain Review, and the Laurel Review. She teaches Creative Writing, Literature, and Composition at Elgin Community College, Elgin Illinois and is the new Prose Editor for Ovunque Siamo.
Kristin A. Oakley is the author of two award-winning suspense thrillers, Carpe Diem,
Illinois and God on Mayhem Street, and her award-winning young adult dystopian series, The
Devil Particle Series. She teaches writing workshops, has critiqued manuscripts through the
UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies, and has helped writers hone their agent pitches at
the Division’s Writers’ Institute. As a Chicago Writers Association board member, Kristin was
the managing editor of The Write City Magazine and The Write City Review and was co-chair of
CWA’s educational programming. She served on the educational committee of the Wisconsin
Writers Association. Additionally, Kristin reviews books and writes about being a novelist in her
newsletter available at kristinoakley.net.
All Genre Book Coach
Robb Grindstaff is an award-winning author of six novels and two dozen published short stories. He writes contemporary southern fiction, including political suspense, coming-of-age, and cultural satire, with occasional bits of the paranormal. Robb has edited more than 200 novels over the past twenty years, including bestselling authors. He has taught writing courses for a variety of organizations, such as Wisconsin Writers Conference, Missouri Writers Conference, Romance Writers of Australia (even though he is neither a romance writer nor Australian), and Novel-in Progress Book Camp. His journalism career took him from small, southern towns to Washington DC, nine years in Wisconsin, and five years in Asia. He has served as a reporter, news editor, publisher, and in corporate executive positions with multimedia companies. Robb left the news media business in 2020 to write, edit, and teach fiction writing full time. He now lives at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. He also produces the weekly publication A Writer’s Block, published each Monday on Substack with discussions of tips and techniques in the art and craft of fiction.
All Genre Retreat Mentor
SJ Rozan is the multi-award-winning author of Mysteries and Paranormal Thrillers, and an anthology editor. A native New Yorker, she has written 18 novels and six dozen short stories. Her work has won the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Nero, and Macavity awards for Best Novel and the Edgar for Best Short Story. She’s twice received the Japanese Maltese Falcon Award, and recently the Life Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America. “Bronx Noir,” a short story anthology SJ edited, was chosen NAIBA’s “Notable Book of the Year.” She also co-edited with Jonathan Santlofer, the anthology Dark End of the Street, and edited Crime Hits Home, the Mystery Writers of America anthology.
SJ served on the National Boards of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and is ex-President of the Private Eye Writers of America. She speaks, lectures and teaches, and runs a summer writing workshop at the Art Workshop International in Assisi, Italy.
A former architect in a practice that focused on police stations, firehouses, and zoos, SJ Rozan lives in lower Manhattan. As you can probably tell, she loves to travel. Also, to play basketball, read, and walk. SJRozan.net. SJ is part of the very fabric of Novel Bookcamp and we are so lucky she has embraced the organization.
All Genre Industry Professionals
Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong returns! She is an agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. She represents Contemporary and Historical Romance, Upmarket Women’s Fiction, Mysteries, Thrillers, and Young Adult Fiction. She also has her own writing career as an author of issue-driven young adult and women’s fiction, include the young adult novel, Roam, and the women’s fiction title, The Edge of Nowhere. An Oklahoma native transplanted to Minnesota for nearly 30 years, Cathie holds a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in History and is a rabid fan of OU Sooners Football. A prolific reader of many genres, Cathie looks for manuscripts that catch her attention within the first few pages. Evoke an emotional response in the opening pages—make her laugh out loud, cause her pulse to race, make her cry—you’ve got a winner. https://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/
Photo by K. Murphy Photography
Speculative Fiction Workshop Instructors
Nicole Whisler is the founder of Fantasy Footsteps, a book coaching program designed to help writers craft stories that resonate. She leads a thriving Facebook community for fantasy writers and has been recognized as a leading book coach by the Coach Foundation. A former teacher and developmental editor, she has presented for David Farland’s Apex Writers, spoken at ProWritingAid’s Novel November event, and coached writers at David Rank’s Novel Bookcamp. She also shares practical writing advice on her blog. An ambivert, sushi enthusiast, and lifelong story addict, Nicole lives in Overland Park, Kansas, with her husband and three young daughters.
Cynthia Pelayo is a Bram Stoker Award winning and International Latino Book Award winning author and poet. She is the first Latina in history to win a Bram Stoker Award. Pelayo writes fairy tales that blend genre and explore concepts of grief, mourning, and cycles of violence. She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, The Shoemaker’s Magician, Forgotten Sisters, as well as dozens of standalone short stories and poems. Lotería, which was her MFA in Writing thesis at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was re released to praise with Esquire calling it one of the ‘Best Horror Books of 2023.’ Santa Muerte and The Missing, her young adult horror novels were each nominated for International Latino Book Awards. Poems of My Night was nominated for an Elgin Award. Into the Forest and All the Way Through was nominated for an Elgin Award and was also nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. Children of Chicago was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in Superior Achievement in a Novel and won an International Latino Book Award for Best Mystery. Crime Scene won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. The Shoemaker’s Magician was released to praise with Library Journal awarding it a starred review. Forgotten Sisters received a starred review in Library Journal and was named a Locus Award Finalist in the Horror Novel category. She has been a visiting writer at Eastern Illinois University, Seton Hill University, City Colleges of Chicago and more. She teaches A Novel in A Year at StoryStudio Chicago. Workshops and residencies she has attended or is expected to attend soon include the Odyssey Writer’s Workshop and Ragdale Artist Residency.
Speculative Fiction Book Coach
Author, editor, and book coach Suzy Vadori is the Calgary Bestselling Author of The Fountain Series (The Fountain, The West Woods, Wall of Wishes). This fantastical series has received three Aurora Nominations for Best Young Adult Novel. She is represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary Agency. Suzy is the founder of the Inspired Writing Community, a Resident Writing Coach for Writers Helping Writers, a touring member of the Young Alberta Book Society (YABS) and a regular presenter at writers conferences across North America, both in person and online. Suzy specializes in breaking down complex writing concepts for newer writers into manageable steps, to get the book idea exploding in their minds onto the page in a way that will make readers take notice. She works with both fiction and nonfiction writers, in Memoir, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance, Middle Grade, and of course, Young Adult. Suzy is an Advanced Certified Book Coach from Jennie Nash’s Author Accelerator.
Speculative Fiction Retreat Mentor
Kelly Van Sant is KT Literary’s contracts manager and a literary agent seeking Middle Grade, Young Adult, and limited women’s fiction across all genres, including fantasy, science fiction, adventure, historical, and contemporary. Her background includes stints with the literary agencies Writers House and Harold Ober Associates, and publishing groups Llewellyn Worldwide and Quarto Publishing Group USA, gaining expertise in subsidiary rights management, with focuses on audio rights, foreign rights, and permissions. Residing in Minnesota, Kelly has worked as a freelance editor with various publishers and is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. She also blogs about writing and the publishing industry at Pub(lishing) Crawl and co-hosts its weekly podcast. KTLiterary.com. Kelly is a favorite with Novel Bookcamp alumni. Welcome back, Kelly!
Speculative Fiction Industry Professionals
Born and raised in Italy, Miriam Cortinovis (they/she) moved to Chicago as a teenager and has since earned a BA in Creative Writing and an MA in Writing & Publishing from DePaul University. After more than a year agenting at ArtHouse Literary (USA), they joined the amazing team at the Ki Agency in 2025, continuing to expand and support their list in everything and anything speculative. When not engrossed in a client’s book, Miriam enjoys playing video games with their partner and scheming on Dungeons & Dragons with her friends. Their MSWL is inspired by all of these passions on top of their non-binary, bisexual, and chronically ill identity.
For over a decade, Laura has worked with books in every way from bookselling to editing to self-publishing. A literary agent since 2014, she finds the most joy in working closely with authors to build their long-term careers in ways that contribute positively to their financial and mental health, as well as the greater community. Since 2016, Laura has hosted Print Run, a publishing podcast, with Erik Hane and is increasingly passionate about teaching, mentorship, and the role books play in the fight for social justice. In her spare time, Laura plays tabletop role-playing games, cooks elaborate meals, weaves tapestries, and drinks a lot of tea. Connect with her on Bluesky @LZats.bsky.social.
Administrative Staff
Founder and Director David J. Rank is a published author, editor, recovering journalist, founder and director of the nonprofit Novel Bookcamp educational programs since 2014. His more than 30 dark fiction short stories have been published in regional literary publications, various online magazines, and four anthologies. His hobby is scheming to get a Big Five Publisher to notice his novels. Dave is a supporting member of the Horror Writers Association and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, organizing the HWA-Wisconsin Chapter in 2018. Through the Novel Bookcamp he has memberships in the Chicago Writers Association, HERstory Writing Community, the Off Campus Writers’ Workshop, and the Wisconsin Writers Association. He was president of the WWA from 2013 to 2016 and judged the WWA’s Jade Ring Fiction Contest in 2022. Dave and his wife of 50 years live in West Bend, Wisconsin. He enjoys reading, making guacamole and chili, and sharing life with his three grown children and four grandchildren. www.novelbookcamp.org
Although Assistant Director Deborah L. King has been a writer and storyteller her whole life, publishing her first short story at age seven, she took 32 years to complete her first novel. All three of her books have won awards. Most recently, Mary Not Broken won in 5 categories in the 2024 Page Turner Awards. As a writer, Deborah loves the work of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Octavia Butler, classic Stephen King, Peter David, and the illustrations of Dan DeCarlo. She loves storms, champagne, Old Time Radio, and 70s Blues and Soul. Thanks to an interesting childhood, she’s afraid of escalators, bill collectors, and sometimes fresh produce. In 2018, Deborah won the Chicago Writer’s Association’s first chapter contest and has been an annual book-camper since 2019. She joined the NIP board in 2023, and has been assistant director since 2025.
