Faculty List - Southeastern Writers Association

Faculty List – 40th Annual Southeastern Writers Workshop
June 19-23, 2015
Agent-in-Residence: Sorche Fairbank – Fairbank Literary Representation
http://www.fairbankliterary.com/
Sorche is the president of this small, selective agency. Clients range from first-time
authors to international best-sellers, prize winning-journalists to professionals at the
top of their fields. The ageents’ tastes tend toward literary and international fiction;
the occasional mystery or thriller; memoir; topical or narrative non-fiction with a
strong interest in women’s voices, global perspectives, and class and race issues; quality lifestyle
books (food, wine, and design); pop culture; craft; and gift and humor books. Sorche will meet
with workshop attendees to answer questions, discuss book projects, present 2 classes and give
the workshop’s Keynote Address.
Publisher: Maria McGaha – Dancing with Bear
http://www.dancingwithbearpublishing.com/
Marie McGaha is an ordained minister, inspirational speaker, multi-published
author, editor, and publisher. After the death of her first husband, J. Bear Marler,
Marie wrote Dancing With Bear: A Love Story, which won second place in the
prestigious Smart Writ Book Awards sponsored by Mensa.That led her to create Dancing With
Bear Publishing and DWB Children's Line in Bear's memory. Dancing With Bear Publishing is
a full service, innovative publishing house. “We are a Christian publisher and strive to publish
only the best works that glorify God, and help people in their walk with the Lord.” DWB
publishes fiction, nonfiction and children’s books. Marie will meet with workshop attendees to
answer questions, discuss book projects and will also offer a class on publishing.
Publisher: CreateSpace
https://www.createspace.com/
CreateSpace, an Amazon company, helps people independently publish &
distribute books, music or films in physical or digital formats, A
representative will meet with workshop attendees to answer questions, discuss book projects and
discuss the ins and outs of self-publishing.
Novel: C. Hope Clark
http://chopeclark.com/
Hope is a retired USDA agent turned award-winning writer. She’s published in The
Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, Guide to Literary Agents, Writer’s Market,
Chicken Soup, Next Step Magazine, College Bound Teen, Voices of Youth
Advocates (VOYA), TURF Magazine, Landscape Management and other trade and online
publications. Her Carolina Slade Mystery books have been finalists in many awards with
Lowcountry Bribe winning in the mystery category of the 2013 EPIC E-book Awards and The
Silver Falchion Award for Crime Fiction. Her second novel, Tidewater Murder, won in the
mystery category of the 2014 EPIC E-book Awards. Hope launched her latest series in
September with Murder on Edisto: The Edisto Island Mysteries. Hope will teach 4 classes on
writing novels and evaluate novel manuscripts.
Nonfiction: Donald S. Vaughn
http://www.donaldvaughan.net/
“I've made my living with words for more than 30 years.” Don has worked as a
staff writer and/or editor for The Lake Worth Herald, Your Health Magazine and
The National Examiner before becoming a full-time freelance writer 22 years ago.
He has published more than 1,700 nonfiction magazine and newspaper articles and
wrote, co-wrote, ghosted or contributed to 32 books, including Sixteen Minutes From Home, two
celebrity autobiographies: Hollywood Inside and Out: The Kenny Miller Story and Reel Tears:
The Beverly Washburn Story and several volumes in the popular Armchair Reader series.
Don will teach 4 classes on writing nonfiction and evaluate nonfiction manuscripts.
Poetry & Flash Fiction: Chris Tusa
http://christophertusa.net/wp/
Chris’ work has appeared in Prairie Schooner, Connecticut Review, New South,
Texas Review, The Southeast Review, New Delta Review, South Dakota Review,
Passages North, StorySouth, and others. His debut collection of poems, Haunted
Bones, was published by Louisiana Literature Press in 2006. He also has two
novels: Dirty Little Angels and In the City of Falling Stars (2015). In addition, Chris is the
Managing Editor of Fiction Southeast and Writer-in-Residence at Southeastern Louisiana
University. Chris will teach 2 classes each on writing flash fiction and poetry and will evaluate
poems and flash fiction manuscripts.
Young Adult: S.R. Johannes
http://www.srjohannes.com/
S.R. is the award-winning author of the Amazon bestselling Nature of Grace thriller
series (Untraceable, Uncontrollable, and Unstoppable). She also is a winner of the
IndieReader Discovery Award in YA, an IPPY, a Silver Medalist for YA Fiction, a
Finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Young Adult Fiction, and a Finalist in
US Book News Best YA Book. Since leaving Corporate America, she has followed her passion
for writing and conservation by working with The Dolphin Project, the Atlanta Zoo, other animal
rescue organizations, and by weaving conservation themes into her books. S.R. will teach 3
classes about a YA fiction and evaluate YA fiction manuscripts.
Writing Columns: Darrell Huckaby
http://www.darrellhuckaby.net/
Darrell is a syndicated newspaper columnist and author of 11 books, including 5
humor books, a memoir, 2 cookbooks and 2 inspirational biographies. He has a
regular guest commentary spot, “What the Huck?” on the nationally syndicated
radio show, Moby in the Morning, and hosts a free podcast series, "Conversations
with The Last Southerner", on iTunes. He is a retired high school history teacher and coach and
now owns a group tours company, Huck’s Tours. Darrell will teach 3 classes on column writing
and evaluate column proposals.
Writing a Memoir: Dana Wildesmith
http://www.danawildsmith.com
Dana’s 2010 environmental memoir, Back to Abnormal: Surviving With An Old
Farm in the New South, was Finalist for Georgia Author of the Year in Essay. She
is the author of four collections of poetry, the latest Christmas in Bethlehem, and
has recently completed a novel. Dana has served as Artist-in-Residence for Grand
Canyon National Park, as Writer-in-Residence for the Island Institute in Sitka,
Alaska, and as a Fellow of the Hanbidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences.
Her poems and essays have been widely published in both literary and commercial journals,
including Yankee, The Kentucky Poetry Review, and The Chattahoochee Review. Dana will
teach 2 classes on writing a memoir and evaluate memoir manuscrits.