More Faculty & Sessions Coming Soon!

We're still adding the finishing touches to our conference lineup! Check back often as we continue to introduce our talented faculty and reveal more details about the exciting sessions they have planned for Stitching Sentences.

Photo by Aaron Packard

Doug Murano is a Bram Stoker Award-winning and Shirley Jackson Award-winning editor and the founder and CEO of Bad Hand Books. He was born and raised in South Dakota. He is an Active member of the Horror Writers Association, which honored Bad Hand Books with its Specialty Press Award in 2026.

Since its creation in 2021, Bad Hand has partnered with some of the world’s most successful authors—and a number of authors who soon will be—including Stephen King, Mike Mignola, Laird Barron, Chuck Palahniuk, Zoje Stage, Christopher Golden, Gabino Iglesias, Alex Grecian, Hailey Piper, Josh Malerman, Cynthia Pelayo, Benjamin Percy, Ai Jiang, Eric LaRocca, Trevor Henderson, and many more.

Doug and his wife reside somewhere between Mt. Rushmore and Minneapolis with their four children and Alice, the official “Bad Hound.”

Mercedes M. Yardley is a Bram Stoker Award–winning author known for her distinctive blend of dark fantasy, horror, and whimsy. Often described as a “whimsical dark fantasist,” her work explores the beauty and brutality of the human experience through lyrical storytelling and haunting imagery.

She is the author of numerous acclaimed works including Pretty Little Dead Girls, Darling, the Stabby Award–winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love, and the collection Love is a Crematorium and Other Tales. Her fiction has earned multiple Bram Stoker Awards, including honors for Little Dead Red and the short story “Fracture.”

Mercedes lives and writes in Las Vegas and is active in the horror and speculative fiction community. In addition to her writing, she has served as a senior fiction editor for Gamut Magazine and is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.

Wander deeper into Miss Murder’s darkly whimsical worlds—books, blog, events and more on her website.

Jodi Thompson has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her earliest work, Skippy the Horse, was critically acclaimed by numerous family members and at least one teacher. She eventually discovered that her real talent lies in assisting others with their dreams. After spending some time as a freelance Book Manager and Publicist, she founded a small, traditional publishing house, Fawkes Press.

In her copious free time, she has led writing workshops for children and teens, served on the organizational committees for several writing conferences, judged national writing contests, and presented at writing/publishing conferences across the United States. Fearful that she was getting too much sleep, she started Terrible Advice: Author Edition as guidance for writers in all stages. Chasing the high of her early success from Skippy the Horse, she also dabbles in cozy mysteries as Moira Bates. She lives in Texas with her husband and more animals than any sane person should have in their home.

Kelley Morris is a pianist, teacher, and award-winning poet. She has three collections: Quiet Embers: A Poetry of Faith, When the Glass Breaks, and The Space Between Clouds. Her poetry has appeared in Emerge Magazine, and she is a 2026 Best of the Net nominee.

Her work offers honest and heartfelt verse that invites readers to reflect and form meaningful connections. Through her blog, Piano Girl Thoughts, she engages a global community of writers and readers. Kelley grew up in Arkansas but now resides in Jenks, Oklahoma, with her husband, Gart. She enjoys time with family and loves being a Gigi.

Uncover more about Kelley’s work on her website, Instagram, Facebook, and her Amazon Author Central page.

Sessions:

Poetry Circles: Listening in Community
How does it make you feel when someone truly listens to you? Inspired by Kelley’s personal journey during the pandemic, this session explores intentional listening within the poetry circle. You’ll learn the circle format and its power to unlock creativity and connection. This simple but meaningful tool will help you tap into your voice while building your writing community.
Art and Music: Poetic Inspiration
Explore visual art, instrumental music, and song lyrics as inspiration for poetry. Through intentional observation and guided listening, you’ll use elements in art and music to shape your own voice on the page. Brainstorm personal favorites, study pre-selected works, and come ready to experience art, music, and poetry in new ways!

Killian Davies is an Arizona-based independent writer and publisher of Tabletop RPG booklets. Since 2023, he has developed his own niche of Dungeons & Dragons adventures inspired by the incredibly popular animated series Helluva Boss. His books have found great success on Kickstarter, funding nearly $50,000 over the course of three titles, and he continues to promote his ventures through comic cons and pop culture conventions.

Find Killian on Instagram and support his small business through his Etsy shop, AZ Stolas.

Sessions:

Structuring an Adventure - What Makes a Compelling D&D Story?
Ready to create your own exciting adventures around the table, but overwhelmed by all the NPCs, items, plot threads, and moving pieces that go into telling a D&D story? Join Killian Davies as he breaks down the structure of a D&D adventure to its bare bones.
Learn how the elements of an adventure work together to create a compelling story, how to balance storytelling with fun and fair game mechanics, and how to approach the whole process with more confidence—whether you’re building an adventure for friends around the table or hoping to take your TTRPG work to print someday.
Have an adventure of your own in the works? Bring your questions! Time permitting, Killian will wrap up with a Q&A focused on attendees’ own projects.
How To Gain An Audience For Your Book Through Crowdfunding
Congratulations—you’ve written your next book! Now...how do you get an audience to see it?
Join Killian Davies as he takes you through his process of using crowdfunding to get your book directly into the hands of readers. Having successfully funded three separate books totaling nearly $50,000, Killian will walk you through the building blocks of creating a Kickstarter campaign, from setting up your crowdfunding page to marketing your project and building an audience. Along the way, you’ll learn what goes into launching your first campaign, why persistence and marketing matter, and how to approach the process with more confidence.
Have crowdfunding questions of your own? Bring them along! Time permitting, Killian will wrap up with a Q&A.

Maureen Wise is a Junior Literary Agent at Metamorphosis Literary Agency. She has spent her career working in sustainability and environmental fields, including stream restoration, higher education sustainability, sustainability consulting, and CSA management.

That passion forged Maureen's path into the literary world from both sides of the desk. As Iris March, she pens award-winning cozy mysteries with an eco twist. Agent Maureen also professes a particular fondness for climate fiction and mysteries.

Maureen lives in a Cleveland suburb with her own cozy supporting cast: her husband, son, and three cats (naturally).

Connect with Maureen on LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Session:

You Can Save the Planet AND Write Your Book
Caring about the planet and writing a great book don’t have to be competing priorities. Join Maureen Wise for a discussion on how authors can bring environmental awareness into both their stories and their writing lives.
Explore how to create characters with environmental ethos without turning them into hippy eco-warriors everyone avoids at parties, weave natural elements into settings, and adopt greener habits in your own writing life. Saving the planet is a pretty tall order—but your writing can be a good place to start.

Pitch Sessions:

Maureen is looking for any and all mysteries, climate fiction, and solarpunk. She may consider select works in women’s fiction (particularly if there’s a grandma involved), progressive Christian devotionals, and thrillers sans serial killers or heavy gore.

What’s not a fit? Romance, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and Christian fiction are a miss for Maureen at this time.

More on Samantha Ryan coming soon…

TwylaBeth Lambert is an editor and educator drawn to powerful storytelling—whether reading it, telling it, or helping authors bring it to life. She works with both aspiring and established writers, guiding them through every stage of the editing process, from big-picture developmental work to final polish.

Her editorial experience spans multiple fiction genres and select nonfiction, and she regularly teaches workshops designed to help authors craft compelling stories, memorable characters, and immersive worlds.

Projects she has edited include The Unfavored Children’s Club and the award-winning The Forgotten Son by B.J. Sloan; The Mortician Murders series and An Almost True Crime Story series by USA Today bestselling author Greta Boris; the award-winning Mexicanos Hustle by J. Benjamin Sanders; the Aunt Claire’s Pet Care series by Katie Evans; My Storied Year by Katie Proctor; and the political thrillers and mysteries of Larry Enmon.

To connect with TwylaBeth or learn more about her editing work, visit her on Facebook or reach out directly by email.

More on Williamaye coming soon…

Award-winning author, editor, and proofreader, Ginger Casebeer crafts inspirational plays, devotionals, and whatever sparks her interest that day from her home in Lawton, OK.

She offers editing and proofreading services through WordKismet and loves helping writers find their best voice.Best known for her Christian plays and children’s stories, Ginger injects humor into her projects, infusing faith with laughter.

Follow Ginger on Facebook, Instagram, or on her website.

Sessions:

Developmental Editors--Who Are They and Do I Need One?
Developmental editing focuses on the big picture of your manuscript—including structure, content, and overall coherence—before addressing grammar and spelling mistakes. Discover what developmental editors do, what to expect when working with one, and how developmental editing can strengthen your manuscript.
Through practical examples, you'll explore the developmental editing process and see how an editor can help shape and strengthen a work in progress.
Want to see developmental editing in action? Attendees are invited to submit a 10-page work in progress (WIP) by email before the conference for possible inclusion in the session. Ginger will select samples to demonstrate developmental editing techniques. Submissions will remain anonymous unless the author name is included in the submission.
God Has a Sense of Humor: Intertwining Faith and Humor in Your Writing
Has your Christian or faith-based writing become a little too serious? Faith and humor don't have to be mutually exclusive! Discover how to bring laughter into your inspirational writing without losing sight of your message.
In this lighthearted session, you'll explore what makes something funny, how to decide when humor is appropriate, and where to find inspiration for adding a little levity to your work. After all, even serious subjects can benefit from a well-placed laugh.

Casey began his career in the graphic design field, where his creative vision shaped countless projects across various industries and media. In 2013, he co-founded Roan & Weatherford Publishing Associates, which has since grown into a trusted, award-winning, mid-sized independent publisher of genre fiction and nonfiction.

In 2014, Casey also partnered with the late Dusty Richards to co-found Saddlebag Dispatches, an award-winning magazine celebrating the American West through original fiction, poetry, history, interviews, and articles.

When not immersed in his professional endeavors, Casey enjoys reading, writing, and traveling. He treasures time spent catching up with his six adult children, doting on his six young grandchildren, and sharing life’s adventures with his always-supportive wife, Amy.

Connect with Casey online via Facebook, LinkedIn, and his Substack, Slush & Margins.

Session:

Pitch Perfect: Cut the Noise, Land the Hook

Pitching a book can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. This workshop focuses on how to present your story clearly, confidently, and professionally in a brief conversation with an agent or publisher. We’ll look at what belongs in a pitch, what absolutely doesn’t, and how to avoid the rambling explanations that lose attention. The result is a concise approach that highlights the hook, the stakes, and why your book—and its author—deserves a closer look.

Learn how to identify what makes your story stand out, distill its most compelling elements into a memorable pitch, and avoid common mistakes that dilute your message. You'll leave better prepared to present yourself and your work with clarity, confidence, and professionalism.

Pitch Sessions:

Casey is currently seeking thrillers, horror, mystery/suspense, noir/pulp, romance (sweet to spicy), mainstream and literary fiction, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and Westerns, including nontraditional and crossover Westerns. His nonfiction interests include history and current events.

Short story collections, memoirs, self-help, middle-grade fiction, or children's picture books are not on the wish list at this time.