GUEST AUTHORS
Rachael Allen is a scientist by day and writer by night. She is the winner of the 2019 Georgia Young Adult Author of the Year award, and her books include Harley Quinn: Reckoning (out now!), 17 First Kisses, The Revenge Playbook, The Summer of Impossibilities, and A Taxonomy of Love, which was a Junior Library Guild selection and a 2018 Book All Young Georgians Should Read. Rachael lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two children, and two dire wolves. She loves homemade peach ice cream, having adventures all over the world, and stories that make her feel like she’s been poured inside another person.
Mayra Cuevas is a CNN award-winning journalist and the author of the young adult novels Does My Body Offend You? a Target YA Book Club selection, and Salty, Bitter, Sweet. Her short story Resilient was published as part of the anthology FORESHADOW. Mayra is also the co-founder of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival and a loud and proud Puerto Rican. She keeps her sanity by practicing Buddhist meditation. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, her two stepsons, their fluffy cat and a very loud Chihuahua. You can find Mayra on Instagram @Mayra.Cuevas and her website MayraCuevas.com.
Kimberly Latrice Jones is an American author and filmmaker, known for the New York Times bestselling young adult novel, I’m Not Dying With You Tonight and for the viral video How Can We Win published during the George Floyd protest. The book was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award in 2020. That same year, a seven-minute video featuring Kim using a Monopoly analogy to explain the history of racism and its impact on Black Americans went viral, being shared by Trevor Noah, LeBron James, Madonna,
and more. The viral video was featured on shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. She has subsequently signed an overall deal with Warner Brothers via her production company Push Films with her partner DeWayne “Duprano” Martin.
Mark Oshiro is the award-winning author of the young adult books ANGER IS A GIFT (2019 Schneider Family Book Award), EACH OF US A DESERT, and INTO THE LIGHT, as well as their middle grade books THE INSIDERS and YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, DAVID BRAVO. They are also the co-author (with Rick Riordan) of the upcoming PERCY JACKSON novel centered on Nico di Angelo and Will Solace. When not writing, they are trying to pet every dog in the world.
Kelly Quindlen is the bestselling author of the young adult novels She Drives Me Crazy, Late to the Party, and Her Name in the Sky. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and a former teacher, Kelly enjoys speaking to PFLAG groups and high school GSAs. She currently serves on the leadership board of a non-profit for Catholic parents with LGBTQ children. She lives in Atlanta. Follow her on Twitter @kellyquindlen.
Gilly Segal grew up in Florida and spent her college years in Israel. Now she calls Atlanta, Georgia home. By day, she is Chief Legal Officer for an advertising agency. In her other life, Gilly is a co-author of the New York Times bestseller I’m Not Dying with You Tonight. When not writing, Gilly enjoys cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning, exploring Decatur with her three kids, and sampling flavors of French macarons.
Julian Winters is a bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary young adult fiction. His 
novels Running with Lions, How to Be Remy Cameron, and The Summer of Everything (Duet, 2018, 2019, 2020, respectively) received accolades for their positive depictions of diverse, relatable characters. A former management trainer, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta, where he can be found reading, being a self-proclaimed comic book geek, or watching the only two sports he can follow–volleyball and soccer.
LITERARY AGENTS
Josh and Tracey Adams come to us from Adams Literary, a full-service boutique literary agency exclusively dedicated to children’s & YA authors and artists.
Tracey Adams co-founded Adams Literary in 2004, after nearly a decade with literary agencies Writers House and McIntosh & Otis, where she was the head of the children’s department. Prior to becoming an agent, she worked in the marketing and editorial departments of Greenwillow Books and Margaret K. McElderry Books.
A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Tracey speaks frequently about her profession and the children’s book industry at conferences across the country. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Association of Author Representatives (AAR), and a founding member of the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) chapter in Charlotte, NC.
In her spare time, Tracey enjoys traveling, playing tennis, cheering for the Carolina Panthers, and test-marketing children’s books with her two daughters.
Josh Adams, together with his wife Tracey, runs Adams Literary. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia Business School—where he studied finance and accounting, and was awarded the Abe Shuchman Memorial Award in Marketing—Josh spent more than a decade in publishing and media before bringing his editorial and business backgrounds together as a literary agent.
A media management specialist, he led teams of creative and business professionals in developing the editorial strategy and positioning of several national publications, and directed the marketing and brand strategy of many well-known international companies as a consultant.
********PITCH SESSIONS WITH ERIC SMITH ARE FULL***********
Eric Smith is a literary agent and Young Adult author from Elizabeth, New Jersey.
As an agent with P.S. Literary, he’s worked on New York Times bestselling and award-winning books. His recent novels include the YALSA Best Books for Young Readers selection Don’t Read the Comments (Inkyard Press, 2020), You Can Go Your Own Way (Inkyard Press, 2021), and the anthology Battle of the Bands (Candlewick, 2021), co-edited with award-winning author Lauren Gibaldi.
His latest book, Jagged Little Pill: The Novel, was written with Alanis Morissette, Academy award-winner Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard, and is an adaptation of the Grammy and Tony award winning musical.
His other books include the IndieBound bestseller The Geek’s Guide to Dating (Quirk), the Inked duology (Bloomsbury), and The Girl and the Grove (Flux). His writing has sold into nine languages.
A lifelong lover of writing and books, he holds a Bachelor of Arts from Kean University in English, and a Master’s in English from Arcadia University, where he currently mentors MFA students. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and son, and enjoys video games, pop punk, and crying over every movie.
********PITCH SESSIONS WITH LAUREN SPIELLER ARE FULL***********
Lauren Spieller is a literary agent with Folio Literary Management. She represents an exciting and talented list of award winning and bestselling authors. Whatever the age category or genre, Lauren is passionate about representing diverse and underrepresented voices, and I’m always on the hunt for a new point of view.
Lauren considers herself an editorial agent and provides support and insight at all stages of a book’s creation, tailoring the way she works to the client’s needs. She is also a fierce advocate and negotiator.
In addition to her life as an agent, Lauren is also the author of two Young Adult novels: Your Desitination is on the Left and She’s the Worst.
WHAT LAUREN IS LOOKING FOR
“I love books that sit at the intersection of ‘commercial’ and ‘timeless,’ especially if they pair a big hook with voicey, upmarket writing. I like to read books that keep me at the edge of my seat, that make me laugh out loud, that make me swoon, or that are simply so unputdownable that I stay up way too late reading. I also love smart genre-bending tales, books that tackle a familiar topic or time period from a new or surprising perspective, and stories that take big risks, whatever that means to you.
But let’s get more specific. In MG, I’m looking for high concept contemporaries, magical fantasy and kid-friendly sci-fi, exciting historical, and spooky horror/mystery. I’d also love to see MG graphic novels, especially if it’s set in our world. In YA, I’m drawn to speculative stories (fantasy, sci-fi, and horror), contemporary novels with a big hook, romance and RomCom, suspense/thrillers, and graphic novels.
In Adult, I’m seeking female-driven suspense/thrillers, immersive and upmarket/literary SFF and horror, hilarious RomComs and swoony upmarket romance, as well as the occasional unique non-fiction with an existing platform.
For a list of (some of) my favorite recent books, check out manuscriptwishlist.com and my #mswl posts on Twitter.”
***MENTORING SESSIONS WITH ASHLEY ARE FULL***
Ashley Hearn comes to us from Peachtree Publishing and will be available for mentoring sessions only.
Ashley Hearn is an acquisitions editor at Peachtree Publishing. Her authors have earned starred reviews in Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, and Book Page, and have received numerous commercial and literary recognitions including a William Morris Award nomination and inclusion on TIME’s list of “Best Fantasy Novels of All Time” for Woven in Moonlight. Former mentees and clients include #1 New York Times bestselling author Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood and Bone), New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace (All the Stars and Teeth), and Alexis Henderson (The Year of the Witching). When she steps away from her desk, she can be found wandering the North Georgia mountains, armchair-quarterbacking for the Green Bay Packers, or haunting a local coffee shop.