Lee Gutkind, recognized by Vanity Fair as “the Godfather behind creative nonfiction,” is the founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction, and editor of more than 25 books. He is Distinguished Writer-in-Residence in the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State University and a professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication.

Jason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audiences, including Ghost, a National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature. His popular Track series follows a different protagonist in each novel, all of whom are members the Defenders, an elite track team.

Born and raised in Southern California, Brit Bennett graduated from Stanford University and later earned her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan, where she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction as well as the 2014 Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 awardee, and her debut novel The Mothers was a New York Times bestseller. Her second novel The Vanishing Half was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Her essays are featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.

Annabel Abbs’s first novel, The Joyce Girl, was published in 2016 to great acclaim and has sold across the world. It tells the fictionalized story of Lucia Joyce, forgotten daughter of James Joyce, and is currently being adapted for the stage. Her second novel, Frieda, was published in 2018 and immediately became a Times Book of the Month and then a Times Book of the Year, as well as featuring on BBC Woman’s Hour, Tatler, Good Housekeeping, Red and all the national newspapers. It is currently being translated into several languages. The novel tells the dramatic story of Frieda von Richthofen, the woman who inspired D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley, and later became his wife. Her first work of non-fiction, The Age-Well Project, was published in 2019, and explores the latest science of longevity.

Susie Moore is the author of Stop Checking Your Likes and What If It Does Work Out? which was named by Entrepreneur as one of the “8 Business Books Entrepreneurs Must Read to Dominate Their Industry.” A former Silicon Valley sales director turned life coach, she has been featured on The Today Show, as well as in O Magazine, Business Insider, Forbes, Time, and Marie Claire.

Laura Munson is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the novel Willa’s Grove and the memoir This Is Not The Story You Think It Is. She has been published in nine countries and has been featured in Vanity Fair, Elle, Redbook, Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, Publisher’s Weekly and published in the New York Times ‘Modern Love’ Column, the New York Times Magazine, O. Magazine, and many others.

Kira Jane Buxton's writing has appeared in The New York Times, NewYorker.com, McSweeney's, The Rumpus, Huffington Post, and more. She calls the tropical utopia of Seattle home and spends her time with three cats, a dog, two crows, a charm of hummingbirds, and a husband. HOLLOW KINGDOM is her debut novel.

Jennifer Longo’s debut novel, SIX FEET OVER IT (Random House Books 2014) received starred reviews from Kirkus and The Bulletin, was selected as a 2015 Washington State Book Award finalist, a VOYA Perfect Ten, and an Indies Introduce New Voices title. Jen's second novel, UP TO THIS POINTE (Random House Books 2016) was selected as an Indies Next title, 2017 Washington State Book Award finalist, shortlisted for the YALSA 2017 Best Fiction Young Adult list and received starred reviews from The Bulletin and Shelf Awareness.  Her latest novel is WHAT I CARRY.

USA Today Bestselling Author, Kim Hornsby, is also an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author, having shared space on the top five bestseller list with J.D. Robb and Nicolas Sparks. Kim writes Suspense and Romance, often mixing the two genres. Her Dream Jumper Series is optioned for film with the first book's screenplay a mulit-award-winner. Kim loves Christmas and also writes Holiday romance in both novella form and screenplays. Two of her projects are filming for TV movies next year.

Donald Maass is president of the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York. His agency sells more than 150 novels every year to major publishers in the U.S. and overseas. He is a past president of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc. (AAR).

He is the author of The Career Novelist (1996),Writing the Breakout Novel (2001), Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook (2004), The Fire in Fiction (2009) , The Breakout Novelist (2011) and Writing 21st Century Fiction (2012).

Damon Suede grew up out-n-proud deep in the heart of right-wing America, and escaped as soon as it was legal. He has been happily partnered for over a decade with the most loving, handsome, shrewd, hilarious, noble man to walk this planet. Damon is a proud member of the Romance Writers of America and currently serves on its national Board of Directors, as well as being its President Elect.

After 10 years, the Seattle7Writers (an organization that includes the likes of Elizabeth George, Erik Larsen, Deb Caletti, Laurie Frankel, and Maria Semple, to name just a few) is calling it quits. To commemorate this moment in Seattle literary history, Bill Kenower sat down with two of the Seattle7’s longest-standing members: Garth Stein (The Art of Racing in the Rain) and Kevin O’Brien (The Betrayed Wife) to discuss how it all started, and how a new generation of writers can pick up their torch! Check it out.

Nicole J. Persun is an author, writing coach, and horse caretaker. Her epic fantasy novel, Dead of Knight, won a Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award in 2013. Her debut women’s fiction novel, The Ingredients of Us, written under the pen name Jennifer Gold, will be released on July 1, 2019; look for her next women’s fiction title in early 2020. Nicole has a master’s degree in creative writing and is a board member of the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association. When she’s not writing, Nicole can be found spending time with her husband, horses, and two cats. To learn more about her latest work, go to jennifergoldauthor.com.

Erica Bauermeister is the bestselling author of four novels, including The Scent Keeper and The School of Essential Ingredients. She is also the co-author of two non-fiction works: 500 Great Books by Women and Let’s Hear It for the Girls.  A founding member of the Seattle7Writers, she currently lives in Port Townsend, WA.