Conference Schedule
| Banquet Room 4 | Presenter | Banquet Room 3 | Presenter | |
| Friday 9/25 | ||||
| 10:00-4:30 | MASTERCLASS | Robert Petrone | ||
| Developing the “Internal Narrative” in Memoir Writing | ||||
| Saturday 9/26 | ||||
| 7:45-8:15 | Check-in | |||
| 8:15-8:30 | Welcome | |||
| 8:30-9:30 | KEYNOTE: Writing the Story Only You Can Write | Michael Punke | ||
| 9:45-10:45 | Open Territory: Writing Within And Beyond Category | Julie Stevenson | Audiobook Blueprint: Making Smart, Empowered | Becky Parker Geist |
| 11:00-12:00 | The Intersections of Memory, Relationship and Place in Poetry | Mandy Smoker Broaddus | Children’s Books: Nute & Bolts | Marybeth Lorbiecki |
| 12:00-1:15 | LUNCH | |||
| 1:15-2:15 | In Conversation | Punke & Stark (Susan Purvis Mod.) | ||
| 2:30-3:30 | Empowered Self-Publishing | Shayla Paradeis | Reading to Write | Carl Stevens |
| 3:45-4:45 | Stop Procrastinating… Tomorrow | Kathy Dunnehoff | 5 Pitch and Consultation Sessions | Julie Stevenson, Marybeth Lorbiecki, Mandy Smoker Broaddus, Becky Parker Geist, Robert Petrone. |
| 4:45-5:00 | CLOSING REMARKS | |||
| 5:30 | Reception at Bookshelf store in Kalispell | |||
| Sunday 9/27 | ||||
| 8:00-9:00 | Socializing and authors’ exhibits | |||
| 9:00-10:00 | KEYNOTE: Lost Cities and the Mystery of Discovering a Story Idea | Peter Stark | ||
| 10:15-11:15 | The Moment Before Yes: Crossing the Threshold to Representation | Rayhané Sanders | Please Read my Manuscript: Quick Tips for Queries | Abby Saul |
| 11:15-12:15 | Beyond Audible: Your 2026 Audiobook Strategy Playbook | Becky Parker Geist | Writing about Your Writing as an Approach to Revision | Robert Petrone |
| 12:15-1:30 | LUNCH | |||
| 1:30-1:45 | AotF Announcements | Shayla Paradeis | 4 Pitch and Consultation Sessions | Rayhané Sanders, Marybeth Lorbiecki, Becky Parker Geist, Mandy Smoker Broaddus. |
| 1:50-2:30 |
Beyond the Book: Building Your Brand Online |
Tiffany Williams | Children’s Books: When Images & Graphic Novels Are Golden (PANEL) | Mandy Smoker Broaddus, Marybeth Lorbiecki, (Robert Petrone?) |
| 2:45-3:45 | The Shapes of Storytelling: PANEL | Peter Stark, Marybeth Lorbiecki, Rayhané Sanders, Kathy Dunnehoff | (Robert Petrone?) | |
| 4:00-5:00 | CLOSING KEYNOTE | ??? |