2026 Workshop Presenters

Sarah Williams

Bestselling romance author and CEO of Serenade Publishing, Sarah Williams writes emotionally rich love stories steeped in longing, music, and second chances.

Raised in rural New Zealand chasing sheep, riding horses, and picking kiwi fruit on her family orchard, Sarah’s love of wide-open spaces and heartfelt storytelling runs deep. After more than a decade of travel, she settled in Queensland, Australia, where she now lives in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, balancing family life with writing swoon-worthy romances that stay with readers long after the final page.

Her much-loved Australian set rural romance series Brigadier Station has captured hearts around the world and was brought to life in audio by Logie-nominated actor Myles Pollard (McLeod’s Daughters), adding an extra layer of heat and heart for listeners.

You can find her online at Sarah Williams

Shannon Curtis

Shannon Curtis is the award-winning, bestselling author of romantic suspense, paranormal romance and contemporary romance fiction. Shannon has written over fifteen novels for the US, UK, Canadian and AU/NZ home markets, as well as for The Bold & The Beautiful franchise, and her novels have won national and international awards. She’s shared her love of the craft of writing through teaching creative writing classes at Sydney Community College, Writing NSW, and various libraries, festivals and events.

You can find her online at: https://shannoncurtis.com/

Vianne Max

Vianne Max is a writer and educator with 25 years’ experience in teaching creative writing. She has worked in a number of countries and inspired a new generation of writers. She is the author of the Isle of Storms series and absolutely loves the writing process. She has Literature and Film degrees from Auckland, Glasgow and Middlesex Universities, and is passionate about travel and new experiences, including how they can influence our writing.

You can find her online at:

Lynda Tomalin

Lynda Tomalin/Elle Ashwell writes both contemporary young adult and small town romances set in New Zealand.

Along with publishing eight (nine by conference) books in three years, she is also the mother of three daughters and has a day job, so both time and mental capacity are limited. With a love of to-do lists and spreadsheets, she’s spent her entire publishing journey developing ways to streamline her author business so she can get back to the fun stuff: actually writing the books!

Holly Dunn

Holly is a book cover designer who specialises in creating illustrated covers for independent authors. She’s worked with some of the biggest publishers in the business, including HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Pan Macmillan. Her truest joy is in helping indie authors realise the covers of their dreams.

You can find her here:

Rosie Evelyn / Ruth James

Ruth James writes paranormal romance and mysteries as Rosie Evylin, and balances her creative work alongside her legal career, step motherhood, and business building. A certified coach and founder of the VIP (Values, Identity, Priorities) Framework, she works with ambitious women to build sustainable careers without sacrificing health or joy.

A dedicated runner and multi-passionate entrepreneur, Ruth understands firsthand the challenges of pursuing creative goals with a full life. She blends practical structure with thoughtful reflection, empathy, and infectious enthusiasm.

You can find her here:

Amy Blythe

Amy Blythe (she/her) is a hybrid author with six self-published romcoms and two Harlequin Medicals to her name so far. As a high-school English teacher and poetry slam organiser, she loves creative communities, the magic of words, and almost any combination of the two!

Eileen Mueller

Eileen Mueller is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of heart-pounding, YA fantasy novels that keep readers turning the page. Her urban and epic worlds are full of magic, love, adrenaline-fueled adventures—and dragons. Don’t forget the dragons!

The recipient of two New Zealand Storylines Notable Book literary awards for Best Youth Novel, Eileen also has Sir Julius Vogel Awards, and has won or been placed in international and national writing contests, including being a finalist in the 2017 Romance Writers NZ Chapter Short story contest.

Eileen has also appeared on podcasts, and been an MC, panellist, presenter and speaker at many author and reader conferences. She is an experienced marketing and public relations consultant and has many online and print articles published in newspapers, magazines, and on radio.

Rumor has it that she dwells in a cave on a Wellywood hillside with her dragonets.