Presenters

2026 Speaker Bios 

Andy Becker

Andy Becker is an award-winning writer, gardener, and former attorney who spent more than three decades practicing law in Port Orchard, Washington. Amid the quiet churn of cases and consequences, he began writing cautionary stories drawn from his legal experience. The Paralegal Speaks is Becker’s second novel, following The Kissing Rabbi, which won First Place in the Mark Twain Award for humor and satire.

Becker’s work lives at the intersection of wit and exposure—stories that entertain, unsettle, and quietly challenge the narratives we accept about how the world works. Beyond satire, his writing turns to the elemental. In four additional books, Becker explores the deeper currents of gardening, environmentalism, family, and the spiritual life—where growth is slower, quieter, and no less profound. He lives in Gig Harbor with his wife and their two dogs: Splash, an unapologetic escape artist, and Nova, a committed opportunist with a talent for pilfering food and a love of counter-surfing. 

Andy’s favorite moments are with his children and grandchildren—reminders that, even in a complicated world, some things remain beautifully simple. Readers can visit his author website at www.andybecker.life, where he shares reflections on gardening, life, and the small acts that keep us grounded.

 

Laurinda Belinger

Laurinda has been an engineering program manager for most of her 30+ year career. But her dream was to be a writer. 

In 2020, with a cancer diagnosis and the beginning of a pandemic, she rushed to write all the things she wanted to teach her nephew & niece “just in case”.  This became the outline for her first book. At this point, she began to work toward a transition from corporate America to full-time writing as part of her retirement plan. Working on several writing projects while working a full-time job, AI has become a tool that enables her to focus on writing. She hopes to dispel some of the myths around AI, so writers will embrace it.

 

Tara Campbell

Tara Campbell is a writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, and fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse. Publication credits include Masters Review, Wigleaf, Electric Literature, CRAFT Literary, Uncharted Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, and Escape Pod/Artemis Rising. 

She's the author of the eco sci-fi novel TreeVolution, two hybrid collections of poetry and prose, two short story collections, and a chapbook of sestinas. Her second novel, City of Dancing Gargoyles (SFWP), was a finalist for the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award. 

She's taught creative writing at venues such as Johns Hopkins University, American University, Clarion West, The Writer's Center, and Hugo House. Find her at www.taracampbell.com 

 

Denise Frisino

At the early age of five, Denise Frisino, a Seattle native, stepped into the entertainment world as an actor - first on stage, then on camera. She is an award-winning author, screenwriter, director, actor, and teacher. Her decades of studying theater and performing at such establishments as the Comedy Store in L.A., A.C.T. in San Francisco, NW theaters, along with years of involvement in Film and TV production, including serving as a Board Member for AFTRA & SAG (NW Chapter), have given her a deep understanding of the various forms of the written word.  

Denise just published her fourth novel, the third book in her award-winning series - The Orchids Trilogy - which took fourteen years of research to complete. She lives in Kitsap with her husband and cat, loves to teach, and be on the water.

 

Leslie Hall

Leslie J. Hall is the author of the Kaitlyn Willis Road Signs Mysteries, an amateur sleuth series starring a Pacific NW code enforcement officer. One reader said: “… everything I like in a mystery: a relatable heroine, an interesting backstory, a potential romance, conflict, and murder!” Her short story “A Strange Rain” will be published in an anthology by White City Press in late 2026.

Leslie is working on a new suspense novel and writing women’s fiction. She is a cheerleader for writers through teaching and critiquing. She loves the beach and anything tropical. She hates coffee but loves Diet Coke and deplores all things spicy.

Leslie lives in Bremerton, WA. Learn more about her at www.lesliejhall.com

 

HR Hegnauer

HR Hegnauer is a writer, designer, and creative professional with an MFA in Writing & Poetics from Naropa University.

The author of two books, she brings a writer’s sensibility to her collaborative work designing books and websites for authors, independent publishers, and artists—helping each creator express their unique voice with clarity and purpose.

 

 

Robin Jeffrey

Robin Jeffrey was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming to a psychologist and a librarian, giving her a love of literature and a consuming interest in the inner workings of people’s minds, which have served her well as she pursues a career in creative writing.

She has been published in various journals across the country as well as on websites like The Mary Sue and Introvert, Dear.

She currently resides in Bremerton, Washington. More of her work can be found on her website, RobinJeffreyAuthor.com .

 

David Jepsen

David J. Jepsen is a historian, writer and educator teaching Pacific Northwest and U.S. history at Tacoma Community College. His mantra for students and learners of all ages is simple: To make sense of the present and have any hope of shaping the future, we must first understand the past. 

Jepsen’s work is grounded on that principal. His novel about racial and labor conflicts in Seattle following WW II, titled Unbelonging, was released in April 2026. He was lead author of Contested Boundaries: A New Pacific Northwest History (John Wiley and Sons, 2017). He wrote and directed the award winning documentary Labor Wars of the Northwest, nominated in 2019 for Best Feature Film Made in Washington by the Gig Harbor Film Festival. He writes a weekly post for the Washington State Historical Society titled “This Day in Washington,” which has reached more than two million social media users in two years. He holds a master’s degree in history and a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Washington.

He lives with his wife, Jackie, in Gig Harbor, WA

 

Wendy Kendall

The result of Wendy Kendall's passion for purses, mystery and romance is the intriguing In Purse-Suit Mysteries published by The Wild Rose Press. Kat Out of the Bag, also published by Harlequin, introduces Katherine Watson purse designer/sleuth. As Katherine moves from designer bags to body bags, she's uncovering clues to a murder. The exciting sequel is Don’t Shoot the Messenger Bag - It’s the perfect accessory to murder. The prequel, Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash delves into a chilling cold case. Finalist for Best Suspense at Killer Nashville, Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For creates a tangle of mystery and love, raising suspicions about a teacher's romantic new sweetheart. A summer rom-com, Cherry Shakes In The Park blends danger, divas, and frothy delights. Ribbons of love run through the holiday book, Heart of Christmas Cookies and Dreams. Wendy enjoys investigating the Pacific Northwest life, and she leaves a trail of her own clues as a blogger, YouTube podcaster, speaker, teacher at Seattle’s Hugo House, and syndicated columnist. 

Website – WendyWritesBooks.com / Facebook – WendyKendallMysteries 

Twitter - @wendywrites1 / Instagram - wendyekendall 

 

Bethany Maines

Bethany Maines is an award-winning author, graphic designer, and sixth-degree black belt. Bethany brings a fierce sense of adventure—and humor—to everything she does, from world travel for the snacks to Cerberus cosplay and baking for the plot. When she’s not wrangling a daughter, a deadline, or a spreadsheet of character arcs, she’s usually found teaching karate or working on her next novel/screenplay.

Bethany is the Mystery Writers of America Northwest Chapter Treasurer, the co-runner of The Stiletto Gang blog, host of The Otherworlds podcast, and writes under the names Bethany Maines and Sirena Corbeau. Learn more at: bethanymaines.com

 

Nikki Poppen

Bronwyn Scott is celebrating her twentieth  year as a writer for Harlequin, Mills and Boon with the release of three books in 2026: Their Convenient Tuscan Marriage, Betrothal Between Enemies, and the holiday novel, The Rake’s Unexpected Family. In 2027, she will celebrate her first series with the Tule Publishing Group, The Wild Roses. 

Bronwyn's Novella, Dancing with the Duke's Heir was a RITA finalist and her Christmas novella, Unwrapping His Festive Temptation, was a Bookseller’s Best finalist. Bronwyn enjoys learning foreign languages, traveling, and history. The New York Times named her 2024 novel, Liaison with the Champagne Count, ‘an elemental little masterpiece.’ She does her best brainstorming while walking her two dogs, Benjamin the A-Ben-Jer and Steve Rogers, her very own Captain America.

 

Star Wuerdemann

Star Wuerdemann (she/her) is a writer and educator who lives in Olympia. She is the founder of OlyPages Writing Arts Studio. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Bennington Review, and her nonfiction has appeared on janefriedman.com 

She holds a Bachelor in English Language Arts & Literature and a Master of Acupuncture.

She is an alum of Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and The Loft Literary Center’s Year-Long Novel Writing Program. Learn more about Star.