In addition to the page below, here’s a Google Sheets link to our 2026 weekend schedule. This will also be in your Pocket Program when you arrive. And we will also be using a schedule app for your phone, for those who prefer that way to stay organized.

I hope you find lots of fun things you can’t wait to do!
GOOGLE SHEETS SCHEDULE

– Notes –
~Author hosted Meet & Greets will be added as details are finalized. As well as author hosted game tables during Game Night.
~Sign-ups for the Lunch With An Author will be Sunday night, February 15th. An email will go out to all registered attendees with details closer to that date.

**Schedule is subject to change. Please check back often for updates/changes.**

Thursday, February 19th

10am-3pm: The Writer Garage presents: “Unhinged Writing” (Coastal Room, 11th Floor)
Writing workshop – requires separate registration and $60 fee (not included in Coastal Magic Convention general registration)
Tere Michaels-Instructor

4pm – Registration Check-In Begins (Bill France Hall)

5:30pm-6pm – Coastal Magic 101: The perfect time to get the rundown on what to expect during your weekend with us. Double check the schedule, ask questions, make a note of “can’t miss” events. Recommended for first time attendees AND returning CMCFam.
Sarah Nicolas

6pm-7pm – Bonus Signing Hour – Celeste Barclay (Bill France Hall)
6pm-7pm – Bonus Signing Hour – Veronika Kane (Bill France Hall)

8pm-10pm – “Secret Garden: Reading Helps Your Mind Bloom” Welcome Mingle (Richard Petty Ballroom)
Join us for a our first get together of the weekend. Featured authors will be hosting tables (and may be giving out goodies or playing games!) and welcoming everyone to the festivities. There will be a craft table for those who need to fancify their fascinators for tomorrow night’s murder/mystery evening, and fun ways to learn about our Reading Challenge. We’ll also announce the winners of this season’s Reading Challenge.
Host Tables: Jeanne Adams, Morgan Brice, Veronika Kane, Amy Lane, T K Lawyer, Hildie McQueen, R L Merrill, Tere Michaels, J D Monroe, C S Poe, Victoria Sue, Sasha Summers

Friday, February 20th

***All panels will be held in Bill France A/B/C***

9am – 6pm – Vendors Available (Bill France Hall)

9am-9:45am – (A) Rulemakers & Rulebreakers: Authors discuss their police, detective, and military characters. What is the research process like, and how much of the fiction has to be real? What makes these characters, the good AND the not-so-good, such reader favorites?
Lucienne Diver, Kevin A Davis, Gregory Ashe, Caridad Pineiro, C S Poe
9am-9:45am – (B) “It’s Gettin’ Hot In Here”: A chat with authors who ramp up the “spice level” in their stories. These romances highlight emotional intimacy, but also feature characters pushing the boundries of confident, consensual, physical exploration.
Meka James, Hank Edwards, Kait Ballenger, Melody Johnson
9am-9:45am – (C) “Saddle Up!”: Horses, hats, & haystacks, OH MY! A chat with authors who take us out into the wild (and sometimes not-so-wild) west. We’ll talk about old stereotypes, the new world of “cowboys/cowgirls”, and why that lifestyle is still so appealing.
Hildie McQueen, Sasha Summers, Nina Crespo, Veronika Kane

10am-10:45am – (A) “It Takes A Village”: Authors discuss the friendships, families, and other kinds of support systems in their worlds. Who are the best friends? The mentors? The “”bands of brothers””? The “soft places to land”? We’ll chat about how these secondary characters enrich the story, and help our main characters get from first line to last page.
Darby Baham, Amy Lane, Tere Michaels, Beth Dolgner, Kari Lemor
10am-10:45am – (B) “Sports Fiction FTW!”: As the 2026 Winter Olympics are finishing up actually DURING our event weekend — it’s appropriate to have a discussion about the athletes in our stories! Authors chat about their own experience with sports (or lack, thereof), and how the sport they write about plays a role in building their characters and telling their story.
Darie McCoy, Jeanne Adams, Tracy Solheim, Victoria Sue
10am-10:45am – (C) “The Facts In Our Fiction”: Authors discuss the research they did for their characters & stories. We’ll chat about their favorite research tools and the most helpful, most hilarious, and most unhinged things they found! How much of the history or “truth” of something did they keep, and how much got changed in the name of “creative license”? Who’s search history is in danger of being on an FBI watch list?
Heather Silvio, Violet Howe, Caridad Pineiro, C S Poe, Deborah Blake

11am-11:45am – (A) “Quick!Reads”: Anthologies, Novellas & Short Stories – Authors talk about how they fit all the wonders of a fantastic romance and/or adventure into a story we can read in an hour or two. What are the benefits & challenges of telliing their stories this way?
J D Blackrose, Kari Lemor, Siera London, T K Lawyer, Amy Lane
11am-11:45am – (B) “Timeless Tales”: Romance authors chat about what draws them to writing stories set in the past, and why readers love these stories today. How much has changed in society since the times they feature, and what has stayed the same?
Shawntelle Madison, Sarah Wallace, Hildie McQueen, Veronika Kane, Eliza Knight
11am-11:45am – (C) “Who’s That Girl?”: A chat with F/F romance authors about the inspirations for the women in their stories. We’ll discuss creating well-rounded main character “sweethearts”, as well as the ever-important “squad/bestie” relationships.
L E Perez, Karmen Lee, Meka James, Chencia C Higgins

12pm-2pm – Lunch (On our own)

1pm-2pm – Bonus Signing Hour – R L Merrill (Bill France Hall)
1pm-2pm – Bonus Signing Hour – K C Burn (Bill France Hall)
1pm-2pm – Bonus Signing Hour – Victoria Sue (Bill France Hall)

2pm-3pm “Individual Author and/or Reader Meet-Ups”
Open window of time for casual reader and author meetups. Around the hotel, elsewhere for meals, at the bar, out by the beach, etc.
Please check with individual Featured Authors to find out if they’re planning a meet-up, and if so, what their specific details are.
Some meet-ups may happen during the meal breaks. Additional meet-ups may be announced. Watch our socials for updates.

3pm-3:45pm – (A) “Where The Weres Are”: Dragons, gargoyles, wolves, spiders… things that don’t even HAVE a name! A discussion about all the changelings of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.
Eric R Asher, T K Lawyer, Chencia C Higgins, Christina Farley, Lisa Kessler
3pm-3:45pm – (B) “More Than Bullets & Bodies”: The thrill of the chase, rooting for good over evil — we love stories that combine action/adventure and classic mystery elements. Our authors discuss what it takes to create an fast-paced, suspenseful mystery that keeps the reader guessing.
Amy Christine Parker, Stuart Jaffe, Layla Reyne, Chelsea Conradt, L E Perez
3pm-3:45pm – (C) “Keepin’ It 100”: Celebrating the characters who bring a few more years, a few more pounds, and/or some level of neuro-spiciness to their story. Readers know that experience and prospective outside of the “mainstream” brings so much life to a story. Authors give us some insight into the joys and challenges of writing older, plus-sized, and neurodivergent main characters.
Jeanne Adams, Darie McCoy, Casey Blair, Leta Blake, R L Merrill


4pm-4:45pm – (A) “Small Towns, Big Romance”: Bakers and florists and handy-men… OH MY! Authors of “small town” romance share the inspiration behind their sweet stories, and chat about their wide-spread appeal.
Casey Blair, Siera London, Tina DeSalvo, Nancy Naigle, Karmen Lee
4pm-4:45pm – (B) “Literary Escapism”: For many readers who want the ultimate escape, science fiction and fantasy are “go to” options. Join authors for a discussion about creating worlds and stories that take us far away from reality.
Darin Kennedy, Carolyn Cross, Justin S Leslie, Abigail Owen, Morgan Brice
4pm-4:45pm – (C) “M/M Mad Libs”: Authors of M/M stories choose a short passage from a recent book to create a “Mad Lib” by removing important words. Replacement words, chosen from the audience, hilariously fill in the blanks. Afterward, authors read the original passage & chat with readers about their books.
R L Merrill, Hank Edwards, K C Burn, Vinni George

5pm-5:45pm – (A) “The Care & Feeding Of An Author”: The return of a fun panel full of the people closest to our Featured Authors!! This Q&A is about life with a writer. Panelists will answer moderator and reader questions and share the “behind the scenes” of inspiration, writing, deadlines, and release days of some of our faves. Authors may be in the audience, but will not be at the panel table with their loved ones.
Greg Solheim (Tracy Solheim), J D Blackrose, Deven/Mr. Mona Shroff (Mona Shroff), Brian McNees (David R Slayton), Adrianne McDonald(Jim P Nettles)
5pm-5:45pm – (B) “On The Dark Side”: If you prefer your “white knights” to be “morally gray”, and “taboo” is your favorite trope – Dark Romance is waiting for you, and they have cookies! Our authors discuss how exploring the not-so-sweet side of characters in romance helps to create stories that readers crave.
Celeste Barclay, Kait Ballenger, Tmonique Stephens, Nicole Blanchard
5pm-5:45pm – (C) “Beyond Their Years: YA Fiction”: Authors chat about the role reversal that often happens in Young Adult stories. We’ll talk about teenage characters who shoulder the weight of leadership & courage, but also make the mistakes you’d expect from the kids they are. And how they still manage to have some fun along the way! Our authors will also chime in on the “no/unaware parent” stereotype and how they appoach it in their stories.
James P Nettles, Kiernan Kelly, Darin Kennedy

6pm-8:30pm – Dinner (On our own)

6pm-7:00pm – Bonus Signing Hour – Tina DeSalvo (Bill France Hall)
6pm-7:00pm – Bonus Signing Hour – Abigail Owen (Bill France Hall)

7pm-8pm – (A) Reading Challenge Group Read Chat w/ Morgan Brice

8:30pm-10:30pm – “Murder In Bloom At The Poison Garden” (Richard Petty Ballroom)
You are cordially invited to Blackthorne Manor, the grand estate known for its picturesque opulence and famous poison garden, for an unforgettable high society event.
On this night, beneath the silver gaze of the full moon, a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon will unfold in the estate’s lavish greenhouse. Hidden within the glass walls, a rare and wickedly beautiful plant—Noctis Mortem, the “”Midnight Grief””—will unfurl its petals for the first time in sixty years. This exquisitely lethal flower, known for its intoxicating scent and hallucinogenic pollen, blooms only when the stars align… and tonight, they align.
To mark this occasion, the current heir of the Blackthorne estate welcomes society’s elite to witness the bloom.
But that is not all…
As is now all the rage among the fashionable socialites, the evening will culminate in a séance led by the world-renowned medium, Madam Cretchnova. With spirits drawn by the scent of the Midnight Grief, Madam Cretchnova will summon the ghosts of the manor’s long dead residents and previous guests.
Will they bring blessings… or warnings?
Expect drama. Expect mystery. Expect something—or someone—unexpected.

Dress Code: Garden party formal. Fascinators, feathered veils, dramatic hats, or exquisite boutonnieres are strongly encouraged.
A contest for the most spectacular hat or boutonniere will take place following the séance.

Anyone who is anyone will be there. The question is… will everyone make it out alive?

Emcee: H D Smith
Hostess: Violet Howe
Players: Victoria Sue, Tracy Solheim, Melody Johnson, Heather Silvio, Chencia C Higgins, Caridad Pineiro, Kevin A Davis, Libby Tanner, Tina DeSalvo, J D Monroe, Chrissy Chicory, James P Nettles, Nicole Blanchard, Amy Christine Parker, Christina Farley, Lucienne Diver, Darie McCoy, Veronika Kane, Celeste Barclay, Vinni George, Sarah Nicolas
Table Hosts: Melody Johnson, J D Monroe, Justin S Leslie, Layla Reyne, Caridad Pineiro, Lucienne Diver, Celeste Barclay, Nicole Blanchard, Beth Dolgner, Sasha Summers, Cynthia St Aubin

Saturday, February 21st

***All panels will be held in Bill France A/B/C***

9am – 6pm – Vendors Available (Bill France Hall)

9am-9:45am – (A) “A Kind Of Magic”: A returning reader favorite – authors discuss the magic users in our favorite stories. Witches, elementals, alchemists, and more. Where does the magic come from? What are the consequences of using it?
J D Monroe, Maisy Magill, Christina Farley, H D Smith, Seressia Glass
9am-9:45am –(B) “Genre Hopping: LGBT+ Edition”: Writing in multiple genres is easy for some authors, and much more challenging for others. Some of our favorite LGBT+ authors talk about the pros & cons of changing genres — their fan reactions, their character voice, etc. And we’ll get a “catch up” to see what’s new and what’s coming up for our panelists!
Victoria Sue, Vinni George, Gregory Ashe, Tere Michaels, Layla Reyne
9am-9:45am – (C) “Where In The World?”: Authors chat about setting as part of worldbuilding. Whether it’s based on a real location or is completely made up, the setting can impact characters and the overall storyline. We’ll chat about how the location can help or hinder the the characters, and even sometimes becomes like another “character” of its own. Find out how our authors chose their settings, and… would they want to live there?
Lucienne Diver, Tina DeSalvo, K C Burn, Abigail Owen, Nancy Naigle, Chelsea Conradt

10pm-10:45am – (A) “Stories Without Borders”: Culture and diversity in stories help some readers see themselves in characters, and others see outside of their own experiences. We’ll discuss the richness of #OwnVoices and multi-cultural stories from our fabulous authors.
Nina Crespo, Shawntelle Madison, L E Perez, Mona Shroff, Darby Baham
10pm-10:45am – (B) “One Story, Two Ways”: Narrators in attendence join this panel of authors to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of telling a story “”their way””. What might a reader gain by reading the print version? What might someone miss if they never listen to the audio version? We’ll hear about the partnership between author and performer, and how to get the most out of any story.
C S Poe, Zac Aleman, Justin Leslie, Gregory Ashe, Andrew Gibson
10pm-10:45am – (C) “The Magic Of Cozies”: Join our “”cozy”” authors as they chat about their particular style of storytelling. Whether they are light fantasy, magical or non-magical mystery, with or without any romantic elements – they’ve “put a spell” on readers!
Eric R Asher, Chrissy Chicory, Maisy Magill, Deborah Blake, Sarah Wallace

11am-12pm – “Individual Author and/or Reader Meet-Ups”
Open window of time for casual reader and author meetups. Around the hotel, elsewhere for meals, at the bar, out by the beach, etc.
Please check with individual Featured Authors to find out if they’re planning a meet-up, and if so, what their specific details are.
Some meet-ups may happen during the meal breaks. Additional meet-ups may be announced. Watch our socials for updates.

12:30pm-1:45pm – Brunch w/ An Author (River / Atlantic Rooms)

2:00pm-2:45pm – (A) “Improv Flash Fiction”– The return of a reader favorite – our Word-A-Palooza to create a story in real time, “round-robin” style, using prompts from the audience. This is think-on-your-seat, real time live-action hilarity that can lead literally ANYWHERE! Previous years have included platypusses in space, sentient murder toasters, mafia TMNT, and more!
Darie McCoy, J D Monroe, Eric R Asher, Beth Dolgner, Kiernan Kelly, Violet Howe, Lisa Kessler

4:15pm-4:30pm – Book Signing: Reading Challenge Winner Early Access (Bill France Ballroom)
4:30pm-6:30pm – Book Signing: Open To Public (Bill France Ballroom)

6:30pm-8pm – Dinner (On our own)

8pm-10pm – “In The Garden Game Night” (River Room)
Open space for authors and readers to unwind and spend a chill evening to close out the weekend. Tables are available to play board or card games, do crafting or coloring pages, or just hang out and read.
Hildie McQueen/J D Monroe/Caridad Pineiro – “Petals, Planners & Possibilities” Planner MeetUp
Violet Howe – “Monikers”
Lisa Kessler – Tarot Card Readings (RSVP & fee info HERE)
Morgan Brice/Jeanne Adams – BINGO

Sunday, February 22nd

***All panels will be held in Bill France A/B/C***

9am – 12pm – Vendors Available (Bill France Hall)

9am-10am – Raffle Basket Winners Announced (Bill France Hall)

10:30am-11:15am – (A) “Crash Landing On Foreign Dramas”: Asian dramas have been a craze in pop culture for a few years, and have recently exploded into the mainstream of storytelling (both in music and on the big & small screens). Our authors discuss what draws them to Korean, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese dramas, and how (if at all) that form of storytelling influences their own writing.
David R Slayton, Seressia Glass, Sasha Summers, Morgan Brice
10:30am-11:15am – C “Getting In The Groove”: A discussion about book playlists, character theme songs, and what it takes to inspire authors to get “in the groove” to write specific scenes or stories.
Darin Kennedy, Tmonique Stephens, Carolyn Cross, Amy Christine Parker, Amy Lane

11:30am-12:15pm – (A) “That Was Then, This Is Now”: We’re so lucky to have authors with us who’ve been sharing their stories with us for 10, 15, 20 or more years. We’ll chat about how the industry – and their storytelling – has changed, and how (if at all) it has stayed the same. And we’ll talk about what they’re doing now to keep any long running series or characters new and fresh for today’s readers.
Eliza Knight, Kiernan Kelly, Stuart Jaffe, Lisa Kessler
11:30am-12:15pm – (C) “Two Truths & A Lie: Authors will do rounds of “two truths & a lie” statements. First round about themselves, second round about their characters/story, and if there’s time, a third round using quotes from their book, with one non-quote as the “lie”. Audience members try to decide which are the “lies” in each round.
Libby Tanner, Heather Silvio, Carolyn Cross, Catherine Bruns, J D Blackrose, Tmonique Stephens

12:30pm-1:15pm – (A) “Publishing Plus”: Podcasts, Patreon exclusives, Kickstarters, web series – there are so many ways for authors to share more of themselves and their stories with readers. Come chat about these “outside the box” ideas, and how to find out what cool things your favorites are doing!
James P Nettles, Celeste Barclay
12:30pm-1:15pm – (C) “Social Media Funtimes: Authors (and the audience) take turns with name generators, cards against…, picture captioning, would you rather, and other social media memes. Silliness guaranteed!
Libby Tanner, J D Monroe, Veronika Kane, Siera London

1:30pm-2pm – (C) “Feedback”: Open chat for all – super casual discussion about what you loved during the weekend, what you didn’t love as much, and ideas for future years. Come share your thoughts.
Jennifer

2pm-3pm – (C) “After Con Mingle” – Late addition to the schedule, because we just don’t want it to end!!!
After all the “official” events – hang out with authors & readers still on site to chat about your weekend, books, and whatever else makes you smile before heading home.
Sasha Summers, Layla Reyne, Libby Tanner, Casey Blair, Stuart Jaffe, and more!