Schedule
I hope you all find lots of things to be excited about below!! A copy of this will also be included in your pocket program in your Welcome Bags.
*Please check back often for any updates or changes.*
| Day/Date Time | Panel Title / Description | Panelists | Location |
| Monday, 2/20 | |||
| 7-8pm | Wish You Were Here: Q&A Chat w/ Ben Aaronovitch Series of chats with authors we WISH could be with us, but for a plethora of reasons could not. This is a fabulously entertaining chat with the author of the Urban Fantasy “Rivers Of London” series, from his home in the UK. | Ben Aaronovitch | recorded |
| Tuesday, 2/21 | |||
| 7-8pm | Wish You Were Here: Exploring The Bubbaverse! Series of chats with authors we WISH could be with us, but for a plethora of reasons could not. Two of our Featured Authors who write in this shared “monster hunter” universe are joined by both the creator of “Bubba The Monster Hunter”, and one other contributor to the world. | Eric R Asher, Gail Z Martin, John Hartness, J D Blackrose | recorded |
| Wednesday, 2/22 | |||
| 7-8pm | Wish You Were Here w/ TBA | TBA | recorded |
| Thursday, 2/23 | |||
| 10am-1pm | The Writing Garage presents: Gut Punch: Using Emotional Conflict As Plot | Tere Michaels | Siesta |
| Craft workshop – requires separate registration and $35 fee (Sign up here: https://forms.gle/bDY4nJsSmwduyfhH6) | |||
| 4:00 PM | Registration Check-In Begins | Key Foyer | |
| 5:30-6pm | Intro To Coastal Magic If you’ve never been to Coastal Magic before — or just have questions about this year’s weekend, this is for you!! I will talk everyone through the schedule, including all special events and extra activities. I dont want anyone to miss out on any of the fun!! | Jennifer | Siesta |
| 8-10pm | “UnBirthday Party” Welcome Mingle 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. We’ll find out the winners of the 2023 Reading Challenge, and have birthday treats. Cash bar available. | Hosts: Morgan Brice, Nancy Northcott, Tawdra Kandle, Caroline Lee, Hildie McQueen, J D Monroe, David R Slayton, Maz Maddox, Kiernan Kelly | Key Ballroom (Marathon/Cedar/Longboat/Largo) |
| Friday, 2/24 | |||
| 9am-6pm | Bookseller / Vendors | Citrus Foyer | |
| 9-9:45am | More Than Bullets & Bodies Led by police, detectives, or other officials, we love stories that build in classic mystery elements. Our authors discuss what it takes to create an effective, suspenseful mystery that keeps the reader guessing. | Amy Lane, Karen Rose, Lucienne Diver, Julie Moffett | Siesta |
| 9-9:45pm | Beauty & The Beasts: Two Sides of Shifter Characters Authors discuss the human vs. animal (creature) sides of their shifter characters. Is it like writing two different characters? How much does each’s “humanity” effect their shifted self, and vice versa. | Eliza Gayle, Maz Maddox, Cynthia St Aubin, Lisa Kessler | Sunset |
| 10-10:45am | The Facts In Our Fiction Authors discuss the ways they research for their stories. Locations, police procedures, technology, mythology… how factual are these bits of our fictional stories? How much do readers really notice? | Winnie Winkle, Tamara Berry, Melinda VanLone, Elizabeth Hunter | Siesta |
| 10-10:45am | Timeless Tales Historical Romance authors chat about what draws them to the past, and why readers love these stories today. How much has changed, and what has stayed the same? | Dahlia Rose, Hildie McQueen, Caroline Lee, Catherine Kean | Sunset |
| 11-11:45am | Publishing Plus Podcasts, Patreon, web series, TikTok – 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 find out what cool things your favorites are doing. | Kait Ballenger, Sarah Nicolas, Mari Mancusi, Melonie Johnson | Siesta |
| 11-11:45am | Out Of This World 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. | H D Smith, Melody Johnson, Jeanne Adams, Nancy Northcott | Sunset |
| 12-2pm | Lunch – On our own. | ||
| 2-2:45pm | Foodie Fiction Our authors discuss the scrumptious foodie delights in their books. Have they tried them? Do they bake/cook? Get the stories and the recipes in this fun chat. | Yahrah St John, A C Arthur, Nikki Woolfolk, Nina Crespo | Siesta |
| 2-2:45pm | The Devil We Know Scoundrel, miscreant, villain, low-life, bad guy/girl next door… they’re all names for the thorn in our favorite characters’ sides. Chat with authors about their own evildoers, and others that readers love to hate. | Cecilia Dominic, Morgan Brice, K C Burn, Olivia Gaines | Sunset |
| 3-3:45pm | (Non)Fictional Furbabies Chat with our panelists about their real life four-legged friends, and the fictional pets in some of our favorite stories. | Mara Wells, Deborah Blake, Catherine Kean, Kari Lemor | Siesta |
| 3-3:45pm | The Ties That Bind Discussion about the bonds of “brotherhoods” or “sisterhoods” in some of our favorite stories. Whether it’s by blood, pack, coven, platoon, choice, or something else — we’ll chat about how those relationships affect our main characters. | Tawdra Kandle, David R Slayton, Gail Chianese, Hildie McQueen | Sunset |
| 4-4:45pm | Mad(Libs) for YA YA authors enlist attendees to help fill out Mad Lib snippets, taken from passages of their books. Join us for guaranteed laughs, and most likely, additions to your “must read” TBR piles! | Mari Mancusi, Kiernan Kelly, Sarah Nicolas, Eric R Asher | Siesta |
| 4-4:45pm | Small Town, Big Romance Bakers and florists and handymen… OH MY! Authors of “small town” romance share the inspiration behind their sweet stories, and chat about their widespread appeal. | Violet Howe, Nina Crespo, A C Arthur, Mara Wells | Sunset |
| 5-5:45pm | Our World In Our Words We all know diversity in stories is necessary, and how much richness and depth having a fully developed worldview provides. Our authors discuss their story and character inspirations and perspectives. Open discussion to share faves & increase TBR piles! | Yahrah St John, Kari Lemor, Dahlia Rose, David R Slayton | Siesta |
| 5-5:45pm | Show Me The Funny Our annual discussion of all things bookishly hilarious. Authors chat about comedies of errors, snarky dialogue, and amusing inspirations. | Caroline Lee, Tonya Kappes, Cynthia St Aubin, Julie Morgan | Sunset |
| 6-8pm | Dinner – On our own. | ||
| 7:30-8:30pm | After Dinner Mixer – “Sizzle & Swoon: Galactic Romance Cruise” Mixer Join our host authors for some fun chat and games! This mixer is the perfect way to rejoin your fellow readers after dinner, then “cruise” into the mystery event! | Tawdra Kandle, Melonie Johnson, Caroline Lee | Siesta |
| 8:30-10:30pm | “Murder At The Nir Cantina” The Nir Cantina on Federal Station Nine in the Axilon Nebula attracts a diverse crowd of space travelers, including mercenaries, traders, diplomats, scientists, and smugglers. While most of these folks want nothing more than to have a quick drink and a meal on their way from one end of the galaxy to the other, at least one of them has a more sinister purpose in mind. It will take the guests and employees of the Nir Cantina all of their wits and skills to piece together the confounding clues and determine the identity of the killer in their midst! Cash bar available | Hosts: Violet Howe & H D Smith Players: Lucienne Diver, Caroline Lee, J D Monroe, Kiernan Kelly, Sarah Nicolas, Cecilia Dominic, Julie Morgan, Cynthia St Aubin, Morgan Brice, Melody Johnson, Tamara Berry, Julie Moffett, Mari Mancusi, Melinda VanLone, Melonie Johnson | Key Ballroom (Marathon/Cedar/Longboat/Largo) |
| Saturday, 2/25 | |||
| 9am-6pm | Bookseller / Vendors | Citrus Foyer | |
| 9-9:45am | Technically Speaking Worldbuilding chat with authors about all the technical do-dads and thingamabobs in their stories. How much is real, and how much is imagined? How does it all work? | Cecilia Dominic, Julie Moffett, Jeanne Adams, Nikki Woolfolk, Nancy Northcott MOD | Siesta |
| 9-9:45am | HEA FTW Whether it’s sultry sexy-times, first kisses with new loves, or somewhere in-between, readers love contemporary romance. Chat with authors about HEA’s, how fast is “too fast”, and how they’re telling “the tale as old as time” in fun new ways. | Tere Michaels, Nina Crespo, K C Burn, Melonie Johnson | Sunset |
| 9-9:45am | It’s A Kind of Magic Discussion about the magic users in our favorite stories. Witches, alchemists, and more. Where does the magic come from? What are the consequences of using it? | David R Slayton, Lisa Kessler, Deborah Blake | Flemming |
| 10-10:45am | Fandom In Our Fiction Join us for some geeky fun as authors discuss which major fandoms they are a part of, and how that fandom influences their lives and their writing. | Julie Morgan, Mari Mancusi, J D Monroe, Amy Lane, Morgan Brice MOD | Siesta |
| 10-10:45am | Bite Me! Join Paranormal Romance authors discuss readers’ continued fascination with vampires. Are they good? Are they bad? How are authors keeping the stories fresh and new, and what are readers looking for? | Jeaniene Frost, Kait Ballenger, Violet Howe, Melody Johnson | Sunset |
| 10-10:45am | Hear, Here! Authors discuss what it takes to make an audiobook awesome, and why the popularity of this format continues to grow. Chat about your favorites, and what to look forward to. | H D Smith, Sarah Nicolas, Eric R Asher, Catherine Kean | Flemming |
| 11-11:45am | M/My Inspiration Gay fiction authors discuss their inspiration for writing in general, and the how’s & why’s behind some of your favorite stories & characters. | David R Slayton, Maz Maddox, Kiernan Kelly, K C Burn | Siesta |
| 11-11:45am | Urban Fantasy 101 Authors discuss creating worlds that includes paranormal elements and magical beings, while keeping the story believable for the reader. Chat about your favorite urban fantasy stories and characters. | Elizabeth Hunter, Jeaniene Frost, Amy Lane, Winnie Winkle | Sunset |
| 11-11:45am | Sleuths & Sidekicks Join authors of cozy mysteries to chat about their particular brand of “who dunnit”. Whether there are magical elements in the story or not, they’ve “put a spell” on readers! | Tonya Kappes, Morgan Brice, Deborah Blake, Tamara Berry | Flemming |
| 12-1:30pm | Lunch w/ An Author | Key Ballroom (Marathon/Cedar/Longboat/Largo) | |
| 1:45-2pm | Improv Flash Fiction: Prep and Reading Challenge Winner Early Entry | ||
| 2-2:45pm | Improv Flash Fiction Our annual panel of epic, random nonsense. Authors create a story in real time, round-robin style, based on audience prompts. Always insane, always hilarious. | Eric R Asher, Lucienne Diver, Kiernan Kelly, Caroline Lee, J D Monroe, Dahlia Rose | Sunset/Flemming |
| 2:30-3:45pm | Book Signing: Author Prep | ||
| 3:45-4pm | Book Signing: Reading Challenge Winner Early Entry | ||
| 4-6pm | Book Signing: Open To Public | All Featured Authors | Key Ballroom (Marathon/Cedar/Longboat/Largo) |
| 6-8pm | Dinner: On your own. | ||
| 8-10pm | Game Night Open space for authors and readers to unwind and spend a chill evening together. Tables are available for groups to play board or card games, do crafting or coloring pages, or just hang out and read. Cash bar available. | Key Ballroom (Marathon/Cedar/Longboat/Largo) | |
| Sunday, 2/26 | |||
| 9-10am | Raffle Basket Winners Announced | Hall A&B | |
| 10-10:45am | The Killing Game Return of reader favorite panel about the myriad of unusual ways authors “off” their characters. Chat about the processes for deciding who lives and who dies, and the effect on both author and readers. | Amy Lane, Jeanne Adams, Nancy Northcott, Nikki Woolfolk | Siesta |
| 10-10:45am | Trope, Trope, Trope, Goose! A returning favorite, as we discuss favorite story tropes. Second chance at love? Enemies to lovers? Love triangles? Which tropes are your “go-tos”, and which do you pass on? | Tere Michaels, Yahrah St John, K C Burn, Eliza Gayle | Sunset |
| 11-11:45am | Genre Hopping Authors discuss the benefits and drawbacks of writing in multiple genres. What’s the trick to getting readers to hop along with them? | A C Arthur, Hildie McQueen, Tamara Berry, Morgan Brice | Siesta |
| 11-11:45am | Spine-Tingling Romantic Suspense A discussion with romantic suspense authors about balancing the elements of their story to satisfy fans of action, mystery, AND romance. Chat theories and maybe a spoiler or two. | Melinda VanLone, Karen Rose, Olivia Gaines | Sunset |
| 12-12:45pm | We Are Family Chat with authors about parents, siblings, and children in their stories. How does the family dynamic affect their characters? Discuss the families (by blood or choice) in our authors’ stories. | Tawdra Kandle, Melinda VanLone, Jeaniene Frost, Dahlia Rose | Siesta |
| 12-12:45pm | Social Media Funtimes Authors (and the audience) take turns with name generators, auto-completes, This or That, and other social media memes and games. Silliness guaranteed! (Usually the last panel on Sunday.) | Caroline Lee, Sarah Nicolas, | Sunset |
| 1-2pm | Farewell Open chat for all — casual discussion about what you loved during the weekend, what you didn’t love as much, and ideas for future years. I’d love to hear your thoughts. | Jennifer | Hall A&B |
#CMCon FB Group
FL Events FB Group
#CMCon FB Group
FL Events FB Group
Coastal Magic 