PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. — The Gulf Coast Chapter of Romance Writers of America (GCCRWA) will host the Silken Sands Writers Conference at the Hampton Inn on Pensacola Beach, April 11-13.

Conference Chair Fran McNabb said, “We developed a program of speakers, workshops and panel discussions to provide writers from all genres with something of interest. We have attracted presenters from across the United States, but were fortunate to have a wealth of local talent available.”

Sherrilyn Kenyon is the keynote speaker. She also writes as Kinley MacGregor, with more than 12 million books in print in 28 countries.

Local author Catherine Mann, who resides in Navarre with her husband and four children, is the kickoff speaker. She writes action-packed military suspense for Berkley Publishing and Silhouette Romantic Suspense, and steamy romances for Silhouette Desire.

Mann has had more than two dozen novels published since she burst on the romance scene in 2002.

The following year she won a RITA, the romance industry’s most prestigious writing award, for Taking Cover, one of her popular Wingmen Warrior series.  She will sign her most current title, Out Of Uniform (Silhouette Romantic Suspense, February, 2008) at the book-signing.

Mann said, “I’m thrilled to be speaking at the Silken Sands Conference where I’ll have the opportunity to visit with other writers and readers. Connecting with readers is extremely important to me — meeting them, hearing what they enjoyed about a book and what they would like to see in the future. My job as an author is — and always should be — about touching a reader's heart with my stories.”

Popular mystery and suspense writer Caroline Haines from Lucedale and local GCCRWA authors Sheri Cobb South, Elizabeth White, Don McNair, Allison Knight, Cynthia Eden and Virginia Kelley will present workshops that address both craft and career development.

Former CIA operative Roland Haas, author of Enter the Past Tense: My Secret Life as a CIA Assassin, will discuss his career as a CIA assassin and how it affected his life.

Editors from Harlequin, Kensington and Sourcebooks, and literary agents from The Rosenberg Group, The Caren Johnson Literary Agency and The Vivian Beck Agency are scheduled for individual appointments, presentations and panel discussions.

GCCRWA President Martha Krieger, who writes as Allison Knight, said, “The individual appointments can jump-start a writer’s career. If an editor or agent likes what she sees and hears during an appointment, a writer could receive a request to submit a manuscript. This unique opportunity can take months or years off the traditional submission process.”

Conference authors will participate in a book-signing that Saturday afternoon. The on-site bookstore provided by Walden and the book-signing will be open to the public.

Registration, $165 for three-day workshop (includes banquet). One-day drive-in $50 (Friday), $75 (Saturday).

For additional conference information call (228) 860-9512, e-mail mcnabbf@bellsouth.net, or visit the chapter Web site at www.gccrwa.com.