Two award-winning authors from the Flathead Valley will be featured at the upcoming Flathead River Writers’ Conference on October 6-7, 2012, at Flathead Valley Community College in the Arts and Technology Building.

Popular FVCC instructor Kathy Dunnehoff has achieved success in the new frontier of e-publishing, becoming an Amazon “Top 100” author with her witty women’s fiction. Dunnehoff’s books include The Do-Over, Plan On It, Back to U, and the novella Hollywood Beginnings. With more than 100,000 downloads of her titles, she has achieved best-selling status since her debut in May, 2011.

“Everything started [15 years ago] at the [Flathead River Writers’] conference for me,” Dunnehoff says. “I met an agent right away. You can talk with anyone you want, going one on one with amazing people.” She went on to win many awards in writing contests, but actual publication proved elusive until last year when she pursued e-publishing. Her presentation will describe The Road to Becoming an Amazon Bestseller. She will co-present a workshop with marketing expert Roxanne McHenry entitled Ten Things to Get Your Book on Reader’s Radar.

Bigfork attorney/author Leslie Budewitz endured years of what she calls “rave
rejections” of her mystery novels. Then her nonfiction book Books, Crooks and Counselors, a reference for writers who want to accurately depict the law and courtroom proceedings, won the 2011 Agatha Award at the Malice Domestic convention, despite stiff competition. Budewitz also scored a Berkley Prime Crime contract for a cozy mystery series, the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries. Death Al Dente will debut in 2013.

"Writers spend all day with people who only exist because they make them up.
A real-life community is critical,” says Budewitz. “Speaking at the conference gives me the opportunity to give back to the writers who have given me so much
support for so long."

In addition to Dunnehoff and Budewitz, speakers at the Flathead River Writers’
Conference will include agents Regina Brooks and Jeff Herman, Smashwords’ founder Mark Coker, CNN editor/mystery author John DeDakis. The cost is $150 for both days, or $85 for one day, lunch provided. For more details and a downloadable registration form, visit www.authorsoftheflathead.org or call (406) 881-4066.