2025 Breakout: The Editor/Author Relationship

9:00-9:45 A.M., Saturday, August 23, 2025

Traci Abramson is a former CIA officer and eight-time Whitney Award winner, including two Best Novel of the Year honors. She’s the bestselling author of forty-five novels, blending real-life intelligence experience with gripping fiction. A seasoned swim coach and world traveler, Traci brings energy, insight, and authenticity to every story she tells.
https://www.traciabramson.com/

John DeDakis is an award-winning novelist, writing coach, and former Senior Copy Editor for CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. A former White House correspondent, he’s the author of six mystery-thrillers and a sought-after instructor at literary centers and conferences. Also a podcaster and jazz drummer, John brings newsroom grit and storytelling mastery to the page.
https://johndedakis.com/

Ami McConnell is a writer, editor, and publishing consultant of New York Times bestsellers and award-winning titles based in Nashville, TN. She formerly served as Editor-in-Chief and VP of Howard Books/Simon & Schuster. Before that she acquired and edited for HarperCollins where she helped launch a successful fiction imprint.
https://www.amimcconnell.com/

Amber Meyer is is a Story Grid Certified Editor with a passion for murder mysteries. If you long to commit fictional murder, then Amber may be your ideal partner in crime. Amber currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three crazy kids, and four fur-babies. She dreams of living on a beach in Hawaii and becoming the next Agatha Christie.
https://www.mysteryeditor.com/