William Bernhardt

Faculty

John Lescroart
John Lescroart is the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including The 13th Juror, recently named by International Thriller Writers one of the greatest thrillers ever written.  He is also a testament to the work that goes into becoming a successful author--and how well perseverance can pay off. He spent many years as a musician supporting himself with a series of day jobs--everything from a computer programmer, to moving man, house painter, bartender, legal secretary, fundraising executive, and management consultant--before he turned to writing.  John wrote several screenplays and published five books while he held down a job as a word processing supervisor at a downtown law firm. He was publishing, but he wasn't making a living. And then in 1989, at the age of forty-one, he took a break to go body-surfing at Seal Beach. The next day, he lay in a Pasadena hospital. He'd contracted spinal meningitis. Doctors gave him two hours to live.  John now looks back on his eleven-day battle with death as the turning point in his career. He quit the last of his day jobs to move back to Northern California and to write full-time, with intense focus and a renewed dedication. The resulting books, richer in terms of theme and story, found a devoted readership and propelled him into the elite circle of bestselling authors—only twenty years to overnight success!   His most recent bestselling title is Damage.

Elizabeth Evans
Elizabeth Evans is an agent at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, where she represents a wide range offiction and  nonfiction, including memoir, current affairs, journalism, pop science, history, humor, relationships, historical mysteries and young adult fiction. She is always on the lookout for stories of adventure and books that aspire to foster knowledge and understanding. Before joining JVNLA in January 2010, Elizabeth worked for six years with Kimberley Cameron & Associates (formerly the Reece Halsey Agency). She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hamilton College with a degree in English Literature and holds an MFA in Writing from the University of San Francisco.

AJ Tierney
After obtaining an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, AJ joined the Fine Print Literary Agency in New York City where she worked under the legendary Peter Rubie.  Since moving back to her home state, she has established her own literary agency.  She is open to all kinds of books, her only criterion being excellence.  She is passionate about working with writers and helping them craft their books and get them published.  She is also on the Editorial Board of the Nimrod International Journal of Poetery and Prose.

Tim Tharp
In addition to earning an MFA from Brown University, Tim Tharp has been a factory hand, construction laborer, psychiatric aid, long-distance hitchhiker, and record store clerk. His first novel, Falling Dark (Milkweed Press), was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize. Knights of the Hill Country (Knopf Books for Young Readers), his first novel for young adults and was on the American Library Association's Best Books of 2007 list.  His next YA novel, The Spectacular Now, (Knopf) was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award. His most recent novel, BADD (Knopf, 2011), tells the story of how war affects the family of a returning soldier.

Carolyn Wall
Carolyn's debut literary novel, Sweeping Up Glass, was acclaimed by critics at The New York Times and throughout the literary world.  The Boston Globe wrote: "This extraordinary debut novel...is filled with arresting images, bitter humor, and characters with palpable physical presence.  The fresh voice of that clear-eyed narrator reminded me of Scout in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.  I literally could not put it down."  Her next novel, Playing With Matches, will be released in August.

Mel Odom
Mel Odom is the author of over 140 novels. He received the American Library Association's Alex Award in 2002 and was nominated for the Christy in 2005. He also has been inducted into the Professional Writers Hall of Fame. He's written in several genres, including tie-in novels for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Without A Trace, and novelizations of Blade, XXX, and Tomb Raider.  He will lead a two-hour workshop on plotting.


John Wooley
John Wooley has been writing for more than a quarter of a century. A veteran novelist, music historian, journalist, scriptwriter, and musician, his writing talents have been showcased in virtually every form of entertainment. John's distinctive, distinguished literary voice and years of experience make him not only an outstanding writer but also a powerful writing instructor. His most recent books include the nonfiction history, From Blue Devils to Red Dirt, and the beautifully evocative novel Ghost Band, which the Chicago Sun-Times called "a fantastic narrative."

K.D. Wentowrth
K.D. Wentworth has sold more than seventy short stories to such publications as Fantasy and Science Fiction, Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Realms of Fantasy, Weird Tales, and Return to the Twilight Zone. Three of her stories have been Finalists for the coveted Nebula Award. She has written a dozen novels; the most recent is The Course of Empire. She serves also teaches and serves as Coordinating Judge for the Writers of the Future program.



Barry Friedman
Barry Friedman is a writer and professional comedian. His first book, Road Comic, was an autobiographical look at his life on the comedy circuit, which he describes as "a raw, funny, pathetic, relentless, and self-glorifying look at how a man shouldn't spend his 30s and 40s." His second book, Funny You Should Mention It, is a collection of essays exploring the cultural zeitgeist of life, love, humor, gun shows, and Winnie Cooper. Barry also provides essays and guest hosts on NPR, and he has written several pieces for Esquire. His performance as toastmaster and comic-in-residence has been a high point of the Workshops since their inception.

Brandi Barnett
Brandi Barnett is the author of the young adult novel Glamour, a beautiful story of deception, redemption, friendship, and homecoming that has much to say about the importance of beauty in the contemporary world. A National Board Certified Teacher of secondary English, Brandi is also an executive board member of Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc., and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She and Aprilynne Pike will offer a special workshop on young adult fiction, the most booming sector of today's current book market.

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William Bernhardt
In addition to being the bestselling author of more than twenty novels, Bernhardt founded HAWK Publishing Group in 1999 and added this annual Writing Workshop and other writing programs in 2005. HAWK, the Annual Workshop, and his small-group Seminars have graduated several authors now published at major New York houses. He holds a Masters Degree in English Literature and is the only writer to have received both the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award from the University of Pennsylvania in Scranton and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author award, which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large."  You can learn more about his work and his writing programs at www.williambernhardt.com.