President’s Announcement
These Tempestuous Days –
Writing Regency in the Author Multi-Verse
June 16 – 18, 2022
The RFW Board voted to hold our annual conference virtually once again as we did in 2020 and 2021.
Therefore, on behalf of the RFW Board of Directors, it’s my pleasure to announce the 2nd Annual Regency Fiction Writers Conference, “These Tempestuous Days: Writing Regency in the Author Multi-Verse” will be held virtually via Zoom on June 16-18, 2022.
Conference Co-Chair Cecelia Melton and her committee of volunteers are hard at work creating a conference to remember. Day 1, Thursday, will be dedicated to industry workshops and panels while Days 2 and 3, Friday and Saturday, will feature historical, marketing and writing craft workshops. The conference will culminate on Saturday evening with our Soirée. The evening will include a Regency Dance presentation, the final hours of our Silent Auction, and fellowship. Never fear, CeCe’s got a few surprises for us.
One of the best parts of being President of RFW is I’m the one who announces the keynote speakers for the conference. This year, we will have two keynote speakers. On Friday, June 17, RFW member and immediate Past President Vanessa Riley will address the conference. On Saturday, June 18, RFW member and NY Times best-selling author Mary Jo Putney will present her keynote address. We are grateful to both authors for accepting our invitation to participate in our conference.
Introducing our Keynote Speakers…
A New York Times bestselling author, 
Mary Jo Putney was born in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition with no known cure. Her entire writing career is an accidental byproduct of buying a computer for other purposes. She has won numerous national awards including the 2013 Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Though best known for her historical romances, she has also written contemporary women’s fiction, paranormal historical, and YA historical time travel. Her stories invariably contain history, romance, and cats and she’s so distractible that she’s amazed that she ever finishes a book.
Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of Island Queen, A Good Morning America Buzz Pick. Riley’s historical novels showcase the hidden histories of Black women and women of color, emphasizing strong sisterhood and dazzling multicultural communities. Her works encompass historical fiction, historical romance, and historical mystery. This Southern, Irish, Trini girl holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and an MS in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. Riley also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Her love of history (Caribbean, Georgian, and Regency) and lattes overwhelmed her passion for math and has led to the publication of over twenty titles.
Vanessa is a former president of Regency Fiction Writers, a member of NINC, Crime Writers of Color, Georgia Writers, the Historical Novel Society, and on the Board of Directors of Christian Book Lovers Retreat. She’s an avid baker who loves creating her Trinidadian grandma’s cake recipes. You can find Vanessa writing on her southern porch with proper amounts of caffeine.
All my best,
Janna MacGregor
2022 President of RFW
