Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch Retreat
Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.
August 15th-16th Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch
Member price $95 / Non-member price $115
(all agent pitches are included for this price)
Our Agents' Pitch Slots fill quickly. Better hurry!
Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.
Ready to meet your new writing community?
At Writing Away Refuge, we are all about support and helping you craft your best book and make solid industry connections. The focus of our virtual pitch retreat on August 15th-16th, 2026
is powerful story development and delivering a winning pitch.
We have workshops to help you perfect your craft and time allotted for practice pitch sessions as well.
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And, best of all, we have 8 literary agents ready to listen to your pitches!
You'll spend the weekend in the comfort of your own home participating in workshops to make your book the best it can be, getting to know and connect with fellow writers, and pitching your completed book to agents if you're at that level in your writing journey (we have special pricing if you only need the workshops but no agent pitches). The Writing Away Virtual Pitch Retreat has it all. During the virtual retreat, we will have author chats, drawings for incredible prizes (including free manuscript evaluations, gift cards, and free memberships to Writing Away), and workshops by amazing industry professionals. Don't miss out!
(You may register for the full Zoom Pitch that includes agent pitches or for workshops only)
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**Please note that pitch sessions with agents are on a first come, first served basis and WILL fill up quickly.
It is best to register early and make your agent selections to ensure you receive your agent preferences. If a desired agent's sessions fill, you will be allowed to submit a written query through our Writing Away Refuge portal that will be reviewed by those agents with priority. Thank you!**
Meet The Workshop Team
Lee Ann Ward
Workshop Leader
USA Today Bestselling Author &
Founder of Writing Away Refuge
Layering Romance in Your Fiction
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Lee Ann Ward is a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of 13 novels, including her international bestseller, GLIMPSES OF WILDERNESS. She is the former senior editor of Champagne Books and the founder of Writing Away Refuge retreats and author services. She is a former journalist and has taught her novel plotting course at workshops across the country. She also offers the How to Write a GOOD Book 12-week writing course through Writing Away Refuge.
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When she's not helping writers or working on a new book, she's spending time with her husband and grown sons, and with her little girl who's the love of her life. And her grandchildren are totally dreamy. Just ask her!
Now Lee Ann brings Layering Romance in Your Fiction to the August Zoom Pitch.
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Joyce Scarbrough
Workshop Leader
Award-winning Writer, Editor &
Senior workshop Leader for
Writing Away Refuge
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How to Research Effectively for Your Fiction
Joyce Scarbrough is a Southern woman weary of seeing herself and her peers portrayed in books and movies as either post-antebellum debutantes or barefoot hillbillies á la Daisy Duke, so all her heroines are smart, unpretentious women who refuse to be anyone but themselves. Joyce writes both adult and YA fiction and is active in the Mobile Writers’ Guild and her regional chapter of SCBWI. She is also the Senior Workshop Leader and staff member of Writing Away Refuge. She’s lived all her life in beautiful LA (lower Alabama), she’s the mother of three gifted children, very spoiled cats, and she’s been married for over 40 years to the love of her life—a superhero who disguises himself during the day as a high school math teacher and coach.​
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Now Joyce brings her workshop How to Research Effectively for Your Fiction to the August Zoom Pitch!
Allison Hong Merrill
Workshop Leader
Award-winning & Bestselling Author
Permanent Staff Member Writing Away Refuge​
How to Write a Memoir
Obsessed with love and kindness, Allison is a loveaholic. In fact, she’s the original creator who coins the word “loveaholic.”
Allison was born and raised in Taiwan and arrived in the US at twenty-two as a university student. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and writes in both Chinese and English, both fiction and nonfiction for both adult and young readers. She is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author. Her work appears in the New York Times and HuffPost and has won both national and international literary prizes. Her debut memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops, has won 70 book awards. Focus on Women Magazine awarded her the title “Woman of Impact.”
Besides sitting on the executive board of Calliope Writing Coach Program and being a permanent staff member of Writing Away Refuge, Allison is also a frequent conference keynote speaker, instructor, and panelist. She also appears on TV, radio, and podcasts; in magazines, newspapers, and journals.
Now Allison brings her workshop How to Write a Memoir to Writing Away Refuge in August!
Lee Ann Ward
Workshop Leader
USA Today Bestselling Author &
Founder of Writing Away Refuge
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Structuring Your Killer Plot
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Lee Ann Ward is a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of 13 novels, including her international bestseller, GLIMPSES OF WILDERNESS. She is the former senior editor of Champagne Books and the founder of Writing Away Refuge retreats and author services. She is a former journalist and has taught her novel plotting course at workshops across the country. She also offers the How to Write a GOOD Book 12-week writing course through Writing Away Refuge.
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When she's not helping writers or working on a new book, she's spending time with her husband and grown sons, and with her little girl who's the love of her life. And her grandchildren are totally dreamy. Just ask her!
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Now Lee Ann brings her workshop Structuring Your Killer Plot to the August Zoom pitch.
Meet the Agents
Pitch up to 8 Literary Agents Over Zoom as part of the Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch, August 15th-16th, 2026. Each one-on-one pitch session lasts 5 minutes
and is included in your registration fee. Be sure to register early before their spaces fill!
Early registration also ensures that you pitch all desired agents.
Hunter Strickland, Junior Agent
Focused Artists
(HUNTER'S PITCH SLOTS ARE FULL!)
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Hunter joined Focused Artists as a junior agent in 2024 after completing an apprenticeship with Co-founder Kristina Sutton. She previously held assistant roles at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord Pickens Museum for publishing and editing. During her time there she developed a background working with historical non-fiction.
Hunter’s list of interests are just as extensive as her background. While she has previous experience in the sports world and historical nonfiction, she is also drawn to fantasy worlds with unique elements.
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Titles Hunter is currently seeking include:
Fantasy
Romance
Historical Fiction
Women's fiction
Young Adult
New Adult
Hunter is particularly drawn to anything mythology based or inspired.
Click the link to see Hunter's complete manuscript wishlist:​ Hunter Strickland – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website
Rita Veras, Associate Agent
Rosecliff Literary​​​​
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Rita Veras is an Associate Agent at Rosecliff Literary. She started writing short stories and poetry at a young age, inspired by her upbringing in the Dominican Republic. Rita is passionately dedicated to uplifting BIPOC voices, enhancing representation, and championing diverse narratives.
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For nearly twenty years, Rita has empowered countless entrepreneurs to become successful business owners. Now, with her results-driven approach, she has returned to the literary world to inspire aspiring authors on their journey to publication.
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She’s seeking immersive, atmospheric stories across genres, especially historical fiction—gothic or moody tales, BIPOC romances rooted in heritage, and magical realism with political nuance. She welcomes feminist retellings that reclaim overlooked voices and narratives on identity and ancestry.
Rita also enjoys folklore-inspired horror, blending beauty and terror. Above all, she is drawn to books that linger in your soul and stay with you long after the last page is turned.
See Rita's detailed manuscript wishlist here: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/rita-veras/
Rebecca Lommers, Junior Agent
Katie Reed Literary​​​​
(REBECCA'S PITCH SLOTS ARE FULL!)
Rebecca Lommers graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor’s in English: Creative Writing, a Music Minor, and an Editing and Publishing Certificate. She is currently attending graduate school at Eastern Washington University to receive an MFA in Fiction. She has loved books ever since she learned how to read, and she always dreamed of reading books before they were published. She is incredibly excited to work with authors to help them achieve their writing dreams. She interned with Katie Reed for two years before being promoted to junior agent.
Beyond agenting, Rebecca also enjoys writing. Though she grew up writing fantasy, she now focuses on cross-genre projects. She adores developmental editing because it helps her flex similar creative muscles. Rebecca is also a musician. She has played piano since she was five-years-old and plays guitar and hand drums as well. Though she is at her happiest with a good book, getting to perform is a close second. Rebecca currently resides in Spokane, Washington.
See Rebecca's full manuscript wishlist here:
https://www.katiereedlit.com/new-page
Stephanie Katz, Founding Agent​
GiraffeLight Media Agency
​(STEPHANIE'S PITCH SLOTS ARE FULL!)
Stephanie Katz is a literary agent, screenwriter, producer, ghostwriter, and story analyst with more than fifteen years of experience spanning the film and publishing industries.
She holds a PhD in Narratology—the mechanics of storytelling—from the University of Birmingham (UK), along with an MA in Film Studies from Arizona State University.
Over the course of her career, she has evaluated more than 10,000 manuscripts and screenplays, worked with authors and major production studios. She’s the screenwriter of The Blind, Average Joe, and the upcoming thriller Resignation (2027).
As the founder of GiraffeLight Media Agency, Stephanie represents fiction and nonfiction authors to the Big Five publishers, their imprints, and leading independent presses throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada, and beyond.
She likes to joke that she has a PhD in breaking stories apart, but fortunately, she also knows how to put them back together. She also writes a weekly substack called Agent Trade Secrets where she demystifies publishing and agenting to help authors avoid the problems no one bothers to teach them to fix.
Whether she's negotiating publishing deals or diagnosing the hidden structural issues keeping a story from reaching its potential, Stephanie combines academic expertise with real-world industry experience."
See Stephanie & GiraffeLight Media's full manuscript wishlist here:
https://www.giraffelightmedia.com/mswl
Tali Shammas, Associate Agent
Storm Literary Agency
(TALI'S PITCH SLOTS ARE FULL!)​​​​​​​
Tali grew up devouring books by flashlight long past her bedtime. After several years practicing corporate law, she returned to her childhood love: books. With her legal knowledge and skills in client advocacy and contract negotiation, she looks forward to building a diverse client list.
Tali is looking to work with clients over the span of their careers and is not afraid of a writer who wants to explore multiple genres. She is an editorial agent who loves to sink her teeth into a great manuscript and work with the writer to make the story shine.
Tali is a champion for underrepresented voices, and she gives back by offering mentorship to up-and-coming writers and running workshops on legal issues writers should consider. She also co-hosts a literary podcast called The Prose Pros.
Tali lives with her husband, two children, and a very spoiled (and handicapable) cockapoo with wheels.
Tali’s favourite authors include V.E. Schwab, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Alix E. Harrow, Nisha J. Tuli, Holly Black, Shelley Parker-Chan, Tracy Deonn, M.L. Wang, Rachel Gillig, Mona Awad, Ava Reid, Leigh Bardugo, Erin Morgenstern, Stephanie Garber, C.G. Drews, T. Kingfisher, Andrew Joseph White, Ashley Winstead, Liz Moore, Andrea Bartz, Carley Fortune, Lily King, and many more!
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You can find Tali's complete manuscript wishlist here: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/tali-shammas/
Ava Grayson, Agent
Lowenstein Asociates​
(AVA'S PITCH SLOTS ARE FULL!)​​
Ava Lauren Grayson is a literary agent based in Los Angeles who joined Lowenstein Associates in 2026. She was previously as an editor at Quill and Flame Publishing House for several years, following an internship supporting the literary department at Echo Lake Entertainment.
Ava is a modern romantic with a taste for all things magical and dramatic. She is passionate about reading romantic yearning, empowering female heroines, and coming-of-age stories, and is actively building her list in the literary fiction, horror, romantasy, gothic, YA, genre-blends, romance, fantasy, and narrative nonfiction spaces. Ava reads widely and is willing to consider projects in any genre as long as the writing is compelling and immersive. She is seeking debut authors, own stories, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ stories.
She is also an author and award-winning director with a background in theater, photography, and fashion. Recently awarded the Denis Diderot Grant for the Château d’Orquevaux Writers Residency, Ava has had short stories published with Azala Press, Dragon Bone Publishing, Havok Publishing, and more. Her debut YA space-fantasy duology THE STARGAZERS is to be published in 2026/2027 by Quill and Flame. Through hip librarian productions, Ava creates book trailers and other social media content for authors. When she’s not working, you can probably find Ava rewatching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, sitting at a French cafe, or reading a book with her cat.
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See Ava's full manuscript wishlist here:
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Rhian MacGillivray, Agent
Birch Literary
(RHIAN'S PITCH SLOTS ARE FULL!)
Rhian joined Birch Literary in July 2025 after working for more than thirteen years as a Spanish-English translator, editor, and proofreader. As an agent, Rhian offers her clients a strong editorial vision and excellent communication at every stage of their career.
Rhian is looking for adult fiction that can be classed as book club, commercial, historical, romance, romantic fantasy, or fantasy. Ultimately, she looks for emotional depth, human connections, and stories that will open up a new world or period of time to her. In commercial fiction, she loves a touch of humor, while in romance she is looking for complexity and conflict. In romantic fantasy, she wants the plot to shine, and in fantasy, a clever premise will always catch her eye.
You can find her full manuscript wishlist here: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/rhian-macgillivray/
Ivanka Dimitrova, Literary Associate
Olswanger Literary
(IVANKA'S PITCH SLOTS ARE FULL!)
Ivanka Dimitrova is a Literary Associate with Olswanger Literary
and a published author represented by Focused Artists Agency. She holds
a business degree and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America,
the Women’s National Book Association, the American Christian Fiction
Writers, and the Jane Austen Society of North America.
Ivanka is seeking commercial and upmarket fiction, including women’s
fiction, book club fiction, mystery, thriller, romance, magical realism,
low fantasy, and time-slip fiction. She is drawn to stories where
history intersects with mystery, folklore, and wonder, as well as
immersive settings and emotionally resonant storytelling. For
nonfiction, she is interested in literary and cultural history, travel,
biographies, authors’ lives, homes, and gardens, and select lifestyle,
gift, and cookbook projects.
Manuscript Wishlist: https://www.ivankadimitrova.com/submissions/