Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch

Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.

Registration for our May 16-17th, 2026

Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch is OPEN!

Agent pitch slots fill quickly, so registering early is recommended.

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 MAY 16-17th, 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.

And, best of all, we have 6 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 (like free services, gift cards, and free memberships to Writing Away), and workshops by amazing industry professionals. Don't miss out!

(You may register for the full retreat that includes agent pitches or for workshops only)

**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 & CEO of Writing Away Refuge

I Have a Literary Agent, Now What?

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.

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 her workshop "I Have a Literary Agent, Now What?" to our May Zoom Pitch Retreat!

Joyce Scarbrough

Senior Workshop Leader

Award-winning Author & Editor

Permanent Staff Member, Writing Away Refuge

Finding the Right Writing Process

Joyce Scarbrough is the author of eight novels and numerous short stories featured in multiple anthologies. Joyce is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, she was the founding senior editor for Champagne Books, and she now works freelance as an editor and book coach. Joyce was president of the Mobile Writers Guild for three years and still serves on its board of directors. She is also a member of the Southern Breeze chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, but she also writes women’s fiction. She has served on the faculty of the Mobile Literary Festival since its inception in 2016 and has given numerous workshops on characterization and editing for writers’ groups, conferences, libraries, colleges, and high schools throughout the Southeast. Joyce has lived all her life in LA (lower Alabama), she is the mother of three gifted, non-conformist children, and she’s been married for 39 years to a superhero who disguises himself during the day as a high school math teacher and coach.

Now Joyce brings her workshop "Finding the Right Writing Process" to Writing Away Refuge in May!

Leticia Gomez

Workshop Leader

Editor, Kensington Publishing

& Agent, Savvy Literary

The INs and OUTS of Publishing

Leticia Gomez is the Editorial Director for Dafina Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp., which focuses on high-quality fiction and non-fiction that centers on race, identity, and its impact on our experiences. Dafina’s carefully curated list is a home for dynamic stories that innovate and amplify voices too long ignored through books that entertain, challenge, and inspire. Launched in 2000 as the first African American imprint, Dafina has led the market for more than twenty years in highlighting voices of color. Leticia is actively seeking to acquire multicultural fiction and nonfiction of all genres including literary fiction, commercial fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery, and narrative nonfiction of all genres with a focus on authors of color (BIPOC) as well as specific nonfiction projects for marginalized communities.

In addition to her role at Kensington, Leticia is a prominent literary/film/television agent who specializes in bringing culturally diverse voices to the forefront. She has helped her clients secure deals with the largest publishers in the world and has seen several of her projects successfully optioned for TV and film rights. As a literary agent, she has placed nearly 200 books with independent and mainstream traditional publishers. In January of 2007, Leticia launched Savvy Literary Services, becoming one of a highly select group of agencies in the world that specializes in the Latino book market. Savvy Literary is now an industry leader specializing in Self-help, Narrative Non-fiction, Memoir, True Crime, Spiritual/Inspirational, Political/Current Affairs, Suspense/Thriller, Family Drama, and the Young Adult market. Championing the work of minority writers continues to be a top priority for the agency.

Now Leticia brings her workshop, "The INs and OUTS of Publishing" to our May Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch!

Lee Ann Ward

Workshop Leader

USA Today Bestselling Author &

Founder & CEO of Writing Away Refuge

Setting a Scene

Now Lee Ann brings her workshop "Setting a Scene" to our May Zoom Pitch Retreat!

Meet the Agents

Pitch up to 6 Literary Agents Over Zoom as part of the Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch, May 16-17th, 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. Registering early ensures that you pitch all desired agents.

Syrone Harvey, Agent

Belcastro Agency

Syrone is an impassioned literary professional, a vibrant force of creativity in the world of books. With an eclectic background in publication, editorial services, and project management, Syrone is dedicated to supporting authors at every step of their writing journey. Syrone is on a mission to be the ultimate “bookend” for authors, providing them with the personalized support they need to shine at every stage of their literary journey.

But Syrone’s love for literature isn’t just professional—it’s personal. As a published author, she knows the sheer joy of crafting a story that touches the soul. To her, books aren’t just objects; they’re the means to transport readers to new experiences and perspectives.

With her sharp editorial eye and a keen sense for market trends, Syrone is the ultimate guide for authors navigating the ever-changing landscape of publishing. Whether it’s guiding debut novelists or supporting seasoned writers seeking a new direction, she is passionate about building long-lasting relationships with her clients. She takes a patchwork quilt approach with her authors—every story is unique and one-of-a-kind. She will walk the literary journey with enthusiasm, expertise, and a shared commitment to bringing exceptional stories to readers worldwide.

She lives in Southern California with her husband, a chatty parrot, and a lively fur baby.

See Syrone's Manuscript Wishlist here:

Syrone Harvey – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

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Alicia Brooks, Founding Agent

Alicia Brooks Literary Agency

Alicia Brooks began her publishing career over twenty-five years ago as an editorial assistant at Penguin USA (Dutton/Plume). She advanced to an assistant editor position at Nan A. Talese/Doubleday where she worked with groundbreaking authors, including Margaret Atwood, Pat Conroy, and Ian McEwan. She then became an editor at Picador/St. Martin’s Press where she edited over 40 hardcover titles and several trade paper original titles, including Good Morning America Book Club Pick Noelle Howey’s Dress Codes: Of Three Girlhoods–My Mother’s, My Father’s, and Mine, Nega Mezlekia’s award-winning Notes from the Hyena’s Belly, and Jaclyn Moriarty’s FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA, an ALA Best Book of the Year and YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

She became a literary agent at The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency in 2019. Her client list included categories such as Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction from writers with diverse backgrounds, Self-Help, Pop Culture, Literary Fiction, Book Club Fiction, YA Fiction, Horror, and Historical Fiction. She represented Boyah J. Farah, author of the earth-shattering memoir AMERICA MADE ME A BLACK MAN (Harper/Nominated for the NAACP Image Award and NPR Best Book of the Year), Kathleen S. Allen, author of the YA Gothic Horror novel THE RESURRECTIONIST (Roaring Brook) Jennifer Sherman Roberts’ THE VILLAGE HEALER’S BOOK OF CURES: A Novel (Lake Union/Named an Editors’ Choice by the Historical Novel Society and Named a First Reads Editors’ Pick by Amazon), internationally renowned Iranian author Nahid Rachlin’s novels MIRAGE and GIVEN AWAY: A Novel Based on True Events (Red Hen Press), and Sofia Romero, author of the linked story collection WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WHO WE ARE (Blackstone/Shortlisted for the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction).

See Alicia's complete Manuscript Wishlist here:

Alicia Brooks Literary Agency: About Alicia Brooks - The Alicia Brooks Literary Agency

Geffen Semach, Agent

Westwood Creative Artists

Prior to joining Westwood Creative Artists in 2025, I spent five years at Penguin Random House Canada, and two years at Aitken Alexander Associates as an assistant. Before that, I started my publishing career interning at Andrew Nurnberg Associates and Profile Books. I have edited for Hazlitt, and am on the editorial board of ROOM Magazine. I am interested in a wide range of writing and represent both fiction and non-fiction.

See Geffen's complete manuscript wishlist here:

Geffen Semach - Westwood Creative Artists

Matthew Valdez, Agent

Megibow Literary

Matthew’s love of literature began as a teenager when his mom handed him a copy of TWILIGHT after years of being a reluctant reader. Then, in college he took a Young Adult Literature class and was further hooked on young adult novels. In fact, it was this Lit professor who encouraged Matthew to attend a YALLFest that launched him into the world of publishing. With over a decade of volunteering at conferences and interning at literary agencies, Matthew brings a behind-the-scenes perspective to his job as agent.

Matthew holds a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education from the Metropolitan State University of Denver, and is currently attending The University of Central Florida to obtain his Master’s in Educational Leadership. He lives in sunny Florida where he teaches High School English and hopes just a sliver of his passion for books rubs off on his students.

See Matthew's complete manuscript wishlist here:

Matthew Valdez – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

Tianna Kelly, Agent

Neighborhood Literary

Tianna Kelly is a literary agent building a list that reflects her love of dark romance, sharp romantic comedies, genre-bending romantasy, and bold speculative fiction.

She’s especially drawn to Queer and own voices, stories with complex emotions, unforgettable relationships, and high-stakes worldbuilding—and she’s always looking for projects that blur the line between love and disaster (in the best way).

With over three years of experience in publishing marketing, she brings a sharp eye for positioning, audience, and platform development to every project.

Krista Van Dolzer, Agent

The Unter Agency

Krista Van Dolzer is a literary agent at The Unter Agency, though she's worked in and around the publishing industry for more than a decade. Her middle grade fiction has been published by Penguin Random House, Sourcebooks, Capstone, and Bloomsbury USA, and she's hosted many query contests and pitch events for aspiring authors over the years. She currently lives in central Iowa with her husband and four kids and holds degrees in Mathematics Education and Economics from Brigham Young University.

I’m looking for all things MG and YA as well as several flavors of adult nonfiction: narrative, sports, applied but accessible science (especially in mathematics, economics, or psychology), and journalistic narrative (think Susan Cain, Malcolm Gladwell, or David Brooks).

Workshop and Pitch Session Schedules for
May 16-17th, 2026 Zoom Pitch.

Registration for the May 16-17th, 2026
Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch is OPEN!
Register Early to ensure you get to pitch to all of your desired agents!
Our pitch slots usually fill in a week!

Member registration

(includes all workshops & agent pitches)

$65.00

Non-member registration

(includes all workshops & agent pitches)

$80.00

WORKSHOPS ONLY!

No agent Pitches! $49.95

$49.95

Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch

Workshop your pitch. Pitch the agent.

Meet The Workshop Team

Meet the Agents

Workshop and Pitch Session Schedules for May 16-17th, 2026 Zoom Pitch. Registration for the May 16-17th, 2026 Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch is OPEN! Register Early to ensure you get to pitch to all of your desired agents! Our pitch slots usually fill in a week!

Workshop and Pitch Session Schedules for
May 16-17th, 2026 Zoom Pitch.

Registration for the May 16-17th, 2026
Writing Away Refuge Zoom Pitch is OPEN!
Register Early to ensure you get to pitch to all of your desired agents!
Our pitch slots usually fill in a week!