February MWA-U

Killer Love Letters

February 18, 2026 at 8 EST / 7 CST / 6 MST / 5 PST; Live on Zoom

Looking for a match made in publishing heaven? Join senior editor for Atlantic, Joe Brosnan and literary manager Liza Fleissig as they share what makes them fall in love with a query letter. From perfect first impressions to lasting connections, discover how to write the kind of “love letter” that makes an agent’s heart skip a beat. Whether you’re a new writer seeking representation or an established author exploring new opportunities, this session will offer practical tips, real-world insights, and examples of what makes a query stand out from the slush pile.

Register here: ⇒ MWA Members  ⇒ Non-MWA Members

Joe Brosnan is a Senior Editor at Grove Atlantic where he oversees the Atlantic Crime imprint. Prior to that, he was an Editor and Senior Marketing Manager at St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and also the Site Manager for Criminal Element for nearly a decade. He lives in NYC.

Liza Fleissig, with her business partner Ginger Harris-Dontzin, opened the Liza Royce Associates (LRA) in early 2011. A cross-platform company providing development and strategic career management for clients in all media, their goal is to represent clients in every stage of their careers, from the most established to those honing their craft. Both former partners in NYC based litigation law firms, Liza and Ginger bring a combined 50 years of negotiating experience to the field. This background, along with connections rooted in film, television, and publishing, allow them to focus and build on a referral-based clientele, providing bespoke services on a multi-dimensional level.

Previous MWA-U Sessions

Whose Story Is It? Mastering Point of View
with Lou Berney & Lori Rader-Day

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 8 EST / 7 CST / 6 MST / 5 PST; Live on Zoom

Point of view is one of the most powerful—and most misunderstood—craft choices in crime fiction. Whether you’re writing an intimate psychological suspense novel, a twist-heavy thriller, or a complex whodunit with multiple narrators, POV determines what your reader knows, when they know it, and how deeply they connect with your characters.

Join award-winning authors Lou Berney and Lori Rader-Day for an engaging, craft-focused conversation on how POV shapes mystery and suspense. Together, they’ll explore:
Choosing the right POV for your story
Balancing character interiority with narrative tension
The benefits and pitfalls of first-person, third-person, and hybrid structures
Using POV to build surprise, misdirection, and emotional resonance
Tips for revising when POV isn’t working

This interactive Zoom session will include time for audience Q&A. Whether you’re drafting your first novel or refining your tenth, you’ll leave with new tools to elevate your storytelling and sharpen your narrative edge.

Registration is now closed.