Spring Fling - April 16-18, 2026
Join us for Spring Fling 2026 - a romance writing conference for published and unpublished authors. Hosted at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in downtown Chicago, workshops will be held in person and also live-streamed. Sponsored by Chicago-North Romance Writers, the event features keynote speeches by headliners Adriana Herrera and Brenda Jackson, pitch appointments with agents and editors, networking, a silent auction, a book signing event, and a gala. Watch this space for more announcements and registration opens Fall 2025.
Interested in presenting at Spring Fling? Use this form to submit a workshop proposal by August 15!
Spring Fling 26 Headliners
Adriana Herrera
AUSA Today Best Selling and Audie winning author Adriana was born and raised in the Caribbean, but for the last fifteen years has let her job (and her spouse) take her all over the world. She loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her people, getting unapologetic happy endings. The New York Times once called her book "sweet, thoughtful, and delightfully filthy too."
When she’s not dreaming up love stories, planning logistically complex vacations with her family or hunting for discount Broadway tickets, she’s a trauma therapist in New York City, working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Adriana is represented by Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary.
Brenda Jackson
Brenda Jackson, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over 150 books and novellas and 50 million books in print, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville University. She worked in management for State Farm Insurance, where she retired after thirty-seven years. Fifty-four years ago, she married her high school sweetheart, Gerald, and they have two sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.