2026 Schedule

Our schedule is a work in progress. More details will be announced.

Thank you for your patience.

The Get Together will run from the evening of Friday, November 6th until the afternoon of Sunday, November 8th. All times are listed in Central Standard Time. This year’s event will be entirely virtual, over Zoom.

We look forward to seeing you!

Virtual JAFF Reader/Writer Get-Together Schedule

All times listed are Central Standard Time

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Welcome Chat & ‘Happy Hour’ – A dynamic and interactive discussion led by your Host, Jessica Washer.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Online WIP Readings – ‘Port in the Longbourn Library’ – Bring your tea, your sherry, or whatever you enjoy for an after-dinner treat, and join us for readings of works in progress by JAFF authors – Moderator Don Jacobson

Readers include:

• Amanda Kai – All the Things a Lady Shouldn’t Do
• Cat Gardiner – Gilded Pretense and Propriety
• Morgan Blake, read by Ginna Hoppes – An Unforgettable Affection
• Daniela Caluianu as Holly D. Hock – The Longbourn Butterfly Effect
• Cristy Huelsz – An Upcoming Christmas Story
• Don Jacobson – Mrs. Bennet’s Daughters
• Stephanie Vale – Anne and The Good Doctor
• Gail Hildebrand – Untitled
• Debbie Kummoung – The Lost Darcy

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Good Morning Guided Breakfast Chat – Bring your favorite morning beverage and snack, and gather for day two of the Get Together. Chat about whatever you like, with suggested topics posted.

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Half Agony and Half Hope: AI in literature  – With UNLV Librarian Melissa Bowles-Terry

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Pride, Prejudice, and Pretty Covers – With Promotor and Cover Designer Pemberley Darcy

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – Guided Lunch Chat – Bring your favorite beverage and snack, and enjoy luncheon with your fellow fans of Austenesque fiction. Chat about whatever you like, with suggested topics posted.

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM – Great British Sampler: A Quiz Through Four Countries – With Sophie Turner

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Beyond the Prompt: Exploring AI, Creativity, and Critical Thinking – With Microsoft Employee Jonathan Lopez

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM – Good Company: A Persuasion Panel – Hosted by Author Samantha Adkins and featuring Authors Lona Manning, Karen M. Cox, and Shannon Winslow

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Guided Afternoon Tea Chat – Fix a cup of tea and join us for an informal chat about suggested Austen and JAFF related topics. If we have a large number of attendees, we will divide into breakout rooms. Talk about whatever you like, but suggested topics will be posted.

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – A Conversation about JAFF: Boundaries, Definitions, and Tropes Readers Can’t Resist – With Authors Melissa Anne and Amanda Kai

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Steam in JAFF: Yes, There’s a Place for It – With Authors Heather Moll and Beth Massey

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM – JAFF BINGO – With Author Jeff Bigler – Yes, there will be prizes!

9:00 PM – 10:00 PM – Bed Time Chat – Bring your hot cocoa, sherry, or whatever you enjoy for a nightcap, and join us for an informal chat. If we have a large number of attendees, we will divide into breakout rooms. Talk about whatever you like, but suggested topics will be posted.

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM – Early Morning Chat – Bring your favorite morning beverage and gather for day three of the Get Together.

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Sense, Sensibility, and Star Ratings – With Traveler and Blogger Meredith Esparza of Austenesque Reviews, Editor and Blogger, Christina Boyd of Quillink, Blogger Rita Deodato of From Pemberley to Milton, and Reviewer Melanie Höhnke

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Introduction to Narratology from a Narrator’s Perspective – With Narrator Harry Frost

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – WIP Readings – ‘Brunch with the Bennets’ – Bring your tea and scone, or whatever you enjoy for breakfast, and join us for readings of works in progress by JAFF authors – Moderator Don Jacobson

Readers include:

• Julie Rudinsky, read by Diane Ferguson – Under the Willow Tree
• Barry Richman – One More Tomorrow
• Christina Angel Boyd – Selfie
• Kitty Wren – Elizabeth Bennet’s Fifth Wedding
• Cheryl Zoback Mandelkellar – From the Shadows
• Kimbelle Pease – Presumptions and Suppositions
• Joy Wall – Finding Miss Lucas
• Melissa Anne – Elizabeth’s Epiphany
• Lyndsay Constable – Title TBD

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – From Quill to Kindle – Novel Formatting with Authors Don Jacobson and Victoria Kincaid – What does it take to turn an idea into a polished, publishable book? Join us for a discussion of the writing process, the importance of editing, and the essentials of professional book formatting. From developing your manuscript to preparing it for publication, we’ll explore practical tips, common challenges, and the steps that help transform your story into a finished book readers will love.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Guided Afternoon Chat – Fix a cup of tea and join us for an informal chat about suggested Austen and JAFF related topics. If we have a large number of attendees, we will divide into breakout rooms. Chat about whatever you like, but suggested topics will be posted.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Copyright and Contracts – With Author and Practicing Attorney Stephanie Vale

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Interactive Closing Discussion & the Future of JAFF Con

Author Barry S. Richman

Author Melissa Anne

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