Non-fiction – Robert Morgan
Robert Morgan publishes his much-anticipated book about American scout, Daniel Boone, Boone: A Biography, in October 2007. His first novel, The Truest Pleasure, was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics Circle Award. His novel Gap Creek received the Southern Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction for 2000, was an Oprah Book Club selection and New York Times bestseller. In addition to his novels, Morgan is hailed as a major force in Southern poetry.

Sports – Milton Katz
Milton S. Katz’s, Breaking Through: John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer tells of McLendon’s struggle for equality in 1940s and 50s America when he refused to accept that teams at traditionally black colleges were unable to achieve national prominence. Author Katz teaches at the School of Liberal Arts, Kansas City Art Institute. He authored Ban the Bomb: A History of SANE, the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy and numerous book chapters, articles, and essays on peace and social justice.

Mystery – John Hart
John Hart’s debut, The King of Lies, was a New York Times bestseller and has been nominated for the Macavity Award for Best First Novel, an award given to mystery writers, and shortlisted for the SIBA Book Award, given each year to recognize the best in Southern Literature. His appearance at Rare Conversations will coincide with the release of his newest novel, Down River.

Children & Youth – Richard Jennings
Richard Jennings’s debut novel, Orwell’s Luck, launched to widespread critical acclaim in 2000. This success was followed by The Great Whale of Kansas, My Life of Crime, Mystery in Mt. Mole, Scribble, Stink City and Ferret Island in 2007. Mr. Jennings has been awarded fellowships from the Kansas Arts Commission, and is the first novelist for young people to win the William Rockhill Nelson award for fiction.

Fiction – Rose Marie Kinder
Rose Marie Kinder, who writes under the pen name of R.M. Kinder, has used her real-life romance with a serial killer to provide the story in her spine-chilling debut novel, An Absolute Gentleman, coming out in October 2007. The book is receiving advance rave reviews from critics. Ms. Kinder won the 2005 University of Michigan prize for a collection of short stories titled A Near-Perfect Gift. Another of her short story collections, Sweet Angel Band, was awarded the Willa Cather Award in 1991.

Health & Wellness – Susanna Bair
Author Susanna Bair, along with her husband Puran, co-founded the Institute for Applied Meditation. They have been teaching seminars for 35 years and have authored two books, Living From the Heart and Energize Your Heart. They speak frequently at conferences and are one of the few couples teaching together in the field of spiritual development.

Food & Entertaining – Connie Fairbanks
In Scratch That: Seasonal Menus and Perfect PairingsTM, a Cookbook for the Home Chef, author Connie Fairbanks reflects her travel experience in the United States and Europe and combines it with strong overtones of her native Kansas upbringing. Practicality, common sense and a passion for seasonal ingredients makes for an engaging cookbook of homemade menus for everyday suppers or those special occasions.

Arts – Charles Barsotti
Charles Barsotti is famed for his wry and witty cartoons featuring a cast of keenly observant dogs who manage to combine dry social critique with a humorous exposure of the human condition.  Mr. Barsotti is a Kansas City resident and will be at Rare Conversations to promote his book They Moved My Bowl.