Presenters/ Panelist

Josh Lofty is a unique person with many facets. He was born in Dallas, Texas before moving to Cedar Hill and then Waxahachie, Texas and graduating from Red Oak High School in 2005. After growing up in the sticks he decided he was too big for the small town he was living in. Josh left his boring little life behind and worked his way back into Dallas, and has been traveling the world making a name for himself ever since.
  Shortly after moving to the "big city" he was scouted to be a model. Tired of being a slave to the world of retail Josh decided to forgo any further endeavors and test the waters. He fell in love with the entertainment industry! “I'd dabbled in acting several years prior but lacked experience at the time and did not pursue it further.” Later in life and lacking all support from his family and against most other’s advice he decided to invest all of his time and money from there on out to be a success, and it's worked.
  Currently, he’s working as an openly signed model signed with 5 different agencies! He is trained and active in print, commercial, avant garde, promotional, live, and runway. Josh is also a photographer for TSS Photography. He’s a published writer and editor with experience in technology, fashion, theatrical, film, TV, medical, automotive, and more! Josh is currently the Managing Editor and Art Director for Houston-based posh living magazine, Eklektix. He also works as an actor, writer, and editor for Svelte Entertainment Group, a book-theater-movie production company located in Dallas. Josh is a designer who currently owns “Ampersand Couture Apparel”. He’s an actor who has appeared in major and independent films and TV shows since 2001. He is 2010's Highland Park Mr. Gay, Texas as well. As if that's not enough, he is tapping into his automotive past and has gotten back into professional racing and is a part of a sponsored 2-car racing team. Josh also runs this website, joshylofty.com, where you can view his photos and videos, read his blogs and other published articles, and more. There is also a sub-site dedicated to featuring and showcasing artists and other worldly talent meant to give a positive alternative to the popular celebrity blog sites. In his free time he manages to make unique pieces of art which can be found on display in downtown Dallas art galleries.
  Josh has his hands in about everything and would like it no other way; he’s a workaholic. “I stand up for world peace, equality for all, and anything else I feel strongly towards. I stand up for what's right. I'm most known for my daring and unique sense of style, my hard work and dedication, loyalty to those around me, being outspoken, my blue eyes, or what lies between my ears. I also firmly live by my own words of 'In order to do anything, one must first do everything.'”

Rita Mills’ passions are the First Amendment, books, and literacy, so it is understandable that her career would take its charted path.

In the early ‘70s she started a 20-year stint at a major metropolitan newspaper, The Houston Post, where ink permanently took up residence in her blood. She left there in the early ‘90s to become the Managing Editor of Arte Publico Press at the University of Houston where she organized their production department and coordinated a half-million dollar annual print budget. While there, Rita also helped with the start-up of a new children’s picture book imprint, Pinata Books.

After what turned into a 4-year apprenticeship in the book publishing business, she left the University of Houston to start her own business, The Book Connection, where she consults with small and independent presses in proper book-publishing-industry standards and protocol. The Book Connection utilizes 35+ freelance individuals with book-specific experience in all areas of writing, editing, design, illustration, marketing and public relations. She guides her clients through the publishing maze to produce and sell bookstore-quality books. She is a resource for the printing of all types of books from B&W interiors (printed in the USA) to 4-color books (printed in Hong Kong).

Her 17 years in the book business has resulted in the packaging of more than 350 different titles, ranging from simple mass-market paperbacks to hard-cover, coffee-table books. Included in this smorgasbord of books are a 4-book reference set; companion books for two PBS series; 25 hard-cover children’s picture books; 4 cookbooks; 5 books used as fund raisers for nonprofits; and 11 books that have won various publishing awards.

Rita Mills has a small press, Bluebonnets Boots & Books, and has published 10 titles since 1996. She has a children’s picture book imprint called The ABC’s Press where she will have 10 children’s titles in print by the end of 2009.

Her other endeavors include a website hub, Texas Authors Group , where independent Texas publishers showcase their books and highlight their availability as speakers. She is also the organizer of the ABC’s Children’s Picture Book Competition, ABC Book Competition, an annual competition for children’s book writers with a grand prize that is unparalleled in the industry.

 C. Mikki wrote her first poem at age 5 and developed a love for reading novels and writing poetry. By the time she entered college, her attention turned to screenwriting and her passion for telling a great story continued to grow.
  C.Mikki developed the concept for her first novel, "Men and Sex - Power, Pleasure, Pain" during the summer of 2006. Familiar with how to write, but unfamiliar with the process to write a novel, she attended the Black Writers Reunion & Conference in Dallas, Texas. C.Mikki was encouraged to continue working on the novel by the Conference Director, Tia Ross. It would be that encouragement that would drive C.Mikki to finish the novel, released 12/10.

C. Mikki graduacted from University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Business Management and resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two sons.

Michelle S. Chester is the owner of EBM Professional Services (www.ebm-services.com), a full-service firm specializing in copy editing, content editing, and proofreading. She has more than 15 years experience as a Technical Writer/Editor in the corporate world. Michelle has done freelance editing for a number of publishers and numerous published authors. Alongside working on freelance projects, Michelle serves as Editorial Assistant for Written magazine (www.writtenmagazine.com) in Atlanta, GA, and works as a proofreader for Caye Publishing Group (www.cayepublishing.com) in Keller, Texas, working on the Society Life, Society Kids (discontinued), and Parker County Maverick magazines. As a workshop coordinator and facilitator, she has shared in the success of the Black Writer’s Reunion & Conference (2008, 2009, 2010), Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship 4th Annual Gifted for His Glory Seminar (2010), and The Writer’s Block, Inc. 4th Annual On the Cusp Writer’s Conference (2007).

Nakia was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and now resides in Houston, Texas with her lovable teenage son. She is employed as a Finance Administrator for a large furniture retailer. Nakia is an inspirational poet, novelist, blogger, and entrepreneur. She has always loved to read and early on in life guessed that writing would play a major role in her future. Nakia's career pursuits in writing did not come without obstacles. Finally, all the bottled-up imagination and thoughts that needed to be expressed on paper came pouring out.
Inspired and fueled by attempts to be molded into the norm, she wrote and published her first collection of poetry and essays titled, The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose which was released in early 2010 by Serendipity Bound Books, a publishing and consulting company that she founded. Running from Solace, her debut fiction novel was released in April 2011. She is currently working on her second novel titled, Do You Know Daisy McCloud? Nakia also operates a typesetting service, (interior book design and layout), A Reader’s Perspective.
Nakia remains determined to present the truth as she sees it in all facets of her writing, and hopes that her work will inspire and serve a meaningful purpose for others. She is committed to challenging everyone in her reach to find compassion and empathy in the differences that exist among us all.