Shari Stauch of Where Writers Win, upcoming CAC17 special guest presenter, answers our five questions about professional success.

Two-year-olds begin to learn to resolve and reduce conflict when their mothers teach them that biting isn't nice. But it's an authors job to create and escalate conflict to uncomfortable degrees. Not quite biting level--maybe a notch below. Or there could be biting. The story will out. So how do authors overcome a lifetime of social training to avoid conflict? Eileen Cook to the rescue! Eileen is an author with a background as a therapist--specifically in conflict resolution. One of the sessions she will teach at the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference--CAC17 is March 31st to April 2nd--will be her class The Perfect Storm:  Character, Conflict and Motivation, which is a unique experience falling somewhere between marriage counseling and writing class. If you have a slightly rocky relationship you'd like to improve, or some characters whose relationships need to be smashed on the rocks to get your plot moving, either way, you will benefit from attending this class with Eileen Cook. Also, not to be missed, is her class: Why Would You Say That?  How to Improve Your Dialogue. We asked our CAC17 special guest speakers a few questions to break the ice and introduce them to all of you who've already registered or are planning to register for CAC17. And Eileen was the first to jump in with her answers, below. 1. When did you know what you really wanted to be? I always wanted to be a writer. My parents kept a homework assignment I did in second grade where [...]