with special guests
Kristen McGuiness
Catherine Connors
Gina Frangello
Lynnette Ramirez
Joel Chiodi
Joy Gorman
Christopher Rivas
Book Magic Live
what is
This one-day writers’ retreat will show you what it takes to go from emerging writer to published author, guided by industry professionals who will give you the insight only experience can offer.
Spend a day charting your book—from developing your story to editing your drafts, from adapting from the page to the screen to producing your own material. Through live Q+As with book editors and coaches, published authors, and producers from film and TV, Book Magic Live will help you find your path to publishing.
When: Thursday • September 4 2025
Where: Irie restaurant • West Hollywood, California
september 4, 2025
From 10:00am - 4:00pm
Irie Restaurant - 7717 Santa Monica Blvd Second Floor, West Hollywood, CA 90046
10:00am - Introduction by Kristen McGuiness (Founder + Publisher of Rise Literary)
10:30am - Book Publishing Q+A with Catherine Connors & Gina Frangello
11:30am - Book Coaching Breakout Session
12:30pm - Lunch with Christopher Rivas
1:30pm - TV/Film Producing Q+A with Joy Gorman, Lynnette Ramirez, and Joel Chiodi
2:30pm - Film + TV Breakout Session
3:30pm - Closing with Kristen McGuiness
4:00pm - Cocktails + Mocktails at the Irie Bar Downstairs (Cash Bar)
5:00pm - Reception ends
TICKET PRICE: $500
your guides to
book magic
Host + publisher of rise literary
Kristen McGuiness is a best-selling author, editor, and long-standing publishing professional. She is the Founder + Publisher of Rise Literary, a book coaching company for authors who are writing the good fight. After spending the first decade of her career working in editorial for Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins, as well as in film development at Warner Brothers, Kristen wrote the bestselling memoir, 51/50: The Magical Adventures of a Single Life, which was featured on the "Today Show" and in USA Today. Since then, she has co-authored dozens of books, including her recent debut novel, Live Through This. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Shondaland, Marie Claire, amongst others. Kristen lives in Ojai, CA with her husband, two children, and a dog named Lucy.
CHief storytelling officer of demeter media
Catherine Connors is a digital and media leader with a background in political storytelling and experience spanning academia, non-profits, start-ups, and global entertainment. A former Head of Content and Editor in Chief at Disney’s interactive media division, she pioneered strategies to better engage girls and women, introducing the concept of ‘The Dream Gap” and shaping how franchises like Princess could help close it. Her work blends deep narrative expertise with a commitment to empowering next-generation storytellers and media innovators. A 3x entrepreneur in digital and social media whose track record includes a social media platform for girls, non-binary, and underestimated youth that Fast Company named one of its World’s Most Innovative Companies, Catherine is a tireless advocate for creative world-changers. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and an almost embarrassing number of pets.
acclaimed author + book editor
Gina Frangello is the author of six books, including the acclaimed memoir Blow Your House Down, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and a “Best of 2021” pick by outlets like Lithub and The Chicago Review of Books. Her latest, a critical exploration of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet, was released in 2024 as part of IG Publishing’s “Bookmarked” series. She is also the author of four novels. A longtime editor, Gina currently serves as a lead editor at Rise Books and Row House Publishing and has previously founded Other Voices Books and The Nervous Breakdown’s fiction section, with additional editorial roles at The Rumpus, LARB, TriQuarterly, and more. Gina obtained her PhD in English/Creative Writing from the University of Illinois Chicago, with a specialization in Gender Theory. She is on the low residency MFA faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe and runs Circe Consulting, a full-service company for writers, with the writer Emily Rapp Black.
acclaimed author + actor
Christopher Rivas (he/him) is an award-winning international storyteller (winner of The MOTH), passionate artivist, published writer, film/television (Call Me Kat, Grey's Anatomy, SEAL Team, Shameless, Rizzoli & Isles, 2 Broke Girls, Rosewood), and theater actor. As the author of Brown Enough (Row House, 2022) and host of two critically acclaimed podcasts, Brown Enough and Rubirosa, Rivas is committed to sharing stories that connect deeply and resonate widely. His essays have been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Emancipator and Tricycle, to name a few. He is a Ph.D. Candidate in Expressive Arts for Global Health & Peace Building from The European Graduate School and a Rothschild Social Impact fellow. Rivas resides in Los Angeles, CA.
executive producer with hyphenate media group + Scout productions
Joel Chiodi is an Emmy nominated independent documentary film producer currently working with Hyphenate Media Group and Scout Productions. He was part of the team who produced Queer Eye on Netflix. His 2024 short form project on YouTube, Ballin Out, was just nominated for an Emmy and his most recent documentary, Southern Fried Lies, premiered this past May on Peacock. He has overseen such acclaimed projects as The Secrets of Hillsong (FX/Hulu), MerPeople (Netflix), I Love You, You Hate Me (Peacock), and a Title IX documentary with Candace Parker for Turner Sports. Previously, he was a consulting producer on Max’s Legendary and managed brand strategy for Queer Eye. Before Scout, Chiodi led marketing at Legendary Pictures, overseeing campaigns for films like 42, Godzilla, and Pacific Rim, and helped launch NFL RedZone. He splits his time between Los Angeles and Lake Arrowhead—along with a happily uncountable number of dogs.
executive producer + founder of joy coalition
Joy Gorman Wettels is the founder of Joy Coalition, an impact-focused production venture creating premium, purpose-driven content in partnership with policy experts and philanthropic organizations. She has a first-look deal with Fifth Season, supporting inclusive storytelling and social impact across film, TV, and unscripted series. Joy is currently executive producing the Little House reboot on Netflix and previously executive produced UnPrisoned starring Kerry Washington for Hulu, and produced a multi-part storytelling project inspired by the landmark civil rights series Eyes on the Prize for WarnerMedia. She also produced the groundbreaking Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and John Chu’s Home Before Dark on Apple.
executive producer + president of bassett vance productions
President of Bassett Vance Productions, Lynnette Ramirez is focused on identifying and developing film and television projects with a strong emphasis on BIPOC voices both in front and behind the camera. Most recently Lynnette served as senior development executive for 20k, a CBS Television Studios Co. Prior to that was consulting at Very Tall Productions, producers of the Facebook Watch award winning series, “Red Table Talk.” In her role of SVP of Original Content for Fuse Media. In this role she oversaw all new and returning series for the network – including Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce, Fluffy Breaks Even and Transcendent – as well as additional programming from Jennifer Lopez, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias. In 2007, Lynnette became SVP of development and production for George Lopez Presents. During her tenure with Lopez, she produced several projects including the Nickelodeon hit original movie Mr. Troop Mom.
Your next chapter begins at Book Magic.
Get your ticket today.