Strongest Start Final Round Judges

Anita Mumm joined Nelson Literary Agency in early 2010 and is the first reader for all submissions coming in through the agency. She also enjoys presenting and scouting for new talent at writing conferences across the country. Mumm has picked a number of exciting new authors for the company, including Stefan Bachmann, whose debut Middle Grade novel, The Peculiar, recently sold in a major auction to Greenwillow/HarperCollins, and Jennifer Shaw Wolf, author of the edgy Young Adult novel Tigerseye from Walker Books. Before joining the agency, Mumm taught English and creative writing to international students at colleges in the U.S., France, and China.  

Stephen M. Charme is a Top 50 and Hall of Fame reviewer on Amazon. His hundreds of reviews encompass a broad range of products and books. An avid reader and former English major, he appreciates good writing in both fiction and nonfiction. He spends much of his leisure time running and playing with his granddaughter, who has singlehandedly motivated his reviews of sundry juvenile products and books. He lives in central New Jersey, where he practices law in a boutique business law firm.  

Lydia Kelly is an avid reader who tried her hand at writing in a creative attempt to relieve the mundane life of her 9-5 job. Her hobby soon became a passion and she started posting her writing online, enjoying the camaraderie of other amateur writers. Her first novel, Screaming in the Silence, was published by WorldMaker Media in 2010 and climbed to Amazon.com's top 1,000 list. Her next novel, A Harper's Education, which will be published later this year, received over 100,000 reads online and nearly 2,000 comments.