CONFERENCE FACULTY

Rick Acker

Name: Rick Acker Website: http://www.rickacker.com/ Hosting:    WS24: Legal Scenes Tricks & Traps (with Cara Putman) WS29: Author Law 101 (with Cara Putman) Rick Acker is a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice. His unit prosecutes large corporate fraud lawsuits of the type described in his newest legal thriller, When the Devil Whistles (Abingdon 2010). His other novels include Dead Man’s Rule (4.5 stars, Romantic Times), Blood Brothers (4 stars, Romantic Times) and the Davis Detective Mysteries for young adults. Rick holds law degrees from the University of Oslo and the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with honors. In addition to his novels, he is a contributing author on two legal treatises published by the American Bar Association. Rick lives with his wife in the San Francisco area.

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Allen Arnold

Name: Allen Arnold Website: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/ Hosting:    WS13: Inside an Acquisitions Meeting WS27: How Established Authors May Avoid the “Tipping Point” of Diminishing Sales Allen Arnold is Senior Vice-President and Fiction Publisher at Thomas Nelson. He’s been at Thomas Nelson for 18 years – overseeing author marketing and branding for more than a decade before launching the Fiction division in 2004. For the calendar year 2009, Thomas Nelson was ranked the #1 Christian Fiction publisher at Christian Retail by ECPA and is recognized for a publishing model that reaches the broadest market with the best stories – always told from a Christian worldview. Prior to his time at Thomas Nelson, Allen worked at numerous acclaimed Advertising Agencies - helping develop campaigns for everything from soft drinks to traveling circuses! He’s passionate about the power of a well-told story to transform hearts and culture – to entertain and inspire. In his spare time, you’ll find him reading Superman comics and C.S. Lewis while eating the spiciest peppers known to mankind.

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James Scott Bell

Name: James Scott Bell Website: http://www.jamesscottbell.com Hosting:    Early Bird Session: Fiction: The Next Level Workshop James Scott Bell is a bestselling suspense writer. A former trial lawyer, he was the fiction columnist for Writers Digest Magazine and an adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University. His books on the craft, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, Write Great Fiction: Revision & Self-Editing and The Art of War for Writers are three of the most popular writing books available today.

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Joseph Bentz

Name: Joseph Bentz Website: http://www.josephbentz.com Hosting:    LNW12: Top 10 Strategies to Become a More Productive Writer Joseph Bentz is the author of four novels and three non-fiction books. Among his recent releases are the contemporary novel A Son Comes Home (Randall House, 2007) and the non-fiction Christian living book, God in Pursuit: The Tipping Points from Doubt to Faith (Beacon Hill Press, 2010). His other books include contemporary novels published by Bethany House and a fantasy novel, Song of Fire, published by Thomas Nelson in 1995. Some of his books have been chosen for the Guideposts and Crossings books clubs and have received other awards. Bentz is a professor of English at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California, where he teaches courses in American literature and writing. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in American literature from Purdue University, and he graduated with a B.A. in English from Olivet Nazarene University. He and his wife Peggy and their two children live in Southern California. More information about his books and speaking is available at his website.

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Sandra Bishop

Name: Sandra Bishop Website: Hosting:    WS3: Selling Your Stuff (with Rachelle Gardner) Sandra Bishop is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. She has two decades of experience in various aspects of publishing, with an expertise in marketing, and she spend years making her living as a writer.

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Terri Blackstock

Name: Terri Blackstock Website: http://www.terriblackstock.com/ Hosting:    WS9: Writing Suspense Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with six million copies sold worldwide. Her latest book, Intervention, debuted on the New York Times list, and many of her books have reached the number one slot on the Christian best-seller lists. Terri has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. In 1994 Terri was writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening drew her into the Christian market. As she was praying about her transition, she went on a cruise and noticed that almost everyone on the boat (including her) had a John Grisham novel. It occurred to her that some of Grisham’s readers were Christians, and that if she wrote a fast-paced thriller with an added element—a strong Christian message—she might just find her niche. As God would have it, Christian publishers were just getting interested in the suspense genre, so she quickly sold a four-book series to Zondervan. Since that time, she’s written over thirty Christian titles, most of them suspense novels. Recent books include Predator (releasing May 25, 2010), about an internet predator who stalks girls through social networking, and Intervention, which debuted on the New York Times Best-Seller list, and was inspired by her experiences with a drug-addicted family member. Other recent books include a stand-alone novel called Double Minds, as well as Last Light, Night Light, True Light and Dawn’s Light (from her acclaimed Restoration Series). She is also known for her popular Newpointe 911 Series and Cape Refuge Series. Terri makes her home in Mississippi, where she and her husband Ken are enjoying their empty nest after raising three children. Terri has appeared on national television programs such as “The 700 Club” and “Home Life,” and has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country. The story of her personal journey appears in books such asTouched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins. She has won or been a finalist for numerous awards, including the Christy Awards, the Retailer's Choice Awards, the Romantic Times Book Awards, the RITA Awards, and many others.

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Margaret Brownley

Name: Margaret Brownley Website: http://www.margaretbrownley.com Hosting:    WS8: Fact Into Fiction (with Dorothy Love) Margaret Brownley penned more than 20 novels before moving to the CBA. A Suitor for Jenny, the second book in her Rocky Creek Romance historical series is due out this month from Thomas Nelson. She lives with her family in Southern California.

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Mindy Starns Clark

Name: Mindy Starns Clark Website: http://www.mindystarnsclark.com/ Hosting:    WS15: Amish 101 WS21: Tracking the Details Bestselling author and speaker Mindy Starns Clark has written 12 novels and 2 nonfiction books, including A Pocket Guide to Amish Life and The House That Cleans Itself, and the popular gothic mysteries Under the Cajun Moon, Shadows of Lancaster County, and Whispers of the Bayou. Mindy's other books include The Million Dollar Mysteries series and the Smart Chick Mystery series. Her next novel is the Amish mystery Secrets of Harmony Grove, which will be released this fall. A singer and former stand-up comedian, Mindy is also a popular inspirational speaker and playwright. She lives near Valley Forge, PA, with her husband and two daughters.

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Colleen Coble

Name: Colleen Coble Website: http://www.colleencoble.com/ Hosting:    WS22: Fine-Tuning Your Brand (with Ami Ami McConnell) Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 1 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana and is a proud new grandma. When she’s not spoiling her granddaughter, she is teaching at a writer’s conference or researching a new book.

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Kaye Dacus

Name: Kaye Dacus Website: http://kayedacus.com Hosting:    WS10: Finding Your Voice WS28: Feeding the Muse: Creativity & Imagination Humor, Hope, and Happily Ever Afters! Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing and Harvest House Publishers. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. She loves action movies and British costume dramas; and when she’s not writing, she enjoys knitting scarves and “lap blankets” (she’s a master of the straight-line knit and purl stitches!). Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she’s never been kissed.

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Susan Page Davis

Name: Susan Page Davis Website: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/ Hosting:    WS:23 10 Ways to Make Your Characters Multi-Dimensional Susan Page Davis is the author of 30 novels in the historical romance, mystery, and romantic suspense genres. She's a past winner of the ACFW Book of the Year and the Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest.

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Leanna Ellis

Name: Leanna Ellis Website: http://www.leannaellis.com/ Hosting:    WS6: It’s Not A Dirty Word-Theme (with Shelley Shepard Gray) WS17: Writing the Bigger Book (with Shelley Shepard Gray) ‘Leanna Ellis takes a back seat to no one,’ says Debbie Macomber. But Leanna knows God is in the driver’s seat as she taxies her two children to and from all their activities, lets her menagerie of pets in and out … in and out ..., figures out what to cook for dinner (or where to order takeout), and at the same time keeps those quirky characters in her head from bothering others. Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna writes quirky women’s fiction with a splash of romance. Descended from a long line of southerners and patriots, she lives with her family in Texas.

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Rachelle Gardner

Name: Rachelle Gardner Website: http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/ Hosting:    WS3: Selling Your Stuff (with Sandra Bishop) Rachelle Gardner is an agent with WordServe Literary Group representing both fiction and nonfiction. Her fourteen years in publishing have included positions in editorial as well as sales, marketing, and subsidiary rights. She has edited more than seventy books and ghostwritten eight nonfiction titles.

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Jeff Gerke

Name: Jeff Gerke Website: http://www.jeffersonscott.com/ Hosting:    WS16: The Last Show vs Tell Class You’ll Ever Need Jeff Gerke has been called the de facto gatekeeper of Christian speculative fiction. After his own six novels were published (under the pen name Jefferson Scott) and his time spearheading the launch of a fiction imprint dedicated to Christian speculative fiction at a major Christian publishing company, Jeff branched out on his own to launch Marcher Lord Press (www.marcherlordpress.com), an Indie publishing house billing itself as the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. His fiction how-to book The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction is available through Amazon or Marcher Lord Press and his new craft book from Writer’s Digest Books, Plot versus Character, releases in October 2010. Jeff lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, teenage daughter, 9-year-old son, and 2-year-old adoptive daughter from China.

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Shelley Shepard Gray

Name: Shelley Shepard Gray Website: http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com/ Hosting:    WS6: It’s Not A Dirty Word-Theme (with Leanna Ellis) WS17: Writing the Bigger Book (with Leanna Ellis) helley Shepard Gray writes Amish Romances for Harper Collins’ Avon Inspire line. Hidden, was nominated for the Inspirational Readers Choice award. Shelley also writes for Harlequin American Romance as Shelley Galloway. Shelley’s second book for Harlequin won the Reviewers Choice Award. Though Shelley was raised in Texas, she currently lives in southern Ohio. She’s currently doing her best to get used to her son being in college and her daughter filling out college applications. She’s hoping to deal with these changes by owning as many dachshunds as possible.

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Rachel Hauck

Name: Rachel Hauck Website: http://rachelhauck.com/ Hosting:    CE Session 4: Scene Therapy (with Susan May Warren) WS19: Tell Your Story Through the Power of Metaphor Florida based Rachel Hauck is a best selling and award winning novelist with over ten books in print. She is a worship leader and conference speaker, and the vice president of My Book Therapy, a boutique craft service. Married to Tony for almost seventeen years, she is active in ministry and the mother of two pets. She currently serves ACFW as a past president and an advisor.

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Michael Hauge

Name: Michael Hauge Website: http://www.screenplaymastery.com Hosting:    CE Session 6: Six Stage Plot Structure Michael Hauge is a story and script consultant, author and lecturer who works with writers and filmmakers on their screenplays, novels, movies and television projects. He is the author of Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read and of Writing Screenplays That Sell. He has also presented seminars and lectures to more than 40,000 participants throughout the US, Canada and Europe.

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Dr. Dennis E. Hensley

Name: Dr. Dennis E. Hensley Website: Hosting:    CE Session 2: Mastering Structure, symbols, 3-D Characters identified with literary fiction writing Dr. Dennis E. Hensley is the author of 51 books, including three mystery-romance novels for Harvest House under his pen name of Leslie Holden. His eight textbooks on professional writing include How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at It (Random House) and Writing for Profit (Thomas Nelson Co.). Doc Hensley is director of the professional writing major at Taylor University, where he is a full professor. He was the 2009 recipient of the "Elizabeth Sherrill Lifetime Achievement Award." Doc is a contributing editor and columnist for Writer's Journal and for Advanced Christian Writer. He is the only person who serves each year as a judge for all three major Christian writing awards: The Christy Fiction Awards, the Christian Book/Gold Medallion Awards, and the Evangelical Press Association Awards. He is on the boards of Christian Writers Guild and Midwest Writers Workshop.

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Jenny B. Jones

Name: Jenny B. Jones Website: http://www.jennybjones.com/ Hosting:    WS2: Humor in Fiction WS7: This Ain’t Sweet Valley High Award winning author Jenny B. Jones writes Christian Fiction with equal parts wit, sass, and untamed hilarity. When she's not writing, Jenny is living it up as a high school teacher in Arkansas. And by live it up, she means grading papers, avoiding house work, and praying for snow days.

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Deb Kinnard

Name: Deb Kinnard Website: http://www.debkinnard.com/ Hosting:    LWC13: Free to be E (with Michelle Levigne) Deb Kinnard started writing at age ten, because there was no preteen girl with a horse on Bonanza. From there she progressed to short stories and dreadful poetry. In college, she gained two degrees in health care and spent time observing hippies, basketball stars, el-ed majors and other strange species. While raising two active girls and cherishing her husband, she’s enjoyed a career that encompasses Spanish translation, volunteer work at a crisis line, years in assorted ERs, and a day job at a big Chicago teaching hospital. Deb keeps busy with reading, needlework, guitar-playing, and travel whenever possible. She prefers warm places with plenty of ocean and tall, cool fruit juice drinks. Deb is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and serves as Zone Director for the Midwest. Her previously published novels include Powerline and Oakwood (Treble Heart Books). Angel with a Ray Gun and Angel with a Backhoe are published by Desert Breeze Publishing. Current books include Seasons in the Mist, an April 2010 release from Sheaf House, Damages also in April 2010 from Desert Breeze Publishing. Upcoming titles include the novella Aloha, My Love will appear in Desert Breeze’s Christmas 2010 anthology. She’s currently working on a sequel to Seasons in the Mist.

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Steve Laube

Name: Steve Laube Website: http://www.stevelaube.com/ Hosting:    WS25: Working with Your Agent Steve Laube, a literary agent and president of The Steve Laube Agency, has been in the book industry for over 29 years, first as a bookstore manager and book buyer for a national chain. In 1989 he was awarded the National Store of the Year by the Christian Bookstore Association (CBA), out of 4,000 eligible stores. He spent 11 years with Bethany House Publishers rising to the position of Editorial Director/Adult Nonfiction and in 2002 was named the Editor of the Year by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Since becoming an agent he has negotiated nearly 300 contracts representing over 500 new books and was named Agent of the Year by The American Christian Fiction Writers in 2009. In addition, Steve has taught at writer’s conferences in more than 50 cities. His office is in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Michelle Levigne

Name: Michelle Levigne Website: http://www.mlevigne.com/ Hosting:    LNC13: Free to be E (with Deb Kinnard) Michelle has been a story addict for as long as she can remember, starting with The Cat in the Hat and Weekly Reader Book Club. She discovered Narnia and Star Trek in elementary school, and was a familiar face in the school library, especially when she became addicted to Greek mythology. She fell into fandom in college, and has 40+ short stories and poems in various universes; Star Trek, Starman, Highlander, Stargate SG-1, Stingray, Beauty & the Beast, and The Phoenix. She and a friend published a multi-universe ‘zine, Starwheel, for 4 issues. All this time, she worked up to sending out original stories to magazines and publishing houses, eventually receiving rejection letters that weren’t the standard photocopied photocopy of a form letter. She has a BA in theater/English from Northwestern College and a MA in communication, focused on film and writing from Regent University. She has submitted scripts for various screenwriting competitions and wrote and submitted scripts for MacGuyver, Beauty & the Beast, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and The Pretender. She also wrote scripts for Matrix and Stargate SG-1, but never obtained permission to submit scripts. Their loss! In 1990, her writing career finally broke into the public market when she won 1st place in the 4th quarter of the Writers of the Future contest, which earned a hefty prize, payment to have her story in that year’s anthology, and a week at a writing seminar in California before the awards ceremony. Unfortunately, it was a long-term launch, because it wasn’t until 2000 that Mountainview Publishing contracted for Heir of Faxinor. (Now at Hard Shell Word Factory). Since then, Michelle has published 40+ books and novellas with multiple e-publishers, in science fiction and fantasy, YA, and many sub-genres of romance. She has been a finalist in the EPPIE Awards competition (10 finalists and 2 wins, Lorien, in 2006, Inspirational category, and The Meruk Episodes, 1-5, in 2010, Anthology category) and has garnered 4s and 5s from many review sites. Her training includes the aforementioned degrees; the Institute for Children’s Literature correspondence course; 8+ years proofreading at an advertising agency; and 10 years at a community newspaper, entering and editing freelancers’ articles and news releases. She has also freelance edited for small presses and a major business publisher. In 2008, she launched her own freelance editing business, offering proofreading as well as light or in-depth editing services on an hourly basis.

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Dorothy Love

Name: Dorothy Love Website: http://www.dannelove.com Hosting:    WS8: Fact Into Fiction (with Margaret Brownley) Award-winning author Dorothy Love published more than a dozen novels before moving to the CBA. She teaches the craft of writing fiction at Hollins University, has conducted workshops at more than a hundred conferences nationwide, and was featured on the "Author to Author" television series for Florida PBS. Beyond All Measure, the first historical novel in her Hickory Ridge Chronicles series will be published at Thomas Nelson in the spring of 2011. She makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their two golden retrievers.

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Chip MacGregor

Name: Chip MacGregor Website: http://chipmacgregor.com/ Hosting:    CE Session 5: Marketing Your Fiction Chip MacGregor has been involved in the world of publishing for nearly three decades. Starting as a copy editor with a small magazine while in college, he has worked as an editor for numerous publishers, was a Senior Editor with both Harvest House and Vision House, and served as Associate Publisher with Time-Warner Book Group. He also made his living as a writer and collaborator for several years, co-authoring books with the likes of Bruce Wilkinson, Bruce Waltke, and Phil Downer, and worked with Dr. David Jeremiah's ministry to create their long list of Bible studies. Chip is the author or co-author of dozens of titles, has spoken at more than 100 writing conferences, and is well known among authors and publishers. For several years he was a high-profile literary agent at Alive Communications in Colorado Springs, where he worked on numerous award-winning books, including a #1 New York Times bestsseller. Three years ago he began his own literary agency, MacGregor Literary, which represents many ACFW members. One of the few agents who is known to work in both CBA and the general market, Publishers Marketplace listed him as the second busiest agents in all of publishing last year. Chip and his wife live on the Oregon coast.

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Ami McConnell

Name: Ami McConnell Website: Sr. Acquisitions Editor for Fiction Hosting:    LNW6: Spotlight On...Thomas Nelson (with Allen Arnold) WS22: Fine-Tuning Your Brand (with Colleen Coble) AMI MCCONNELL is Senior Acquisitions Editor for Thomas Nelson’s fiction division. McConnell’s career at Thomas Nelson began in 1997. Six years ago, she helped launch the dedicated fiction line at Thomas Nelson. Her editing credits include New York Times Bestsellers, RITA finalists, and several Christy Award winners. In 2009, ACFW named McConnell Editor of the Year. She’s the proud mother of five children and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Susan Meissner

Name: Susan Meissner Website: http://www.susanmeissner.com/ Hosting:    WS20: Writing in the Wilderness WS30: Peace in the Process Susan Meissner is the multi-published author of The Shape of Mercy, named one of the Best Books in 2008 by Publishers Weekly and the ECPA’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is also a speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism and the leader/moderator of a San Diego writers’ group. A native San Diegan, Susan attended Point Loma Nazarene University. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries program at The Church at Rancho Bernardo. She and her husband Bob are the parents of four young adults.

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Marta Perry

Name: Marta Perry Website: http://www.martaperry.com/ Hosting:    LNW14: Tweaking Your Way to Publication A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania, where she still lives, and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta Perry to write about the Plain People and their rich heritage in her current fiction series for Berkley Books, The Pleasant Valley Amish. Marta recently celebrated the publication of her thirty-sixth inspirational novel, with another eight books scheduled over the next two years. In addition to her Amish series for Berkley, Marta is currently writing an inspirational romance series set in South Carolina for Love Inspired and a romantic suspense series with a Pennsylvania Dutch setting for HQN Books. There are over four million copies of her books in print. Marta is a member of RWA, ACFW, and Pennwriters. When she’s not writing, she and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening, and visiting their six beautiful grandchildren.

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Jim & Tracie Peterson

Name: Jim & Tracie Peterson Website: http://www.traciepeterson.com Hosting:    CE Session 1: Basic Basics for Fiction Writers Tracie and Jim Peterson have been married for 30 years and make their home in Montana. Tracie is the bestselling author of over 80 books. Jim is a historian who helps Tracie, and often other authors, with historical research.

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Allie Plieter

Name: Allie Plieter Website: http://www.alliepleiter.com/ Hosting:    WS4: Perfect Pairings An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing two parenting books and eight novels including the Book of the Year nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, THE PERFECT BLEND, and MASKED By MOONLIGHT. Allie speaks nationally faith, women’s issues, and writing.

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Cara Putman

Name: Cara Putman Website: http://caraputman.com Hosting:    WS24: Legal Scenes Tricks & Traps (with Rick Acker) WS29: Author Law 101 (with Rick Acker) Cara Putman is a woman living a dream God planted in her heart years ago. An honors graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!) and George Mason Law School, Cara is an attorney licensed in Virginia and Indiana. She clerked for the Honorable Loren Smith at the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. before following her husband to Indiana. In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. At the book signing her husband told Colleen Coble that she wanted to be writer. She's been running ever since to keep up. Barbour's Heartsong Presents has released four of her books, including Canteen Dreams, a WWII historical set in Nebraska that won the 2008 Book of the Year for Short Historical. She also writes romantic suspense for Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense and the Complete Idiots Guide to Business Law. She has nine books out with three more releasing in 2010, including Stars in the Night for Summerside Press, book four in Guideposts next mystery series Patchwork Mysteries and A Promise Forged for Heartsong Presents. Cara is also an attorney, wife, mom to three, homeschool teacher, occasional professor at Purdue, active at her church, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is.

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Gayle Roper

Name: Gayle Roper Website: http://www.gayleroper.com Hosting:    CE Session 3: 12 Crucial Questions to ask about your novel Gayle is the award winning author of more than forty books. She has been a Christy finalist three times for her novels Spring Rain, Summer Shadows, and Winter Winds. Gayle is a convinced believer in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior. This belief informs her world view and is evident in all her stories. For her work in training Christian writers Gayle has won special recognition from Mount Hermon CWC, St. Davids CWC, Florida CWC, and Greater Philadelphia CWC. She directed St. Davids for five years and Sandy Cove CWC for six. She has taught with Christian Leaders, Authors and Speakers Services (CLASS), serving for several years as their writer in residence. Gayle is married to Chuck Roper and has been "for more years than seems possible!". Gayle and Chuck live in southeastern Pennsylvania where they enjoy their family of two great sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and the world's five most wonderful grandchildren.

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Jim Rubart

Name: Jim Rubart Website: http://www.jimrubart.com Hosting:    CE Session 5: Marketing Your Fiction Since 1994 Jim Rubart has worked with and trained clients such as AT&T/Cingular, RE/MAX, ABC and Clear Channel Radio though his company Jr2 Marketing. He also co-owns He Blogs, She Blogs, a company that designs, develops, and implements blogs and Web sites for businesses and individuals. He's written more than 1,000 radio and TV spots as well as developed and written numerous Web sites, sales letters, one-sheets and articles. He writes a monthly column, Quantum Marketing for Christian Fiction Online Magazine, and his first novel, ROOMS, will published by B&H in April 2010. He has been a professional speaker and marketing trainer for more than twenty years and will be speaking at the Florida Christian Writer's Conference in February and the Northwest Christian Writer's Renewal in May. Jim is also a photographer, guitarist, golfer, water skier, and semi-pro magician. He lives in the Northwest with the world's most perfect wife and his two almost-perfect sons. No, he doesn't sleep much.

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Kim Vogel Sawyer

Name: Kim Vogel Sawyer Website: http://www.kimvogelsawyer.com/ Hosting:    WS11: Self-Publishing WS14: Turning Rejection Into Redirection A former elementary school teacher, Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of seventeen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won awards including the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. As a wife, mom of three, grandmother to five darling boys and one little princess, and an active participant in her church, Kim's life is happily full; but her passion lies sharing stories of the hope we can possess when we place our lives in God's capable hands. An active speaking ministry assists in this goal. Kim and her military husband reside in small-town Kansas.

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Barbara Scott

Name: Barbara Scott Website: http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/home.aspx Hosting:    WS26: The Art of Self-Editing Barbara Scott, Sr. Acquisitions Editor for Fiction at Abingdon Press. She has more than 30 years experience in newspaper, magazine, and book publishing, including adult, youth, and children’s fiction. She also has published two bestselling novels for Thomas Nelson, as well as numerous gift books.

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Marion Stroud

Name: Marion Stroud Website: http://www.marionstroud.com/ Hosting:    WS5: Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace Parts ONE and TWO Marion Stroud is a published author of 21 adult non-fiction books and 3 children’s novels. Some of her books have been translated into 14 languages, and sold over a million copies. She is a cross cultural Trainer for Media Associates, who train Christian writers in the ‘hard places of the world’ to write for their own culture.[ www.littworld.org ] Her book of prayers for women, “Dear God It’s Me and It’s Urgent” was published in the US by Discovery House in 2008

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Camy Tang

Name: Camy Tang Website: http://www.camytang.com Hosting:    LNW15: Mistakes in Genesis Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her chick lit Sushi series (Sushi for One?, Only Uni, and Single Sashimi) and her romantic suspense, Deadly Intent. Originally from Hawaii, she worked as a biologist for 9 years, but now she is a staff worker for her San Jose church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She has coordinated the ACFW Genesis contest for 5 years and runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service, which specializes in book doctoring. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels and ponders frivolous things.

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Susan May Warren

Name: Susan May Warren Website: http://susanmaywarren.com Hosting:    CE Session 4: Scene Therapy (with Rachel Hauck) WS18: Deep and Wide Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year. A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com

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Jill Williamson

Name: Jill Williamson Website: http://www.jillwilliamson.com Hosting:    WS1: Creating a Believable Science Fiction or Fantasy Storyworld Jill Williamson is a novelist, dreamer, and believer. She grew up in Alaska with no electricity, an outhouse, and a lot of mosquitoes. Thankfully it was the land of the midnight sun, and she could stay up and read by the summer daylight that wouldn’t go away. But in the winter, there was nothing better to do than daydream. Both hobbies set her up to be a writer. VOYA magazine named By Darkness Hidas one of the Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror novels of 2010. Jill has served alongside her youth pastor husband for the past twelve years and loves working with teenagers, especially to encourage young writers. She gives writing workshops at churches and schools.

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Lenora Worth

Name: Lenora Worth Website: http://www.lenoraworth.com Hosting:    LNW: Tweaking Your Way to Publication (with Marta Perry) Lenora Worth has written 35 books for three different publishers. She reached a milestone in 2006 when she received her 25th book pin from Steeple Hill and Harlequin. Her books have won both regional and national awards and she now has over 1 million books in print. Currently she is writing both Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense for Steeple Hill. Married to her childhood sweetheart, Lenora has two grown children. She wrote a weekly opinion column for five years for the local paper and currently also writes freelance for a local magazine. Lenora lives in Louisiana.

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