by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Every year, we have some last minute additions and/or deletions to our faculty. This year’s no different. But I think you’ll be as excited as I am to see who we’ve managed to add.

Be sure to check the faculty and classes pages for last-minute changes. Life does happen—even to publishing professionals—and we’ll do our best to make sure the schedule, faculty roster, and class listings stay up-to-date.

But without any further prevarication…

Shana Asaro

Associate Editor, Love Inspired

Shana Asaro is the Associate Editor for Love Inspired, Harlequin’s Christian romance series line.  She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in journalism and worked at a literary agency before coming to Harlequin.

Shana acquires for all three of the Love Inspired series lines (contemporary romance, romantic suspense and historical romance) and especially enjoys action-adventure suspense romances, sweet contemporary romances set in small towns, storms, dogs and a little bit of humor or quirkiness.

When she’s not reading or editing, Shana likes to spend time with her husband and dog, travel, watch movies, discuss the merits of Gilmore Girls, eat frozen yogurt and drink Starbucks lattes.  You can find her on Twitter at @shana_asaro.

Classes:

How to Write a Love Inspired Romance Novel (Workshop, Act I/II)

Learn all about writing category-length romance for the three Love Inspired lines (Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, Love Inspired Historical). Whether you’re an avid reader of Love Inspired books, have only read a few or have never picked one up, going from reader to writer requires a whole new approach. To help you successfully target your writing to Love Inspired and write a book we’ll want to buy, come learn the specifics of the lines and tips on what we’re looking for. We’ll talk about hooks (What are they and what ones work for us?), conflict, pacing, avoiding episodic plots, the all-important first chapter and more. I’ll also have Love Inspired books to give away to help you in your research.

Lindsey Brackett

Acquiring for Splickety Publishing Group

Award-winning writer, Lindsey P. Brackett once taught middle grades literature, but now she writes her own works in the midst of motherhood. A blogger since 2010, she has published articles and short stories in a variety of print and online publications including Thriving Family, Country Extra, HomeLife, Splickety Prime, Splickety Love, and Southern Writers Magazine Best Short Fiction 2015. She writes a popular bimonthly column for The Northeast Georgian in which she meditates on small town southern life and dreams of meeting Rick Bragg.

Lindsey also serves as Editor of Web Content for the Splickety Publishing Group. For Splickety, Lindsey acquires great flash fiction and pieces of writerly wisdom that help make Splickety the world’s destination for great, quick reads and excellent writing tips.

Her love of family ties and southern places prompted her first novel, a Lowcountry story about the power of family and forgiveness, which will release with Lighthouse Publishing in 2017.

A mother of four young children, her home is always full of wet towels, lost library books, and strong coffee. Connect with her at www.lindseypbrackett.com, where she just writes life, on Facebook as Lindsey P. Brackett, or on Twitter: @lindsbrac.

She welcomes your flash fiction and writer wisdom pieces for Splickety’s Lightning Blog. Email her: blog@splicketypubgroup.com.

CLASSES:

Lindsey will be meeting with attendees and accepting pitches.

Vie Herlocker

Acquiring for Sonfire Media

Vie Herlocker is executive editor for Sonfire Media, a small traditional Christian publisher and its fiction imprint, Taberah Press, located in Galax, Virginia. Sonfire is a POD publisher and does both paperback and e-books.

Besides editing, Vie coauthored a book for the educational in-service market, ghostwrote a memoir, and has been published in Penned from the Heart; Chicken Soup for the Empty Nester’s Soul; Christian Communicator; Church Libraries; Guideposts; Angels on Earth; and more. She is a member of the Christian Editor Connection, Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, ACFW, and ACW.

Editorial Needs

Sonfire Media publishes nonfiction “Messages that Matter.” We like Christian living and inspirational books, including distinctive memoirs. Themed devotionals are considered, but we prefer these not be 365-day books. We do not publish Bible studies.

Taberah Press publishes fiction with “Intrigue and Inspiration.” We like YA/New Adult speculative fiction and literary adult fiction that takes readers on a journey, shows them something about life, and reminds them that there is more. We do not publish romance.

Contact: vie.herlocker@sonfiremedia.com   www.sonfiremedia.com www.taberahpress.com

CLASSES:

Vie will be meeting with attendees and accepting pitches.

J.B. Hixon

Logos Representative

J. B. Hixson has more than 28 years of ministry experience in the pastoral and academic arenas.  He has a passion for communicating God’s Word in a clear and meaningful manner and for helping others learn how to study the Bible effectively for themselves.  J. B. is the President of Not By Works Ministries in Groveland, IL and host of the national radio show Not By Works with Dr. J. B. Hixsonheard daily on radio stations in multiple cities and states.  He also serves on the adjunct faculty of several colleges and seminaries, and has traveled to all 50 states where he has spoken in more than 500 churches and conferences.  He earned his B.A. degree from Houston Baptist University, Th.M. degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, and Ph.D. degree from Summit University. He is the author of six books: Getting the Gospel Wrong: The Evangelical Crisis No One is Talking About;The Gospel Unplugged: Good News Plain and Simple; The Great Last Days Deception: Exposing Satan’s New World Order Agenda; Freely By His Grace: Classical Grace Theology; What Lies Ahead: A Biblical Overview of the End Times; and Getting the Gospel Wrong, rev. ed.; and numerous theological journal articles.  J. B. and his wife Wendy live with their six children in Central Illinois.  For more information about Dr. Hixson, please visit www.NotByWorks.org.

CLASSES:

Workshop: Delivering Insight: An introduction to Logos 6

Explore the Word with confidence, discover fresh insights, and gain the tools you need to become a better writer and student of the Word. With smart and easy-to-use tools, Logos 6 equips you to find answers faster, visualize the biblical world, unearth real meaning from the original languages, and explore Scripture as a community. This workshop will show you how Logos 6 simplifies your study process and helps you do hundreds of hours of research in minutes using the world’s #1 Bible technology software.

Katy Kauffman

Acquiring for Refresh Bible Study Magazine

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, a magazine editor and designer, and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies (not the same as Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas). At the conference, she represents two online magazines, Refresh Bible Study Magazine and Broken but Priceless: The Magazine, and will be acquiring articles and the names of potential contributors.

Refresh seeks to be a Christian voice in an increasingly secular world, and its mission is to connect God’s word to life today. It is a free, bi-monthly magazine published by Lighthouse Bible Studies. As an editor of Refresh, Katy is looking for articles, devotions, personal stories or testimonies, poetry, and short stories related to the topics of spiritual warfare for the June 2016 issue and the fruit of the Spirit for the August issue. The October issue is contributor’s choice, and December is a Christmas issue.

Katy is also the designer of Broken but Priceless: The Magazine, published by the non-profit organization, Broken but Priceless Ministries. This free, quarterly magazine reaches out to those who suffer with chronic illnesses, and brings hope, encouragement, and practical help to them and their families and caregivers. She is looking for guest writers (testimonies, encouragement, tips) and for contributors to a couple of columns as openings become available per issue.

Make a private appointment with Katy if you’re interested in writing for either magazine and would like more information. Since the magazines are free, writers are not paid for articles, but a bio is given for each contributor, along with a blog address or website for those who have them.

CLASSES:

Katy will be meeting with attendees and accepting pitches.

Ramona Richards

Ramona Richards is the author of nine books, including her most recent release, My Mother’s Quilts. Her devotions have appeared in such publications as Fulfilled: The NIV Devotional Bible for the Single Woman, Trusting Jesus Every Day, Wonderfully Made, Heavenly Humor for the Woman’s Soul, Heavenly Humor for the Dieter’s Soul, and several others. Ramona has worked on staff or as a freelancer with more than 20 magazine and book publishers, including Thomas Nelson and Abingdon Press. She now works as a freelance editor and writer from her home office in Nashville, Tennessee.

CLASSES:

Ramona will be meeting with attendees and offering insight and mentoring into the publishing and writing life.