Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between, The Progeny, Firstborn, Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker.
Mountainside Novelist Retreat
October 8, 2023—October 11, 2023
1 Ridgecrest Dr.
Black Mountain, NC
A Hands-on Experience for Novelists
Call 1-800-588-7222 to Register Today!
Plan to join us October 8 - 11, 2023 for the next Mountainside Novelist Retreat at Ridgecrest!
Storytelling is the ancient art of entertaining others with a powerful story. What better way to move farther along your publishing journey than at a novelist retreat in the mountains? This event will equip writers through workshops and private meetings around all aspects of being a novelist—from improving the craft of writing to valuable tips for marketing and launching a book. Through a variety of classes geared specifically for novelists, this event will help focus on building strengths from challenges. The Novelist retreat is ONLY open to fiction writers: from those with a fiction manuscript in progress, to those with multiple novels published. Join us at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC for hours of hard work, spiritual renewal, and building a career as a novelist.
The Premise
This event will be a retreat to equip novelists—from those with an in-progress novel to those with multiple books. Featured Instructors include best-selling novelist Tosca Lee, along with Lynette Eason – literary agent with the Steve Laube Agency, Cindy Sproles, Larry Leech – editor in chief for Bold Vision Books, Edie Melson, Edwina Perkins – publisher Harambee Press, End Game Press, and Tammy Karasek. During these four days writers can expect:
- classroom instruction time including:
- the craft of writing
- book launches
- organization
- social media & marketing
- private writing time
- meetings with editors, agents and industry professionals
Details
- Program Fee: $275.00 per person
- Accommodations: $109.00 per room, per night for Mountain Laurel West, $119.00 per room, per night for Mountain Laurel East
- Meals: $111.00 per person, (includes 9 meals starting Sunday dinner through Wednesday lunch)
The Schedule
Sunday
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Registration
3:15 – 3:30 Opening
3:45 – 4:00 Icebreaker
4:15 – 5:15 Class:
- Understanding Facebook Ads to Build Your Facebook Page – Edie Melson
5:30 – 6:30 Supper
7:00 – 8:15 Panel Discussion – working with a publishing house
- Larry Leech
- Cindy Sproles
- Edwina Perkins
Monday
7:15 – 8:15 Breakfast
8:30 – 8:50 Announcements & Devotion
9:00 – 10:15 Class:
- Effective Social Media for Fiction Writers & Building Your Email List – Edie Melson
10:30 – 11:45 Class:
- Sensitivity Readers & How This Will Increase Your Audience – Edwina Perkins
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 Private Writing Time and/or Brainstorming
1:00 – 2:00 Round Table Discussions
- Edie Melson/Tammy Karasek (talking about Platform & Marketing)
- Lynette Eason
- Larry Leech
2:45 – 3:45 Class:
- Self-editing your novel – Larry Leech
4:00 – 5:00 Class:
- Working with an Agent – Lynette Eason
5:30 – 6:30 Supper
7:00 – 8:15 World building for Every Genre – Tosca Lee
Tuesday
7:15 – 8:15 Breakfast
8:30 – 8:50 Announcements & Devotion
9:00 – 10:15 Class:
- Unforgettable Characters – Tosca Lee
10:30 – 11:45
- Voice and Description – Cindy Sproles
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 Private Writing Time and/or Brainstorming
1:00 – 2:00 Round Table Discussions
- Tosca Lee
- Edwina Perkins
- Cindy Sproles
2:45 – 3:45 Class:
- Adding Suspense to Your Novel – Lynette Eason
4:00 – 5:00 Class:
- Book Launch Basics – Tammy Karasek
5:30 – 6:30 Supper
7:00 – 8:15 Class:
- Dialog – Larry Leech
Wednesday
7:15 – 8:15 Breakfast
8:30 – 8:50 Announcements & Devotional
9:00 – 9:30 Pack Your Car
9:45 – 11:00 Closing Keynote – Tosca Lee
11:15 – 11:45 Final Faculty Q & A
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
Meet the Leaders
Edie Melson
Director/Author/Social Media Expert
Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers experiencing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking about faith, writing, or social media, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” Her reputation as an online expert is well-deserved. Her blog reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017. In her role as social media coach she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. Her bestselling eBook on this subject, has been updated, expanded and re-released with co-author DiAnn Mills as Social Media for Today’s Writer. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and author of numerous books. She’s quick to remind those she meets about the practical and personal applications of God’s infinite love. Visit her online at www.EdieMelson.com
Edwina Perkins
Co-director/Publisher Harambee Press
Edwina Perkins is an award-winning writer, experienced teacher, speaker, and free-lance editor. She served on the Word Weavers Orlando Leadership Team and now is a part of the Word Weavers International Advisory Committee. She worked as a content editor with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and is currently the Managing Editor for Harambee Press—LPC’s ethnic voices imprint which seeks to publish ethnic writers.
She is a wife, mother of four adult children, grandmother of two, and owner of a 16-year-old bichon poodle mix who believes the world revolves around him.
Tosca Lee
Featured Keynote, Best-Selling Author
She is the recipient of two International Book Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion, ECPA Book of the Year in Fiction, and the Nebraska Book Award. Her work has finaled for the High Plains Book Award, the Library of Virginia Reader’s Choice Award, two Christy Awards, and a second ECPA Book of the Year. The Line Between was a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery/Thriller of 2019. In addition to the New York Times, her books have appeared on the IndieBound bestseller list, and Library Journal’s “Best Of” lists..
Tosca received her B.A. from Smith College and lives in Nebraska with her husband, three of four children still at home, and her 160-lb. German Shepherd, Timber.
Lynette Eason
Author/Literary Agent
Lynette Eason is the best-selling, award-winning author of over sixty-five books. Many have appeared on the USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and Parable bestseller lists. Lynette teaches at writing conferences all over the country, but when she’s not plotting and writing her next story, she’s hard at work as an agent for the Steve Laube Agency. Lynette is looking to represent a wide variety of fiction including, but not limited to, romantic suspense, thrillers, mysteries, speculative fiction, historical, women’s contemporary, YA, and writers targeting the Love Inspired suspense lines. I’m also interested in YA non-fiction and may be interested in some adult non-fiction, depending on the topic. For fun, Lynette enjoys hanging out with her family and putting her photography skills to good use. You can find more about Lynette at www.lynetteeason.com and www.stevelaubeagency.com
Larry J. Leech II
Editor-in-Chief, Bold Vision Books
Writing coach of award-winning authors and recently named Editor-in-Chief at Bold Vision Books, Larry J. Leech II has spent more than forty years writing and editing. He started his career as a sportswriter in southwestern Pennsylvania where he covered prep sports, as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers. In 2004, after 2,300 published articles and 13,000 interviews, Larry shifted to writing and editing. Since that time, he has ghostwritten 30 books, edited more than 400 manuscripts, and coached hundreds of authors through the writing and publication process. For more than a decade Larry has taught at numerous general market and inspirational conferences nationwide. You can find him online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Cindy Sproles
Author/Writing Coach
Cindy K. Sproles is an author, teacher, and conference speaker. She is the executive editor for ChristianDevotions.us and InspireaFire.com and she is the cofounder of WritingWrite, a mentoring service for authors.
Cindy was born in the mountains of East Tennessee and she loves her Appalachian heritage. She is a best-selling, award-winning author.
Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.
Tammy Karasek
Author, Book Launch Expert
When not writing Women’s Fiction and Rom-Com, she’s The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and also a Virtual Assistant for authors. Her work was published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, and MBT Monday Devotions and others. Connect with Tammy at https://www.tammykarasek.com.