2022 Conference Faculty

Rick Acker

Rick Acker writes novels during his commute to and from his “real job” as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice. His unit prosecutes corporate fraud lawsuits of the type described in his #1 bestseller, WHEN THE DEVIL WHISTLES. Visit him on the web at rickacker.com.

Karen Barnett

Karen Barnett is the author of seven historical romances, including The Vintage National Parks Novels. Before becoming an author and photographer, she worked as a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park and Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park. She and her husband live in Albany, Oregon.

Sarah Barnum

Sarah Barnum is a freelance editor with a calling to help others tell their story and make their writing the best it can be. When she’s not writing her own narrative nonfiction or working with words, Sarah enjoys small-town life in Northern California with her husband, children, and Appaloosa horse. Learn more about TrailBlaze Writing & Editing at www.trail-blazes.com.

Joseph Bentz

Joseph Bentz is the author of 8 Old Testament Passages that Changed the World and six other books on Christian living. He is also the author of A Son Comes Home and three other novels. He is a professor of English at Azusa Pacific University in California. josephbentz.com.

Lisa Bogart

“She has an infectious laugh. And she writes lots of letters.” Coloring books to knit devotions, Lisa Bogart writes about joy with joy! She has taught at Mount Hermon and West Coast Christian Writers Conferences. She won the Guideposts Writing Contest in 2010 and continues to write for the magazine. She encourages those around her with small acts of kindness. Find her at lisabogart.com.

Laura Christianson

Laura Christianson helps writers confidently create a polished, professional online presence. She coaches authors who need to develop a brand, website, and email list. Laura hosts The Professional Writer podcast, and has authored several books and thousands of articles. She lives in the Seattle area.
bloggingbistro.com 

Melanie Dobson

Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and immerse herself in paper archives. The author of almost thirty books, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical fiction including Catching the Wind and The Curator’s Daughter. She is also the co-author of A Split in Time, a guide to writing time-slip fiction. Melanie’s novels have won five Carol Awards, the Audie Award, and ForeWord’s Religious Fiction Book of the Year.

Jon Drury

Jon Drury has published over 500 devotionals, and articles, and for 21 years directed the Christian Writers Seminar. Moving from devotionals to articles, then to books, his book BOU Pilot, tells of his flying in Vietnam. In 2012 at Mt. Hermon Jon received the David Talbott Special Recognition Award.

Susy Flory

Susy Flory is the New York Times bestselling author or co-author of sixteen books. She directs West Coast Christian Writers, is founder of Everything Memoir, and is in the final year of an MA in New Testament from Northern Seminary. Her book, The Unbreakable Boy, has been adapted for the screen and will release March, 2022, starring Patricia Heaton and Zachary Levi. Her most recent book. Sanctuary (Tyndale), co-authored with Patrick Barrett, is the true story of an Irish village, a man who lost his way, and the rescue donkeys that led him home, and launches March 15, 2022

Bill Giovannetti

Bill Giovannetti serves as a veteran pastor, professor, author, and speaker. Bill has developed an ability to speak to the mind in ways that touch the heart. He has launched a theological school for everyday Christians (VeritasSchool.life) and has created a course to help aspiring authors become published authors. bookdominion.com

Cheri Gregory

Cheri Gregory is the founder of Sensitive & Strong U; co-host of Grit ’n’ Grace: THE PODCAST; and co-author of five books, including Overwhelmed and An Abundant Place (both with Kathi Lipp). Cheri mentors HSP Christian writers and speakers through her Write Beside You coaching services and mastermind programs.

Jeanette Hanscome

Jeanette Hanscome is the author of five books, including Suddenly Single Mom and Running with Roselle, and has written hundreds of articles, devotions, and stories for magazines and devotional books. She speaks at women’s events and writers’ conferences and loves serving her writing community as part of the WCCW Board.

Marilyn Hilton

Marilyn Hilton is the author of the nonfiction books The Christian Girl’s Guide to Your Mom and It’s All About Dad & Me; the award-winning novels Full Cicada Moon and Found Things; and devotions, articles, and award-winning short stories and poems. A former technical writer and editor, Marilyn now writes full time.

David M. Hyde

David M. Hyde, is a multi-optioned award-winning screenwriter most recently co-writing a 9/11 docu-drama for Carolyn Mack Productions and is a limited-series writer for the Al Turner Company. His latest screenplay, The Last Good King, will be released soon as a novel by Michelle Janene.

Keri Wyatt Kent

Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of 11 books, and the co-author or contributor to a dozen others. She has experience with both royalty publishing and self-publishing. She is the founder of A Powerful Story, a writing, editing and publishing consulting company. Visit www.keriwyattkent.com for more.

Jan Kern

Jan Kern is a nonfiction author, speaker, and life coach. Her Live Free series launched with Jackie’s story in Scars That Wound, Scars that Heal: A Journey Out of Self-Injury, a ECPA Gold Medallion finalist. She currently writes for and serves multi-generational women through her ministry Voice of Courage. www.voiceofcourage.org

Diane Dokko Kim

Diane Dokko Kim is a disability ministry consultant, national speaker, and author of Unbroken Faith: Spiritual Recovery for the Special-Needs Parent (Worthy 2018). Her passions include encouraging struggling families and equipping churches to become inclusive faith communities. Connect with her at dianedokkokim.com as she lives and laughs out loud, “Wrecked, redeemed, and repurposed.”

Sherry Kyle

Sherry Kyle is an award-winning author of The Christian Girl’s Guide to Style and Love, Lexi: Letters to God, as well as an ECPA finalist for True Heart Girls Devotional: God’s Promises for Me! Sherry lives on the California coast with her husband and four adult children. www.sherrykyle.com

Anna LeBaron

Anna LeBaron is an author, book launch expert, and social media coach. Coupled with 17+ years of customer service experience, she intuitively delivers practical tips for maximizing engagement with your audience in authentic and fun ways. Anna is Mom to five grown children, Yaya to her first grandchild, and lives in Dallas, Texas.

Kathi Lipp

Kathi Lipp is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of 20 books. She is the host of Clutter Free Academy and Writing at the Red House Podcasts and runs The Collective – a writing program that helps authors develop their writing, their platform and their business. Find more on www.kathilipp.com.

Dana Mentink

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Poisoned Pen Press. You can find her at danamentink.com.

Tim Riter

An award-winning author of ten royalty books, Tim Riter has been read by over 1 million people, remaining blissfully unknown and content. He blends the prophetic and pastoral, with decades as a pastor and as an educator at the
university and secondary levels. A bit unconventional, a non-reconstructed hippie, a biker, fisherman, lover of mountains.

Marci Seither

Marci Seither’s writing career began after her humor article was published in a small-town newspaper. Since then she has authored two books and hundreds of articles for local papers as well as Guideposts, and Focus On The Family. Her devotional book with Tyndale will be released in May 2022.

Lauraine Snelling

Award-winning and bestselling author Lauraine Snelling has over 120 books published with sales of over 5 million. Her original dream was to write horse books for children. Today, she writes both contemporary and historical adult inspirational novels, including the favorite, Blessing books about Ingeborg Bjorklund and family. She and her husband Wayne have two grown sons, and a daughter in Heaven. They live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a Basset named Annie, Lapcat, and “The Girls” (five hens).

Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is a bestselling author of World War II novels, including When Twilight Breaks and Until Leaves Fall in Paris. Her novel The Sky Above Us received the 2020 Carol Award, and The Land Beneath Us was a 2020 Christy Award finalist. Sarah lives in northern California. www.sarahsundin.com.

Michelle Ule

Michelle Ule is the author of Mrs. Oswald Chambers and nine other published works. She may be an expert on My Utmost for His Highest. A ten-year blogging veteran, Michelle’s a Bible study leader and genealogist who loves to travel. She lives in Northern California. Learn more at www.michelleule.com.

Kelley Way

Kelley Way graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in English, followed by a Juris Doctorate. Kelley is a member of the California Bar, and an aspiring writer of young adult fantasy novels. She practices copyright, trademark and estate planning law at The Law Office of Kelley A. Way.

Ginny L. Yttrup

Ginny L. Yttrup is the author of the Christy Award winning novel, Words, and seven other works of women’s fiction or suspense. She works as a writing coach, developmental editor, and hosts the Words for Writers podcast. Ginny lives in Northern California. www.wordsforwriters.net