Schedule
Monday
3:30 REGISTRATION OPENS
4:30 WELCOME & ORIENTATION FOR NEW ATTENDEES
5:30 SUPPER
7:00 OPENING SESSION
Keynote Address: "A Thousand Tongues" Hal Young
9:00 GET ACQUAINTED TIME
Tuesday-Thursday
8:00 BREAKFAST
8:45 MEDITATION
9:00 PRAISE & WORSHIP with Zach & Leah Peterson
9:20 MORNING CHALLENGE
T: “Building the Body of Christian Workers in the Industry” - Karen Whiting
W: “TBA” - Zach Peterson
Th: “When Words Won't Come” - Amy Radford
10:40 MAJOR MORNING CLASSES
12:30 LUNCH
1:30 AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS
4:30 CRITIQUE GROUPS or FREE TIME
5:30 SUPPER and FREE TIME
7:00 EVENING SESSIONS
T: FACULTY PANEL DISCUSSION - Amy Radford
W: FREE TIME
Th: WRITERS’ THEATER - Patti Souder
Friday:
8:00 BREAKFAST
9:00 MAJOR MORNING CLASSES
11:00 CLOSING SESSION:“You Will” - Jim Brewster
12:00 LUNCH
Continuing Classes
Designed to provide in-depth learning and participation. Most valuable when taken as a series but all are open to those who cannot attend every day.
MAJOR MORNING CLASSES 10:40-12:10 TUESDAY - Thursday and 9:00-10:30 FRIDAY
1. AUTHOR/EDITOR/PODCASTER SUE FAIRCHILD
“Everything You Need to Know to Write Your Story”
Do you have a great idea for a novel but don't know how to get started? In this Major Morning seminar, we'll talk about everything from story structure, character arcs, and finding your voice to pitching your story using queries, one sheets, and proposals. Perfect for beginning authors, this course will have plenty of time for interaction and questions to ensure everyone understands the process and how to get started the minute the conference ends (or before).
2.AUTHOR/MARKETING "QUEEN" KAREN WHITING
“Marketing Your Book”
The marketing workshop sessions will cover the basics and latest ways to reach readers and promote your books and brand. It will include:
· Relationships and networking for more opportunities
· New ways to engage in the 5 basic areas of marketing
· Making the most of little tools
· Developing unique marketing campaigns year round
3. PUBLISHERS DAVID & ROSEANNA WHITE
“AI & Publishing”
Many creatives have mixed feelings about AI and the role it can, or should, play in their art, especially in the publishing industry. In this series, David and Roseanna White will discuss the philosophy of AI, what it is and what it may become, the implications for the publishing world and authors, as well as getting into the nitty-gritty of using this constantly evolving tool. Discuss your fears, your hopes, your questions, and your hangups in this Major Morning workshop and see what the Whites and WhiteFire Publishing have used it to create.
4. AUTHOR/BLOGGER/PUBLISHER/PODCASTER C.J. PETERSON
“The Equip Series”
Before you start any journey, you have to know where to start. You have your maps, your travel papers, you’ve done your research. Now what? C.J. Peterson takes you through the entire journey “from go to whoa!” in writing your own offering to the world. You can attend all 4 classes or pick and choose which ones to attend. The classes include: “Where To Start?”; “World Building”; “It’s All About The Details”; and “What’s Next?” How can you best utilize the talent God gave to you to impact the world with eternal significance? It’s not just about publishing a book. Find out more in the EQUIP classes!
THREE Work-in-Progress Seminars
1. SONGWRITING
with ZACH & LEAH PETERSON
10:40–12:10 TUESDAY-THURSDAY and 9:00-10:30 FRIDAY
LIMIT: 8 CONFEREES ($40 each)
The Songwriting Journey: From a Line of Lyrics to a Finished Song
This class is designed to help aspiring songwriters who have either a tune or some lyrics and want help making a finished product. We’ll cover the basics of songwriting and intertwine lessons on meshing lyrics with music using your work as the subject matter.
2. EDITING
with EDITOR JANELLE LEONARD
10:40–12:10 TUESDAY-THURSDAY and 9:00-10:30 FRIDAY
LIMIT: 8 CONFEREES ($40 each)
“Just Writer; There's More!”
You’ve written THE END, now what? In this work-in-progress class, we will learn how to:
• Organize and maximize your time with the editing process
• Strengthen hook, first three chapters, story, world-building, and characters
• Fix plot holes, timelines, and scene structure
• Refine pacing, cut weed words, fix showing vs. telling
As an acquisitions editor for WhiteCrown Publishing, I’ve dealt with it all. This workshop will add essential tools to the writer’s toolbox with the end goal of attracting the eye of agents, editors, and publishers and ultimately, seeing his/her book on the shelves.
** Conferees should have a completed—or nearly complete—first draft due to the specific hands-on nature of this class.
3. FANTASY
with AUTHOR C. J. PETERSON
3:30–5:15 TUESDAY-THURSDAY
LIMIT: 8 TEEN/YOUNG ADULT CONFEREES ($20 each)
“Sci-Fi and Fantasy: May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor”
What's the difference between sci-fi and fantasy? What are the subgroups? What about world-building in a science fiction or fantasy world? How does it differ from the real world? Does it? C.J. shares some tips and tricks regarding all of these! During the classes, she can help the writers in getting started, character arcs, world-building, and more! Even if you attended this class few years ago, this class will be a different experience through the class sessions.
Afternoon Workshops Series
(How-to instruction on specialized topics)
“World Builders Unite”
Amazon and Distribution Expert, Vincent Davis II
3 Sessions: 1:30–2:15 Tues. – Thurs.
Fiction without setting is food without spices. Or more accurately, it’s like soup without a bowl. Without a “world” for our stories to take place in, dialogue is just whispers in the darkness. In this course series, we’ll discuss how to build a world our readers will want to spend their free time in, with characters they want to know more, and a plot that keeps them coming back. Whether you write historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, or any other type of fiction, this is the course for you if you want to learn how to build a whole world for you readers!.
“Cracking the Amazon Code”
Vincent Davis II
3 sessions: 3:30–4:15 Tues. – Thurs.
Amazon is where books are sold. Nearly 80% of all eBooks are sold on Amazon, and upwards of 40% of paperbacks are sold there as well. But if other online stores feel like barren deserts, sometimes Amazon can feel like attempting to sell in shark-infested waters. But there are tools and tricks available to all authors to improve their visibility on Amazon, and in this course ,we’ll discuss some of the very best. We’ll go over the basics of metadata (keywords and categories), price points and price promotions, and the benefits of Amazon exclusivity. Whether you’re a bestseller or a first-time author, this course will give you additional tools to help your book become more discoverable on the world’s largest bookstore.
“Write It. Speak It. Repeat It.Tutorial for Beginners”
Author Sheri Walker
3 sessions: 3:30 – 4:15 Tues.-Thurs.
Every writer with a dream to “expose” their work should do two crucial things in our current culture: write and speak. The genre, subject, or age of your reader makes no difference. We’ll discuss how to organize your writing, bring it to completion, present your messages without relying on social media, and develop practices that will ensure you keep going on your writing and speaking journey.
Faculty
James Burd Brewster is the author of the successful Glad To Do It! series of picture books, which highlight the public service of first responders and nurses. He’s the president of J2B Publishing, an indie press dedicated to publishing enjoyable poetry, personal testimonies, and “Good Books for Young Boys and Girls.” Jim was raised in New England, sailed on Lake Champlain, and served a career in the U. S. Coast Guard, which included navigating a polar icebreaker above Alaska. He and Katie raised and homeschooled 5 children and have 9 grandchildren.
Vincent Davis II: an author, marketing expert, Army veteran, and a proud husband and father of three. He's published ten historical fiction novels and is a regular in the Amazon International Best Sellers List. Vincent’s mission is to inspire and empower others through fiction as well as help other authors live their dreams. He works with authors of all genres to help them find their target readers and sell more books on Amazon.
Sue Fairchild: has been helping new and established authors perfect their stories for over ten years and has spoken at numerous conferences in a variety of writing and publishing topics. In 2024, Sue traditionally published two Christian Contemporary novels, one of which, Changing Tides, won honorable mention in the AWSA Golden Scrolls awards. Sue is also the faculty coordinator of the St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference and works for Elk Lake Publishing Inc. as an editor.
Janelle Leonard: a Jane Austen “fangirl” with an overactive imagination who creates web-twisty plotlines from her home in Friendsville, PA. When she’s not writing, reading, editing, drinking coffee, procrastinating, or working at an elementary school library, she’s encouraging others to unlock worlds of possibility. Janelle and her #1 Oreo truck driving hubby have successfully raised three boys, losing lots of brain space to turbos and mufflers. Her debut novel, Northargyle Abbie, was released in March.
C. J. Peterson: a multi-award-winning, multi-genre author who has been published since 2012. She is an author, blogger, podcaster, speaker, publisher, and is currently a forensics and psychology major student at a university in Oklahoma. She has weathered storms of life, which only deepened her faith in God. She has nineteen novels, is in four anthologies, has two children's books, ten book awards, and is currently working on a fantasy trilogy as well as another fantasy trilogy with a group of writers.
Zach & Leah Peterson: Music for Zach and Leah has been an integral part of their lives from an early age—Leah playing in accordion contests at age 4 and Zach singing in cantatas and church beginning at age 9. They both sang in the nationally televised Rejoice Choir as well as the Susquehanna Valley Chorale. In 2015 they produced a CD, “The Love of God,” that includes two of their original compositions. Their desire is to communicate and worship in song to uplift and edify the believer and bring the lost to Christ. Zach and Leah are teachers at Rockland Christian Academy in Middleburg, PA.
Amy K. Radford: an author, speaker, and educator who believes we are shaped by the stories we share. Amy has an MFA in Creative Writing and is currently an English Teacher and freelance writer for Christian organizations, journals, and curricula. She also has a BA degree in English and a BS degree in elementary education. Amy serves as the Assistant Director of the Montrose Christian Writers Conference.
Bonnie Swinehart: holds a degree in Mass Communication/Journalism. She began her writing career as an environmental writer, receiving a Governor’s Award for her work in PA. She then worked as a Director of Communications and journalist for 3 newspapers and continues to work as a weekly columnist. Her lifetime dream was to write and publish a book. That dream came true when her Christian historic fiction Benjy books were published. Her first multicultural picture book will be available this year. She keeps busy as a writer, speaker, and presenter. She serves on conference faculties and loves doing children’s author school presentations.
Alison Treat: writes about freedom, her own and that of others. She’s the author of the historical young adult novel One Traveler. Her fiction has earned her a spot as a finalist in the ACFW First Impressions Contest and as a winner in the Promising Beginnings Contest. She works as a freelance editor and is known for hosting the podcast, “Historical Fiction: Unpacked.” When she’s not writing, Alison hikes or goes skiing with her husband and 3 children in the Endless Mountains of PA.
Sheri Walker: The discovery of a brain tumor and the birth of her first grandchild found Sheri seeking God and the Word in new ways. She retired from a consuming career in 2018 to enter the ministry as a writer and speaker to Christian women. She brings messages of perseverance to know, love, and “do” the Word and will of God. Her most recent release is entitled Called, From Here to Eternity. She and her husband, Mike, live in Central PA, and have 4 daughters and 6 grandchildren.
Beth Westcott: has four published Christian romance novels, a novella, a short story in a collection, and several church programs and devotions. Another novel is scheduled to be released in August 2025. For 38 years Beth worked alongside her husband in ministry. A mother and grandmother, she resides with her husband in Otego, NY. She hopes to encourage other writers by sharing what she has learned as a published author.
Annette Whipple: As an author/ speaker, Annette celebrates curiosity & inspires others through her words. The PA School Librarians Association named her the 2025 Outstanding PA Author/Illustrator. She challenges people to live with curiosity, wait with wonder, & raise readers in a world of screens. She’s the author of more than two dozen children’s books including The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide, and Chomp! The Truth About Sharks. She’s a former teacher, nature lover, & chocolate chip cookie baker who lives in Oxford, PA.
David White: is a lover of stories, be they in the written word or on the screen. As the founder and publisher of the WhiteFire Publishing Group, he gets the chance to explore this love and lead authors and creatives into the challenge of getting them into the world.
Roseanna White: is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing for WhiteFire Publishing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself.
Karen Whiting: a mom of 5 including two rocket scientists, is a certified writing and marketing coach, international speaker, former television host, on the team of an award-winning documentary film company, and award-winning author of more than thirty books for women, children, and families. She’s also sold more than 1000 articles.
Hal & Melanie Young: are award-winning, best-selling authors of Raising Real Men, No Longer Little, and eight other books. They host the Making Biblical Family Life Practical podcast and are popular conference speakers across the US, Canada, and Japan, known for their Christ-centered focus and practical, real-life stories. They’re also publishers, the makers of the Craftsman Crate subscription box, and parents of six real boys and two real girls. They live in noisy, messy happiness in North Carolina.
Other Opportunities
WORK-iN-PROGRESS
MORNING FOUR-SESSION WORK-IN-PROGRESS: Songwriting Seminar with Zach and Leah Peterson $40 (Limit: 8 conferees)
MORNING FOUR-SESSION EDITING SEMINAR: Bring your ms. and work with Janelle Leonard to learn to edit properly shape your ideas into publishable work. – $40 (Limit: 8 conferees)
AFTERNOON THREE-SESSION WORK-IN-PROGRESS FOR TEENS/YA: Sci Fi/Fantasy with C. J. Peterson - $20 (Limit: 10 Teen/YA conferees)
EDITORIAL APPOINTMENTS
Private 15-minute appointments with editors and agents to show them your work, which may be suitable for their publications and/or to discuss ideas for stories. Sign-up sheets are available at the conference. Bring professionally prepared manuscripts. Be sure to bring copies! No charge.
CRITIQUE GROUPS and GENRES of INTEREST GROUPS
Opportunity for feedback from other writers. No charge. Held Tuesday and Wednesday at 4:30pm.
BOOK TABLE
Features books by faculty and conferees. When registering, please indicate books you’ve written which you would like to sell. Please tag all books with prices rounded to a dollar.
MP3 RECORDINGS
Listen to the sessions you missed or those you want to hear again.
BUDGET BOOK SALES
Bring all your used or new books from your shelves and donate them to our Budget Book Sales. Then at the conference, take home bags of budget books to fill your empty book shelves. All proceeds go to the Scholarship Fund.
EVENING EVENTS
TUESDAY: FACULTY PANEL DISCUSSION - Amy Radford
Here’s your opportunity to ask the faculty pertinent questions about the writing/editing/ publishing/marketing world.
THURSDAY: WRITERS’ THEATER - Patti Souder
Here's another opportunity for you to shine! Bring your own work, an excerpt from a short story, memoir, novel, or a poem and trimmed to three minutes and read it to the conferees at the Writers’ Theater, a delightful program that celebrates your creativity. Patti Souder is the moderator. Some faculty and conferees consider this evening so special, they “dress up” to present their work. You are certainly welcome to do that, as well.