Carol Hamilton

Professional speaker, Carol Hamilton, has presented writing and speaking classes, school programs, and women’s retreats in six states. Her memberships include National Speakers Association, Toastmasters International, American Christian Fiction Writers, St. Davids Christian Writers Association, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She has both judged and successfully competed in speech and writing contests, although not at the same time. Carol is the Pittsburgh Christian Living Examiner for Examiner.com and has over one hundred articles, stories, poems, and devotionals published. With Sonrise Publications, Carol is compiling and editing a devotional for teens, written by teens, called Teen Penned from the Heart and would love to receive submissions from teens. Her passions include writing young adult novels to remind young Christians that God rejoices over them with singing (Zephaniah 3:17), hugging family, and kayaking. Carol serves as chapter secretary for ACFW Pennsylvania State Chapter.

Sessions

1:00-2:50 Marketing: Professional Speaking for Writers – double session

Donna L. H. Smith

Donna Smith has been writing on and off since college and has experience in many forms of both fiction and non-fiction writing, from scriptwriting, to broadcast journalism, to newspaper articles, slide sets and filmstrips, to advertising and public relations experience, magazine articles, targeted industry marketing and technical writing, and is now adding fiction to her writing repertoire. She is a graduate of the Christian Writers’ Guild Craftsman program, and holds two college degrees, a B.S. and an M.A. in Mass Communications, from Oral Roberts University & Wichita State University, both from many years ago. Her award-winning website features inspirational blog posts as well as book reviews, writing resources, words of encouragement, and a section on dealing with rejection issues. She currently serves as Area Coordinator for Pennsylvania and President of the Pennsylvania State Chapter of ACFW. She’s spoken at ladies retreats, banquets, and workshops at writers’ conferences.

Sessions

 3:00-3:50 p.m. Craft: Plunging the Depths of Deep POV

Jeanette Windle

Award-winning novelist, missions journalist, editor, and collaborative writer, Jeanette grew up in equatorial South America’s guerilla hot zones, has lived in six countries and traveled in more than thirty. Those experiences have birthed 16 fiction titles, including bestselling Veiled Freedom (2010 ECPA Christian Book Award/Christy Award finalist), Freedom’s Stand, (2012 ECPA Christian Book Award/Carol Award finalist), and Congo Dawn (2013 Golden Scroll Novel of the Year), as well as non-fiction collaborative titles, including her latest, Forgiven: The Amish Schoolhouse Shooting, A Mother’s Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace (Bethany House, Fall 2015). More information about Jeanette is on our Keynote Speaker’s page. Jeanette is a member of ACFW.

Sessions

 1:00-1:50 p.m. Craft: Using the Six Senses Purposefully

Robin Luftig

Robin Luftig speaks at women’s conferences and retreats, but she spends most of her time writing. She has written and self-published a non-fiction book, From Pain to Peace: The Journey of Forgiveness After Divorce, and has completed and is seeking representation for her memoir, “Ten Days to Live: How God Used a Brain Tumor to Heal a Heart.” In addition, she’s in the process of writing two devotional books as well as her first novel, “Ladies of the Fire.” She’s attended the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers’ Conference for the past three years, participating in practicums or continuing sessions. She’s also a member and group leader of Word Weavers International. Robin is a chapter member of ACFW Pennsylvania State Chapter.

Sessions

 3:00-3:50 p.m. Craft: Plunging the Depths of Deep POV

Gloria Clover

Gloria Clover, Christ-follower and Truth-seeker, writes romantic fiction with the hope of showing God’s love and our need in both humorous and haunting ways. The Children of the King series is her first speculative fiction, set in the future on an imagined archipelago. Her contemporary romances, published by Barbour Books and Son-Rise Publications, include: The Remaking of Moe McKenna in the Race to the Altar anthology, Brianna’s Pardon, and Tangled Truths. her non-fiction includes devotions and prayers in Penned From the Heart, a biography in Trusting Him in the Midst of Medical Madness, and a devotional book, Who We Are in Christ A to Z. She directs the Writing Success one-day conference in northwest PA.  She is a chapter member of ACFW Pennsylvania State Chapter, and participates in ACFW’s book club and prayer loops. Gloria is married, with child, active in prayer ministry and women’s ministries at her local congregation and participates in American Heritage Girls.

Sessions

 11:00-11:50 p.m. Craft: Story Structure: Basics on How to Put a Story Together

Roseanna White

Roseanna M. White grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, the beauty of which inspired her to begin writing as soon as she learned to pair subjects with verbs. She spent her middle and high school days penning novels in class, and her love of books took her to a school renowned for them. After graduating from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, she and her husband moved back to the Maryland side of the same mountains they equate with home. Roseanna is the author of two biblical novels, A Stray Drop of Blood and Jewel of Persia, both from WhiteFire Publishing, Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland from Summerside Press, and the Culper Ring Series from Harvest House (Ring of Secrets, Whispers from the Shadows, and Circle of Spies).  She is the senior reviewer at the Christian Review of Books, which she and her husband founded, the senior editor at WhiteFire Publishing, and a member of ACFW, Christian Authors Network, HisWriters, and Colonial American Christian Writers.

Sessions

 11:00-11:50 p.m. Marketing: Choosing the Right Publishing Path

Emily Rodmell

Emily Rodmell is an Editor for Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical. She has a journalism degree from The University of South Florida and completed the New York University Summer Publishing Institute. A lifelong reader, she started out as a newspaper editor, but found her true love in editing books. She’s originally from Florida, but now works in Harlequin’s New York City office. She has acquired more than 40 new authors in her career and is always on the lookout for the next great story. Her greatest thrill is finding a new author with unique ideas that surprise the reader but still have the essence of what Love Inspired is all about.

Sessions

 2:00-2:50 p.m. Craft: How to Write a Love Inspired Romance Novel