About

Who We Are

Are we a retreat or a conference?

Yes. We are both. We are like a retreat because our attendance is low, never more than 100 people, but also because of our atmosphere. The Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference is at Blue Lake Camp in the Conecuh National Forest, a site frequently used by churches as retreats or camps.

But we’re also like a conference because we have excellent, experienced faculty who teach classes in all manner of writer-related subjects.

We don’t do fancy. Blue Lake’s rustic atmosphere is more relaxed and laid back than some big, elegant convention center or hotel. However, we do provide clean, comfortable rooms to stay in and good food to eat. We are casual but professional, not to be confused with cut-offs and ball caps.

We embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst. We have prayer warriors who pray over the conference before and during it, as well as pray over the faculty and attendees. Individual prayer is available as well. Our praise and worship takes place in a chapel, setting the tone for spiritual enlightenment and peace.

We understand if you need to skip a session to stay in your room and write or walk the grounds and mediate. If you need to enrich your connection with God, you may want to take some time away from activities.

We provide a close-knit family atmosphere who support each other and make you feel like you’re at a family reunion.

We are writers, speakers, bloggers, podcasters, and more, all learning to be better at what God wants us to do.

That’s who we are. Wouldn’t you like to join us?

Marilyn Turk, Director

“I’m so excited to offer a quality writers conference to fellow writers in southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle! While attending a retreat at Blue Lake, God impressed on my heart that Blue Lake was the perfect place for a writers retreat—one that would minister to the needs of writers in that region. His hand has been on this project from day one, gathering together a wonderful faculty from Christian publishing. I look forward to sharing this experience with you!”

Marilyn Turk never thought she’d be writing books, but God had plans for her. She now writes historical fiction flavored with romance and suspense. Marilyn has written a series of four historical novels with lighthouse settings (Coastal Lights Legacy series), set during and after the Civil War, published by Winged Publications. One of those books, Revealing Light, won third place in the Faith, Hope and Love Reader’s Choice award. She also wrote Silver Scroll winner The Gilded Curse, a World War II novel set on Jekyll Island, Georgia. Its sequel, Shadowed by a Spy, is set on Long Island and Manhattan. Her dual-time book, Abigail’s Secret, was a finalist for the Maggie Awards. In addition to these novels, Marilyn has published novellas for Barbour Publishing and for Winged Publications. The Escape Game, a World War II novel with Barbour Books, publishes March 1, 2023.

A graduate in journalism from Louisiana State University, Marilyn heard God telling her to start writing after retiring from a thirty-year, successful marketing career with a national company. After moving to Florida, Marilyn was bit by the lighthouse bug when she toured her first lighthouse, the Pensacola lighthouse. Her love of history and lighthouses spawned her website, Pathways of the Heart at http://pathwayheart.com, where she has two blogs, a lighthouse blog with true stories about lighthouses, and A Writer’s Path, about writing. Marilyn’s blog was the inspiration behind her book, Lighthouse Devotions, a book of 52 Inspiring Lighthouse Stories, published by Winged Publications.

Marilyn is a contributor to Guideposts Magazine, winning their Writers Workshop contest in 2010. She has also been published in Lighthouse Digest, The Upper Room and Clubhouse Jr. magazine. She is a member of Word Weavers International in Destin, Florida, American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA), and the United States Lighthouse Society.

Besides writing, Marilyn teaches Bible studies to women’s groups at church, sings in the choir, and is a frequent guest speaker at other venues. She has also written and directed two Christmas plays, “Three Women and a Baby,” and “The Unexpected Guest.”