Welcome!

2025 Conference Schedule
March 12–15, 2025

Wednesday (March 12)
Check-In (Front Lobby)
12:00pm – 5:00pm

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP
1:00pm – 3:00pm One Sheet Preparation Class by Bob Hostetler (Chapel) Mike Logan assists
3:00pm – 4:00pm Making the Most of Your 15-Minute Appointment by Jane Daly (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
4:15pm – 5:00pm First Timers Orientation – Edwina Perkins (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
5:00pm – 5:45pm Faculty Meeting (Chapel) Group photo
6:00pm – 7:00pm Dinner (Dining Hall)
7:15pm – 8:30pm Social Networking; Ice Breaker; General Assembly; Praise & Worship (Chapel)

Thursday (March 13)
7:00am – 7:40am Spiritual Stretch – Susan Neal (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria near cafeteria)
8:00am – 8:45am Breakfast (Dining Hall)
9:00am – 9:50am General Assembly (Chapel) Praise & Worship – Lynn DeShazo; Keynote – Bob Hostetler—A Writer’s Dream

10:00am – 10:50am CONTINUING CLASSES
Writing for Children – Jill Roman Lord (Large room, 2nd floor)
Writing Nonfiction – Bob Hostetler (Chapel)
Finding the Fun in Fiction – Marilyn Turk (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Harnessing the Potential of AI without Compromise – Laine Craft (Room 247)

11:00am – 11:50am
Evaluating Your Options (types of publishing) – Cheri Cowell (Large room, 2nd floor)
Develop an Effective Lead Magnet – Susan Neal (Chapel)
Social Media Tips for Writers – Ginny Cruz (Room 247)
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch (Dining Hall)
VIP Lunch – Edwina Perkins (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
1:15pm – 2:05pm
Create a Mission Statement – Marci Seither (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
Successful Authors Love Poetry: Improve Your Writing with 7 Powerful Poetic Techniques – Katherine Hayes (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Become a Speaker of Excellence – Linda Goldfarb (Chapel)
2:20pm – 3:10pm
The Shy Marketer – Linda Gilden (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Begin and End with a Bang – Jesse Florea (Chapel)
Writing Bible Studies for Small Groups – John Herring (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
3:20pm – 4:10pm
Diversity in Manuscripts – Edwina Perkins (Chapel)
Those Pesky Book Proposals – Jane Daly (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Writing and Publishing Memoirs – Cheri Cowell (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
4:20pm – 5:10pm
How to Excel as an Interview Guest – Linda Goldfarb (Chapel)
Designing Devotions to Deliver God’s Truth – Marilyn Turk (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Finding Your Voice – Jane Daly (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
5:15pm Walk Around the Lake Led by Susan Neal (Meet at front door by registration)
6:00pm – 7:00pm Dinner (Dining Hall)
7:15pm – 8:30pm Praise & Worship, Campfire, and Poetry Slam (Outside Fire Pit)

Friday (March 14)
7:00am – 7:40am Spiritual Stretch – Susan Neal (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
8:00am – 8:45am Breakfast (Dining Hall)
9:00am – 9:50am General Assembly (Chapel) Praise & Worship – Lynn DeShazo; Keynote – Linda Goldfarb—Managing Conflict in a Changing World

10:00am – 10:50am CONTINUING CLASSES
Writing for Children – Jill Roman Lord (Large room, 2nd floor)
Writing Nonfiction – Bob Hostetler (Chapel)
Finding the Fun in Fiction – Marilyn Turk (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Harnessing the Potential of AI without Compromise – Laine Craft (Room 247)

11:00am – 11:50am
The Intersection of Poetry and Identity – Katherine Hayes (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
The Importance of Fiction Techniques in Nonfiction Books – Edwina Perkins (Chapel)
Publishing Industry Update – John Herring (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch (Dining Hall)
VIP Lunch – Linda Gilden (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
1:15pm – 2:05pm
Do’s and Don’ts of Writing for Children – Jesse Florea (Chapel)
Top Twenty Tips for Dynamic Devotional Writing – Cheri Cowell (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
Holiness and Writing – Mike Logan (Room 247)
2:20pm – 3:10pm
Killer Dialogue for Fiction Writers: Take Your Characters to the Next Level – Katherine Hayes (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Brainstorming Basics – Marci Seither (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
Podcasting 101 – Linda Goldfarb (Chapel)
3:20pm – 4:10pm
Unlock the Secret to Boosting Your Book Reviews – Susan Neal (Chapel)
Make the Connection ~ Building a relationship with Your Audience –Marci Seither (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
Public Domain Fiction – Alice Murray (Room 247)
4:20pm – 5:10pm
Creating Dynamic Dialogue – Jane Daly (Large classroom, 2nd floor)
Writing for Focus on the Family – Jesse Florea (Chapel)
Make Money Marketing Your Book through Article Writing – Linda Gilden (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
5:15pm Walk Around the Lake led by Susan Neal (Meet at front door by registration)
6:00pm – 7:00pm Dinner (Dining Hall)
7:00pm – 8:30pm (Chapel) General Assembly Praise & Worship, Awards

Saturday (March 15)
8:00am – 8:45am Breakfast (Dining Hall)
9:00am – 9:50am General Assembly (Chapel) Praise & Worship – Lynn DeShazo; Keynote – Jesse Florea – Sacredness of Word
10:00am – 10:50am

CONTINUING CLASSES
Writing for Children – Jill Roman Lord (Large room, 2nd floor)
Writing Nonfiction – Bob Hostetler (Chapel)
Finding the Fun in Fiction – Marilyn Turk (Large classroom, 1st floor near cafeteria)
Harnessing the Potential of AI without Compromise – Laine Craft (Room 247)
11:00am – 12:00pm Lunch (Dining Hall)