Introducing 2019 MSCWC Faculty

April Carpenter, Conference Director and President of Byhalia Christian Writers, is pleased to announce the workshop leaders for the 2019 Mid-South Christian Writers Conference.

Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget. Her award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, made the CBA bestseller list. She writes contemporaries, historicals, and cozy mysteries, serves on the executive boards of Serious Writer, Inc. and the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference, co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat, and interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. Connect with her at www.johnnie-alexander.com and other social media sites via https://linktr.ee/johnniealexndr.

Winner of an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in suspense, Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi with her rescue kitty, Suzy. Her romantic suspense books include the Logan Point series and the Memphis Cold Case novels. She also has written sweet romances for Harlequin Heartwarming available as ebooks. Her workshops on writing include online courses with American Christian Fiction Writers and workshops at the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference in Collierville, TN, including one on Scrivener. When she has time, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens. Visit Patricia’s website at http://ptbradley.com.

Tracy Crump has published two dozen stories in anthologies, including nineteen in Chicken Soup for the Soul. As co-director of Write Life Workshops, she conducts workshops and webinars on writing for the series, and her “How to Write for Chicken Soup for the Soul” course is one of Serious Writer Academy’s top sellers. Her articles and devotionals have appeared in national publications, and she edits The Write Life, a popular writers newsletter that includes story callouts. She is a freelance editor and proofreader for Farmer’s Almanac. She is represented by Bethany Morehead of Cyle Young Literary Elite. Visit Tracy at TracyCrump.com or WriteLifeWorkshops.com.

Rhonda Dragomir is co-founder of the Dragomir Group in Wilmore, Kentucky, which offers services to businesses and writers. She has published works in Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies and Spark magazine. Rhonda has decades of experience as an administrative assistant and graphic designer, and she loves to share tips and tricks to increase productivity and professionalism in all forms of communication. Winner of several writing awards in both fiction and nonfiction, Rhonda invites you to visit her author website, rhondadragomir.com. In her one-on-one appointments, she will be happy to consult with you about your website design or work with you on formatting your manuscript.

Victoria Duerstock wears many hats, but none more enjoyable than writing! A natural outgrowth of building her author platform and learning social media, she enjoys teaching these subjects to others. She has courses available at Serious Writer Academy and has added personal coaching for authors building their platforms. Her full length project Heart & Home: Design Basics for Your Soul and Your Living Space, releases April 16, 2019, with Abingdon Press. This short devotional presents 90 days of Scripture, personal application, prayer, and design tips into one full color volume. She is currently working on the next in the series Heart & Home for Christmas, releasing in the fall of 2019.

Linda Fulkerson has nearly two decades of experience in small business management and marketing. Her writing career began as a freelance magazine features writer. She later moved into the exciting realm of newspapers and has held the positions of copy-editor, sports writer, online editor, and online advertising coordinator. Her company, DLF Digital Services LLC, provides a variety of services including cover designs and video book trailers. She is the author of several nonfiction books, a series of coloring books for writers, and Dead Broke, a mystery novel. To learn more about Linda, visit her website at www.LindaFulkerson.com.

Vanessa Davis Griggs is a motivational speaker and the author of eighteen novels and one inspirational book of devotionals. She also contributed ten devotionals in Sisters in Faith Holy Bible published by Tyndale. A wife, mother of three, and grandmother of five, Vanessa believes we all come here with a purpose, and she encourages everyone she meets to take flight and soar!Bo

Jean Matthew Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book is due to be released by Little Lamb Books in early 2019, to be followed by three more books in this Four Seasons series. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. She is also an AWSA Protégé. Jean is a former director of the Write2Ignite! Conference in Tigerville, SC. Her desire is to write stories, articles and poems that encourage young children and the caring adults in their lives. You can visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall Author, and on Twitter @Jean_Hall.

Bob Hostetler is an award-winning author, literary agent, and speaker from southwestern Ohio. His fifty books, which include the award-winning Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door (co-authored with Josh McDowell) and The Bard and the Bible: A Shakespeare Devotional, have sold millions of copies. Bob is also the executive director of the Christian Writers Institute. He and his wife, the lovely Robin, have been married for forty years. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Andi Lehman holds a degree in communications from the University of Memphis and freelances in diverse markets. She enjoys writing devotionals and true stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. A popular wildlife speaker, Andi continues to work on a series of nature books for children. In 2016, Andi joined Tracy Crump as a traveling partner presenting Stirring the Pot, a workshop that teaches how to write for Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. Andi serves as a staff member of Write Life Workshops, which offers webinars and workshops about writing and publishing.

Award-winning Shannon Taylor Vannatter writers contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. It took her nine-and-a-half years to achieve traditional publication. She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo-announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. Shannon is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and taught a novel-writing continuing education course at Arkansas State University along with countless sessions at conferences canvassing Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing crafts.

Brenda L. Yoder is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, speaker, author, and life coach. Her new book, Fledge: Launching Your Kids Without Losing Your Mind was released by Herald Press in 2018.  She’s authored Balance, Busyness & Not Doing It All and has been featured in The Washington Post and two Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She writes nonfiction for several online magazines and has a mental health column in her local paper. Brenda specializes in faith, life, and family beyond the storybook image. A speaker for women’s groups and youth, she also trains pastors and church leaders on topics relating to faith and mental, behavioral, and emotional health. Brenda is a mom of four and wife of 29 years and lives on a farm in Indiana. You can connect with Brenda at brendayoder.com or on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.