Faculty
CHARLES MARTIN
AUTHOR, SPEAKER
Charles Martin is the author of more than 20 books, translated into more than 35 languages and published in some 40 countries. In 2017, 20th Century Fox adapted one of his novels to film, and a second is currently in the works. He and his wife, Christy, have been married 30 years are the parents of three boys. They live in Jacksonville, Florida.
Charles Martin is our Keynote Speaker for the 2022 Maranatha Christian Writers' Conference.
EDWINA PERKINS
ACQUISTIONS EDITOR @ HARAMBEE PRESS & IRON STREAM MEDIA
Edwina Perkins is the assistant director of Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is also the coordinator for Mentoring Moments and the manager for Sensitivity Between the Lines, both with BRMCWC. Edwina is an acquisitions editor for Iron Stream Media and for the imprint Iron Stream Harambee Press. As a longtime member of Word Weavers International, she now serves as a member of the advisory board. Edwina is an award-winning writer, experienced teacher, speaker, freelance editor, and a sensitivity reader. She is also a freelance writer with Guideposts. One of her passions is to address the need for sensitivity and diversity in the publishing industry.
KARIN BEERY
MULTI-PUBLISHED AUTHOR, OWNER OF WRITE NOW EDITING SERVICES, & EDITOR @ IRON STREAM MEDIA AND BROOKSTONE PUBLISHING GROUP
Owner of Write Now Editing, Karin Beery is a published author and editor with experience in traditional and self-publishing, freelance editing, and editing for a publisher. She is an active member of American Christian Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, as well as a PEN Institute instructor, and a general editor for Iron Stream Media. Her specialty is substantive fiction editing with an emphasis in romance and women’s fiction.
DAVE LAMBERT
PRESIDENT @
LAMBERT EDITORIAL
David Lambert is the author of twelve published books. He has received numerous awards for magazine articles and short stories published in such places as Virtue, Moody, Story, Christian Parenting Today, Sweet Sixteen, Decision, Montana Magazine, Campus Life, Outreach, and many other periodicals. David has an M.F.A. in fiction writing from the University of Montana. He has held a variety of positions in publishing, spending eighteen years as an acquiring editor at Zondervan, most of that time as executive editor for fiction. He also spent three years as senior fiction editor at Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. David heads Lambert Editorial
CINDY LAMBERT
EXECUTIVE EDITOR-AT-LARGE
@ BAKER PUBLISHING GROUP
Cindy Lambert is an author, speaker, and collaborative writer who began her career as owner of an award-winning independent Christian bookstore, then expanded into leadership roles in distribution, editorial, and publishing at Ingram, Simon & Schuster, and Zondervan, where she served as vice president and associate publisher of trade books. She and her husband, Dave, also own Lambert Editorial. She is the author of Staying Power along with her coauthors—Dave Lambert and Carol and Gene Kent (Revell). As a collaborative writer, she has co-authored eleven books including the bestseller UnPlanned with Abby Johnson, and Forgiving My Father, Forgiving Myself with Ruth Graham (Baker Books). Her two most recent releases are Fierce Mercy with Abby Johnson, and Transforming Loneliness with Ruth Graham. She and her husband, Dave, have six children and ten grandchildren and enjoy launching their kayaks off their pier in front of their log home in Michigan.
KATHY BRUINS
MENTOR, AUTHOR,
FOUNDER OF THE WELL MINISTRIES & CEO AT THE WELL PUBLISHERS
Kathy Bruins helps writers and authors take the next step in their journey through consultation, teaching, coaching, and praying. Kathy has a freelance business and is the founder of The Well Ministries for Christian Creatives. She is the CEO of The Well Publishers. Prayer is important to Kathy. She has led many organizations in corporate prayer. Kathy serves as President of Word Weavers West Michigan. Her speaking topics include The Book Proposal Studio, One Sheet Studio, and other helpful writing workshops. She speaks God’s truth in various topics regarding growing in faith, leadership, prayer, and writing topics. Contact her through seeyouatthewell.net or writingbybruins.com
EDDIE JONES
AUTHOR, MENTOR
Eddie is an award-winning author of middle-grade fiction. Father of two boys, he’s also a pirate at heart who loves to surf. An avid sailor with a great sense of humor, Eddie has been married to a girl he met at a stoplight in West Palm Beach during spring break for... "too many years," Eddie's wife says.
"Not enough," says Eddie.
COURTNEY LASATER
EDITOR @ KEYS FOR KIDS
Courtney Lasater is the editor of Keys for Kids, a daily devotional for children ages 6–12 that is published in print, audio, and online/app formats by Keys for Kids Ministries. She graduated from Calvin College and has over 15 years of experience in Christian publishing and retail. When not at her desk, she can often be found scoping out the shelves of her local bookstore or looking for new trails to hike.
LINDA GLAZ
OWNER OF LINDA S. GLAZ LITERARY AGENCY
In 2022, Linda opened Linda S. Literary Agency after her time at Hartline. She is also the author of eight novels and two novellas, so she “gets” writers. She represents authors in both the Christian and secular communities. She speaks at numerous conferences and workshops around the country each year. Married with three grown children and four grands, she lives in a small town where everyone is family.
Linda joins us to teach and take one-to-one appointments.
SARAH REXFORD
CONTENT SPECIALIST
Sarah Rexford is an SEO Copywriter who works for influencers around the nation such as Taylor Conroy (speaker and activist), Chandler Bolt (CEO, Self-Publishing School), and Jerry Jenkins (Left Behind series). Sarah equips writers and businesses to communicate their message and build their platform through branding. A creative writer as well, she writes fiction and nonfiction. For more information, go to itssarahrexford.com.
JAMES WATKINS
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR @
EABOOKS PUBLISHING
Jim is an award-winning author of over 20 books and 2,000 articles, who has spoken across the United States and overseas. He has served as an editor and editorial director at Wesleyan Publishing House, an editor with the American Bible Society, and currently as acquisitions editor with EA Books, a partnership publisher. He taught writing at Taylor University for 15 years and has guest-lectured at Liberty, Regent and other universities. He is currently writing and speaking full-time as well as consulting in book development. Jim loves God, his family, writing, speaking and Chinese food- in that order.
JEANNETTE TAYLOR
OWNER OF JET MARKETING
Jeannette Taylor began working in the Bible publishing industry in 1984. Hired as Zondervan’s first market research analyst, she was appointed general manager of the Bible division in 1988. She was instrumental in the creation, development and launch of multiple bestselling Bibles including the NIV Study Bible, The Student Bible, The Adventure Bible, The Teen Study Bible, The Women’s Devotional Bible, and The Quest Study Bible.
Named Vice-President of Marketing for the Zondervan Corporation in 1992, Jeannette directed all marketing functions for the publishing house. After the birth of her first son in 1993, she left Zondervan and started her own marketing/market research consulting firm, JET Marketing. In 2010, Jeannette co-founded Somersault, a Christian publishing consulting firm. In addition to her consulting businesses, Jeannette is an adjunct professor at Cornerstone University, where she teaches marketing at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her most recent publication is The Wayfinding Bible, published by Tyndale Publishing House.
KIM CHILDRESS
PRODUCT DEVELOPER, CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING @ CHILDRESS INK/INK-A-DINK
Author of Finding Your Future in Art, Kim Childress began her thirty-year career in children’s publishing as a bookseller for Kids’ Ink Children’s Bookstore in Indianapolis, later becoming middle-grade editor for HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Zondervan), and she remains book editor for Girls’ Life magazine, where she has reviewed books since the magazine’s debut in 1994. Kim has written and edited hundreds of books, stories and articles for children and the adults in their lives, all while raising a personal focus group of four children. Kim’s latest releases as Product Developer include The Stars in April, by Peggy Wirgau, and Where the Briars Sleep, by Emma Beaven, and The Legend of the Fairy Stones, by Kelly White.
Before specializing in kids' books, Kim was a reporter, advertising sales executive, AOL MusicSpace Editor, real-estate title company processor, landscaper, movie theater check-out girl, ear-piercer in the mall, a Frontier Fruit and Nut kiosk girl, and an ice-cream scooper at The Freeze. Share the adventures at ChildressInk.com, Ink-a-Dink.com, and her personal blog, OneWritersMusings.com.
CRYSTAL BOWMAN
AUTHOR , MENTOR, SPEAKER
Crystal Bowman is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children and families. She also writes lyrics for children's piano music and stories for Clubhouse Jr. Magazine. She writes for several Christian publishers and her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She enjoys teaching workshops at writers' conference and mentoring aspiring writers.
JANYRE TROMP
EDITOR @ KREGEL PUBLICATIONS , SPEAKER
Janyre Tromp has worked in the CBA industry for more than twenty years, spending time in both marketing and editorial. Currently she is an editor for Kregel Publications by day and a writer (represented by William K. Jensen Literary Agency) at night. And that all happens from her kitchen table when she’s not hanging out with her husband, two kids, two troublesome cats, and slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. In case you’re wondering, you pronounce that first name Jan-air…kind of like the stove, but not like the book.
TIM BEALS
PRESIDENT OF CREDO COMMUNICATION & PUBLISHER @ CREDO HOUSE PUBLISHERS
After 25 years of working for other publishers, large and small, Tim started his own companies in the service of authors and readers during a period of rapid change in the publishing industry. As president and publisher, Tim fills his days working closely with authors and publishers, bringing words to life. He also travels worldwide to meet with authors and encourage their craft. Tim is the author or compiler of over a dozen books and Bibles published by Crossway, InterVarsity Press, Tyndale, and Zondervan.
HANNAH HOWE
EDITOR OF UNLOCKED TEEN DEVOTIONAL @ KEYS FOR KIDS
Hannah Howe is the editor of Unlocked, a daily devotional for teens ages 14–18 that is published in print, audio, and online/app formats by Keys for Kids Ministries. Through essays, poetry, church history, and a dash of sci-fi and fantasy, Unlocked invites teens to engage with the Bible and to write and submit their own devotional pieces. Hannah graduated from Cornerstone University. She enjoys encouraging writers and offers practical suggestions for creating content for a teen audience.
KAREN NEUMAIR
SENIOR LITERARY AGENT & C.O.O. @ CREDO COMMUNICATIONS,
Karen Neumair is a Senior Literary Agent and the Chief Operating Officer of Credo Communications, where she assists authors with their book proposals and connects them with potential publishers. Since 2009, she has worked alongside nonfiction authors who write about Christian living and spiritual growth, as well as topics geared toward women and families. In 2017, she expanded her representation to also include children’s picture and board books.
LAURA BETH DEGROOT
SPEAKER, AUTHOR & CHAMPION FOR LIVING WIDE AWAKE
Laura DeGroot, is a speaker, author and champion for Living Wide Awake: paying attention to who & how you are so you can show up for your people and your purpose. "
SANDY GOULD
PUBLISHING CONSULTANT WITH THE WELL PUBLISHERS
Sandy has a passion for helping authors see their creative vision become reality in the most straightforward and cost-effective way. Having spent most of her over twenty-year career in the printing and book manufacturing industry, she applies a combination of technical skills and book publishing expertise to deliver effective results.
BIRGIT SYRAN MYAARD
SCREENWRITER
Birgit Syran Myaard (pronounced BEERgit saRAN MYerd) is the 2016 recipient of Movieguide's $10,000 Kairos Prize for her screenplay THE HAND OF A WOMAN (based on Judges 4 and 5) and the writer of ELLIDA, a screen adaptation (based on her own translation from the original Norwegian) of playwright Henrik Ibsen's THE LADY FROM THE SEA, which is currently in post-production.
ATHENA DEAN HOLTZ
SPEAKER, AUTHOR, & PUBLISHER @ REDEMPTION PRESS
Out of the great loss of her marriage, family relationships, home, her reputation, and a twenty-year career in publishing after twelve years in a toxic and restrictive cult, has come great restoration. Athena Dean Holtz now uses her growing and multi-faceted platform to encourage and uplift others through sharing the faithfulness of God in her life and in the lives of others.
Her turnaround story continues. The publisher of the hybrid Redemption Press has recently been named Best Female Podcast Host of the Year (2021) by the national Spark Media Conference. The All Things Podcast uses Romans 8:28 as a theme. She is the recipient of the 2021 Billie Wilson Matthew 5:16 Award from the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference. Her memoir, Full Circle: Coming Home to the Faithfulness of God (Redemption Press 2017), continues to resonate with and inspire readers.
The acclaimed She Writes for Him Writer’s Online events connect, inform, and inspire writers, and have included an annual in-person event, She Writes and Speaks PROCLAIM! They recently relocated their offices into a 100 year old bank building in historic downtown Enumclaw, WA with a full service Christian store offering books, gifts, cards, bibles and personalized wall art.
ALYSHIA HULL
FOUNDER OF MAKE YOUR BREAK
Alyshia Hull is a freelance writer, YouTuber, and the founder of Make Your Break, an online community for goal-setters.
DIANE LINDSEY REEVES
AUTHOR AND BOOK PRODUCER
Author and book producer Diane has spent many years and lots of ink helping students of all ages answer one question: What do you want to be when you grow up? She has written and/or produced more than 140 books with publishers that include Cherry Lake Publishing, Facts On File, Zondervan, Lerner Books, Prentice Hall, Sourcebooks, and Films for the Humanities. Her company, Bright Futures Press, is home to a middle-grade career exploration collection featuring 59 titles in seven distinct series.
These days she also has several creative nonfiction projects on the drawing board. The wish list includes a series about outdoor adventures, modern day dinosaurs, weird inventions, know-it-all animals, and a ‘what can I be’ board book. Still on her bucket list—a chapter book series!
Reeves and her husband divide their time between North and South Carolina where they have homes, daughters, and grandchildren. She serves on the board of the American Book Producers Association.
Alyshia Hull is a freelance writer, YouTuber, and the founder of Make Your Break, an online community for goal-setters.
MARY KATE BROWN
SALES MANAGER/MEMBERSHIP SPECIALIST
Mary Kate homeschools, writes, works, and homesteads in rural Western MI. She blogs, leads an online community, and in 2020 was a contributor to the book Strong, Brave, & Beautiful— a collaboration with the Kindred Mom Blog + Podcast. As a membership specialist at hope*writers she meets with writers who are looking for clarity on their next best step in moving their writing goals forward.
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MORE TO COME
Please check back as additional faculty will be added.