Robyn Dykstra is a popular national speaker, presenting at about 40 live events a year, including multiple Focus on the Family broadcasts. Robyn is a best selling author of 5 books and the creator of Christian Speakers Boot Camp. She has mastered the secrets of booking speaking gigs, negotiating honorariums, and selling boatloads of books from the stage at live events. Her unique signature talk formula streamlines the process of writing compelling messages that captivate audiences. Let her teach you how to have big Kingdom influence as a speaker and writer.
Robyn Dykstra is a popular national speaker, presenting at about 40 live events a year, including multiple Focus on the Family broadcasts. Robyn is a best selling author of 5 books and the creator of Christian Speakers Boot Camp. She has mastered the secrets of booking speaking gigs, negotiating honorariums, and selling boatloads of books from the stage at live events. Her unique signature talk formula streamlines the process of writing compelling messages that captivate audiences. Let her teach you how to have big Kingdom influence as a speaker and writer.
Robyn Dykstra
Captivating Presentations
Want your audience to lean in from your first word and be able to hold their attention for your entire presentation? Then you need to learn the art of delivery. You can carry a mediocre talk with marvelous delivery skills. But mediocre presentation skills will ruin a marvelous talk.
Serving Your Audience From the Stage and Beyond
We are to be good stewards of our gifts, talents, time, and finances. The focus of this workshop will be to serve the audience beyond the stage with your book or other offer. In this hands-on class, you’ll learn how to unlock the potential to impact lives while making your ministry financially sustainable!
Telling Your “But God” Story
When you share your story, it’s easy to get caught up in too many details, make it all about you and lose the interest of your audience. The difference between “Your story changed my life”, and “That was nice” is invisible to most of us. Let me show you exactly what to include, AND how to piece together your story so you can create a real impact on your audience.
Bob Hostetler (www.bobhostetler.com) is an award-winning author, literary agent, game writer, blogger, and international speaker from southern Nevada. His more than fifty books, which include the award-winning Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door (co-authored with Josh McDowell) and the dual-timeline novel, The Bone Box, have sold millions of copies. As a literary agent with the Steve Laube Agency (www.stevelaube.com), Bob represents the work of fiction and nonfiction writers to Christian publishers. In his role as the executive editor of the Christian Writers Institute (www.christianwritersinstitute.com), he assists in CWI’s ministry of providing an affordable “online Christian writers’ conference.” He also writes Christian mobile games, videos, and digital comic books for the innovative TruPlay app (available on both Apple and Android mobile devices). He has been a radio disc jockey, radio commentator, pastor and preacher, and (with his wife, the lovely Robin) a foster parent to eleven teenage boys (though not all at once). He and his wife love spending time with their two grown children and their spouses, and their five perfect grandchildren.
Bob Hostetler (www.bobhostetler.com) is an award-winning author, literary agent, game writer, blogger, and international speaker from southern Nevada. His more than fifty books, which include the award-winning Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door (co-authored with Josh McDowell) and the dual-timeline novel, The Bone Box, have sold millions of copies. As a literary agent with the Steve Laube Agency (www.stevelaube.com), Bob represents the work of fiction and nonfiction writers to Christian publishers. In his role as the executive editor of the Christian Writers Institute (www.christianwritersinstitute.com), he assists in CWI’s ministry of providing an affordable “online Christian writers’ conference.” He also writes Christian mobile games, videos, and digital comic books for the innovative TruPlay app (available on both Apple and Android mobile devices). He has been a radio disc jockey, radio commentator, pastor and preacher, and (with his wife, the lovely Robin) a foster parent to eleven teenage boys (though not all at once). He and his wife love spending time with their two grown children and their spouses, and their five perfect grandchildren.
Bob Hostetler
Blogging Your Way to Publication
How to get started, how to get noticed, and how to move from blog to print.
All the Wrong Moves
Sometimes a writer knows there is something wrong with a chapter (or book), but can’t quite put a finger on it. This session will provide a working list of the most common reasons a page, passage, or chapter isn’t working.
The Write Sense
Writing that appeals to the five senses—six, actually, including writing for “the gut,” too.
Writing Children’s Books
A literary agent and children’s book author will share up-to-the-minute tips for writing books for children, from the various genre to dos and don’ts and more.
Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous so that they experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives. She speaks in the US and abroad at women’s conferences and events, including national platforms like the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.
Barb is a Bible teacher who loves following God more than anything else in life. Rather than teaching audiences to follow God to get what they want, Barb inspires audiences to discover God is all that they need!
She is the author seven Bible studies such as Matthew: Pray Like This, Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb has written five books including Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm. Audiences love Barb’s authenticity, humor, spiritual depth and practical tools that apply God’s Truth to everyday life.
Barb writes a weekly Happy Monday devotional and is the host of the Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast. She lives in NW Ohio and is proud mother of three adult children. Whenever possible, Barb prefers to eat dessert first.
Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous so that they experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives. She speaks in the US and abroad at women’s conferences and events, including national platforms like the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.
Barb is a Bible teacher who loves following God more than anything else in life. Rather than teaching audiences to follow God to get what they want, Barb inspires audiences to discover God is all that they need!
She is the author seven Bible studies such as Matthew: Pray Like This, Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb has written five books including Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm. Audiences love Barb’s authenticity, humor, spiritual depth and practical tools that apply God’s Truth to everyday life.
Barb writes a weekly Happy Monday devotional and is the host of the Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast. She lives in NW Ohio and is proud mother of three adult children. Whenever possible, Barb prefers to eat dessert first.
Barb Roose
Writing Creative and Compelling Bible Studies
Writing compelling and insightful Bible studies can be a rewarding experience for both your readers and you. Not only can you aid them in understanding and applying the Bible to their lives, but you also benefit from the richness of the preparation process. Join Barb Roose and learn the five elements that you need to write creative and compelling Bible study as well as various strategies that you can incorporate into your next Bible study writing project.
Write to Video—10 Ideas & Solutions to Create Captivating Video
When it comes to connecting with our audiences and growing platform, video content is the train that audiences are addicted to riding. Creating video content doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or exasperating. In this hands-on, interactive workshop, Barb Roose shares ten ideas and solutions to help you create video content that will increase your engagement with your current and future audience.
Platform 101
Platform isn’t everything in landing a publishing contract, but it is an important part of the picture. In this workshop, Barb will explain the three types of platform-building approaches. She will also provide step-by-step instructions, encouragement, and lots of resources that will equip you to launch from zero platform and move with intention toward your publishing goals.
Heidi Chiavaroli (pronounced shev-uh-roli...sort of like Chevrolet and ravioli mushed together!) wrote her first story in third grade, titled I'd Cross the Desert for Milk. It wasn't until years later that she revisited writing, using her two small boys’ nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn’t stopped writing since!
Heidi writes women's fiction, combining her love of history and literature to write both split time stories and contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, Freedom's Ring, was a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist, a Romantic Times Top Pick and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Her second Carol Award-winning novel, The Orchard House, is inspired by the lesser-known events in Louisa May Alcott's life and led her to write The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series, a contemporary twist on Little Women. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Wyatt, her standard poodle.
Heidi Chiavaroli (pronounced shev-uh-roli...sort of like Chevrolet and ravioli mushed together!) wrote her first story in third grade, titled I'd Cross the Desert for Milk. It wasn't until years later that she revisited writing, using her two small boys’ nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn’t stopped writing since!
Heidi writes women's fiction, combining her love of history and literature to write both split time stories and contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, Freedom's Ring, was a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist, a Romantic Times Top Pick and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Her second Carol Award-winning novel, The Orchard House, is inspired by the lesser-known events in Louisa May Alcott's life and led her to write The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series, a contemporary twist on Little Women. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Wyatt, her standard poodle.
Heidi Chiavaroli
Ten Steps to Editing Your Fiction
Congratulations—you’ve written your story! But don’t hit that “publish” or “send” button just yet, because there are some tried and true methods to polishing your manuscript to make it shine before it hits shelves. Join multi award-winning novelist Heidi Chiavaroli as she explores ten steps you can take to edit your own work. Topics include refining point-of-view, showing instead of telling, writing likable characters, creating vivid story worlds, and more.
All About Plot
Whether you love to plot out your stories in intricate detail or you tend toward the pantsing method (writing by the seat-of-your-pants), it’s necessary to understand good plot and story structure. Join two-time Carol award-winning novelist Heidi Chiavaroli as she discusses approaches to crafting strong story beginnings, middles, and ends. In this workshop, we’ll explore brainstorming techniques, common plotting problems to watch out for, and how to keep the tension up to keep your reader turning the pages!
Everything You Need to Know About Point-of-View
Mastering point-of-view (POV) is so much more than deciding whether to write in first-person or third-person. Writing your characters with a solid point-of-view lends credibility and authenticity to your created people, and to you as an author. Join novelist Heidi Chiavaroli as she explains the nuts and bolts of POV, how to use it to hook readers and explore the many facets of your character’s personality, and how to master deep POV.
Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a traditionally published, award-winning author, writing coach, freelancer, editor, speaker, and disturber of hobbits, who enjoys making comfortable Christians late for dinner. She’s authored six award-winning books, contributed to eleven+ more, and her latest book, Graceful Influence: Making a Lasting Impact through Lessons from Women of the Bible, won AWSA’s Golden Scroll Book of the Year 2024. Through Take Heart! Coaching and Freelance, Lori has coached over 130 over-40 Christian writers toward their dreams. Though she has degrees in psychology and biblical studies, Lori learned the most from studying her Bible in life’s trenches. She delivers humor and biblical truth at www.loriroeleveld.com, https://loriroeleveld.substack.com/ and manages her coaching/freelance business at www.takeheartcoachingandfreelance.com.
Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a traditionally published, award-winning author, writing coach, freelancer, editor, speaker, and disturber of hobbits, who enjoys making comfortable Christians late for dinner. She’s authored six award-winning books, contributed to eleven+ more, and her latest book, Graceful Influence: Making a Lasting Impact through Lessons from Women of the Bible, won AWSA’s Golden Scroll Book of the Year 2024. Through Take Heart! Coaching and Freelance, Lori has coached over 130 over-40 Christian writers toward their dreams. Though she has degrees in psychology and biblical studies, Lori learned the most from studying her Bible in life’s trenches. She delivers humor and biblical truth at www.loriroeleveld.com, https://loriroeleveld.substack.com/ and manages her coaching/freelance business at www.takeheartcoachingandfreelance.com.
Lori Roeleveld
Productivity with Peace
Never mind how others fit writing into their lives without losing sleep, how will you? Learn to live and write from a heart at peace with a method that helped this author release six traditionally published books while working full-time, ministering, and caring for a family. Come with a problem. Leave with a plan.
Writing Over 40
Stop asking if you’re too old to be a writer. Instead, learn what you need to know to start (or start again) writing at your age. If you’re over forty and wondering if you’ve missed your chance, this workshop will answer your questions and prepare you to act wisely and well as you pursue publication.
Using Memoir in Fiction and Non-Fiction
Your life contains a gold mine of stories you can incorporate in both fiction and non-fiction writing. You may write a straightforward memoir, a novel inspired by real events, or you may use portions of your story in a topical non-fiction book, devotions, blog posts, or articles. Learn how to mine this gold and refine it for use as well as pitfalls to avoid when sharing your own story.
Debbie Dufek is an author, a conference and retreat speaker, an inspirational storyteller, the creator and host of the popular The Woman Behind the Words podcast heard weekly on all platforms. She is a content creator and teacher with a new course for women due to be published in January 2025.
Deb’s first book, Holy Interruptions: When God Taps You on the Shoulder, published by Bold Vision Books, Friendswood, Texas, was released in 2022.
Deb is the founder and coordinator of The Mom’s Luncheon. This yearly all-day event has remained a favorite day for 150+ women for 35 years.
Her passion is encouraging others to live deliberately, living out our days for what matters to Jesus. She believes every person’s story is significant and inspires others to share their stories with whoever the Lord brings their way. We are all part of a larger picture. Embracing God’s plans and purposes for our lives, Jesus will use our stories to change the course of history, which will affect the outcome of eternity one heart at a time.
Debbie Dufek is an author, a conference and retreat speaker, an inspirational storyteller, the creator and host of the popular The Woman Behind the Words podcast heard weekly on all platforms. She is a content creator and teacher with a new course for women due to be published in January 2025.
Deb’s first book, Holy Interruptions: When God Taps You on the Shoulder, published by Bold Vision Books, Friendswood, Texas, was released in 2022.
Deb is the founder and coordinator of The Mom’s Luncheon. This yearly all-day event has remained a favorite day for 150+ women for 35 years.
Her passion is encouraging others to live deliberately, living out our days for what matters to Jesus. She believes every person’s story is significant and inspires others to share their stories with whoever the Lord brings their way. We are all part of a larger picture. Embracing God’s plans and purposes for our lives, Jesus will use our stories to change the course of history, which will affect the outcome of eternity one heart at a time.
Deb Dufek
My Business Meeting with the Lord: Seeking God’s Wisdom and Direction
Join Deb Dufek as she shares about a meeting with Jesus that has changed the way she operates in her ministry and business. For 4+ years she has been meeting with the Lord weekly to seek His plans, swapping her agenda for His, and so much more. The results have been astounding! Add this to your life and you won’t be sorry!
Tammy Gerhard is a woman who loves Jesus and encourages people to see life through His eyes. She delights in helping women discover their gifts, inspiring each to put them to use for Kingdom purposes. She’s a natural connector – a speaker, mentor, counselor, and coach, as well as a published author, who is continually adding to her series of picture books that share important life lessons for kids of all ages.
Tammy is also the owner of a coffee shop in Manchester, CT, where she regularly invites emerging communicators in after hours to develop their craft. She spends her time between there and the shore, making memories with her husband of 31 years and their adult children.
Tammy Gerhard is a woman who loves Jesus and encourages people to see life through His eyes. She delights in helping women discover their gifts, inspiring each to put them to use for Kingdom purposes. She’s a natural connector – a speaker, mentor, counselor, and coach, as well as a published author, who is continually adding to her series of picture books that share important life lessons for kids of all ages.
Tammy is also the owner of a coffee shop in Manchester, CT, where she regularly invites emerging communicators in after hours to develop their craft. She spends her time between there and the shore, making memories with her husband of 31 years and their adult children.
Tammy Gerhard
Give It To God and Go To Sleep — Expressive Writing for Effective Soul Care – NIGHT OWL
It is common for writers and speakers to get overwhelmed as they work to produce. This can lead to writer’s block, anxiety, and stress. Join us as we engage an age-old practice of journaling scripture, releasing our minds from the cares of the day, and inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts through the process of Expressive Writing.
Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author, Tracey J Lyons sold her first book to a major publisher on 9/9/99! (The day everyone thought our computers were going to crash!) Since then, she has gone on to work with several publishing houses, including, Christian publisher Waterfall Press and Harlequin’s Love Inspired line. Tracey loves to talk about writing, and has presented writing workshops at several national writing conferences.
A true upstate New Yorker, Tracey believes you should write what you know. She considers herself a small-town gal who writes small-town, faith-filled love stories. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith Hope and Love Christian writers, New Jersey Romance Writers and Novelist Inc.
Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author, Tracey J Lyons sold her first book to a major publisher on 9/9/99! (The day everyone thought our computers were going to crash!) Since then, she has gone on to work with several publishing houses, including, Christian publisher Waterfall Press and Harlequin’s Love Inspired line. Tracey loves to talk about writing, and has presented writing workshops at several national writing conferences.
A true upstate New Yorker, Tracey believes you should write what you know. She considers herself a small-town gal who writes small-town, faith-filled love stories. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith Hope and Love Christian writers, New Jersey Romance Writers and Novelist Inc.
Tracey Lyons
Writing the Christian Romance
In this workshop participants will learn what goes into creating a Christian romance. Tracey will teach the elements of writing a romance and bringing a Christian aspect into the plot and how this plays an important role in the character’s journey. She will also discuss why this genre is popular with readers and talk about what Christian publishers are looking for in a Christian romance.
Mel has served as a therapist/counselor/coach in multiple settings over the past several decades, both professionally and in ministry. Concurrently, she has 25 years of experience in the writing/publishing industry and has mentored hundreds of writers. Mel holds a Doctorate of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling.
She authors award-winning books, blogs, short stories, and devotionals and has been published thousands of times. Mel is a sought-after speaker on media platforms, at ladies ministry events and conferences. Her works and more information about her services can be found at drmeltavares.com
Mel has served as a therapist/counselor/coach in multiple settings over the past several decades, both professionally and in ministry. Concurrently, she has 25 years of experience in the writing/publishing industry and has mentored hundreds of writers. Mel holds a Doctorate of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling.
She authors award-winning books, blogs, short stories, and devotionals and has been published thousands of times. Mel is a sought-after speaker on media platforms, at ladies ministry events and conferences. Her works and more information about her services can be found at drmeltavares.com
Mel Tavares
Ten Benefits of Writing ‘Short’
Have you ever considered the benefits of short non-fiction writing such as devotions, blogs, magazine articles, and short stories? During this workshop, you will discover at least ten benefits including: reaching a wider audience, learning to write ‘tight,’ building your portfolio and feeling accomplished in having a finished work. Fiction and non-fiction writers will both benefit from this workshop.
Paula Sorrells-Beene is a writer, speaker, and teacher of the Word. She is passionate about growing leaders, equipping others to answer God’s call, and guiding writers to hone their skills so their writing accurately reveals the authenticity of the Bible. As a spiritual mentor and coach, she pursues her heart’s desire to help Christ followers discover the full expression of God’s heart. She loves guiding others to a deeper relationship with Jesus, exploring and discovering the mysteries and truths of God’s Word. She has an MA in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Theological Seminary and a BBA from Texas A&M University.
Paula Sorrells-Beene is a writer, speaker, and teacher of the Word. She is passionate about growing leaders, equipping others to answer God’s call, and guiding writers to hone their skills so their writing accurately reveals the authenticity of the Bible. As a spiritual mentor and coach, she pursues her heart’s desire to help Christ followers discover the full expression of God’s heart. She loves guiding others to a deeper relationship with Jesus, exploring and discovering the mysteries and truths of God’s Word. She has an MA in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Theological Seminary and a BBA from Texas A&M University.
Paula Sorrells-Beene
The Interpretive Journey–Principles of Biblical Exploration
Have you ever written something that was published, or spoken to an audience, and later realized that what you said was not biblically sound? It is easy to take Scripture out of context, or totally misinterpret what the Word says. The Interpretive Journey will walk you through the discipline of understanding, translating, and explaining Scripture. It will consider the different types of literature and the methodology for understanding and interpreting each type, while also addressing the barriers—cultural, customs, language, time, and covenantal—to discover how to grasp the meaning of the text as God intended.
Workshops and Night Owl subject to change.