Susan King from the Upper Room sharing Power Point on Devotion Writing

While skyping into Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference in April, Susan King is in California teaching on location at another conference. She is also directing a writer’s conference this year. She’s a busy woman and shares a great workshop with all her students.

You want to listen with both ears when you attend Susan’s workshop. She crams a three hour course in fifty minutes.

Susan has been with The Upper Room magazine for 20 years.  She has also taught English at Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN) for 20 years and functions as a seminar facilitator in leadership and group dynamics. 

Formerly she taught English and feature-writing classes at Biola University and Abilene Christian University, served as book editor and radio-program producer/on-air talent for The Institute of Scriptural Psychology, and wrote magazine features as a freelance writer.

The Upper Room®  is a global ministry designed to support Christians seeking to

Upper Room cover 

know God more fully. It’s a small book that fits in a pocket or purse. You’ll find this devotional in more waiting rooms than most Christian devotions.

Check out the writers guidelines and special emphasis months on the Upper Room Website. And Did You Know? If you are in need of prayer the Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers, call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center web site.   

Find Upper Room on Facebook, too. 

You'll find more info about teens and children materials and the writers guidelines. Check them out. 

The Upper Room, Bookstore, Books, Alive Now, Pockets,Weavings 

Kat: Pray for Susan while she skypes a Power Point presentation into Wordsowers while at another writers conference in California. We feel blessed to have Susan share about writing for Upper Room—and men, she often says she needs male authors. 

I've been privileged to sit in Susan's workshop, have lunch with her and share about devotional writing. She's a woman who loves to encourage writers.  Lionhearted Kat one of the Wordsowers Leadership Team

Meet Writing Coach Rebecca (RJ) Thesman

Rebecca, better known as RJ, Thesman has attended different conferences over the years. A few years ago I sat in her classroom in a Called to Write Conference in Girard, Kansas. She is a phenomenal workshop leader and excellent writing coach.

RJ has a Facebook group for those caregiving an Alzheimer’s or Dementia patient—she enjoys helping caregivers find hope when life unravels. You’ll also find delightful stories in her books about the Unraveling of Rev.G. Look for them in the Wordsowers bookstore.

This year Wordsowers workshops were all filled, when RJ said, “I enjoy getting to

Book One 

know new writers and coaching them on their journey.”  For the first time Wordsowers is offering one on one coaching sessions. For a mere $25 you can sign up for a time with RJ. We asked what she normally charges. “Usually $75 a session.”

Don’t miss this great opportunity.

Kat: Share a bit of background with me—I have your bio, but help me know you better. Tell me something personal?

Rebecca: I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and it's true you can't take the country out of the girl. I have always been a reader and a writer, but I also wanted to be a pastor and a concert pianist. When God called me into ministry, I gave up the concert idea although I did perform a piano concert while a missionary in Honduras. Never got to be a pastor, although I've been in ministry all my life.

Book Two 

Kat: How many books have you written and how did you choose the topic?

Rebecca: I've actually written 8 books. The 1st 4 were nonfiction and self-published to be used in ministry. Then fiction, so that's the three Reverend G books.

Another book is still unpublished and I'm praying about that. The topic of Alzheimer's came because of my mother's illness, my father's dementia and also  my experience in ministry.

Kat:  What led you into coaching other writers?

Rebecca: I became a Certified Life Coach through my work at GateWay of Hope. But I have always loved teaching at writer's conferences and so it was a natural shift into coaching writers.

Kat: Share a bit with our Wordsowers on what to expect from a writing coach.

Rebecca: A writing coach will help you identify a plan for moving past whatever obstacle you're facing. Maybe it's procrastination. Maybe it's finding your writing time / routine, etc. Maybe it's learning more about your core values so you'll know what topic to write about. A coach provides accountability, resources, a listening ear and encouragement.

Kat: Do you have something you’d like the Wordsowers to pray about?

Thank you!! My car is a concern right now. I've been sinking lots of money into it this past year, and praying about a miracle for replacement. Also, I'm facing several transitions in life and searching for another church. This is a source of grief as well as uncertainty. And then, of course, my mother and her Alzheimer's journey.

RJ will be available for a free interview (10 minute session) or $25 for a writers coaching session. Sign up when you register at the conference. 
You can find more info about RJ on her Website Finding Hope When Life Unravels
Facebook, Author page      Twitter          LinkedIn    Facebook Group 

Interview by the Lionhearted Kat - one of the Wordsowers Leadership Team

Duane Brush from STANDARD: Story Arc Worskhop

Duane Brush  from a College Graduation Ceremy

Duane Brush, editor of Standard and Reflecting God, was a 30-year pastor and frequently published writer before joining WordAction. He is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and Nazarene Theological Seminary. Wordsowers are privileged to have Duane present a workshop, “The story arc—a how to on plotting a story to a satisfying conclusion.”

Nazarene Publishing House 

            Nazarene Publishing House, the publishing arm of the Church of the Nazarene is located in Kansas City, MO. It was first founded in 1912.

Kat: I know you served in ministry for 30 years....did you write during that time?

Duane: I wrote for publication in addition to things written as part of my ministry: mostly newspapers, magazine articles and stories.  

STANDARD SS Handout

Kat: How and why did you change professions?

Duane: At 58 I was exploring my options. I knew that it was time to leave my current pastoral position. My wife and I were prayerfully seeking God's direction for our future. I am a great believer in knocking on many doors, and trusting God to open the right one. A friend made a house available to us in Kansas City during that time. After working several temporary positions I was offered the editorial position at NPH. 

Kat: Have you published a book?

Duane: I wrote a chapter in a book about our church's response to Hurricane Katrina.

Reflecting God Devotional

I wrote a worship planning guide for the Worship in Song hymnal. I have pitched several books and had two accepted by NPH. Unfortunately those projects are now on hold because of the company's reorganization.

Kat: You've presented workshops at many conferences....how many and where?

Duane: I have presented conference workshops at the HACWN conference for 5 or 6 years. I did a Skype conference for a Christian writer's group in Raleigh, North Carolina and for Wordsowers in 2014. My workshops have largely focused on article and devotional writing and the changing markets for both. 

Kat: You mentioned family and grandchildren--do any of your family write? 

Duane and wife Nora 

Duane: My wife Nora has written some, she is also a minister and chaplain, she has written both articles and devotionals. Our son, David, has written chapters for books and for his ministry projects. He is a lay discipleship minister at his church and is a graduate of Fuller seminary with a degree in international missions.

Kat: Do you have a "bucket list" in the writing world before retirement, or are you like some of us who will never retire?

Bucket from Common Domain

Duane: I have several book ideas I would like to pursue. A dream project would be a textbook on preaching for ministers from the Wesleyan-Holiness perspective.
Find Duane Brush on Facebook

Kat: A note to Wordsowers: Duane is a great workshop teacher and easy to talk with in interview sessions. Besides the workshop for our conference this year, he has taught “Good theology for Christian writers who aren’t theologians.” Another is, “Character development in short story writing.” Feel free to ask him questions.

          Also, Duane mentioned the the reorganization of Nazarene Publishing House. Pray for all the editors and publishers at NPH during this transition.

Interview by Kat Crawford-one of the Wordsowers Leadership Team

Lee Warren Presents On Ramp and a Workshop

Lee Warren, author and freelance editor is one of the founding members of

Lee Warren Author and Freelance Editor 

Wordsowers Christian Writers. His website says he’s a sportswriter, storyteller and a sentimentalist…and he is. When you delve into Lee’s latest book you’ll hear his heartbeat. Lee will share industry terms and other tidbits on Friday night in order to prepare writers Saturday’s conference. Lee will also teach a workshop and be available for interviews. And don’t miss the opportunity to pick up his brand new book—Common Grounds.

Kat:  What prompted you to write and freelance edit full time?

Lee: It wasn’t anything mystical. I just had a strong desire to do so. As somebody who is painfully shy, writing has been my primary means for communicating the way I feel. Once I realized that doing so touched others on occasion, it awakened a desire to do it professionally.

On the editing side, it’s a natural progression for somebody who is trying to make a full-time living in the industry.     

Lee's latest book

Kat: You have a new book coming out soon. I know you have the title. Do you have the subtitle yet? Why did you write this particular book?

Lee: The book is called “Common Grounds” and the subtitle I will probably use is “Contemplations, Confessions and (unexpected) Connections from the Coffee Shop.” A subscriber to my email list sent that idea to me, and I love it.

I wrote this book to see if I was the only one. Am I the only one who is still shy about approaching a woman I am interested in, even though I am forty-eight years old? Am I the only one who just needs to be around people sometimes, even if we don’t have a conversation? Am I the only shy, large person who tries to blend in wherever he goes? 

Deep down, I knew I wasn’t the only one in any of these cases, but knowing something and feeling it are two different things. As such, I believe this book will resonate with people who have similar questions about their own insecurities and struggles.

I visited thirty coffee shops to find out the answers to those questions, and more.

For the Guys 

I wrote about what I observed and experienced. If I’ve done the math correctly, I spent $136.42 on coffee and a few donuts, which is a small price to pay for the commonality I felt between the patrons, baristas, and myself. And standing on common ground gave me strength in the most unexpected of ways.

Kat: Several Wordsowers participated in NationalNovel Writing Month. We met

in a restaurant and spent time together. Share why you think NaNoWriMo is valuable and why you encourage other authors to get involved?

Lee: Writing groups, email lists, and conferences are great. But in my experience, too many of us who want to write spend most of our free time thinking or talking about writing, rather than actually sitting down and producing content.

Buy for Christmas Now

Participating in NaNoWriMo is a commitment to produce 50,000 words in 30 days. The time for talking about writing is over at that point. Early in the process, you learn the necessity of creating a production schedule. If you don’t, then you will not write 1,667 words in a day (the average you must maintain). At the end of the month, you will have established a writing habit that should carry forward into the next month, and beyond.

Once you have established that habit, you can produce a great deal of content. Even if you only wrote for one hour a day, averaging 800 words per hour, it would only take you 100 days to write the first draft of an 80,000-word novel, or 63 days to write the first draft of a 50,000-word non-fiction book. All of us can write for an hour a day, but it starts by building that habit into our schedule. Participating in NaNoWriMo is a great way to do that.

Kat:  You usually write non-fiction and work at editing, but recently you have invested more time in novel writing? Do you find writing fiction relaxing, fun, or challenging.

Lee: Fiction is more difficult for me to write, though, than nonfiction. My

Great Devotions 

thinking is more linear than creative, so nonfiction is more natural for me. Producing great fiction requires the ability to complete a believable story arc with memorable characters, and since neither happens in a linear fashion, I struggle through that process. I suspect that I’m a “seat of the pants” novelist for this very reason. For nonfiction, I’m a strict outliner.  

Kat: Any other thoughts you want to add?

I look forward to meeting new attendees at the conference, as well as catching up with old friends. If you feel a bit lost in the publishing maze, make sure you sign up for an appointment to see me. I’d love to walk you through it.

One more thing ... as I make a transition from traditional publishing to indie publishing, I’m looking to engage with my readers, and prospective readers, more than ever. My plan is to offer them the best deals on my books going forward.

 (I’m going to offer the Kindle version of “Common Grounds” for .99 cents to my email list for a limited time), as well as to offer giveaways. The way to be eligible is to join my free email list: http://www.leewarren.info/email-list.html.

Interview by Kat Crawford, one of the Wordsowers Christian Writer's Leadership Team. Lovin' the opportunity to share in the lives with other writers.

Mary Connealy Author of Romantic Comedy with Cowboys

If you haven’t read a Mary Connealy cowboy romance you're missing out. In years past I read the books not knowing the author. Now I just love to crawl in bed with my kindle, saddle up and have fun with Mary’s characters. I smile, laugh out loud and sometimes cry. Each book is a great adventure. Check her blog for actual photos of a sod houses with horses on the roof and more.... 
You won’t want to miss her workshop.

Kat: Tell us about you and your family:

Mary: I live on a farm/ranch in northeast Nebraska. My husband and I are high school sweethearts who just celebrated our 38^th wedding anniversary. And we live ten miles from where I grew up and three miles from where he did.

We live in the bluffs along the Missouri River and we run cattle on the land too steep to grow crops and farm the land that’s nice enough to lay flat instead of stand on end. I call my husband My Cowboy on Facebook but it’s more correct to call him a cattleman, as we don’t

have those cool horses, chaps, lassoes and such that cowboys in the western part of the states have. But he needed a fun nickname so I came up with My Cowboy

We have four grown daughters. Two married, a third engaged with a June wedding coming up. I have three beautiful grandchildren with one daughter and a second is expecting her first child in August.

Kat: How many books have you published?

Mary: You know, I’m sort of losing count. Seriously. I’ve done some Indy pubbed books and quite a few novellas lately, in addition to my traditionally published books. The count is getting away from me. I think my 38^th and 39^th books are the two indy pubbed novellas coming in April which will make my June release my 40^th book.

I could be off a few. I think I’ve published maybe…13 novellas in the last three years. It’s gotten way out of hand! 

Kat: When did you decide to write and why did you choose cowboy romance?

Mary: I wrote for ten years before I got my first book published and on that day when I got my first contract, I have 20 finished books on my computer. Those books were mostly all romance and all Christian, but beyond that…I wrote everything and anything that appealed to me. Contemporary sweet, contemporary police procedurals, romantic suspense, even a gothic. And

I wrote historical westerns.

After I received my first contract I sold (not counting the very first one) I sold seven books before I had to write one. And since then of those twenty books I’ve sold 14, I think. Some I’ve cut to novella length. So I didn’t really ‘choose’ the cowboy romances but I think I found my voice in them, which is why they sold. 

Kat: Did you have anything embarrassing or humorous happen to you while writing a book, meeting an editor or agent? 

Mary: I remember one of the most fun times I ever had with an agent. The American Christian Fiction Writers conference has, as part of the conference fee, a meeting with an agent and a meeting with an editor. You’re guaranteed two. So my second conference I already had an agent. (I’m on my third and have finally got a really good one!) But my agent wasn’t at conference—I’d just barely signed with that one shortly before conference, and I’d yet to sell a book.

So I got to choose an agent and I had all these books to sell and no real idea how to proceed. I’d made up FOUR versions of a book list. One targeting Love Inspired Harlequin, One targeting Barbour Heartsong, (where I made me first sale too, that year at conference.) One listing all my historicals and one listing the romantic suspense. And I had a meeting with an editor and wasn’t sure just how to proceed.

So I went to the agent appointment and I sat down with this extremely nice lady that I still know, and said, “Wendy (Lawton) I already have an agent but he’s not here and I get an appointment and you’re the lucky girl. I need advice.” Then I dragged out all my one sheets and said, “Who do I talk to. What do I show? Is this a testimony to hard work and commitment or is it a towering symbol of failure.”

Well, we just started talking and I think she was sort of relieved to NOT have someone pitching to her for one precious 15 minute spell and she gave me lots of advice and we talked our heads off the whole time. It was great fun.

Kat: I know you are working on a new series this summer. How and why did you choose to write 12 bride stories and how do you develop such different characters for each book?

Mary: I’ve written one book in the 12 Brides of Christmas series and one book in the 12 Brides

of Summer series. So there are 12 authors working together. These are some of the 13 novellas I’ve written in the last few years.

When I was writing for Barbour Publishing they had me writing four full length books (90-100,000 words) a year. I could keep up with that pace mainly because I had so many books already written. But it was starting to scare me. Then I got a good agent and a great offer from Bethany House but they only wanted two books a year.

I think a comfortable pace is probably three books. So now I’ve got all this time on my hands and I worry that I’ll accidentally make a friend or get a hobby and mess up my whole life. So the novellas are filling in the holes in my spare time and writing some of them for Barbour Publishing is fun because I love those folks and I don’t forget that they gave me my first chance.

Kat: Do you have a special program that helps track the color of the eyes and hair?

Mary: I make notes at the top of the manuscript with details like that. ages, eye color, names and jobs of minor characters (those are the hardest to keep track of). By the time I’m done with a book I might have several pages worth of notes.

I’ve tried creating spread sheets but then I make a change in the book and forget to update the spread sheet and then I don’t know which is right or if I changed it in the book or not, so that’s confusing.

Kat: Do you have a special prayer request?

Mary: For my family and my presentation. 

Kat: If you want to know more about Mary and her books, check out her website. 

Interview by Lionhearted Kat, one of the Wordsowers Leadership Team.

Laree Lindburg with EMoon Publishing

Laree Lindburg arrived at the Wordsowers monthly meeting sometime in 2006.

Laree Lindburg of EMoon Publishing

She attended our critique group and several of our monthly meetings over the years…especially when we met at Shadow Lake, closer to her home. Wordsowers is excited about Laree holding her marketing debut for Emoon Publishing at our conference. Look for the EMoon booth.

Kat: In a few sentences tell us about you, family and background of Emoon Publishing:

Laree: My husband, Tyler, and I have been married for almost 14 yrs. We have four children--three boys, one girl. Writing is a process I have enjoyed from a young age and have dabbled in contest entries along the way. After college, I began to pursue my "creative side" more actively. I practiced by penning children's lit, articles, short stories and devotions a number of which went on to be published.

Later I worked on a children's book. I attended a writer's conference in 2006. There, I signed with a literary agent. He convinced me to write a Christian non-fiction work I had on my heart. He marketed the non-fiction work to publishing houses, but all reported back a major void—no platform. The book is still not published, but the literary agent and I became friends. He hooked me up with edits, rewrites and a ghost writing job through his firm. I’m thankful for the experience gained.

Published by EMoon

Two years after signing with the lit agent, he started a small publishing company--Electric Moon. He hired me as the eBook formatter/publisher. Several years later, ownership of eMoon transferred to DustJacket Press in Oklahoma—my identity remained glued to eMoon as its manager. Emoon is still serving as DJ's eBook specialist. In 2014 I acquired ownership of eMoon. And now here we are!

Since the time of eMoon's birth, I have formatted and/or published 80+ books for digital publication. An irreplaceable experience in the publishing world. 

Kat: Question: What is your number one goal in becoming a publishing company?

Laree: To produce satisfied authors, publish quality written work and glorify the Lord.

Kat: Why is your publishing company different than others? Do you hire freelance editors? How do you develop a book cover?

Laree: As authors and writers ourselves, we contemplated and prayed about what we would want in a publishing house. Our conclusion: EMoon gives RIGHTS and ROYALTIES back to the author. We do ask the authors to maintain our name as publisher and allow us to use your book for marketing our business. Even though the author maintains rights and royalties, and eMoon may incur monetary loss in the long run, our goal is to not penalize the author for this gift by passing on the cost. As a result, we offer fair and competitive pricing on all our services.

Published by EMoon February 2015

Down the road, eMoon plans to offer marketing, begin an online bookstore (through our website), host writer's contests and produce Electric Moon imprint books.  

Four team members, other than myself are employed at eMoon: a typesetter, cover creator (graphics designer), paper publisher, editors, writers and electronic publishers. To keep up with the trends, we are pleased to offer EPUB and MOBI files of your book—the author can then sell as downloads directly off their website.

At this time, we do not have a need for freelance editors. Our cover designers create sole front covers (for eBooks) and front, spine, backs (for paperbacks). We are able to use an image you own the rights to or use our own stock images and creations. 

Emoon does desire to show integrity in what it chooses to publish, therefore, we do not publish erotic materials and reserve the right to deny any manuscript. If a work comes across our desks needing editorial "clean up" we will suggest this as mandatory before we will consider publishing.

Kat: How are you marketing Electric Moon Publishing?

Laree: You can find "EMoon Publishing," on Facebook "Electric Moon Publishing," and on Twitter—EmoonPubber. Mostly, we want to be known by word-of-mouth. Those verbal affirmations from pleased authors are the best marketing available! 

Special note from Kat: EMoon Publishing About us page is interesting...be sure to scroll down and read about the team and their quirks. 

Author Cheryl St.John

Writer's Digest author Cheryl St.John shares her workshop,"A Story is Feelings: Trigger Emotion in Your Reader" 
at the 2015 Wordsowers Writers Conference.


Cheryl St.John is the author of over forty Harlequin and Silhouette books. Her first book, RAIN SHADOW was nominated for RWA’s RITA for Best First Book, by Romantic Times for Best Western Historical, and by Affaire de Coeur readers as Best American Historical Romance.

In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real life situations.


Jeanie: Cheryl, you've written over fifty published books, and received multiple Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards and four RITA nominations. You've taught writing on both local and national levels.

How did you get started?              

Cheryl: The first story I ever wrote was called The Pink Dress. I stapled the pages into a book and drew a cover. I don’t remember how old I was. Maybe eleven. 

Many years later, I wrote a short story, submitted it, and received a rejection from Redbook magazine. I was fourteen and I still have the story and the rejection slip. 

I still remember the feeling of rejection and disappointment when I received it.

My first complete novel was titled The Rebel. I’m actually too embarrassed to tell you what it was about. I was sixteen.

I wrote in notebooks for years while my children were growing up, and I started a couple of books that way.

Jeanie: In your book, Writing With Emotion, Tension, and Conflict, you share techniques to add spark to  characters, plots and dialogue. In your opinion and given today's market, how much does that factor into sales?

Cheryl: A story is feelings. If you want to engage readers in your stories, your characters and their plights must hook into the reader's emotions.  We read fiction to feel something, be it fear, excitement, amusement, all from the relative safety of our armchairs.  

If we want to hook a reader, we must make him care. To make him care, we must learn the things that trigger our own emotions and utilize them effectively.  One we've made the reader feel engaged, they will confidently buy our next book.

Jeanie: What tips would you give to other aspiring romance authors, looking to be published?

Cheryl:

1. Believe in yourself. There will be times when no one else believes in you, so you have to draw on and draw out the writer inside. 
2. Study your craft. Study. Study. 
3.  Read. Read. Read. 
4.  Network and find a writing group.

Jeanie: How can we pray for you?

Cheryl: My prayer each year is for God to show me how I can glorify Him with the gifts and abilities He's given me. 

"Lord, help me encourage others to be everything You've called them to be and to receive the fullness of life You offer them." 

(John 10:10 - "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." )

Jeanie: Cheryl, thanks for chatting with us.

You can connect with Cheryl on her website, Facebook page, blog,  Goodreads, and in person  at the 2015 Wordsowers Writers Conference.