Julia Allen

Having been an editor for the past twenty years, Julia Allen loves all things editing, from strengthening plots and characters to fixing pesky grammar issues, like the differences between affect/effect or how to use a semicolon. She has edited several anthologies and is currently the Director of Programs for LDSPMA. She also won first place in the 2019 Storymakers First Chapter contest for nonfiction and placed in the BOB for romance in both 2024 and 2025. Julia lives near the Oquirrh Mountains with her husband, four kids, and crazy maltipoo. www.betterspellcheck.com; IG: @betterthanspellcheck

Sara Anderson

Sara K. Anderson tends to acquire story ideas faster than she can write them down. When she isn’t frantically typing words, she’s listening to them; while washing dishes, at the gym or waiting to pick up her kids from school. Sara resides in Arizona where they claim two seasons—boiling hot summers, and mildly cold winters. Because of this, she and her husband love traveling to places with bright fall colors. Some of her published works include her duology; Fractured and Frayed along with several short stories. www.sarakanderson.com; @authorsara_anderson

Cyera Becker

Cyera believes all words matter. When she was a child, she was often found reading the dictionary. She has two children and two house plants - which is plenty to keep alive. While native to Colorado, she currently enjoys living on the east coast, reading at the beach.

Emily Burnham

Emily J. Burnham is a Marriage and Family Therapist and aspiring author who is passionate about the intersection of emotional health and storytelling. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University. Born and raised in Arizona, Emily enjoys painting, pickleball, and practicing her Korean. www.elevatewithemilymft.com; elevatewithemilymft

Ashley Bustamante

Ashley Bustamante (author of The Color Theory trilogy) has created stories from the moment she could scribble and staple sheets of paper together. She cannot recall a time when writing was not a force in her life. Ashley strives to create stories with positive messages that encourage others to come together. She enjoys participating in the writing community and hopes to nurture other writers in the way she was nurtured by so many throughout her youth. When not running through lines of dialogue in her mind, Ashley enjoys taking photographs and spending time with her husband, three children, and any furry, feathered, or scaly creature she can find. She is happy to connect with other writers and readers at ashleybustamante.com. Instagram: @authorashleybustamante

‍Michelle Christensen

"Michelle Dennis Christensen is an award-winning author, speaker, avid family historian, and chocolate lover who connects others with stories of heritage and faith that preserve the past, strengthen the present, and shine a light into the future. She serves on the editorial staff of the Liahona Magazine, where she writes and edits for print publication and creates digital content for the Church's global Instagram and Facebook channels. She is published in multiple anthologies. Her first book, Mirrors of Jesus: Finding Parallels of Christ in Our Lives, published through Cedar Fort Publishing, is part memoir and part inspirational nonfiction, detailing her journey as her husband's kidney donor. Her speaking and presenting experience includes devotional addresses at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square, a guest appearance with American Mothers, and a marketing presentation at the LDSPMA conference. You can connect with her at MichelleDennisChristensen.com.

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Emily Clark

Emily Clark is the Acquisitions Manager and Director of Sales at Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, where she works closely with authors from concept to publication while helping drive strategic growth across the company’s catalog. She is also a USA Today Bestselling author of more than 20 books, with experience in both independent and traditional publishing.

Katherine Cowley

Katherine Cowley is the author of The Secret Life of Mary Bennet trilogy, Write with Jane Austen: Masterclasses with the Master Storyteller, and dozens of short stories, flash fiction pieces, and essays. Winner of various short story awards and the LDSPMA Praiseworthy Award for Best Suspense/Mystery novel, she has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She has taught writing classes at Brigham Young University, Mesa Community College, and Western Michigan University. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with her husband and three daughters. https://www.katherinecowley.com/ ; Instagram: @kathycowley; Facebook: Katherine Cowley Books

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Lisa Crandall

Lisa Crandall is a web developer, designer, writer, educator, and chronic over-thinker. As a full-time web developer, she has worked at agencies specializing in digital marketing and revenue growth strategy, while her consulting business focuses on empowering creatives to build better websites and helping authors get set up with the marketing tools they need. She also teaches web design and front-end development as a university adjunct instructor. Her educational background includes a degree in Technical Communication and Rhetoric, graduate work in Visual Communication Design, and a way-too-short semester at Disney World. You can find her at lisaacrandall.com or on Instagram @TheBookshelfDev.

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Pam Eaton

Pam Eaton lives in the deserts of Arizona, but she’ll always consider herself a New Englander at heart. She graduated from Arizona State University with degrees involving education and history. While she loves history, it’ll always take a backseat to the fictional world she stumbled into as a young girl. She lives with her husband, three kids, and two crazy but lovable labs. It’s a chaotic life, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Especially since they let her read an insane amount of books and watch way too many Food Network shows. www.pameaton.com; instagram @author_pam_eaton

Paige Edwards

Paige Edwards is an award-winning, bestselling author of inspirational romantic suspense with a soft spot for British settings and spontaneous “pond hops.” When she’s not writing danger and romance, she’s road-tripping with the hubs in their DIY Sprinter van. She loves serving others—and chatting with readers at authorpaigeedwards.com. https://www.instagram.com/authorpaigeedwards/; https://www.facebook.com/authorpaigeedwards/; https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18839862.Paige_Edwards; https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-edwards-a3a38841/‍ ‍

Dennis Gaunt

Dennis Gaunt has loved writing ever since he penned his very first story for his sixth grade English class titled, "The Neighborhood of Make-Believe Chainsaw Massacre." That story earned him an A, and a concerned note from his teacher. And he's been chasing that high ever since. He's worked as a manuscript reader for Deseret Book and Shadow Mountain since 2000, during which time, he's seen it all and then some. He's a published author with Deseret Book, Covenant Communications, and is currently represented by Tsunami Literary Ink. He enjoys cooking, playing the guitar, Godzilla movies, and Big Thunder Mountain. He also believes onions are the devil's toenail clippings. Dennis Gaunt (Facebook)

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Tara Holladay

Tara (T.M.) Holladay is a YA fantasy author, and the creator behind Novelio, an app to help writers craft and organize immersive worlds, captivating characters, and gripping plots. The app is based on her bestselling story workbooks including "The Only Character Workbook You'll Ever Need." She lives in Arizona with her family and spends every afternoon shuffling children around and writing in parking lots. She thrives in project mode, loves research deep dives, and pretends to hate caffeine. tmholladay.com; novelio.app/tmholladay; @tmholladay; @TMHolladay (IG)

Kevin Johnson (Kevin Garone)

Kevin Johnson (Kevin Garone) is the author of the Alien Survival Guide series for middle grade readers. His book I Know What UFO Did Last Summer was a 2025 IngramSpark Top Pick. He lives with his wife and sons in Arizona, and is a graduate of Brigham Young University. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him reading, playing video games, hiking, or cheering on his favorite sports teams. https://www.kevingarone.com @kevingaroneauthor

Rachel Josephson

Rachel Josephson graduated in 2016 with her MFA in Creative Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She loves sitting by a cozy fire, snowy days, and uninterrupted hours for writing. She lives in Los Alamos, NM with her husband and two children. https://racheljosephson.substack.com/‍ ‍

Amanda Kanno

Amanda Kanno is a Japanese American writer, editor, and sensitivity consultant. She has her degree in English/Creative Writing with a focus on diverse literature and critical theory. In 2024 she worked as an editor for Utah Valley University’s Journal of Student Leadership, and she is the two-time recipient of the English and Literature Dean’s Merit Award. For her academic work in rhetorical theory, she was invited to be a guest presenter at Utah’s Conference for Undergraduate Research, and in 2025 she was invited to present her work in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction at UVU's Conference for Scholarly and Creative Partnership. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and in 2026, she was appointed UVU’s Salutatorian for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is an agented author, represented by Josh Adams at Adams Literary. Amanda lives in Eagle Mountain with her husband, children, a bunny, and the world’s okay-est dog. www.amandakanno.com; Facebook: Amanda Kanno; Instagram: @amandakanno

Victorine Lieske

Victorine Lieske self-published her first book, Not What She Seems, in April of 2010. In March of 2011, Not What She Seems began its 6-week run on The New York Times best-selling eBook list. By May 2011 she had sold over 100,000 copies. Victorine's first romantic comedy novel hit the USA Today Bestselling books list in January 2015. Victorine and Michelle Pennington run an annual virtual conference, and an annual writing cruise as The Writing Gals. https://victorinelieske.com/; @victorinelieske

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Elizabeth Lowham

Elizabeth (Liz) Lowham began writing at 15 years old and never stopped. She is the multi-award-winning author of the CASTERS AND CROWNS and BEAUTY REBORN series. Her work has received praise from Kirkus, Booklist, and other esteemed publications, with Casters and Crowns earning a starred review from Foreword Reviews. Liz loves teaching and has presented at conferences all across the country. Her own version of happily ever after involves copious amounts of snuggles, chocolate truffles, and cozy books. elizabethlowham.com; Instagram: @lizlowham; Facebook: Elizabeth Lowham, Author; TikTok: ElizabethLowham

Leah Moyes

Leah Moyes is a wife, mother, a lifelong student with a background in Anthropology and History, and a celebrated author of over a dozen novels, including her award-winning Berlin Girl Series and its prequel, The Polish Nurse. Between writing and archaeological digs, the world is her playground. She loves popcorn and seafood (though not together) and is slowly checking off her very long bucket list. https://www.leahmoyes.com; https://www.instagram.com/authorleahmoyes; https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-moyes-4a6502163; https://www.facebook.com/BerlinButterfly‍ ‍

M.A. Nichols

Born and raised in Anchorage, M.A. Nichols is a lifelong Alaskan, though she briefly ventured south to get a fancy bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from Utah State University—neither of which had anything to do with why she became an author, but they kept her alive while launching her publishing career. As a child she despised reading, but thanks to her mother’s love and persistence, she saw the error of her ways and developed a deep and abiding obsession with books. Currently, she writes sweet historical romance and fantasy, but as a lover of many genres, she plans to explore more in the future. Check her out on Facebook (@manicholsauthor) and Instagram (@manichols). For more information about her books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit www.ma-nichols.com.

Kiri Patterson

Kiri Patterson grew up in small town Idaho and communicates through movie quotes and song lyrics. She taught herself to read before Kindergarten and has loved reading ever since. Especially books with sweet love stories, strong characters, and lots of witty banter—ingredients she puts in all her contemporary romances. Kiri currently resides in Star, Idaho, with her hot husband, four rapidly growing children, a strong belief in happily ever afters, and her pink laptop—a nod to her belief that everything is just a little better in pink. www.kiripatterson.com; @authorkiripatterson

Michelle Pennington

Michelle Pennington is a USA Today Bestselling author of clean romance. Because she was never good at making decisions, she writes contemporary, young adult, historical, romcom, and fantasy. The genre might change but her characters will always be falling in love. When not writing, she spends her days quoting movies with her husband and making messes faster than her four kids. She used to have a lot of hobbies, but then she got addicted to k-dramas. Michelle also teaches and supports other authors as one of The Writing Gals. https://www.michelle-pennington.com/; Instagram: @MichelleLPennington

Sharolyn Richards

Sharolyn Richards is the author of three published Romantic Suspense novels. She loves writing and can't stick to one genre as she is currently working on an Urban Fantasy and a MG dystopian. One common theme is some sort of intrigue or mystery. When she isn't writing or teaching for BYU-Idaho online, she enjoys spending time with her family and watching her kids in all of their sporting events. www.sharolynrichardswriter.com; @sharolynrichardswriter-IG; Sharolyn Richards on Substack

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Carrie Snider

Carrie Snider writes romcoms under pen name Lacey Chase. She's also a freelance journalist, aspiring middle grade writer, and all-around word nerd. She loves Diet Dr. Pepper, chocolate, cactus, naps, thrift shopping, and her family. www.laceychase.com; @laceychasebooks

Amy Standage

L. L. Standage (Amy to her friends) is the author of four young adult urban fantasy novels. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hot drinks on cold mornings, hiking, mountain biking, trying new foods, and exploring new ways to procrastinate finishing her next release. She lives with her family in the very sunny, cactus-infested fire hazard known as Arizona, but wishes she lived in a cottage in the English countryside. www.authorllstandage.com; @authorllstandage

Tanya Strong

Tanya Strong is a book reviewer on IG, Facebook, and YouTube with her own website. All started because she woke up one day with too many stories in her head, needing to write them down. She's a stay-at-home mom of 5 kids and wonderful husband. Social media was never her plan, but it's become a huge blessing. www.tanyastrong.com; @tanyastrongbooks

Rebecca Talley

Rebecca Talley is the author of fifteen novels/novellas, a children’s picture book, a writing resource guide, and numerous articles and stories for children in both print and online magazines as well as He is Risen: A Family Guide to Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter. When she isn’t writing, Rebecca loves to date her husband, play with her grandkids, swim in the ocean, crochet, eat Dove dark chocolate, and dance to disco music while she cleans the house. You can find out more about her at www.rebeccatalley.com; www.scattersonshine.com; Instagram and Facebook: rebeccatalleyauthor

Cathryn Uber

Cathryn H. Uber is a playwright, author, and editor. She has been both published by others, self-published, produced and self-produced, as well as taught writing, marketing, theatrical, and editing intensives. She then elbowed her way into the publishing and marketing side of the business to better understand it herself and more holistically support others achieve their own success. With years of certified teaching and freelance experience, she provides a well-rounded approach to the industry. She uses her MBA in Marketing and multiple MAs to help other authors see their work in a new light and increase their own success. When not consulting, editing, scribbling, having breakthroughs, or handselling at conventions, Cathryn is probably looking at sunbeams or stars. cathrynuber.com; @aladyplaywright

Logan Uber

Logan Uber is the owner of the publishing company The Brothers Uber. He is an independent scholar who holds five master's degrees in humanities, literature, intelligence studies, creative writing with a concentration in publishing, and environmental policy and management with a concentration in fish and wildlife. He has been a guest speaker at schools across the country on a variety of topics. Most recently he presented at Worldcon on nature as a proactive motivating force within Arthurian literature. He is currently an English PhD student focusing on medieval works of literature. www.loganuber.com; @brothersuber

Michelle Wilson

Michelle Wilson is an author, writing coach, and speaker who helps writers turn personal experiences into meaningful, inspirational stories. She has written several uplifting books and devotionals and works with emerging authors to help them discover the message within their stories. Michelle lives in Washington State and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. www.michellewilsonwrites.com; @authormwilson