Below is our line up of workshops and speakers for our 2025 conference in Phoenix. For more information about our speakers, visit the Speakers page. We hope you can join us there, the last weekend of September (Friday – Sunday).
Pre-Conference Masterclass – James Scott Bell
Writing a Novel They Can’t Put Down – A deep, interactive dive into your WIP that will take your story from competent to unforgettable—and what the “machine” can’t match. Be prepared to write as we delve into plot, characters, the “mirror moment,” and the seven critical success factors of fiction. (Limited to 48 attendees. First come, first served.)
Mini Masterclass – Misty Beller – Advanced Marketing
Ready to transform your book releases from simple launches into strategic career-building events? Join us for an intensive two-hour masterclass that will revolutionize your approach to book marketing.
In our first hour, we’ll dive deep into the world of launching a new book, exploring strategies to reach both your existing readers and new audiences. We’ll break down the marketing tools and strategies available to authors at different stages of their careers (101, 201, and 301 levels) and provide a roadmap for leveling up with each release.
In hour two, we’ll focus on the goldmine of your backlist. Learn proven methods to sell books while growing your email list, leverage multi-author collections, secure BookBub Featured Deals, and reinvigorate sales through KU strategies, box sets, or cover refreshes. We’ll also cover advanced advertising tactics for Amazon and Facebook that deliver consistent returns.
Whether you’re preparing for your fifth book or your fiftieth, this masterclass delivers actionable strategies to elevate your marketing from basic to brilliant.
Indie Chat Saturday Night – Misty Beller
Join us for an informal, yet game-changing, class designed to equip you to take your indie sales to the next level.
Misty will share her top five tools and top five strategies for independent authors, including optimizing your Amazon product page, leveraging tropes, utilizing BookBub effectively, implementing Facebook ads, and building a loyal email list. We’ll also dive into advanced strategies such as using series promotions, cross-promoting your backlist and frontlist, using box sets as a steroid shot to your income, crafting ads that drive readers to your lead magnet, and harnessing the full potential of Amazon’s algorithm. You’ll even have time to ask your own questions.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this after-dinner event will provide you with the knowledge and tactics you need to take your indie author career to new heights.
Treatment Plan (Keeping the medical specifics in your WIP understandable) Hannah Alexander – All- Level
Do you need one or more medical scenes in your next novel? Unless you actually work in medicine, it’s difficult to do a realistic medical scene so you don’t lose readers with big mistakes. Even if you do work as a medical professional, you speak a different language from us common mortals, and you don’t want to take the chance that you will lose the reader’s interest if you get too complicated.
When we first began writing fast-paced ER novels, we didn’t know what we were in for. With me (Cheryl) being the novelist, and Mel being the doctor, we worked together on six intensive medical emergency novels not long after we were first married. Unfortunately, I discovered very quickly that I was stuck much of the time, because while I was at home trying to plot our stories, Mel was in the ER treating patients. I knew very little about realistic ER medicine, and Mel didn’t know what I needed, because he was not a novelist. I didn’t know how to write the complicated medical scenes. I was in way over my head without Mel’s brain to tap for the hard stuff every second of the day.
We finally worked together long enough to figure a few things out, but it was a challenge. We would like to share some of the things we learned, such as how I could ask the most important questions to keep me going.
– Hannah Alexander is the pen name for the writing team of Dr. Mel Hodde and Cheryl Hodde, who began collaborating on medical novels soon after they were married. They are the published authors of thirty-five novels.
Antagonism: The Grit that Makes the Page-Turning Pearl – Lori Altebaumer – All-Level
This workshop is designed to integrate the antagonism needed in our stories with the reality of the antagonism we face as Christian authors. Just as we need a source of antagonism in the stories we write, as authors we must learn to overcome the antagonism we face when writing them. We’ll discuss what antagonism is and what it isn’t in our stories, as well the difference between an antagonist and a villain, and how to develop our source of antagonism so that it resonates with the reader as organic and not contrived by connecting it with the truth of God’s Word. Participants in this workshop should leave with a renewed perspective on how the stories they write can be used to orchestrate a rescue for their readers. By not neglecting the antagonism our stories are built upon, we tell the truth and bring courage and hope into this fallen world.
The Art of Cover Design – Ruth Douthitt – All-Level
This workshop will equip indie and hybrid authors with essential knowledge and practical strategies to create compelling book covers that captivate readers, convey genre, and get their book noticed. Attendees will learn why covers matter, understand the elements of great cover design, and learn how to collaborate with a designer or DIY effectively while staying true to your vision. Together, we’ll learn what works in cover design and what doesn’t work as we look at existing covers and brainstorm our own designs. So come ready with a cover idea in mind to work on during the workshop or come to learn more about the art of cover design.
My Alabaster Box – Tari Faris – All-Level
Join us for an empowering session that dares you to dream—even when it feels futile! We’ll dive deep into the writing journey, tackling the challenges of rejection, waiting, and unfulfilled dreams. Discover the significance of making yearly decisions about your writing while trusting in God’s plan. Through heartfelt anecdotes and biblical inspiration, you’ll learn to release your burdens and let God guide your path. Come ready to dream big, seek divine assistance, and gather ideas for creating your own Alabaster Box filled with your hopes, dreams, and goals.
10 Ways to Add Depth to Your Characters – Linda Goodnight – Intermediate
Characters are the lifeblood of romance fiction. Most writers know the basics, but to take your work to the next level your characters must go deeper, be stronger, more realistic and wonderful. This workshop offers ten powerful ways to bring your characters to life and make them unforgettable. (These tips can be valuable for all levels but especially beginner and intermediate.)
Writing in the Age of AI – Robin Lee Hatcher – All-Level
AI can be controversial. It can also inspire fear in some writers. But AI can be a wonderful writing assistant. Robin will talk about many of the different LLMs (Large Language Models) available, and how using AI has benefited her in her writing while she is still the “writer/human in the loop.” She will also share weaknesses and warnings.
Writing What You Don’t Know – Lisa Jordan – Beginner
“Write what you know” is common advice for new writers, but it can become a roadblock when your knowledge feels limited. Venturing into the unknown can lead to frustration, overthinking, and fear of mistakes. However, mastering the art of writing what you don’t know allows you to step outside your comfort zone, craft richer stories, and even boost book sales by attracting more readers. In this session, I’ll share practical strategies to help you research effectively, find reliable information, and seamlessly weave your findings into your storytelling using proven techniques.
Sweet & Swoony: Writing Clean Romantic Scenes that Sizzle – Karen Witemeyer – Intermediate
Romance is the heart of our genre, yet in an effort to write clean stories, sometimes the romantic connections of our characters fall flat. In this workshop, we will look at ways to amp up the romantic tension, emotional intimacy, and sweet physical intimacy (kisses and chaste touches) that will leave our readers swooning, sighing, and seeking more of our stories.