Oregon Christian Writers Founded in 1963, we are an organization of writers, both amateur and professional, who are Christians. Our members write for both ministry and markets.
2023 Cascade Christian Writers Conference
June 25th – 28th
Editors, Agents, and Mentors
Oregon Christian Writers is pleased to introduce the wonderful editors, agents and mentors who will join us for the Summer Conference. For editors and agents, pay particular attention to types/genres of writing they want to acquire.
Conference Links:
Schedule and Registration | Classes and Workshops | Agents, Editors, and Mentors
Agents
Linda S. Glaz ~ Linda S. Glaz Literary Agency ~ Agent
Linda has worked in the industry for the last 20 years as a reviewer, proofreader, associate agent, full-time agent, and finally owning her own agency. She speaks and teaches nationally and loves meeting new writers. She works with well-known authors, established authors, emerging authors, struggling authors, and wannabe authors. And she enjoys all of them just the same. In her spare time, she loves theater, soccer, her amazing family, and it goes without saying: BOOKS!
Linda is looking for:
Fiction: romance, suspense, historic, contemporary
Nonfiction: most all except memoir
Linda is not looking for spec fiction, children’s, memoirs
Workshops: “Where Is Jesus in the Slush Pile?”
“How NOT to Get an Agent”
“How Do You Spell Perseverance?”
Coaching Class: “Deep Deep Deep POV”
Blythe Daniel~The Blythe Daniel Agency~President
Blythe Daniel is a literary agent, author, and marketer. Her agency markets books through podcasts, blogs, launch teams, and traditional media, and represents adult nonfiction and select fiction along with children’s fiction and nonfiction. Blythe was the publicity director and marketing director for Nelson Books (Harper Collins Christian Publishing) and has been a literary agent for the past 17 years. Blythe and her mother, Dr. Helen McIntosh, coauthored Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters (Harvest House) and I Love You Mom: Cherished Word Gifts from My Heart to Yours (Tyndale). Blythe and her daughter, Calyn, coauthored Let’s Be Friends: A Tween Devotional on Finding and Keeping Strong Friendships (Harvest House, 2023). Blythe lives in Colorado with her family.
Blythe is looking for:
Non-Fiction:
Christian Living, Spiritual Growth, Discipleship, Current Events, Business/Leadership, Church Leadership, Prophecy, Marriage, Parenting, Social Issues, Military, Women’s Issues, Men’s Issues, Devotionals, DIY/craft, Specialty (lifestyle, home, wellness, sustainable living, inspirational prayers, comfort and encouragement, family, friendships, travel/outdoors, food/recipes from someone who has a following in this area.)
Fiction: (we do not represent a lot of fiction but do have): Contemporary Women’s, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Historical, and Military. We do not do fantasy or sci fi because it’s not a huge interest for us.
Children’s Fiction and Non-Fiction: Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade
Blythe is not looking for poetry or short stories. We do not do much adult fiction.
Workshops: “Forging into Traditional Non-Fiction Publishing”
Coaching Class: “What I’ve Learned”
Editors
Andrew Breeden ~ The Upper Room daily devotional guide ~ Acquisitions Editor
Andrew Garland Breeden is acquisitions editor of The Upper Room daily devotional guide, located in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Lipscomb University and Vanderbilt University Divinity School. He lives in Charlotte, Tennessee, a beautiful and rural part of the state.
Andrew is looking for devotionals of 250–300 words that address daily situations and help readers see the connections between Scripture and their own life situations. Each devotional should include a personal story, a strong connection to Scripture, and application (or “takeaway”) for the reader.
Andrew is not looking for poetry, fiction, cartoons, humor, meditations built on alliteration, puns, hymns, or situations that would require extensive explanation for other cultures.
Workshops: “Writing a Meditation for The Upper Room”
“Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography in 300 Words or Less”
Linda Howard ~ Tyndale House Publishers ~ Associate Publisher
Linda Howard is Associate Publisher for Children and Youth at Tyndale House Publishers. She brings an extensive background of working with children and children’s products to her role, including teaching, marketing, and product development for several brands. Linda currently leads the kids’ team, developing an overall strategy for Tyndale Children and Youth, acquiring projects, and overseeing product development of all books. She has also worked in the marketing arena and built strong relationships with several of Tyndale’s publishing partners. She oversees the Compassion International Publishing partnership and has worked with best-selling authors Ann Voskamp, Mike Nawrocki, Amy Parker, John Ortberg, and more.
Linda is looking for devotionals, board books, picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction.
Linda is not looking for adult fiction or nonfiction.
Sherri Langton ~ Bible Advocate and Now What? ~ Associate Editor
Sherri Langton has worked in Christian publishing for more than 30 years. She is an award-winning freelance writer whose work has appeared in Focus on the Family magazines, In Touch, The Upper Room, Today’s Christian Woman, Marriage Partnership, Discipleship Journal, Decision, LIVE, and other publications. She is currently writing on assignment for AG News, Standard, and The Quiet Hour. Sherri has also contributed to two Chicken Soup for the Soul volumes, My Turn to Care, Teatime Stories for Women, Becoming a Godly Man, Faces of Faith, Hurray God!, and Understanding Depression and Suicide: Hope in the Darkness. In addition, she teaches workshops at several Christian writers’ conferences. Sherri lives in Denver, Colorado, and plays drums and percussion at her church.
Sherri is looking for personal experiences, articles, and testimonies.
Sherri is not looking for fiction, devotionals, or Bible studies.
Workshops: “Juicing Your Ideas”
“What Magazine Editors Wish Writers Knew”
“From Personal Experience to the Printed Page”
Janyre Tromp ~ Kregel Publications ~ Editor
Janyre Tromp has worked in the CBA industry for almost 25 years, spending time in both marketing and editorial. Currently, she is a developmental and acquisitions editor for Kregel Publications by day. At night she is a best-selling historical novelist who loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty even when it isn’t pretty. Her books (Shadows in the Mind’s Eye, O Little Town, and It’s a Wonderful Christmas) have been described as lyrical suspense and are available wherever books are sold. And that all happens from her unfinished basement surrounded by her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland sheepdog.
You can find her on all social media platforms as @janyretromp and on her website, www.JanyreTromp.com (where you can download a FREE copy of her novella Wide Open).
Janyre is looking for:
Nonfiction, especially nonfiction that tackles contemporary issues using strong biblical support and manuscripts that deal with issues surrounding technology, the polarization of society, ecology, and other deep-thinking Christian topics as well as new takes on perennial topics like women’s issues, men’s issues, marriage, and parenting.
Fiction, particularly historical fiction (both romance and straight historical, especially in the WWI era), contemporary romance, and women’s fiction with biblical grounding.
Janyre is not looking for poetry, scripts, or memoir.
Workshop: “Effective Platform Building”
Stephen O’Rear ~ Clubhouse Magazine/Focus on the Family ~ Senior Associate Editor
Stephen O’Rear writes for the hopeless middle-school nerd in all of us. An editor at Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse magazine since 2011, he specializes in short fiction, comics, puzzles, and all things delightfully strange. Stephen co-authored three children’s books: Captain Absolutely, Jones & Parker Case Files: The Nemesis, and Degrees of Kelvin. Along with his wife, he has written and produced several plays for children. Stephen is always looking for stories that surprise him.
Stephen is looking for material for ages 3–5: short devotionals, short fiction for children, science articles, quizzes, crafts and recipes, feature stories of ordinary kids who do extraordinary things, children’s poetry, children’s skits.
Stephen is not looking for books (I can offer notes, but I don’t represent a book publisher or agent.)
Workshops: “Puzzle Writing”
“Dialogue Is Not Story: Crafting a Narrative Voice”
“Bluey, Magical Orphans, and Minecraft (Still): Trends In Children’s Media”
“Writing for Focus on the Family Magazines”
Authors/Mentors
Susie Finkbeiner ~ Author
Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA best-selling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, and Stories That Bind Us, The Nature of Small Birds, and other novels. Her latest title, The All-American, releases in July. Susie and her husband have three children and live in Western Michigan. Learn more at www.susiefinkbeiner.com.
Workshops: “When the Well Runs Dry”
“Researching Your Mid-Century Novel”
“Pitch-Perfect Voice”
Coaching Class: “What I’ve Learned”
Nick Harrison ~ Book Proposals and Writing Coach
Nick Harrison is a literary agent with WordServe Literary and the author of more than a dozen books, with endorsements from Anne Graham Lotz, Jerry Jenkins, Liz Curtis Higgs, Chip Ingram, and Lee Strobel. Nick graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in English and a minor in journalism. While in college, Nick began working for the county library and there began his work with books, which would continue throughout his adult life. After graduation, Nick transitioned into bookstore management, overseeing a Zondervan Family Bookstore then eventually owning his own store. Later, he also owned a children’s bookstore and worked for Waldenbooks, a chain of general market bookstores. Nick’s hobby for the past 20 years has been selling used books on the internet. For 15 years Nick served as a senior editor at Harvest House Publishers, acquiring both fiction and nonfiction, working with authors such as Dr. Tony Evans, Sheila Walsh, Thomas Kinkade, B.J. Hoff, and Gayle Roper. He has a long history of championing new and unpublished writers. Nick and his wife, Beverly—an avid quilter—are the parents of three grown daughters and grandparents to two boys and two girls. Nick’s website is www.nickharrisonbooks.com/.
Workshop: “How to Create a Winning Book Proposal”
James L. Rubart ~ Second Mile Studios ~ Owner and Author
James L. Rubart believes he is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man’s body. He thinks he’s still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons. He’s the best-selling, Christy Hall of Fame, Carol, INSPY, and Romantic Times Book Reviews award-winning author of 16 novels and loves to send readers on mind-bending spiritual journeys they will remember months after they finish one of his stories. He’s also a branding expert and audio book narrator. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in eastern Washington.
Coaching Class: “Recording Your Own Audiobooks”
Alice Crider ~ Write Concepts ~ Author Coach & Editor
Alice Crider is an author coach and a freelance editor. Since 1998, she has served in various editorial capacities in Christian publishing—including editor, literary agent, and director of acquisitions and development. Also a certified life coach, Alice teaches writing and editing workshops at writers’ conferences nationally and internationally and coaches individual authors and groups. Alice lives in Colorado, where she enjoys hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and spending time with her family. Visit her at www.alicecrider.com.
Workshops: “Self-Editing for Nonfiction Writers”
“Copywriting 101: Increase Your Influence and Reader Engagement”
Lisa Bogart ~ Author
Lisa Bogart. “She has an infectious laugh. And she writes lots of letters.” From coloring books and knit devotionals to newsletters and hospitality, Lisa writes about joy with joy! She has taught at Mt. Hermon and West Coast Christian conferences. She won the Guideposts Writing Contest in 2010 and continues to write for the magazine. She wrote and drew three coloring book devotionals.
Lisa is more than a writer. She is a wife to Rod, mother to Zach, knitter for many, hiker with friends, and baker for fun. And she has a daily letter-writing habit. In 2020 she handwrote and decoratively addressed 1,113 pieces of snail mail.
“Joy Comes in the Mailbox,” Lisa’s newsletter, has been growing strong for two years and has an open rate of 70 percent. Every other Saturday she sends out joy. It may include letter-writing ideas, recipes, knitting thoughts or projects, book recommendations, or surprises.
She encourages those around her with small acts of kindness.
You can find her online at www.LisaBogart.com.
Workshops: “Newsletters Without Tears”
“Self-Care Is More Than a Spa Day”
“Ten Ways to Boost Your Creativity”
Josh Kelley ~ Author/Speaker/Coach
Josh Kelley is a former pastor of 14 years, nonfiction author (Radically Normal from Harvest House), novelist, Reedsy professional, and full-time ghostwriter with more than a dozen books under his belt—two of which were traditionally published and another that was offered representation by WordServe Literary.
An off-the-charts extrovert, Josh loves to connect, coach, and teach. He was on the faculty of the Northwest Christian Writers’ 2018 and 2022 conferences and was a speaker for Faith and Culture Writers in 2014. His “work” doesn’t stop when he leaves the stage because he believes his job is to serve every writer however he can throughout the conference. A long-time resident of Mount Vernon, Washington, Josh is married and has two daughters.
Workshops: “Public Speaking for Writers”
“From Novelist to Full-Time Ghostwriter”
Lynne Hartke ~ Author
Lynne Hartke is the author of Under a Desert Sky: Redefining Hope, Beauty, and Faith in the Hardest Places. Lynne is also a contributing author on nine books with Guideposts. She has been a story coach with several cancer organizations, helping others share their valuable stories whether in person, on paper, or on stage. As a breast cancer survivor, Lynne was named a Voice of Hope with the American Cancer Society in 2018. Lynne and her husband, Mayor and Pastor Kevin Hartke, live in Chandler, Arizona, where they try to keep up with their four grown children and four grandchildren.
Coaching Class: “Three Keys to Creating an Unforgettable Memoir”
Jennifer Anne F. Messing ~ Author/Poet
Jennifer Anne F. Messing is a Cascade Contest Award winner and five-time finalist (Published Short Story) and the author of four books, including American Fiction Award winner Love’s Faithful Promise. She’s a poet, speaker, graphic designer, worship leader, and past president of Oregon Christian Writers. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has had more than 250 short stories, articles, and poems published in 60 magazines and books including: Guideposts’ Mornings with Jesus, Bible Advocate, Woman’s World, LIVE, Purpose, and Seek. Philippine-born, she’s a wife and the mother of three grown children. https://www.JenniferAnneMessing.com
Workshops: “Prolific Publishing in Magazines in the Midst of a Busy Life”
“Heart-Songs: Expressing Life and Faith in Poetry”
“Seven Steps to Design and Publish Your Print/E-Book on Amazon”
KyLee Woodley ~ Podcaster
KyLee is a wife and a 30-something-year-old mother of teenagers. She also created and cohosts the Historical Bookworm Show, which works with Baker Publishing and Tyndale House to promote their historical authors and bring history lovers together. When not podcasting, teaching, or spending time with family, KyLee writes historical fiction with a pinch of adventure. She has published creative nonfiction and fiction short stories and was a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year Award in 2020.
Coaching Class: “How to Start a Podcast Your Readers Will Love”
Robynne Miller ~ Author/Speaker
Robynne Elizabeth Miller holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction and Fiction and a bachelor’s in English Literature. Agented with Books and Such Literary, she is the author of 10 books and countless articles and essays, including “Finding Common Ground: One Octogenarian’s Quest to Help Our Nation Heal,” “The Three Faces of Nellie,” and her latest project, “Tennessee Wildcat: On the Trail of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Mr. Edwards” (January 2023). She is a speaker, writing/publishing coach, substantive editor, and mentor for both traditionally and self-published authors.
When she’s not writing, Robynne directs the Vision Christian Writers Conference at Mt. Hermon and serves as president of the board of Inspire Christian Writers. She also enjoys her amazing British husband, beautiful brood of adopted and biological children, and all things cooking.
The reason behind all this writing-related stuff is her passion for helping writers bring their stories and messages into the world. With a “Team Jesus” approach, she works hard to equip and encourage authors no matter where they are on their writing journey.
Coaching Class: “Self, Indie, or Traditional, Oh, My!”
Workshop: “What Are You Really Writing About?”
Jesse Rivas ~ Entrepreneur/Editor/Creativity Coach
Jesse Rivas is an entrepreneur, editor, and creativity coach. He is passionate about empowering and encouraging authors and creatives to excel in their personal and professional lives. His coaching brings transformation and lasting change by helping others realize their authentic identity.
Jesse has a Bachelor of Science in Education and is a graduate of three years of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry as well as the Rubart Writing Academy. He has worked with dozens of authors, and business owners, and has founded Above The Sun with the mission to raise an army of wholehearted creatives to release heaven to earth. To find more information about author coaching or publishing advice visit Jesserivas.com or AboveTheSun.org.
Workshop: “Your Life Theme”