Colorful Stories: The Burden and Opportunity of Diversity in Christian Fiction

An increasingly diverse society challenges publishers and authors of Christian fiction to become more diverse in the stories they tell; yet, this reality also brings unparalleled opportunity to expand into new markets, build bridges between communities, and bring a Christian worldview to one of the most contentious issues of our time.

About Theon

Theon E. Hill (Ph.D., Purdue University) is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Wheaton College. He studies the intersections of race, religion, and politics in American culture. His work has appeared in numerous scholarly journals and edited collections along with popular outlets like Christianity Today.

The Artful Dodger: Defense Against Discouragement

If you’re stuck in a creative dry spell, fear failure, constantly compare yourself to others, or are feeling inadequate, frustrated, or just plain tired…it’s time for a little perspective. This session will give you strategies to artfully dodge the darts of discouragement coming your way by reminding you of the power of story and helping you regain the joy that made you start writing in the first place.

About Cynthia

Cynthia Ruchti tells stories “hemmed in Hope” through novels, novellas, nonfiction, devotions, and through speaking events for women and writers. Many of her more than 20 books have been recognized by key industry awards. Cynthia serves as the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) professional relations liaison and as a literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management. She and her grade-school sweetheart husband live in the heart of Wisconsin.

About Carrie

Carrie Schmidt (blogger at ReadingIsMySuperPower.org) is an avid reader, book reviewer, story addict and cool aunt. She loves Jesus and THE Story a whole lot. Carrie is a co-founder of the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat and lives in Kentucky with her husband Eric and their quirky dog Zuzu.

A Publishing Perspective on the Creative Life

A panel of editors and marketers with over fifty years of combined experience in the Christian fiction industry will address questions about the creative life, from dealing with criticism to working with a publishing team to sharing what changes they’re most excited to see in the future.

About Amy

Amy Green has been the fiction publicist at Bethany House Publishers since 2013. Her typical day might involve planning book tours, handling media requests, interacting with reviewers, answering author questions about marketing, and other tasks designed to introduce readers to great books. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Professional Writing and was excited to find a job with a publisher whose books she’s loved since childhood. You can find her running Bethany House’s social media and blogging every Thursday at bethanyfiction.com—feel free to stop by and comment anytime!

About Beth

Beth Adams acquires both fiction and non-fiction for the Christian and inspirational markets. Some of the bestsellers she’s worked on at Howard include Karen Kingsbury’s Love Story, Allison Pataki’s The Accidental Empress, and Life is Short, by Dr. Jennifer Arnold and Bill Klein. Before joining Howard Books in 2012, she worked at Random House and Guideposts. She graduated from Princeton University and has a master’s degree in English from New York University. She is the author or co-author of more than twenty-five novels under various pen names, which she will reveal for the right price.

About Karen

Karen Watson is the Publisher of Fiction at Tyndale House Publishers. She is heading into her 22nd year in Christian publishing. In addition to her long-term work in fiction, she has also worked in book and Bible development for both children and adult non-fiction titles. Karen and her husband reside in Nashville, TN.

About Dan

Dan Balow has worked in Christian publishing for over 30 years in the business side of the industry (marketing, sales, foreign and domestic rights management, audio books, digital publishing, and acquisitions). He joined The Steve Laube Agency in July 2013 as literary agent (www.stevelaube.com) and is also owner and president of Gilead Publishing (www.gileadpublishing.com), a startup traditional publisher of Christian themed fiction which began operating in 2016.

About Chris

Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live on Moody Radio. He is also heard on Love Worth Finding, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, and other radio programs.

Chris has published more than 75 books, including nonfiction, film novelizations, and novels for children and young adults. He coauthored the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, as well as the Red Rock Mysteries and The Wormling series with Jerry B. Jenkins.  His novels, which include The Promise of Jesse Woods, Looking Into You, War Room, Dogwood, June Bug, Almost Heaven, Not in the Heart, Borders of the Heart, and Every Waking Moment, have won three Christy Awards, an ECPA Christian Book Award®, and two Christianity Today Book Award of Merit.  His lyrical prose and tales of redemption keep readers returning for more.

Chris is currently working on a novel set in a coal mining town in West Virginia. The dual timelines will reveal the truth about a massacre in 1933 and the struggle for a town to survive in 2004. Under a Cloudless Sky will release early in 2018 with Tyndale House Publishers.

Adorning the Dark: Community, Vocation, and the Mystery of Making

Inspired by the Oxford Inklings, Andrew started the Rabbit Room ten years ago as an experiment in creative community. Having spent the last twenty years in Nashville as a recording artist, songwriter, and author, he’ll discuss the tremendous impact of Christ-centered community on his own work, his calling, and his faith.

About Andrew

For more than twenty years now, Andrew Peterson has been about the business of quietly changing lives in four-minute increments. In the city of Nashville where music is an industry in the same way fast food, generic greeting cards, and bumper stickers are industries, Peterson has forged his own path, refusing the artistic compromises that so often come with chasing album sales and radio singles and creating instead a long line of songs that ache with sorrow, joy and integrity. Andrew is the award-winning author of The Wingfeather Saga, a four-book fantasy adventure series for young people, described as The Princess Bride meets The Lord of the Rings. He is also a founder of the Rabbit Room, a creative community that now includes blogs, podcasts, a thriving music and book store, Rabbit Room Press, and a yearly conference.