Appointments
Availability is limited and appointments
will be allotted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Early registration is highly encouraged for the best selection of appointments.
The Details
Attendees will have the opportunity to schedule one agent/editor and one mentor/business appointment as part of their conference registration. If not choosing an agent/editor appointment, two mentor/business appointment are allowed.
Within 24 hours* after successful completion of the registration process, registrants will receive an email confirmation containing the link to the SignUpGenius form listing available appointment slots.
Appointments will close at 8:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 7, 2026. At that time, the email address you list on the SignUpGenius form will be given to the appropriate faculty member who will contact you directly to arrange your appointment.
*Please note: our goal is to send these emails each evening to those participants who registered that day. Registrations submitted later in the day may not receive confirmation until the following evening.
Appointment Types
This year we are pleased to offer four different types of appointments.
- Agents (literary agents only)
Please check each agent’s submisison guidelines prior to scheduling your appointment. - Editors (publishing houses only)
Please review the type of submissions each editor/publishing house is looking to acquire before scheduling your appointment. - Mentors (published authors)
- Business (freelance editors, websites, social media, graphic design, etc.)
Heidi McCahan Blankenship
Appointment Type: Mentor
Heidi is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author who writes inspirational romance books set mostly in small-town Alaska. She enjoys helping other writers learn how to use dictation, create compelling stories, and develop effective marketing strategies to get more books in readers’ hands.
How I Can Help: I would love to chat about the craft and business aspects of fiction writing—how to build a synopsis, how to break into category romance, and how to use dictation to finish a first draft are my main areas of expertise. For anyone interested in learning how to use Pinterest as an effective marketing strategy, I’m eager to help with that as well.
Crystal Caudill
Appointment Type: Mentoring/Business
Crystal Caudill is a Christy Award-winning author of “Dangerously Good Historical Romance.” She loves working with other writers to encourage them and help them grow as authors. She doesn’t know it all, but she’s happy to share anything she’s learned from writing craft, marketing, author business, to the spiritual side of writing.
How I Can Help: Mentoring – I’m open to whatever writing topic you’d like to discuss.
Business – I’ll help you brainstorm your newsletters or walk you through what we covered in the newsletter workshop.
Tabitha Caplinger
Appointment Type: Mentor
Tabitha Caplinger is the author of Carol Award and Realm Award finalists The Wayward and The Castle Rose as well as four other speculative fiction novels. She is a lover of good stories and helping others live chosen. When she’s not writing, she’s reheating her coffee, binging a new show or teaching God’s Word. Tabitha, her husband and two beautifully sassy daughters desire to be Jesus with skin on for those around them.
How I Can Help: I am happy to answer questions about storytelling and publishing as Christ-followers, as well as offer encouragement for wherever you find yourself in the process.
Abbey Downey
Appointment Type: Mentor
Abbey Downey writes Christian historical romances featuring daring heroines, bold dreams, and love found along unexpected paths. She is the author of two historical series with Wild Heart Books. Abbey also works with Spark Flash Fiction producing a quarterly digital publication with stories under 1000 words.
How I Can Help: I’m happy to discuss writing career and craft questions, flash fiction, or the technology side of websites, social media, newsletters, AI use, etc.
Shannon Sue Dunlap
Appointment Type: Mentor
Shannon Sue Dunlap is a Selah-award winning romance author who writes love stories with a laugh-out-loud center. She spends way too much time learning new tricks for Canva and designing social media posts for the American Christian Fiction Writers national Facebook and Instagram accounts.
How I Can Help: I can offer writing and publishing advice from my own journey in becoming published. I can also discuss Canva specific questions, give quick one-on-one design tutorials, and take a look at their social media pages to give ideas for posts.
Denise Farnsworth
Appointment Type: Editor, Wild Heart Books
Denise Farnsworth, formerly Denise Weimer, writes historical and contemporary romance mostly set in Georgia and serves as the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A wife and mother, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.
What We’re Looking For: Wild Heart books publishes Christian historical romance novels in series, written in his/hers deep POV. Rich in tropes. From new authors, we look for book one to be completed and blurbs for subsequent novels. Please review our Guidelines for proposals. Feel free to run your pitch by me and brainstorm future story ideas.
Liana George
Appointment Type: Editor, Scrivenings Press
Liana George is an enthusiastic communicator and co-owner, operations manager, and marketing director of Scrivenings Press. She spends her days juggling publishing schedules, marketing plans, and the occasional author emergency while pretending her inbox is under control. Off the clock, she enjoys family, travel, reading, tennis, dogs, and plenty of laughter.
What We’re Looking For: Scrivenings Press is accepting submissions for all genres except children. We’re looking for quality writing, strong storytelling, and a compelling premise. Learm more on our Submissions Page.
Katrina Glover
Appointment Type: Business, Kika Web Design
Katrina Glover is the owner of kikaDESIGN, a website design and marketing company focused on Christian creatives. Katrina teaches classes online and in-person at conferences across the United States. With degrees in Digital Media, Marketing and Graphic Design, Katrina helps people all over the world with their brands—both online and off.
What I Offer: Review/analyze/critique current website, troubleshoot website errors, give general “get started” information. Topics discussed: websites, branding, newsletters
Katie Gowrie
Appointment Type: Editor, Love Inspired
TBA – Check back for more information/submission guidelines
Sarah Hamaker
Appointment Type: Mentor/Business (Writing Coach)
Multi-award-winning author of inspirational romantic suspense, Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s an AWSA certified writer and speaker coach, and podcaster of “The Romantic Side of Suspense.” Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four young adult children and two cats.
How I Can Help: Mentor – As a seasoned indie and traditionally published author, my specialty is encouraging writers wherever they are on their writing journey.
Business – As an AWSA-certified speakers and writers coach, I would be delight to discuss any aspect of the writing business, from editing to marketing to anything in between, whether you’re published or not.
Nancy Head
Appointment Type: Mentor
Award-winning Nancy E. Head has authored two historical novels and written curriculum to accompany them for homeschool and classroom. A middle school, high school, and college instructor for nearly three decades, Nancy can show you how to captivate readers with your writing.
How I Can Help: I enjoy helping aspiring authors develop effective fiction, especially incorporating historical elements in their writing.
Bethany Jett
Appointment Type: Agent, MacGregor & Luedeke
Bethany Jett is a literary agent with MacGregor & Luedeke (LEE-duh-kee), as well as an award-winning author of several books. She holds an MFA in Communications focusing on Marketing and PR. For more information on what she’s acquiring, check out her submission guidelines page on her website: bethanyjett.com/submissions.
What I’m Looking For: Children’s, Gift Books, Cookbooks, Commercial Fiction. I don’t require any materials for the pitch appointment. If I’m interested in a project, I’ll let you know what to submit. You can review my submission guidelines at bethanyjett.com/submissions.
Larry J. Leech, II
Appointment Type: Mentor
Usually with a hot chai nearby, LARRY J. LEECH II spends his days working with words—as a writing coach of award-winning authors, freelance editor, and ghostwriter. A veteran of 40+ years in publishing, Larry has been a journalist, blogger, speaker, ghostwritten thirty-five books, edited more than 500 manuscripts, and coached hundreds of authors.
How I Can Help: Need help with an idea or manuscript? I can brainstorm with you and offer advice. Want to pitch for publication? Don’t be shy. I will listen and offer feedback.
DiAnn Mills
Appointment Type: Mentor
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites readers to expect an adventure through heart-pounding suspense, romance, and faith-filled stories. Her novels have landed on CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists and won numerous awards. DiAnn mentors writers nationwide. She lives in Houston, Texas.
Connect with DiAnn at diannmills.com where all her social media platforms are listed.
How I Can Help: I’m happy to discuss what the writer needs to be successful. Topics for suggestion are dialogue, plot, character development, marketing, or social media advice.
Patricia Tiffany Morris
Appointment Type: Mentor
Patricia, author of children’s books, poetry, and fiction, weaves God’s hope through storms of grief. She’s won over 60 awards since 2019.
How I Can Help: I enjoy helping other writers with brainstorming or mind-map projects; children’s illustrations & storyboards; file, computer, or Scrivener organization; business branding, logos, or LLCs.
Tamela Hancock Murray
Appointment Type: Agent, The Steve Laube Agency
Tamela Hancock Murray has been an agent since 2001 and was awarded the title Agent of the Year by ACFW in 2017 and 2026. A bestselling author who won an Inspirational Readers Choice Award, Tamela represents top authors and develops new talent. She lives in NoVA with her knight in shining armor. They are the parents of two lovely, all-grown-up princesses.
What I’m Looking For: Seeking novels for adults. Please no YA, children’s books, fantasy, or speculative.
I’m happy to take pitches from authors with manuscripts and proposals. Proposal guidelines are here: https://stevelaube.com/guidelines/.
Steven Rogers
Appointment Type: Editor, Elk Lake Publishing
Steven Rogers is an Acquisitions Editor for Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. He is also the award-winning author of the “Reluctant Pilgrim” series. His Contemporary Christian novels, Into the Room and A Year in the Room, chronicle one man’s journey from alcoholism to redemption. He lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife of forty years, Kathy.
What We’re Looking For: Authors with completed Christian fiction manuscripts in all genres except children’s picture books.
Cynthia Ruchti
Appointment Type: Agent, Books & Such Literary Management
Cynthia Ruchti is the author of more than 50 books (fiction and nonfiction) and a Senior Literary Agent with Books & Such Literary Management.
She speaks and teaches frequently for women’s events and writers conferences, as well as serving as a podcaster and blogger for Books & Such.
What I’m Looking For: I am not acquiring fantasy or speculative at this time, but I am open to most other categories of fiction. I would like to speak with writers who are not at the beginning of their journey but ready or near ready for agent representation. Prefer author is prepared with a one sentence and one paragraph pitch, then conversation back and forth.
Megan Ryan
Appointment Type: Business, Meg Ryan Editing
Megan Ryan is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader who has worked on more than 200 books for indie authors and hybrid/paid publishers. Learn more at https://www.meganryanediting.com/.
What I Offer: I can chat about the editing process, what to expect when working with a freelance editor, or tricky grammar and punctuation situations.
Heather Tabers
Appointment Type: Business
Heather Tabers writes immersive, hope-filled stories that invite readers to step into another time and place. Through Historical Romance, Children’s Fiction, and faith-filled encouragement paired with narrated scenes, playlists, historical imagery, and interactive extras, she creates stories readers don’t just read—they experience. She also serves as a virtual assistant and operations coordinator for other authors.
What I Offer: During this time, we can brainstorm specific ways to evaluate your current online presence or grow your platform, etc.
Sarah Talbert
Appointment Type: Business
Sarah Talbert writes Southern historical fiction that explores legacy, faith, and the healing power of community—reminding generations of their worth. Her work has been featured in publications such as Propel Women and Her View From Home, and she serves on the board of Redbud Writers Guild. Sarah lives in sunny Florida with her husband and their three children.
What I Offer: I can help authors with website and marketing copy.
Sara Turnquist
Appointment Type: Mentor
A multi-published Christian/clean Historical Romance author of 28 books, Sara started with a small traditional press and is now fully indie. Her favorite writing softwares are Scrivener (about which she teaches several workshops) and Plot Factory. Her books feature a wide range of time periods and locations.
How I Can Help: I am ready to talk all aspects of indie publishing, writing craft, brainstorming, and am happy to be a listening ear.
Erica Vetsch
Appointment Type: Mentor
Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum. Connect with her at www.ericavetsch.com and find her on Facebook at The Inspirational Regency Readers Group where she spends way too much time!
How I Can Help: I’m happy to share what I have learned from twenty years in this business and 40+ books published. Some suggested topics include working with an agent, writing novellas, plotting methods, and historical research.
Roseanna M. White
Appointment Type: Editor, WhiteFire Press
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Roseanna brings her passion for all things bookish to WhiteFire Publishing Group, which she founded with her husband in 2005. You can find out more about Roseanna as an author at www.RoseannaMWhite.com and WhiteFire publishing at www.WhiteFire-Publishing.com.
What I’m Looking For: For editor appointments, I’m looking for completed manuscripts, all genres aimed at YA or adults. Learn more at https://whitefire-publishing.com/submissions/.
For mentor appointments, I’m happy to chat about story ideas, cover design, the publishing process or anything you’d like feedback on.
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
Jeremiah 31:25 (NIV)