Faculty Bios
Candy Arrington
Candy Arrington has published hundreds of articles, stories, and devotionals in numerous periodicals including: Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman, Marriage Partnership, Encounter, Pray, The Lookout, The Upper Room, CBN.com, Advanced Christian Writer, The Writer, Writer’s Digest and The Chicken Soup and Cup of Comfort series. Additionally, Candy is a freelance editor, on staff with The Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service, a 2001 CLSS graduate, on faculty for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She is coauthor of When Your Aging Parent Needs Care: Practical Help for This Season of Life (Harvest House 2009) and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishers). Candy and her husband, Jim, are parents of two young adults and serve as primary caregivers for Candy's 89-year-old mother.
Ron Benson
Ron Benson is a husband, father, writer, and pastor. Ron has been published in Light and Life, Wittenburg Door, Bible Advocate, Discipleship Journal, Leadership Journal, and Today’s Christian, and produced curriculum for Wesleyan Publishing. In addition, Plain Truth Magazine regularly features Ron’s articles. As a “P.K.” (Precher’s Kid), Ron spent the majority of his life within spitting distance of a place of worship, so he knows how to take careful aim at the church without being careless. His articles probe issues of grace, church life, and family with humor and heart. His satire pieces are designed to prompt laughter, promote good thinking, and instigate change. Ron’s book, Coach’s Challenge: Faith, Football, and Filling the Father Gap, a collaboration with ESPN football analyst Mike Gottfried, was published by Howard Publishing in September 2007. God has given Ron a heart for rookie writers attending their first conference.
Terri Blackstock
Terri Blackstock’s books have sold six million copies worldwide. Her suspense novels often debut at number one on the Christian fiction best-seller lists, and True Light, published last year, was number one of all Christian books—fiction and non-fiction. Blackstock has had twenty-five years of success as a novelist.
In 1994 Blackstock was writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening drew her into the Christian market. Since that time, she’s written over thirty Christian titles, in addition to the thirty-two she had in the secular market. Her most recent books are the four in her acclaimed Restoration Series, which includes Last Light, Night Light, True Light and Dawn’s Light. She is also known for her popular Newpointe 911 and Cape Refuge Series.
In addition to her suspense novels, she has written a number of novels in the women’s fiction genre, including Covenant Child, which was chosen as one of the first Women of Faith novels, and her Seasons Series written with Beverly LaHaye, wife of Tim LaHaye.
Blackstock has won the Retailer’s Choice Award and has appeared on national television programs such as The 700 Club, Home Life, and At Home Live with Chuck and Jenny. She has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country and the subject of countless articles. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as Touched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins.
Terry Burns
Terry Burns has been with the Hartline agency for the last three years and is listed as number three on the Publisher’s Marketplace list of agents helping debut authors to publish. He tries to run a paperless office so he doesn’t take hard copy submissions. Terry has over 30 books in print, including work in a dozen short story collections and four non-fiction books plus numerous articles and short stories. A graduate of West Texas State he did post graduate work at Southern Methodist University. Terry is a native Texan Living in Amarillo, Texas. What is he looking for? A really well written book that he can see the market for and that he feels he has the right connections to place it in that market.
Carol Cool
Carol Cool has been published nationally and internationally in magazines and journals such as Discipleship Journal, Moody, Prism, Pray, Christian Home and School, Twin Capes Traveller and The Bulletin of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. She runs her own editing and writing business, Cool Copy, which specializes in editing and writing in the corporate and advertising worlds. While working for 15 years in the retail industry, holding positions as manager and buyer, Carol also served as a corporate trainer. She is a CLASS graduate and speaks at retreats and conferences throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Carol is also a pastor’s wife, ministering with her husband, Rev. Les Cool.
Edna Ellison
Dr. Edna Ellison, a humorist known as “the Christian mentoring guru,” lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina. For ten years, Edna was editor of Royal Service magazine and served as consultant/speaker for national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), Southern Baptist Convention. Living in Fresno, California, she served as Executive Director of Women’s Ministries for the California Southern Baptist Convention, later serving as Women on Mission Consultant for Mississippi Baptist WMU.
Edna has been a keynote speaker all over the world. She has spoken in Hawaii and Alaska, as well as most of the continental States. Her favorite topics are “Cherished and Chosen as the Bride of Christ” and “Help! I Don’t Do Alligators!”
Edna Ellison’s life has been featured in a Focus on the Family magazine, where she has also been published. Look for her books on wisdom and holiness in the Deeper Still series, Bible study books in the Friend to Friend series, Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul 2, A Month of Miracles (by Women by Design) and her latest book (coauthored with Linda Gilden), Mommy Pick-Me-Ups.
Jesse Florea
Jesse Florea has worked at Focus on the Family for 16 years. During that time he’s been the associate editor for Breakaway magazine (teen boys), editor of Clubhouse Jr. magazine (4- to 8-year-olds) and developer and editor of the “Focus on Your Child’s Tween Ages” newsletter for parents of 8- to 12-year-olds. For the last 12 years, he’s been the editor of Clubhouse—Focus’ magazine for tweens. He earned bachelor and master’s degrees in communications from Wheaton College, IL. Professionally, Jesse has written or co-written several books (including Adventures of Average Boy: Growing Up Super Average, The One-Year Devos for Sports Fans and The One-Year Everyday Devotions all with Tyndale House Publishers), and thousands of newspaper and magazine articles. He lives with his wife and two teenagers in Colorado Springs.
Leonard and Carolyn Goss
Leonard G. Goss and Carolyn Stanford Goss are partners in GoodEditors.com, a boutique operation specializing in all things literary, from writing and ghostwriting to editing and publishing consultation. They also do manuscript evaluation and analysis, creation of book proposals, and creating books from non-book materials. Len and Carolyn have presented courses and workshops on writing and publishing topics at many writing guilds and conferences around the country. Their goal is to help writers understand that words are gifts and windows into the soul, because they believe that using them wisely and well helps readers discover what this life is for.
Len Goss worked inside book publishing for thirty years, most recently as editorial director/senior acquisitions editor at B&H Publishing Group. Before that, he led editorial efforts at Crossway Books, Zondervan Publishing House/HarperCollins Publishers, and the Evangelical Book Club. He began his publishing career with John Wiley & Sons. Len has solicited, developed, and edited hundreds of books, and has launched many writing careers in both the fiction and nonfiction fields.
Carolyn Stanford Goss started her publishing career in college textbook sales for Random House and later was a special sales account manager for McGraw-Hill’s Professional Book Group. She has also worked in marketing and special sales for Richard D. Irwin Publishers, Mott Media, Inc., Publishers, and Providence House Publishers. She has been a professional writing coach, book editor, free-lance copy editor, book doctor, ghostwriter, and copywriter for the past several years, and has worked on major projects for several book publishing houses.
The joyous couple live in Mesa, Arizona, and Valparaiso, Indiana, have two adult sons, two daughters-in-love, and three lovely granddaughters—Lia, Maddie and Shelby. They are the coauthors of The Little Style Guide to Great Christian Writing and Publishing.
Karen Jordan
Karen Jordan (www.karenjordan.net), a writer, speaker, writing instructor, and CLASS graduate, addresses topics about her faith, family, and writing. A regular contributor to Examiner.com, a quarterly e-zine, and her two blogs, Karen also has written for several publications, like CBN.com, Arkansas Baptist News, and ParentLife. Karen encourages writers in her BLESSED Workshops, and she also has served as a writing instructor for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. At CLASS Christian Writers Conference 2009, Karen teaches Writing and Healing: A Soul Map, and she serves as a mentor for Get Published Now!
Florence Littauer
Florence Littauer is one of only a handful of women to have earned both the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), and CPAE (Council of Peers Award of Excellence) from the National Speakers Association. Florence is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, and received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Southwestern Adventist University in Texas. A prolific writer, many of her books have sold over 100,000 copies.
Susan Titus Osborn
Susan Titus Osborn is the director of the Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service where she heads a staff of 18 editors. She has authored 30 books, as well as numerous articles. She is a member of the Christian Leaders and Speakers Services (CLASS) staff and is also a CLASS speaker. Susan is a member of Advanced Christian Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Susan is an author representing New Hope Publishers. She lives in Fullerton, California, with her husband Dick. They have five grown children, 12 grandkids, and one great-grandson.
Dan Penwell
Dan Penwell, a seminary graduate, former pastor, Family Christian Bookstore Manager (1972-1978), Director of Marketing/Purchasing for the Family Christian Stores (1978-1989), Manager of Product Development/Acquisitions for World Bible Publishers (1989-1996), and Hendrickson Publishers [CBD] (1996-2001). Dan semi-retired in January 2009, from AMG Publishers in Chattanooga, Dan led AMG Publishers from publishing 3–5 titles a year to publishing over 30 new titles a year.
In July 2005, Dan was honored with the Advance Writers and Speakers Assoc. (AWSA) Golden Scroll Award as the Editor of the Year. Dan has authored has authored a number of products including: 101 Things to Do in the Year 2000 (Honor Books), Bible Brain Quest (Workman Publishing), and co-compiled the massive volume, AMG’s Handbook of World Religions.
Dan continues to work as a freelance editor as well as regular editing for AMG Publishers. God has blessed Dan in his struggles with prostate cancer (9 years), as well as chronic kidney disease.
Golden Parsons
Golden is a speaker and author who issues the challenge: Dare to take God seriously. She has been in ministry in various capacities for over thirty years as co-director of a conference center, Bible teacher, musician and pastor. She is also a published author, with non-fiction articles in several magazines and compilations. Her historical fiction, In The Shadow of the Sun King, the first in a four-book series, was released this fall from Thomas Nelson Publishing. Golden loves to speak at women's conferences/retreats, luncheons, teas, mother/daughter venues and joins with her husband, Blaine, to lead life-changing marriage conferences. She also speaks at book clubs and at writing conferences and academia settings regarding the craft of writing.
Mary Lou Redding
In a former role Mary Lou Redding taught basic and advanced prose writing and business communication on the college level. Teaching is one of her great loves. She has a Master of Arts degree in Rhetoric and Writing and has worked professionally as a writer and editor for many years. Her only child, an adult daughter, is the mother of my
her wonderful granddaughter, Rosalie. In 1998 her first book, Breaking and Mending: Divorce and God’s Grace, was published. Mary Lou helped to create and was a contributor to the Spiritual Formation Bible, published in 1999 by Zondervan, and has completed the Academy for Spiritual Formation, an intensive, two-year experiential and academic program in Christian spirituality. Her second book, While We Wait: Living the Questions of Advent, was published in 2002. The Power of a Focused Heart, a small-group study of the Beatitudes, was published in 2006. Her latest book, Meeting God in Scripture (Leader’s Guide and Participant Book, Upper Room 2008) is the first in a series of small-group Bible studies based on and using the approach of the Spiritual Formation Bible.
Mary Lou Redding continues to see the world as a place of great beauty and the people in it as a wonderful expression of the variety that God created and loves. She experiences God’s grace and presence and serve within the community of faith at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee.
As the best-selling, non-fiction hardcover book in publishing history, The Purpose Driven Life and its author, Rick Warren, have become recognizable brands worldwide – in large part because of the expertise and dedication of Bucky Rosenbaum, the agent behind the book. Now his expertise is available to others in the book publishing industry through Rosenbaum & Associates Literary Agency. The new agenting and consulting firm first opened in January of 2006 in Orange County, California. In July of 2006, the firm was moved to Nashville, Tenn. Rosenbaum’s passion lies in taking books from the idea stage to the final product. With more than 30 years of publishing experience, he intimately understands the elements needed to make that final product a best-selling book. His diplomatic attention to detail helped propel The Purpose Driven Life to more than 30 million copies in print with 165 weeks (and counting!) on the New York Times best seller list. As Warren’s agent, Rosenbaum worked with 35 publishers to license 67 other unique Purpose Driven Life products in 57 languages. The Purpose Driven Life wasn’t Rosenbaum’s first project to make it to the best seller list. As a publisher, he acquired and developed more than 20 national best sellers, including works by noted authors Henry Blackaby and Beth Moore, and The Payne Stewart Story, a New York Times best seller about a professional golfer who tragically died in an aviation mishap. Rosenbaum and his wife, Joann, have been married 32 years and live in Brentwood Tennessee. They have five adult children and two grandchildren. He serves as a lay ministry leader at Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee. Bucky Rosenbaum
Linda Shepherd
Linda Evans Shepherd has a powerful testimony and shares how God helped her turn the 'pits' of her life into stepping stones after a violent car crash left her then infant daughter in a year long coma.
Linda, author of When You Don’t Know What to Pray, How to Talk to God About Anything (Revell 2010) and co-author The Potluck Club and The Potluck Catering Club (Revell 2005 - 2010) novel series, is an speaker and media personality and frequent host of Denver Celebration, a Daystar TV show. She is also the co-owner of Web TV 4 Women tm and Could Be TV, an Internet to Television enterprise.
Linda is also the host of The Miracle Channel on Web TV 4 Women as well as the host of the shows Be A Miracle, Cooking Up Wonders, The Women's Ministry Moment and True Miracles. She's the, leader of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and President of the non-profit ministry Right to the Heart. She’s authored almost 30 books including co-authoring the bestselling Share Jesus Without Fear. She's married and has two children.
Christine Sneeringer
Christine Sneeringer is the director of a parachurch ministry in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, specializing in sexual redemption. She is a frequent conference speaker and her personal testimony of healing from sexual abuse and victory over sexual immorality has appeared in numerous publications, including: Decision, Charisma, Spirit Led Woman, Campus Life, and Christian Single. She is pursuing her Master's degree in Christian Counseling. She lives in Ft. Lauderdale with her two dogs, Maggie and Bailey.
Betty Southard
Betty Southard has been a teaching staff member of CLASS since 1984. Her expertise and passion for training leaders is exhibited by her commitment to personal learning and spiritual growth. Betty has a master's degree in Theology from Fuller Seminary, is a certified Spiritual Director, Personality Trainer, and the author of three books: The Grandmother Book, Come As You Are, and The Mentor Quest. She has also contributed to many compilation books and written articles, Bible Studies and devotionals.
Betty is an experienced Keynote and seminar speaker for conferences, and she loves leading women's retreats. Her years of experience give her excellence in spiritual growth, marriage, parenting, practical living, friendship, understanding personalities and Bible Studies.
Robin Stanley
Robin Stanley’s 25 years of professional ministry experience include 9 years with Standard Publishing where she edited two award-winning books and assisted in acquiring many others. As an ImageBearer, she seeks to reflect God’s heart, inviting those around her into a safe place where they can step out of their hiddenness. From that passion springs the call of her ministry and consulting group, o3-free: Ollie, Ollie, Oxen Free! As an advocate and bridge, Robin comes alongside authors, speakers and publishers to assist in the distribution of their God-given ideas while helping them to be seen for Whose and who they are. Multi-faceted and transparent, she speaks frequently at writers’ and women’s events, mentors leaders, presents seminars, coaches and represents writers, develops proposals and makes publishing connections. She loves connecting with people and helping people connect.
A member of the faculty and board of directors for CLASSeminars, Inc., Robin distributes her passion and gifts among a variety of organizations, including PurityWorks and KCWCommunications. She worships with the community of believers at Northland: A Church Distributed in Orlando.
John Thurman
John Thurman has over thirty-five years of experience as small business owner, ordained minister, ministry leader, and Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. His desire for CLASSEMINARS is to impact the Kingdom of God through collaborating with the local church and other ministries by providing top notch training for pastors, staff members, ministry leaders, and others desiring to enhance their skills as a Christian communicator.
Lee Warren
Lee Warren has written five books and hundreds of articles for various magazines, newspapers, and websites. He writes for Baptist Press Sports, CBN.com, and the Heartland Gatekeeper newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska. He also critiques manuscripts for The Christian Communicator Service; he's on-staff with CLASSeminars, Inc., and he co-owns A Write Start Communications (www.awritestart.com).
Tama Westman
A recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Award, Tama Westman is a seasoned journalist with over 1000 published articles. She serves as the Director of Communications for CLASSEMINARS, Inc. and the Editor of the CLASS Communiqué. As a writing coach and mentor, Tama encourages writers to dream big, be bold and have faith. Her ability to “see the road” has helped many to successfully publish their stories, devotionals and books. For more information, please visit www.awritestart.com or www.tamawestman.com.
Kathy Carlton Willis
Kathy grew up in the heartland of small-town America, attended Bible College and graduated with honors. She owns a communication firm and loves her work as: writer, editor, publicist, writer's coach, book doctor, speaker, and more. Kathy gets jazzed brainstorming with writers at conferences in groups as well as one-on-one, and loves coaching them on how to get to the next step of their writing careers. She has a large network of connections in the industry and enjoys introducing writers and industry pros. She is affiliated with Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, The Writers View and Christian Humor Writers. Kathy’s book publicity campaigns and marketing plans successfully create buzz from the grassroots level to national media attention. A variety of her columns and book reviews have appeared online and in print publications. She has a background in newspaper journalism, working as copyeditor and feature writer for The Sunday Challenger prior to starting her own company. Kathy and her pastor husband minister together in Raymondville, Texas. Read her professional blog at http://kcwcomm.blogspot.com and learn more about her at http://www.kathycarltonwillis.com/
Bios of Teaching Lab Leaders
Three Day Leaders
Laura Bagby
Laura J. Bagby gained her experience as a professional writer as Sr. Internet Producer for www.CBN.com, where she honed her word-smithing talents for more than a decade. Laura continues her writing as a freelance press release writer and newspaper movie reviewer. She is also a regular movie commentator on local radio station The Current and creator of several blogs, including www.joyforthejobless.com (her first blog, started to encourage the unemployed), www.celluloidcritic.com (her most popular blog, which highlights reviews of the latest box office films), and www.mannaforthemoment.com (her most recent blog, which is a daily devotional). No stranger to this CLASS conference, Laura is particularly looking forward to encouraging budding new writers at this year's Get Published Now! workshop.
Nancy Moser
Nancy Moser is the award-winning author of twenty inspirational novels that focus on discovering our unique purpose. Her genres include both contemporary and historical stories. Her contemporary books are known for their big-casts and intricate plotting. Some titles are John 3: 16, The Seat Beside Me, Crossroads, and The Invitation. Her historical bio-novels allow real women-of-history to share their life stories: Just Jane (Jane Austen), Mozart’s Sister (Nannerl Mozart), Washington's Lady (Martha Washington) and How Do I Love Thee? (Elizabeth Barrett Browning.) Her time-travel novel, Time Lottery, won a Christy Award and Washington’s Lady is a finalist this year. Nancy and her husband Mark live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She gives Said So Sister Seminars around the country, helping women identify their gifts as they celebrate their sisterhood. She paints canes voraciously, kills all her houseplants, and can wire an electrical fixture without getting shocked. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Find out more at www.nancymoser.com and www.sistercircles.com.
Karen Porter
Karen Porter is a national retreat and seminar speaker, the author/co-author of five books, and a successful businesswoman. Karen served as Vice President of International Marketing of a major food company in Texas for more than 30 years. In that position she traveled around the world and her varied experiences (including dinner with Fidel Castro) contribute to the richness and depth of her writing and speaking. Today Karen owns kae Creative Solutions, a communications consulting firm. She also provides coaching for aspiring writers and speakers. Karen speaks to men and women at conferences, seminars, and retreats.
DiAnn Mills
Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, Launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold a million and a half copies. DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.
DiAnn’s anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartson Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer;s Book of the Year Awards 2003-2008, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.
DiAnn lives in sunny Houston Texas. She and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.
Jerome Daley
Jerome Daley is a professional leadership coach and author of five books on purposeful living. Fusing a history of pastoral ministry and love of teaching with practical insights for life and writing, Jerome helps you tap into your God-given design to release your potential into reality. Jerome is the founder of Purpose Coach, Director of Membership at the Center for the Advancement of Christian coaching, and publisher of the Christian Coaching Magazine. His passion is to bring dreams to life and empower his clients to live true! www.purposecoach.net
Jeannie St. John Taylor
Jeannie launched her writing career in 1998 with a co-authored children’s book
from Multnomah Press that was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Award. Since its release, she has signed contracts with seven publishers, written 20 books, and her writing has appeared in several magazines and short story collections.
In 2003 Jeannie’s focus took an unexpected turn when two publishers asked her to illustrate for them. Since then she has illustrated twelve books. Her first written and illustrated children’s book Am I Praying?, was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Award.
Gifts and products Jeannie creates and designs for Mt. Baker Trading Company – journals featuring her writing and artwork, prayer stones, a Bible cover -- can be found in Christian bookstores and on the Internet.
Jeannie teaches at writers’ conferences, speaks at churches and schools, interviews for her books on the radio and occasionally works as a freelance editor. In her spare time, she works as a private investigator for Taylor Made Financial Investigations, a company owned by her husband Ray, a retired Federal Criminal Investigator.
Born and raised in the Midwest, Jeannie earned a degree in Elementary Education from Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois then moved to Oregon to teach art and English in the small town of Yamhill. Jeannie has a Masters Degree from Lewis and Clark College and an extra year of art credits from Portland Community College and Portland State University. She lives with her husband of thirty-three years, ten minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon on a five-acre working farm surrounded by subdivisions. She and Ray have three grown children.
Craig von Buseck
Dr. Craig von Buseck has a passion is to share the truth of the Gospel through speaking and writing. He started his public ministry in 1982, and has spoken before groups of people throughout the United States and around the world. He is an ordained minister with Bearers of Light Ministries of Virginia Beach, and holds a Doctor of Ministry and an M.A. in Religious Journalism from Regent University. He is the co-host of CBN.com's Spiritual Gifts webcast, and a licensed instructor for the Christian International Manual for Ministering Spiritual Gifts.
Craig's latest book, NetCasters: Harnessing the Internet to make Fisher's of Men, will be released by Broadman and Holman Publishers. He has also contributed a chapter on Power Evangelism for an upcoming book, Amazed by the Power of God, by Destiny Image Publishers. His first book, Seven Keys to Hearing God's Voice is available now from Hensley Publishers.
In This Section: