Faculty
Welcome our outstanding faculty members for 2024!
Johnnie Alexander
Johnnie Alexander is an award-winning, best-selling author of more than twenty works of fiction in a variety of genres.
Johnnie is on the executive board of Serious Writer, Inc. and co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy.
A fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips, she shares a life of quiet adventure with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon.
Johnnie is teaching a Saturday class on fiction tropes, and will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Patricia Bradley
Author Patricia Bradley has penned 15 romantic suspense novels since her first release in 2014. In addition to being a USA Today Best-Selling author, she has won a Selah award, a Reader’s Choice Award, and has garnered many other nominations, including the Carol and Daphne du Maurier awards.
Patricia is a keynote speaker and is co-leading a Friday workshop on fiction writing with Loretta Eidson, and a Saturday class on artificial intelligence with Kathy Cretsinger. She’ll also be available for one-on-one appointments.
Andrew Breeden
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 has been with The Upper Room for more than ten years. Andrew loves spending time outdoors hiking and cycling. He lives in Charlotte, Tennessee, a beautiful and rural part of the state.
Andrew is teaching a Saturday class on writing devotions and will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Kathy Cretsinger
Kathy Cretsinger is an Amazon Best Selling Author. She has owned a publishing company until Adult Macular Degeneration began taking more of her eyesight. She now writes the stories that have lived in her heart for years.
She and her husband live in Western Kentucky closer to family than their native East Tennessee. She still loves writing about the mountains and East Tennessee. Her books are filled with mystery and Southern humor.
Kathy is co-leading a Saturday class on artificial intelligence with Patricia Bradley and will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Rhonda dragomir
Rhonda Dragomir is a multimedia creative who treasures her fairy tale life in Central Kentucky, insisting her home is her castle even if her prince refuses to dig a moat. A graduate of Asbury University with a degree in Social Work, she is a committed pastor’s wife and Bible teacher. Rhonda is also an award-winning writer, with seven published works in anthologies by Chicken Soup for the Soul, Revell, and Guideposts. Her debut novel, When the Flames Ravaged, will be released by Barbour Books February 29, 2024.
Rhonda is not teaching a class but will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Lynette eason
Lynette Eason is the best-selling, award-winning author of over sixty books, as well as a literary agent with the Steve Laube Agency. Her books have appeared on the USA TODAY, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and Parable bestseller lists. She has won numerous awards including the Carol, the Selah, the Golden Scroll and more. Her novel, Her Stolen Past was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network.
Lynette is not teaching a class but will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Loretta eidson
Award-winning author Loretta Eidson loves writing romantic suspense. She believes in the power of prayer and enjoys putting her characters in realistic situations where they must trust God to pull them through. Loretta is an AWSA certified coach and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray. She has three novels published by Love Inspired Suspense, Pursued in the Wilderness (September 2022), Blue Ridge Mountain Escape (June 2023), and The Marine’s Deadly Reunion, (December 2023).
Loretta loves chocolate, caramel, iced tea, and coffee. She lives in North Mississippi, close to her family.
Loretta is co-leading a Friday workshop on fiction writing with Patricia Bradley, and teaching Saturday class on encouragement for authors. She’ll also be available for one-on-one appointments.
Julie Gwinn
Julie Gwinn, currently a literary agent with The Seymour Agency, has more than a decade in publishing including serving as marketing manager then Fiction Publisher for B&H Publishing Group and Marketing Manager for Abingdon Press.
Prior to joining the publishing industry, Gwinn has more than 25 years’ experience in advertising, marketing and public relations. She uses her previous experience to aid her authors at every phase of their publishing plan. She lives in Nashville, TN, with her husband and two children and also enjoys freelance editing, and DIY projects around the house.
Julie is teaching a Saturday class on fiction writing and will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Jean Matthew hall
Jean Matthew Hall has been writing for children since 2001, and her picture book “God’s Blessings of Fall” was published in 2019.
She’s director of Write2Ignite, which focuses inspiring, encouraging and educating Christians who write for children and young adults.
Jean is a former coordinator of the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and her most recent adventure is as the owner and editor of an online magazine for kids ages 5–10. “StarLight Magazine” first published in November of 2022, and publishes online quarterly. You can learn more here: https://www.starlightmagazine.com.
Jean is also a writing coach for Write at Home, which coaches primarily home-schooled students. Her greatest earthly joy is her eight grandchildren.
Jean is teaching a Saturday class on writing for different age levels and will be available for one-on-one appointments.
William Hill
William Hill is a minister and evangelist with Healing Hearts Ministries in North Mississippi. He’s also an artist and serves on the boards of the Southaven (MS) Arts Council, the Byhalia (MS) Area Arts Council, and DeSoto Arts Council.
Additionally, he is a poet and serves as president of the Poetry Society of Tennessee. William is also a member of the Mississippi Poetry Society, and represented Mississippi at the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam hosted by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. He’s a member of the Falkner (Mississippi) Heritage Society, and is president of Mid-South Christian Writers Roundtable in DeSoto County, Mississipppi.
William is not teaching a class, but will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Bethany Jett
Bethany Jett is an associate literary agent, award-winning author, marketing strategist, and co-owner of Serious Writer, but her favorite roles are that of a military wife to her college sweetheart and mom to their three teenage sons.
She is a multi-faceted creative who wears many hats: associate literary agent, multi-award-winning author, marketing strategist, and co-owner of Serious Writer. With her expertise in marketing and communications, she has helped countless writers achieve their dreams.
Bethany is teaching a Friday workshop on social media for writers, a Saturday class on newsletters for writers, and will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Katara Patton
Katara Washington Patton is executive editor of VOICES Collection by Our Daily Bread Publishing, and the author of eight books, including 5-Minute Devotional Book for Women and Navigating the Blues: Where to Turn When Worry, Anxiety, or Depression Steal Your Hope.
She is also the author of a series of books on successful living based on Biblical characters. Successful Moms of the Bible, Successful Women of the Bible and Successful Leaders of the Bible have received many outstanding reviews and testimonies of how her down-to-earth and sometimes humorous style has piqued even more interest in the Bible. Her other books include: The Parables of Jesus Coloring Book Devotional, Joyous Advent, and Inspiration for Christian Teen Girls.
Katara has extensive editorial and acquisitions experience. She was named the 2014 Nonfiction Editor of the Year by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).
Katara is a keynote speaker will teach a Saturday class. She’ll also be available for one-on-one appointments.
Tammie Polk
Tammie T. Polk is the prolific author of over 150 print, audio, and digital books. An avid lover of self-publishing, Tammie’s books have landed on the websites and shelves of Wal-Mart, Target, Books A Million, Barnes and Noble, and local independent bookstore including Novel Memphis.
In April 2019, she struck out on her own, opening a bookstore of her own with the goal of showing aspiring authors what their works in progress could turn into and seasoned authors how to expand their books into other arenas. Tammie has also helped nearly 50 authors to publish their own books and launch book based podcasts and radio shows, conferences and workshops, and coaching programs.
Tammie is not teaching a class, but will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Karen Sargent
If you wondered–Do I really need a book launch team?–the answer is YES! After launching her debut novel, Karen Sargent discovered how overwhelming launching a book can be and never passed up an opportunity to join a launch team to support her fellow authors. Soon authors began asking her to lead their teams. When a publisher advised her to start a book launch side hustle, she did. Since 2019, Karen has helped Christian authors of all sizes—from indie to authors with big publishers—launch their books. During her one-on-one appointments, Karen will answer questions and help with initial planning. If you plan to schedule an appointment, feel free to email your questions ahead of time (not required) to Karen@KarenSargent.com. Karen is the author of Waiting for Butterflies, an IAN Book of the Year, and writes devotions for Guideposts’ Mornings With Jesus. A retired educator, Karen gets her fix by teaching writing workshops and coaching aspiring authors.
Karen is not teaching a class, but will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Dell Self
Dell Self is a Christian communications specialist in the areas of public speaking, authorship, and personal branding. As a certified public speaker coach, Dell equips nervous, rambling talkers with the tools to become confident, purposeful communicators through her Speak Through Me Public Speaker Master Class. She is the author of 20+ publications and the creator of the Head to Hand Writers Workshops as well as Speak Through Me Publishing, a growing one-stop shop for adults who desire to self-publish an uplifting, faith-based, nonfiction book.
Dell is married to the Rev. Juan R. Self (1984). They have 3 adult sons. She treasures quiet moments when she can plan for greater ministry. She also continues to indulge in her nearly 200-pair earring addiction.
Dell is not teaching a class, but will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Deborah sprinkle
Originally from St. Louis, Debbie received her bachelor degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She worked as a research chemist for many years at both St. Louis University Medical School and Washington University Medical School and is the co-author of two professional articles arising from her work with those institutions. In 1991, she and her family moved to Memphis, where Debbie completed her teaching certification at the University of Memphis. She taught chemistry for ten years at a private girls’ school in Memphis. After retiring, she set out to write a mystery novel, and has since completed several including Deadly Guardian (2019), The Case of the Innocent Husband (2022), and The Case of Mistaken Identity (2023).
Deborah is not teaching a class, but will be available for one-on-one appointments.
Delores Topliff
Delores Topliff grew up in Washington state but married a Canadian so enjoys dual citizenship. She teaches university online, travels, and published children’s books and non-fiction stories before finding her stride writing historic novels. Her August 2023 release, A Traveling Grandma’s Guide to Israel: Adventures, Wit, and Wisdom, is a memoir. Delores loves her two doctor sons and five grandchildren and divides her year between a central Minnesota farm and the gentle climate and people in Northeastern Mississippi.
Delores is teaching a Friday workshop on writing memoirs and will be available for Saturday one-on-one appointments.
Lettie K. Whisman
Lettie’s magazine credits include LifeWay, Missions Mosaic, Focus on the Family, Discipleship Journal, and many others. She has also authored five books with the most recent receiving the 2023 SCWC Notable Book Award for devotionals. Her love for encouraging writers has led her to teach at conferences in Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia.
A refreshing day for Lettie includes hiking a beautiful trail and enjoying a good book and piece of dark chocolate mint at an outdoor café. Her “Productive in the Pit” workshop reflects much of her own life and writing journey.
Lettie is teaching a Saturday class on how writers can mine treasures from their trials, and will be available for one-on-one appointments.