HACWN Fall Conference

November 8 - 10, 2007

Journey to Success! features these talented speakers. For our conference schedule, click here. To find out more about our Featured Faculty, please download the Official Brochure.

Featured Faculty

Dennis Hensley—writer
Dr. Dennis E. Hensley is a professor of English at Taylor University Fort Wayne, where he directs the professional writing major. His 40th book, Man To Man: Becoming The Believer God Called You To Be, was released in August (Kregel). Dennis has also written six novels, 154 short stories, 34 nonfiction books, and more than 3,000 newspaper and magazine articles.
Dennis is on the Board of Directors of the Christian Writers Guild and the Midwest Writers Workshop committee. He’s an annual judge for the Christy Fiction Awards and for the Evangelical Press Association awards, and is a contributing editor for Writer's Journal and Advanced Christian Writer. He has won numerous awards, and was a visiting professor at the graduate school of Regent University.

Andrea Jewell
Andrea Vinley Jewell is the managing editor of Focus on the Family magazine, where she has been on staff for eight years. She¹s also worked as an editor for Pastor¹s Family Edition and Physician. Her freelance writing has appeared in Gordon-Conwell¹s Contact, On Course, Brio, Breakaway and Pentecostal Evangel.

Craig Von Buseck
Craig is Director of Ministries for CBN Digital Media, a huge telecommunications empire that uses all kinds of print and on-line writing in its mission to take Christ to the world. Craig has much experience with writing, has written his own books and articles, and teaches widely on writing for the internet and also on public speaking and developing your speaking ministry as a writer. He lives in Virginia and will teach on several topics, including writing for the internet, public speaking, and using fiction techniques in your nonfiction. He has taught all over the U.S., including at Jerry Jenkins’ Writing for the Soul conference each February and the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference in Bradenton, FL. Craig is a compelling speaker with a great sense of humor.

Andy Scheer—Christian Writers’ Guild
Andy Scheer is Managing Editor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild in Colorado Springs, Colo. Previously he served for 18 years with Moody magazine in Chicago — from 1990 to 2002 as managing editor. A journalism graduate of Colorado State University, he also studied at Denver Seminary. Andy and his wife, Carol, live in Colorado Springs with their high schooler, Karl. Their daughter Erica is studying to be an editor at Anderson University.

Betsey Newenhuyse—Moody
Betsey Newenhuyse is editorial director for Moody Publishers as well as acquiring editor for the Family, Lifestyle & Relationships line. Her radio commentaries can be heard nationally over Moody Radio. Under her leadership Moody magazine won a number of Evangelical Press Association awards. Betsey has also authored several books and spoken to women's groups across the country.

Betsey was a founding editor of Marriage Partnership. She’s written eight books and received the Silver Angel Award for Sometimes I Feel Like Running Away From Home (Bethany House). Betsey and her husband, Fritz, are adjusting to life in the empty nest.

David Fessenden
David E. Fessenden is managing editor for CLC Publications, the U.S. publishing house for CLC Ministries International (formerly Christian Literature Crusade). Dave has a B.A. in journalism, an M.A. in religion, and over 25 years of experience in writing and editing. Before beginning his ministry with CLC, he launched an editorial consulting business after 12 years on the staff of Christian Publications, Inc., the majority of that time as managing editor. In previous positions Dave served on the communications staff of Elim Bible Institute and was editor of a regional edition of the largest Protestant weekly newspaper in the country.
Dave has published four books, three nonfiction and one fiction:
. Father to Nobody’s Children, the Life of Thomas Barnardo (CLC Publications, 1995)
. The Waiting Missionary (Christian Publications, 1995) — fiction
. A Light to All Japan — children’s version (Christian Publications, 1998)
. Teaching With All Your Heart (Cook Communications, 2002)

He has also produced study guides for two titles by A.W. Tozer (published in the back of the books), written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and edited numerous books.
He is a regular columnist for Cross & Quill, a Christian writers newsletter, and a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences. His teaching and speaking experience includes industrial training programs, college-level continuing education seminars, and professional writing workshops. Dave and his wife, Jacque, have two adult sons.

Jim Watkins
Jim is an award-winning author of thirteen books and over two thousand articles, as well as an acquisitions editor with Wesleyan Publishing House. He has spoken throughout North America was well as Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Most of all, he loves God, his family, writing, speaking, and Chinese food—in that order.

Bill Jensen--Agent
Bill Jensen has worked in book publishing for nearly 30 years. He has discovered, launched, and championed the publishing careers of numerous best selling authors.

From 1976-1999 he worked at Harvest House Publishers, acquiring books and helping launch the publishing careers of authors such as Stormie Omartian, Thomas Kinkade, Debby Boone, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Lisa Samson, and many others. He also worked with Kay Arthur, Bill and Pam Farrel, Heather Kopp, Greg Laurie, Sandra Kuck, and Emilie Barnes. He conceived and carried out the vision for the four-color gift book division that became a leader in gift book publishing.

From 1999-2004, Bill was the Vice President of Editorial at Multnomah Publishers. (During the “Jabez” years.) While there he acquired books by Tony Evans, Pat Robertson, Lisa Whelchel, Jennifer Rothschild, Terry Muewssen, Lisa Ryan, Mark Buchanan, Robin Jones Gunn, Jill and Stuart Briscoe, Erwin Lutzer, Kay Coles James, Russell Cronkhite, Greg Laurie, Kathy Herman, C. J. Mahaney, Nancy Stafford, Michael Card, Mark Hitchcock, Lois Evans, Nancy Rue, and others. He also worked on bestselling books by Dr. James Dobson, Shirley Dobson, Gloria Gaither, Shaunti Feldhahn, Joni Eareckson Tada, Andy Stanley, and Sheri Rose Shepherd.?Next, Bill served at Crossway Books as an Associate Publisher and Vice President of Bibles and Product Development. During this time he promoted the English Standard Version Bible to Christian leaders, acquired books, and did editorial oversight work with authors.

Bill has worked in all genres of book publishing, including Bibles, Christian living, devotionals, exposés, fiction, children’s books, gift books, biographies, collections, cookbooks, revisions, etc. He has an established reputation of identifying emerging trends. Bill’s ability to recognize target markets, develop messages for a mass audience, and bring creativity to the entire publishing process has made him a trusted collaborator with authors.

Perhaps Bill’s gift for creativity is his greatest asset to authors and their book projects. For years, many authors and friends in publishing have encouraged Bill to start his own literary agency. Bill’s personal mission statement says, “To serve the Church of Jesus Christ through Christian book publishing, to the glory of God.”

He desires to work with authors with the goal of building the Church through Christian literature. According to Bill, “It’s not about the amount of books sold, but the number of individuals touched. It’s about the people who desire a fresh revelation of the grace of God, a more effective prayer life, a better marriage, family life, peace of mind, greater understanding, inspirational storytelling—who, in their need, search out a book. Ultimately, it’s about serving God and serving those He loves.”

Opening on October 15, 2005, the William K Jensen Literary Agency has, in the first 14 months, contracted 28 books with publishers such as Thomas Nelson, Waterbrook, Multnomah, Integrity, Kregel, Harvest House, Random House Children’s Books, Regal, Crossway, and Bethany House.

On the personal note, Bill is married to Sheila and has four daughters, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Marissa, a son-in-law Paul, and two grandsons, Luke and Aaron.

His other loves include fly-fishing Oregon rivers, which he runs in his driftboat. He has been a cooking enthusiast for years, which benefits family and friends. He is passionate about classical music and opera. He and his wife Sheila hold season tickets to the symphony and he has served as a board member for Eugene Opera.

Erin Gieschen
Erin Gieschen is the Acquisitions Editor and writing consultant for In Touch Magazine, a publication of Dr. Charles Stanley's ministry in Atlanta. She mainly works with publicists and with established authors whose articles she's solicited, but also loves working with freelancers who have great stories to tell and care about their craft.

Kathryn Mackel

Kathy Mackel is a true believer in a million-to-one odds. Incredibly, within a year, Kathy sold not one but two works from the so-called "slush" pile.

Her first sale was the middle-reader novel, A SEASON OF COMEBACKS, to G.P. Putnam. COMEBACKS came out in hardcover in 1997 and was nominated for the prestigious Texas Bluebonnet Award and five other major awards.

Three weeks after her sale to Putnam in August of 1995, Kathy switched gears and sold her original screenplay MOTHER SHIP to Fox Family Films-- again, an unagented sale from the "slush" pile. Both her editor at Putnam and Sr. VP at Fox used the words "million-to-one" to describe the odds of a sale from the slush pile (I bet the odds of being struck by lightning are better).

Fox subsequently hired Kathy to work with Don Bluth on an untitled animation project. Kathy was then recruited to write the film adaptation for LEFT BEHIND, the runaway bestseller in the Christian market. LEFT BEHIND is the story of what happens when millions of people mysteriously disappear in an instant, as foretold in the Book of Revelation in the event known as the Rapture.

Kathy’s most recent book publication is CAN OF WORMS, a SciFi adventure for middle readers that was published by Avon Books. In association with Gross Weston Productions (an Emmy-winning production company that has produced over 20 TV movies), Kathy sold the spec script for CAN OF WORMS to Disney Channel. CAN OF WORMS is the story of a bright but alienated seventh-grader who sends an SOS to the stars after being humiliated at a school dance. To his surprise and then dismay, droves of aliens come to earth, wanting to take him away.

The sequel, EGGS IN ONE BASKET, will be coming out in the fall of 2000 from HaperCollins (formerly Avon) and Kathy has recently begun work on the third book in the series, STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH.

Kathy’s latest film in production is Showtime’s ROCK-A-BYTE BABY. The premise: ninth graders have to "marry" each other and "parent" computerized baby dolls for health class. Squalling babies and smelly diapers are difficult enough but when one boy tries to reprogram his doll not to cry, a hidden military microchip inside the doll phones "home" and suddenly their high school is over-run with doll-nappers. Gross Weston Productions is producing this movie as well.

Even more remarkably, Kathy maintains an active career in Hollywood while living thousands of miles away in the woods of rural Massachusetts. She credits e-mail, fax, and an occasional non-stop flight to Los Angeles for her long-distance success. On a personal note, Kathy’s first love (after her supportive family and writing) is fastpitch softball. She is a Nationally-certified coach for the TAP (Townsend Ashby Pepperell) Fire. Her 1999 FireFlames finished fourth in the state of Massachusetts and won two major tournaments. Kathy is also the resident playwright and director for the Living Word Players of Dunstable, Massachusetts.

Rhonda Rhea—writer
Rhonda Rhea is a humor columnist for publications in the U.S., Canada and South Africa and has written hundreds of magazine articles. She is the author of Amusing Grace (Cook, 2003), Turkey Soup for the Soul—Tastes Just Like Chicken (Cook, 2004), Who Put the Cat in the Fridge (Cook, 2005), I’m Dreaming of Some White Chocolate, (Baker/Revell, 2006) and High Heels in High Places, (Baker/Revell, 2007), with two books scheduled for release in 2008 and 2009. Rhonda is a radio personality with a regular feature and also enjoys a recurring spot on Focus on the Family’s “Weekend Magazine.” She lives near St. Louis and is a pastor’s wife and mother of five, three at home and two in college. www.RhondaRhea.net.

Stephanie Wilson
Stephanie Wilson graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a degree in Communication. She has worked with freelance writers for six years as an associate editor, and is currently working with Barefoot Ministries. She is pursuing her Master's degree in Creative Writing.

Holley Gerth
Holley Gerth is a writer and creative manager for DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark. She has ten years of experience in the greeting card industry. In addition to cards, Holley writes magazine articles, devotionals, and children’s books. She is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in counseling. Holley shares her heart and home with her husband Mark and a very silly dog named Katie.

Patricia Sprinkle
Patricia Sprinkle writes southern mysteries that read well in a front porch rocker with a big glass of tea. In writing the books, she draws on her southern roots and experience, for she was raised in North Carolina and north Florida and has lived most of her adult life in Atlanta. Her eighteenth mystery, SINS OF THE FATHERS, is the second in a new series with a genealogical twist. When she is not writing, Sprinkle likes to work with growing plants and growing children, read, or do nothing. Visit the author at www.patriciasprinkle.com.

Carmen Leal
As her husband's caregiver for twelve years, Carmen Leal knows first hand the stresses and the joys of caregiving. Out of her experiences God birthed a ministry to families with Huntington's disease and those in a caregiving situation. She is the creator and director of SomeOne Cares Christian Caregiver Conference sponsored by LifeWay. She is the author of nine books including The Twenty-Third for Caregivers and The Twenty-Third Psalm for Those Who Grieve and her work has appeared in magazines and compilation books nationwide. A storyteller with a dramatic testimony, she is a popular presenter at women's retreats, church groups, conventions and conferences. Additionally, Carmen is known for her marketing and internet savvy as it relates to writers and speakers. She has taught at dozens of writers conferences in the United States, Canada, and Africa and is the author of You Can Market Your Book. Carmen lives with her family on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

Mona Hodgson
This year award-winning author and speaker Mona Hodgson celebrates 20 years of writing for publication. Her publishing credits include 28 children’s books, contributions to 11 books for adults, and several hundred articles, poems, and short fiction for adults and children. Mona is a national speaker for students, teaches, writers, and women's groups. To learn more, visit her website at www.monahodgson.com.