LDStorymakers Conference

I recently attended the LDStorymakers’ conference for writers and authors. It was fab! While I was there I was finally able to check something off of my “to do” list. As Mormons, we’re supposed to have a year’s supply, and I can smile with satisfaction now, because no matter what disaster strikes, I’m prepared with my year’s supply of books. (I bought 13 at the conference—4 to give away, and another 2 today at an author signing.)

All kidding aside, I made a bunch of new friends at the conference and learned some great stuff to improve my chances of being published. I know how to write a better query letter, and I know what LDS publishers want and what they don’t want as far as sex, violence and language are concerned.

Even though I have self-published two children’s stories, I don’t yet count myself among the ranks of published authors—the reason being because I only published a small amount for friends and family. However, I have a growing list of friends who have made it there ahead of me. My friend Liz Adair won a Whitney award for best Romance. (I reviewed her book, Counting the Cost right here on this blog.)

My friends Marsha Ward (right), who founded ANWA, and Tristi Pinkston were there—Tristi is one of my new BFF’s and she let me take her picture. *grins* I bought Tristi’s book Agent in Old Lace, and can’t wait to read it.

David Wolverton or David Farland—whichever—depending on whether you’re talking to him in person or reading one of his books won the Outstanding Achievement Award. Or rather I should say he earned it. He also won Best Novel of the Year for his book, In the Company of Angels.
I love how personable our superstars in the literary world are.

Those who aren’t Sci-fi fans will perhaps recognize Gerald Lund who earned the Lifetime Achievement Award (The Work and the Glory series). My favorite quote of the night, “I’m just a storyteller. The power in these stories is the power in the lives of real people,” Gerald Lund.






I had two friends who won in their genre for the First Chapter contest. Tamra Passey and Cindy Williams.

The Whitney committee knows that some day I’ll be a VIPA (very important published author) because they insisted that I sit at a table for generals. I thought that I should possibly sit with Gerald Lund or David Wolverton, or even Dan Wells who won Best New Author of the Year, but they insisted that I sit here…

Last but not least by any means, here is our group of ANWA sisters who were able to make it to the event (minus our current president, Aimee Morgan).