Available Speakers
The League of Utah Writers' new online Speakers Bureau offers up-to-date information on speakers when you need it. Browse the selections below, or if you are looking for a particular speaker, use the alphabetical (by last name) map above to find information on speakers, their expertise, and their contact information.
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Carolyn Campbell
Chapter Affiliation:
WordcraftCarolyn Campbell has published more than 800 articles in national magazines such as Ladies’ Home Journal, Family Circle, First for Women, Woman’s World, Writer’s Digest, Redbook, Family Tree and Guideposts. She is currently a reporter for the Los Angeles Bureau of People Magazine. Her articles have also been published internationally in China, Japan, Germany, England, Denmark and Australia. She has three books released by Putnam. She was named Writer of the Year by the Utah State League of Utah Writers in 1997. In addition, she has published short stories, poetry, educational film and filmstrip scripts, and one children’s song. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and four children.
Carolyn’s favorite talk is titled “From Idea to Article” and describes step-by-step the article writing process. She recently updated this article by releasing a few of her trade secrets to help you sell your work easier and more often.
Presentation Topics:
“From Idea to Article”“Writing Query Letters”
“Profiles”
“Nonfiction Books and Articles”
Distance will travel:
50 miles from Salt Lake CityContact Information:
e-mail Corolyn Campbell.Prior Presentation Comments:
“Carolyn is one of the most experienced and informative speakers in the League. I learn something new from her each time I hear one of her presentations. She is excellent and I highly recommend her.”
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Walter Eddy
Chapter Affiliation:
Wasatch WritersBackground:
Tax season is always approaching. It's a certainty of life, as Benjamin Franklin put it. Franklin “married” the terms death and taxes. We can't escape either one.
For writers, like everybody else, accounting for income taxes comes up annually, without fail. Death…well, it just comes up once per lifetime, thank goodness. So whether or not you made money writing last year, you probably paid taxes. As writers who desire to derive our income from writing, it becomes necessary to get the most we can out of our writing situations relative to taxation. It requires planning and knowledge. Walt Eddy can help. He worked as Santa Claus for the IRS.
Fellow writer Walt provides a workshop tailored to your needs to help you see how taxation can enhance your writing career and decide what you as a writer are entitled to under the tax laws. Walt wrote Making Expression Less Taxing, a Freelancers Tax Resource which is available at Amazon as a trade paperback or as a Kindle. Visit his home page at http://www.walteddy.com
Presentation Topics:
“Writing and Taxes” - includes learning the basic principles of taxation pertaining to your business; figuring out how to take advantage of writing losses; finding out if your writing activity qualifies as a trade or business; making certain you know what it takes to convince the taxman that you engage in writing for profit; knowing about the business expense umbrella; knowing what forms you need to file and how to fill them out; and much, much more.
Distance will travel:
Subject to availability, Walt will travel statewide, but a trip to Cedar City or St. George would need to include lodging for an overnight stay.
Contact Information:
e-mail Walt Eddy.Mike Eldredge
Chapter Affiliation:
WordcraftBackground:
Mike Eldredge is a 2005 and 2006 Quill Award winner, and owner and manager of Mill Creek Press, LLC, a micro-publisher specializing in PQN/POD publishing for the self-publishing author. A native of Ogden, Utah, he graduated with a B.A. in History and Political Science from Weber State College in 1971, an M.A. in Political Science from Utah State University in 1972, and a J.D. from J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU in 1980. Mike has been a corporate and securities lawyer for over 25 years. He is the author of numerous historical articles, and has two books to his credit, including “Shades of Gray” which was awarded the Quill Award for non-fiction in 2005, and “My Life and the Winter Games” which was awarded the Quill Award for non-fiction in 2006.
Presentation Topics:
Mike is available to speak on:
- “Micro-Publishing using PQN/POD technology”
- “Writing historical memoirs and biographies”
- “Writing historical fiction”
- “How to become a micro-publisher”
Distance will travel:
Please contact Mike for this information.Contact Information:
e-mail Mike, or call (801) 930-5049.
Russell W. Estlack
Chapter Affiliation:
Heritage WritersBackground:
Russell has written and published four books of historical non-fiction and numerous magazine articles. He teaches a writing course for adults at Dixie College. His latest book will be released by Cedar Fork Publishers on June 14, 2011, and it has received rave reviews.
Presentation Topics:
- “How to get your book on Kindle”
- “How to get published”
- “Writing successful query letters”
Distance will travel:
Russell would prefer to travel to LUW chapters south of Richfield.
Contact information:
Phone number: 435-275-8315; e-mail Russell; address: 2398 East 200 South, St. George, Utah 84790
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Lin Floyd
Chapter Affiliation:
Heritage Writer’s GuildBackground:
Lin Floyd is an experienced writer, columnist and genealogist. A retired teacher and school librarian, she writes a weekly column entitled “Looking Back…At the Good Old Days” for the Senior Sampler. Her writings have been published on her blog http://lettersfromlin.blogspot.com and in a book of the same title. Another publication in the works right now is a collection of children’s poems and free verse entitled “Nature Notes for Kids.” Written especially for her six grandchildren to help them become more aware of nature’s beauty and to encourage them to create their own poetry, this is only one of many future projects. Lin has 50 years genealogical experience in compiling family histories for publication and has a family history webpage online and featured in an Ensign article. Check her webpage out at http://famhistory1867.com. She also mentors a group called Writer’s WORDshop in St. George and this group of women published their own collection of poetry and free verse entitled “Desert Voices.”
Presentation Topics:
- “Creating a BLOG or WEBPAGE for a Writer’s Platform”
- “Breaking Writer’s Block Through Clustering and Other Right Brain Activities”
- “Writing a Fascinating Family History or Auto-Biography”
Distance will travel:
Will go anywhere in the state with adequate gas mileage from St. George and lodging costs.Contact Information:
e-mail Lin, 435-628-8522 or 4421 Broadmoor Dr., St. George, UT 84790~G~
Suzanne Gehring
Chapter Affiliation:
Oquirrh WritersSuzanne Gehring is a member of the Oquirrh Writers Chapter and lives in downtown Salt Lake. A member of the League of Utah Writers since March 2007, Suzanne has written over 100 articles in the past four years, which have been published in four newspapers, including the Hurricane Valley Journal. She is currently writing for the Valley Journals. Recently she spent a little time as a writing assistant for the Salt Lake Community College Community Writing Center. In her free time, she works on her novel, a teen ‘problem novel’. Her favorite reading material: (Harry Potter aside) is the Writer’s Digest.
Presentation Topics:
- “A Journalistic Preview: How to Write for Newspapers”
- “Critters: Critique Etiquette”
- “This I Believe: A Personal Essay”
Distance will travel:
Suzanne is willing to drive whatever distance to speak to your group, as it’s something she greatly enjoys doing.
Contact Information:
e-mail Suzanne.K.C. Grant
Chapter Affiliation:
BountifulBackground:
K.C. Grant was born in rural Idaho, but has made Utah her home for most of her life. After serving an LDS Spanish-speaking mission to Anaheim, California, she returned and continued her studies at Weber State University. At Weber, she participated in a study abroad program that allowed her to study at the Centro Mexicano Internacional in Michoacan, Mexico. She has been a freelance writer for eight years. Much of her work appears in family-oriented magazines such as LDS Living, Latter-Day Woman, Back Home, Parents & Kids, and Natural Life. She is currently the president of the Bountiful chapter of the League of Utah Writers and is a member of the Association of Mormon Letters and LDS Storymakers. Though raising her children is still her most important task, she combines it with the demanding job of working out the numerous plots she has for future novels. She and her husband of sixteen years love to travel and scout out new settings for books. While ancient Mexico was the setting for her first published novel, Abish: Daughter of God, which was released by Covenant in 2010 and its sequel, Abish: Mother of Faith, due out in March 2011—modern Mexico was perfect for her suspense novel titled, Venom, also to be released in 2011. Kim and her husband recently returned from Vancouver, which has provided quite nicely for her latest project, a sequel to her suspense novel. Other publications include a short story recently published in Covenant’s seasonal compilation, How Will Christmas Find Us? by various LDS authors.
Presentation Topics:
- “Got Writing Goals? If Not, Get S.M.A.R.T.”
- “Navigating the World of Publishing”
- “Preparing Your Manuscript for Publishing”
Distance will travel:
K.C. is willing to speak in Northern Utah.Contact Information:
E-mail K.C., or through her website: http://www.kcgrant.com.~H~
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Clint Johnson
Chapter Affiliation:
Oquirrh WritersBackground:
Clint Johnson is a member of Oquirrh Writers Chapter and currently lives in Taylorsville. His first professionally published middle grade novel, Green Dragon Codex, was released in June, 2009 by Mirrorstone Press. Clint’s publication history includes short and long fiction, non-fiction, journalism, commentary, academic essays, and technical writing. He worked as a technical writer for Atlantic Marketing out of San Diego. Currently, Clint is a CRLA certified college tutor working in the Salt Lake Community College Writing Center. He is also the winner of numerous awards, including the following first place awards in the League of Utah Writers Annual Contest: 2007 – Full Length Middle Grade Book and Edgy Short Story; 2006 – Fully Length Book and Article; 2005 – Speculative Fiction Short Story. Clint has also worked as an editor, both on collegiate presses and as a freelance professional.
Presentation Topics:
- “Make it Magical: How to Write Fantastic Fantasy”
- “Story 101: How to Use Conflict to Make a Reader Read”
- “The Power of Point of View: The Secret of Triple Duty Writing”
- “Fact vs. Truth: Addressing Moral and Religious Concerns About the Fantasy Genre” Clint draws on his personal experience as a reader and writer of fantasy, as well as that of religious writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Utah’s own Tracy Hickman to explain how misunderstanding has focused suspicion on the genre. He also shows how writing fantasy allows an author to communicate moral and ethical themes in ways no other genre allows. As Tolkien said, “Fantasy is truth unburdened by fact.”
Distance will travel:
Please contact Clint for this information.Contact Information:
Contact Clint at (801) 964-5945, or e-mail Clint.
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Josi Kilpack
Chapter Affiliation:
Cache ValleyBackground:
Josi Kilpack has published eight LDS novels, and has written several award-winning short stories and articles. Josi lives in Willard, Utah and is the mother of four.
Presentation Topics:
- “Writing a Synopsis"”
- “The 4 C's of Writing(Character, Conflict, Climax, & Conclusion)”
- “Using Feedback and Revision”
Distance will travel:
From the Cache Valley to ProvoContact Information:
Contact Josi at (435) 723-7280, or e-mail Josi.
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Kelley Lindberg
Chapter Affiliation:
Wasatch WritersBackground:
Kelley Lindberg, of the Wasatch Writers chapter in Layton, Utah, has been a member of the League of Utah Writers for many years. She has served as chapter president from 2001-2003, and has spoken at writer conferences, writing workshops, and local chapter meetings. Kelley is a freelance writer, with two dozen how-to books published, along with many articles in national and regional magazines. She has also written for Fodor’s travel guides, Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover’s Soul, and other publications. She writes a blog about food allergies at http://foodallergyfeast.blogspot.com/.
Presentation Topics:
- “Conducting Meaty Interviews”
- “Great Beginnings”
- “Query Letter Workshop”
- “Landing That SECOND Contract (or, How to Be an Editor's Pet)"
- “Handling Rejection”
Distance will travel:
Kelley is willing to travel up to 50 miles (sometimes further with enough advance notice) for speaking engagements.
Contact Information:
E-mail Kelley, 801-593-5360.
Prior Presentation Comments:
“Great speaker: personable, fun to listen to, well-prepared, knowledgeable.”
“Kelley was fabulous. She came prepared and engaged the audience. She brought notes for us to follow and the workshop portion was highly effective. Outstanding!”
Marsha Lundgren
Chapter Affiliation:
Salt Lake ChapterBackground:
Marsha Lundgren has been a member of the League of Utah Writers for over a decade. She has enjoyed a leadership role in the League as a past and current president for two state chapters. Marsha has twenty years experience as an oral historian and has interviewed a wide variety of people: ranchers, local citizens, and World War II and Korean War veterans. Two individuals lived in Holland during the German occupation of that country and one was a German woman living in the Polish Corridor during the war years. One of her favorite interviews was with a woman who was born in Germany and is now 104-years old. The woman actually remembers World War I and shared the experience of what it was like seeing her father leave when called to serve the German army. Some of Marsha’s interviews are part of the permanent collections for the Marriott Library at the University of Utah, the Sherratt Library at Southern Utah University, and the Veterans History Project for the Library of Congress. Marsha’s life has been deeply touched and enriched by each oral interview. As a Development Director at the University of Utah, she writes for a living, but also enjoys creative writing in a wide variety of genres and styles.Presentation Topics:
- “The Nuts and Bolts of Recording History – Finding the Magic of Oral Histories”
- “Personal Memoirs with a Zing – Mapping out your Life Experiences”
Distance will travel:
Sevier Valley north.Contact Information:
801-243-0822, marshalundgren@msn.com~M~
Rod Miller
Chapter Affiliation:
WordcraftBackground:
Rod Miller is a long-time member of the League of Utah Writers and has served as an LUW Awards Contest judge for several years. He has been a presenter and speaker at LUW chapter meetings, Idaho Writer’s League annual conferences, the Cowboy Poets of Utah Symposium, and several other events. He is author of six published books: a Western novel, a historical novel, a biography of John Muir, a history of the Bear River Massacre, a poetry chapbook, and a collection of poems about cowboys and the West. His poems have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, he has published several short stories and magazine articles, and has contributed to works of nonfiction including encyclopedias and anthologies. He is a member of Western Writers of America, Cowboy Poets of Utah, Utah Westerners, and Western Fictioneers.
Presentation Topics:
- “Writing Poetry”
- “What We Can Learn About Writing From Cowboy Poets”
- “Writing and Publishing Historical Nonfiction”
- “Choosing and Using the Right Words”
Distance will travel:
For a weeknight meeting, Rod will visit any chapter north of Richfield. He will go to statewide for a weekend workshop or other event.Contact Information:
801-566-4121 (home), 801-355-2211 (office), or e-mail Rod.
Prior Presentation Comments:
“Rod knows tons about all areas of writing. He could speak on many topics.”
“Lots of good information.”
Heather Moore
Background:
Heather Moore is the award-winning author of the historical series, Out of Jerusalem, and writes under the pen name H.B. Moore. The next series begins with Abinadi, which won both the 2008 Whitney for Best Historical and the 2009 Best of State in Literary Arts; its sequel Alma was released in 2009, with the next in the series, Alma the Younger, released in the summer of 2010. Her first non-fiction book, Women in the Book of Mormon, was released in the spring of 2010. Visit her website at www.hbmoore.com/. Heather also manages the editing company: www.precisioneditinggroup.com.
Presentation Topics:
- “Historical Fiction”
- “Using Research in Writing”
- “Self-Editing”
- “Your First Novel”
- “Show, Don’t Tell”
Distance will travel:
Heather is willing to travel to other chapters to speak.Contact Information:
e-mail Heather, 801-851-0196~N~
Jennifer Nielsen
Chapter Affiliation:
Wasatch WritersBackground
Jennifer Nielsen’s debut book, Elliot and the Goblin War, was released in October, 2009. The next book of the series will release in May, 2011. She will also release a middle-grade trilogy with Scholastic beginning in April, 2012. Several of Jennifer’s writings have won awards through the League of Utah Writers and other places. She is a former speech and theater teacher and lives in Layton, Utah.Presentation Topics:
- “Understanding your Character’s Psychology”
- “From First Page to Publication: The Climb”
- “The Serious Art of Writing Humor”
- “Closing the Deal: Writing Satisfying Endings”
Distance will travel:
Jen is willing to travel for speaking engagements.Contact Information:
E-mail JenniferPrior Presentation Comments:
“Jennifer Nielsen’s presentation on developing characters using psychological techniques wowed our members. Everyone left the workshop with practical tools that immediately added new depth to their writing.”
“Jennifer Nielsen had a good knowledge of books and movie endings and knew a lot about middle-grade audiences for her presentation on ‘Closing the Deal: Writing Satisfying Endings.’”
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Corrie Lynne Player
Chapter Affiliation:
Color Country NightwritersBackground:
Corrie Lynne Player and her husband, Gary, are the parents of nine children and the grandparents of 34. Their foster home, specializing in attachment disorders, has sheltered more than 40 children over the past 35 years. Corrie Lynne and Gary, consultants in technical writing and natural resources, have worked side-by-side for 25 years.
A graduate of Stanford University in creative writing, English, and education, Corrie Lynne’s freelance writing career began in 1972. She specializes in creative nonfiction, technical writing, and biography. She’s taught writing on the university level, has been a journalist and copy editor for regional newspapers and has published in national magazines such as Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Parents, Trailer Life, and Ladies Home Journal. She’s a member of the Author’s Guild, was the LUW Writer of the Year in 2007 and has won numerous awards and prizes, including First Place in the LUW 2010 Writing Competition for her nonfiction book, Heaven Help Us Be Happy Sandwiches.
Her work includes four editions of Anchorage Altogether (a book of essays about parenting in Alaska, the Last Frontier); an authorized young adult biography about Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of television, Dreams Do Come True; three parenting books, So Your Teen Knows All the Answers, Loving Firmness; Successfully Raising Teenagers Without Losing Your Mind, and The Everything Parent’s Guide to Raising Your Adopted Child; dozens of magazine articles, and two ongoing weekly columns on parenting and relationships: “Heaven Help Us.”
Presentation Topics:
- “Turning Life into Fiction, Essays and Articles”
- “The Nuts and Bolts of a Writing Career”
- “Writing Life Stories”
- “Stand-Still the Moment-Journals and Family Histories”
- “Research, ‘Fair Use’ and Good Writing”
- “Query Letters and Proposals”
- “Heaven Help Us Be the Best We Can Be”
- “Creative Solutions to Overcoming Writer’s Block”
Distance will travel:
Corrie Lynne will travel throughout the state.Contact Information:
e-mail Corrie Lynne Player 435-867-5637 cell: 435-327-1096Prior Presentation Comments:
“Corrie Lynne has lots of experience and was well prepared. Good information – nice!”~Q~
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David W. Smith
Chapter Affiliation:
Heritage Writers GuildBackground:
As a published author of novels, instructional manuals, and hundreds of articles, my background also includes having been a conference speaker, keynote speaker, and workshop lecturer around the U.S. My books include two of the top-selling tennis instructional books, Tennis Mastery (2004 & 2010) and Coaching Mastery (2008) and the popular mystery series, Hidden Mickey, Hidden Mickey 1: Sometimes Dead Men DO Tell Tales (2009) and Hidden Mickey 2: It All Started… (2010). These books are adult action-adventure “historical fiction” novels about Walt Disney…they have been the top-selling Disney Novels at the Disneyland Resort in California over the past year. In addition, I am the Senior Editor for one of the world’s top-rated web sites for tennis instruction, TennisOne.com. (As rated by Forbes.)
I have produced the DVD, “Building a World-Class Volley” and have published over 200 articles for magazines, (Both domestic and foreign), as well as dozens of articles for newspapers, periodicals, trade journals, and newsletters.
I was awarded “Speaker of the Year” at both the Southern California and Intermountain USPTA Division Conferences and have been a featured speaker at the USPTA World Conference. Also, I was the guest, “keynote” speaker for the National Honor Society.
In addition, I have lectured at high schools, Intermediate schools, book clubs, and college classes about the processes of writing and becoming published, marketing, and promoting books.
Presentation Topics:
My lectures can include: The art of writing; How to go from Dream to Publication; How to market, promote and sell your work as an author; How to get your books in bookstores without giving up your rights to a publisher; What pitfalls to avoid as an author; Going beyond the book signing.
Distance you are willing to travel:
This will be dependent on the opportunity. I would be willing to speak throughout Utah based on the event, number in attendance, and the cause or functionality of the lecture.
Contact Information:
e-mail David W. Smith Cell Phone: (435) 680-3250, Home Phone: (435) 628-9865.Web site addresses: hiddenmickeybook.com; coaching-mastery.com; tnt-tennis.com.
Eric Swedin
Chapter Affiliation:
Wasatch WritersBackground:
Eric Swedin teaches at Weber State University. He has published three history books and one historical mystery novel. See his website at: http://www.swedin.orgPresentation Topics:
- “Writing history books”
- “Researching History”
- “Writing Genre Fiction (science fiction, mysteries, and historical fiction)”
Distance will travel:
Contact Eric for more information.Contact Information:
e-mail Eric.~T~
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Jill Vanderwood
Chapter Affiliation:
OquirrhBackground:
Jill Ammon Vanderwood was the League of Utah Writer’s Writer of the Year for 2008. She is the author of three children’s fiction books and a non-fiction book. Jill has been a speaker for Round-up, and has spoken for different chapters of the League of Utah Writers. She enjoys visiting schools and working with children, tutoring reading, writing reviews for Amazon.com, as well as teaching and learning from other writers. She lives in West Valley City.
Presentation Topics:
- “Marketing - Including Internet Marketing”
- “Writing and Marketing for Children”
- “Self-publishing”
Distance will travel:
Jill will travel to other chapters within reason.Contact Information:
e-mail Jill, or call 801-891-3370.
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Pam Williams
Chapter Affiliation:
Utah ValleyBackground:
Pam Williams is from Richfield, Utah and recently retired after seven years as the writing tutor at Red Hills Middle School. She has taught creative writing for Snow College and has been an editor/columnist for The Insider newspaper in Wayne County, as well as a radio copy writer, a reporter for the Daily Herald and BYU News Bureau, and a school public relations director for fifteen years. She has written three novels and especially enjoys teaching revision.
Presentation Topics:
- “Essays”
- “Poetry”
- “Article Writing”
- “Revision”
Distance will travel:
Contact Pam for more information.Contact Information:
e-mail Pam Williams, 435-893-1751 (cell), 801-375-0331 (home)Julie Wright
Background:
Julie Wright has been a member of the League of Utah Writers for the several years and lives in Oak City. She started writing her first book when she was fifteen. That same book won the best fiction award with her publishing house for the year 2001. She has since completed seven novels, a children’s book, and one technical manual. She has co-authored two books on writing and published several articles. Her hobbies consist of reading, four-wheeling, hiking, playing on the beach when she can find one, and just being with her husband and three kids. Her favorite past-time is watching her husband make dinner. Julie also gives motivational seminars for teens and women.
Presentation Topics:
- “Novels-Fantasy, Romance, Young Adults”
- “Finding Time to Write”
Distance will travel:
Contact Julie for more information.Contact Information:
e-mail Julie, website: www.juliewright.com~X~
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