Conference Committee

Wendy Jessen

Chair

Wendy Jessen collects elephants, wears a lot of black, and likes toe socks. She is the author of “Hope and Healing: A Survivor’s Faith-Based Perspective on Recovering from Sexual Abuse,” and has a website on the same topic for survivors and support people (here). Wendy has been on several podcasts talking about sexual abuse and did a TEDx Talk on this topic as well.

Her day job is working as a victim advocate in her local police department. She has her bachelors in criminal justice and is currently working on her master’s degree in professional communication, both from Southern Utah University. Wendy enjoys doing yoga, listening to audiobooks, and procrastinating writing. She’s a chronic overthinker, which makes her obsessive and meticulous. Mexican food is her love language. She stress-eats Albanese gummy bears and caffeine.

Jessica Kendall

Co-Chair

Jessica Kendall has a BFA in creative writing with minors in both English and History. She is an editor for CookieLynn Publishing and lives in Meridian Idaho with her hunky, science nerd husband and four brilliant, creative, and crazy kids. She is a self-proclaimed reading omnivore who loves to read and write in multiple genres, so long as someone is kissing… or stabbing. If no one is kissing or stabbing, there is no point to reading or writing it. She is a world class hugger and an enthusiastic procrastibaker who loves experimenting with new flavors and ruining diets. When she isn’t baking, hugging, or chasing her kids, she can be found spending “quality time” with the Leverage team, Buffy Summers, Michael Scott, Fran Fine, or the Golden Girls.

Nan Marie Swapp

Assistant to the cHairs

This will be Nan Marie Swapp’s 12th year attending the Storymakers Conference, and she is excited to serve on the committee for the first time. She previously chaired the ANWA Writers Conference for two years and served behind the scenes for many more. She writes middle grade fiction and is currently completing her degree in English-Creative Writing at Arizona State University. As an optimist with ADHD, Nan buys way more books than she has time to read and many more notebooks than she has time to fill. She cries as the Newbery Medal winners are announced each year. She loves coffee, colorful Converse, The Great British Bake Off, and her clandestine backyard foster chickens.

And Wendy. But sadly, they are both heterosexuals.

T.J. Bronley

Finance

Pre-published author (means no contract). Originally from So Cal, but currently lives in Utah. T.J. and his wife have been married for 17 years and have four children. In his day job, T.J. is an accountant who really likes numbers, but has been known to correct grammar for an occasional email for one of his managers.

Kaushay Ford

Emcee

Kaushay is thrilled to join the Storymakers Conference for her second year as the emcee! Kaushay grew up in the Midwest, in a family that valued their rich history and culture. Her first foray into authorship, “The Little-Known Heroes” series, was inspired by the stories her grandmother told her about Claudette Colvin. She and her husband Spencer co-authored the first volume of the series, and are currently working on the second.

Kaushay studied broadcast journalism at Brigham Young University, where she learned her eye for detail, and bringing out people’s experiences to tell their stories. By day, she is the owner and lead planner for Kaushay & Co. Events, telling stories through the events she creates. In her spare time she acts, sings, dances, and adds books to her “to be read” list; occasionally taking the time to actually read them!

Jaime Theler

Facilities

Jaime Theler is the author of two non-fiction books with a small press, Enjoying the Journey and Parenting the Ephraim’s Child. She has also been a newspaper writer and proofreader, corporate social media coordinator, marketing project manager, and freelance content writer and editor for fiction, non-fiction, and business writing. She now manages a large team of writers and editors at a digital marketing agency that has helped hundreds of companies like Avis/Budget, NuSkin, Visionworks, and Pluralsight improve their online presence. Jaime has been on the Storymakers committee for over ten years and is passionate about helping authors succeed.

Shelly Brown

Facilities (Shadowing)

Shelly Brown is the author of the thought-provoking children’s middle grade books, Mustaches for Maddie, Squint, Willa and the Whale, and Virtually Me. She also writes scary books for young readers like her book Ghostsitter. She co-writes some of her books with her husband Chad Morris. They have written five books together (by the end of 2023) and had five children too (by the end of 2008). When she’s not writing you can find her parenting her five awesome kids, and wife-ing her husband and co-author, Chad Morris. She loves to discover the world, both close to her home in the mountains and far across the sea. She loves people, and cultures, and food. She adores Austen, and Dickens, and Hardy. Her patronus is an otter.

Taryn Skipper

Whitney President

Taryn has degrees in Philosophy and International Studies with a minor in Spanish and concentrations in Logic and Russian. She’s also studied Japanese, Latin, and French and builds websites, runs a watercolor portrait business, and works as a real estate agent. Hobbies include playing euphonium, lock picking, travel, and practicing martial arts. So, obviously, she writes YA Sci-Fi novels because that just makes sense.

Lindzee Armstrong

Instruction

Lindzee Armstrong is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than twenty romance novels. Like any true romantic, she loves chick flicks, ice cream, and chocolate. Lindzee graduated with a BS degree in history education from Utah Valley University and lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and twin boys.

Jared Quan

Instruction

Jared is an Author/Gamer/Writer – Twitch Affiliate, a former writer for SI.com and Yahoo. Published works include Changing Wax, Ezekiel’s Gun, and Really Random and Ridiculous Ride-share Rumors. He has served roles with Storymakers, League of Utah Writers, Cultural Arts Society of West Jordan, EMAA, BigWorldNetwork, TEDxSaltLakeCity, Teen Author Boot Camp, LTUE, UVU Book Academy, Utah Poet Laureate Selection Committee, and countless events/organizations. Jared has received awards from two Presidents of the United States, from Utah State Governor, and Lt. Governor. Has worked with the Utah State Governors’ office to reestablish “Utah Authors Day”. He has been interviewed by several websites and podcasts, including Joseph Batzel, Artifice, and Writing Excuses Podcast.

Jessica Salyer

Instruction

Jessica is the co-author of 2 published Young Adult books and about 10 more on her hard drive. She lives in the midwest, but wishes she lived somewhere warm.

Kelley Riegert

Registration

Kelley lives in a small town in Wisconsin with her hubby and baby boy. For her day job she sells adhesives, which usually takes her all over the country (and sometimes the world). It is in an airplane or a hotel lobby where she typically finds the time to write and edit. She’s published over a dozen books, both traditional and indie. When not working and writing, Kelley can be found enjoying a glass of wine with family and friends, swimming at the local YMCA, or biking all the beautiful trails Wisconsin has to offer.

Cheree Myatt

Registration

We don’t have a bio for Cheree … she’s a mystery!

Tifani Clark

Registration

Tifani Clark loves to write in many genres, but has a special love for suspense. She grew up on a potato farm in Idaho where she had a lot of space to imagine and daydream, and often pretended to be characters from her favorite books. She is the host of the weekly podcast Additional History: Headlines You Probably Missed, where she tells little known stories from history. Tifani is married to the love of her life and is the mother of four fabulous children. When not writing, she enjoys playing the violin in her community orchestra and traveling to new places on her quest to see the world. You can find all her books at http://www.tifaniclark.com.

Varvara Jones

First Chapters

Varvara writes and publishes sweet romance as Arya Matthews, but when she’s not writing or thinking about writing, she attempts to parent two children and a black cat and shares the home office with her eternal sidekick. She also binge watches Korean dramas and always schemes a trip into the big wide world to soothe her wanderlust.

Erin Mindes

First Chapters

Erin Mindes enjoys baking bread, being outside, and spending time with her family. She is the author of The Lifting Balloons, an Award-Winning Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards and Babe, the Ballerina Dog, which she published with Lawley Publishing. She also loves writing and self-publishing Young Adult fiction novels.

Emily Adams

First Chapters

Emily Ann Adams holds a degree in English Education and is the author of, “Is There No Other Way: Exploring Growth Through Grief” as well as an informational children’s books series entitled, “Loss for Littles” addressing death rituals from a variety of religious perspectives. Emily is the creator of Ministering Moms of Missing Multiple, a bereavement support group for mothers who have lost one or more of their multiples. An advocate for exploring the world and embracing diversity, Emily has lived in Paris, France, taught English in Mexico, and worked with a nonprofit organization in southern India helping those afflicted with leprosy. She and her husband are the parents of four living children and one angel son.

Rebecca Lamoreaux

Thursday Workshops

Rebecca Lamoreaux is an Author in Progress. She has been writing for over a decade and looks forward to seeing her words in print. Rebecca love to tell stories, sing loudly even when she doesn’t know the words, and dance around the house with the kids. She lives in Arizona with her husband, lots of kids, and a few pets to create perfect chaos. She has attended and volunteered at Storymakers for the past 8 years, and is excited to be part of the committee bringing you the 2023 Conference.

Serene Heiner

Thursday Workshops

Serene is a mom of seven kids who self-medicates her creative ADD with copious amounts of chocolate as she juggles writing novels, running a small sewing business, teaching workout classes, driving kids to jobs and practice, watching a billion sports games, and doing a bit of drawing on the side. She also creates magical photos for Bookstagram and spends a great deal of time convincing her children to be in a Booktok video with her. Serene has a degree in visual arts and has taught bookbinding classes at BYU.

Kristina Atkins

Agents & Editors

Kristina Atkins writes speculative fiction inspired by mythos from around the world, complex human relationships, and her own experiences living with mental illness. In 2012, she received her MFA in creative writing from Converse College. She lives in Denver, where she and her husband spend countless hours chasing their three young sons (and sometimes catching them!). She loves collecting Tarot decks, dyeing her hair mermaid colors, and drinking far too much Diet Dr. Pepper. Her debut fantasy novel, “Feathers Sharp as Knives,” releases on May 2, 2023.

Kara Reynolds

Agents & Editors

Kara loves K-dramas and is ready to give you a recommendation any time you’re ready to dive into the world of Korean television. She holds a Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling, which she used to teach a class called Genetics 101 for Writers at the 2019 Storymakers Conference. She has also served as the president of the Whitney Awards committee. The 2023 conference will be her 8th time attending Storymakers. Kara works as an administrative assistant for Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and loves seeing the background work that goes into publishing novels.

Mandy Ballard

Agents & Editors

Mandy reads, writes, and does yoga in the cracks between all that drives life on the tiny wanna-be homestead she shares with her husband and three teens. Her writing has won multiple awards and spans several categories and genres, but middle grade and YA are where her heart is! She has an ongoing love affair with words and story development alike and is a highly sought-after editor with Salt and Sage Books. This is her first year on the Storymakers Conference committee, but she has long been lending her love for writing community to Storymakers Ink as well as multiple conferences, such as ANWA and the Kanab Writers Conference. When not involved in writing life or chasing chickens, you might find her studying Hebrew, making yet another spreadsheet, or at rehearsal for her next musical theater production.

Don Carey

Tech / App

Don Carey is an author, software team leader, and writing conference addict who lives in the Kansas City area. He has written in a variety of genres and is currently dabbling in SciFi Romance, pondering the future of human relationships in an age of artificial intelligence. Don is also an amateur musician, a graduate student, and a bedtime story reader who can do all the voices.

Adi James

Tech / App

Adi M. James became a bibliophile at a young age and never recovered. As most people would guess, she became enchanted with writing at the same time. In an effort to spend as much time reading and writing as possible, she received her Bachelor of Arts in English: Professional Writing and now works writing and editing documents for people more familiar with math than grammar. When she escapes her dark corporate office, she writes Upper Middle Grade & Space Fantasy in her dark author corner at home, where she lives with her husband, two children, and the neighbor’s cat, Schrödinger, who frequently sneaks in.

Megan Walker

Tech / App

Megan Walker is an author in progress. She loves to read and write YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi. She lives in Utah with her husband and dog. She graduated from Utah Valley University and works full time in the military. When she’s not at work you can usually find her writing, playing board games or adventuring somewhere outside. She’s attended Storymakers the last two years and is excited to part of the committee bringing you Storymakers 2023.

Tiana Smith

Website

Tiana Smith is the author of YA and adult rom coms. She has double degrees in Honors and English from Westminster College but wants to go back to school to learn sign language. Her next book, THE SPY AND I, is coming from Berkley / Penguin Random House in 2024.

Loury Trader

PR / SOCIAL MEDIA / BOOK SIGNING

Loury Trader is a former slush pile reader for Deep Magic. Her love of literature has enabled her to introduce her family and students to stories that enrich, educate and help others see the world through a different lens. Loury is a Spanish Immersion Teacher, a mother of two boys, a foodie with food allergies and YA-thriller writer.

Rachel Schieffelbein

PR / SOCIAL MEDIA / BOOK SIGNING

Rachel lives in Minnesota with her husband and four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, shows Arabian horses, and reads as much as she can. She writes YA and mg fiction and is repped by Tina Schwartz.

Emily Huey

COMMUNITY OUTREACH / GIVEAWAYS

Emily Inouye Huey writes historical fiction for children and teens. Her first novel, BENEATH THE WIDE SILK SKY, releases with Scholastic in Fall 2022. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University and teaches at Salt Lake Community College. Besides books, her passions include education, the arts, the outdoors, and her family. You can visit her on Instagram @emily_inouye_huey or at www.emilyhuey.com

Benjamin Inouye

COMMUNITY OUTREACH / GIVEAWAYS

Ben Inouye is an 8th Grade English teacher in eastern Colorado. He received his bachelor’s degree (English Teaching) from BYU and his master’s degree (Literacy: Curriculum and Instruction) from the University of Texas at Arlington. Ben’s roles within the school district are various and sundry: teacher, wrestling coach, cross country coach, bus driver, and advisor to the Anime Club. He writes adventure paths for homebrew RPGs where he and his children have defeated evil once and for–all on three separate occasions. At bedtime, Ben enjoys telling his four children stories about well-protected pitchers of gravy, lost kittens, and the Kiri bird. Ben’s greatest dream is to try every type of cuisine this world has to offer.

Talysa Sainz

COMMUNITY OUTREACH / GIVEAWAYS

Talysa Sainz is a freelance editor and award-winning author who believes life’s deepest truths can be found in fiction. She runs her own editing business and spends her time at the library or volunteering with the League of Utah Writers. Always fascinated with the structure of words, she studied English Linguistics and Editing at BYU. She then went on to receive a Master of Science in Management and Leadership, focusing on nonprofit work, from WGU. Talysa is the President of the Utah Freelance Editors and the American Copy Editors Society 2022 National Editor of the Year.

Julie Matern

VENDORS / SPONSORS

Julie Matern writes Regency romance under her own name and historical cozy mysteries under the pen name Ann Sutton. She has another pen name waiting in the wings for when she gets around to finishing the DNA mystery she began. Her first two Regencies were published with Cedar Fort Publishing and Media. Her consequent titles have been indie published. Julie became a full-time author in 2019 after dabbling in writing for several years. She is the mother of six and the grandmother of five. Born and bred in England, Julie moved to the US for her prince charming. She became a US citizen in 2002. She has lived in more US states than most Americans, speaks fluent French and taught tap dance for six years. Julie has served on PTAs for over 25 years and loves beaches, photography, and pickleball.

Brittney Mulliner

VENDORS / SPONSORS

Brittney Mulliner writes contemporary, young adult, and sports romance novels for readers of all ages. As a life-long avid reader, growing up, her parents would often take away her books to make her go play outside, but nothing could compare to the adventure of a good book. Born and raised in Southern California, she now lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and Goldendoodle, Freddie Mercury. She’s a devout hockey fan, loves working out while listening to audiobooks, and is on a lifelong hunt for the best gluten-free cinnamon roll.

Tara Lundmark

VOLUNTEERS / MENTORS

Tara Lundmark spent her pre-college life moving all over Europe, Central, and South America. She speaks Spanish and German and considers herself a third-culture kid, all grown up. Her BA in International Relations taught her to write grant proposals, but it wasn’t until she was challenged to write a novel during NANOWRIMO in 2014 that she fell in love with writing YA fiction. It goes without saying that her stories are all inspired by the magical places she’s lived in and visited.

Shelly Brown

VOLUNTEERS / MENTORS

Helen Chuang Boswell-Taylor

Photographer

Dr. Helen Boswell-Taylor is a Professor of Biology at Southern Utah University, where she has enjoyed teaching in the sciences since 1999. Helen also authored the young adult Mythology trilogy, contemporary romance Losing Enough, several scientific articles, and a nonfiction book on evolution and religion. She is the proud mother of two sons and one miniature Schnauzer, and she will always believe in happily-ever-afters.

Mary Bronley

Green Room

Mary loves to read and has no set genre or age range she’ll read from. She’s a strong supporter of all authors: published and pre-published alike. Mary wants authors to do their best and loves finding ways to help where she can. While a busy wife and mom of four active children, Mary has joined her husband’s critique group just to read and give reader-based feedback. When Mary isn’t leisurely reading, she works as a reading aid at her kids’ elementary school as well as a consistent volunteer for the local high school marching band. (Go Crimson Regiment!)

Tiffini Knight

Green Room

Tiffini is an avid reader with an eclectic taste that shows in her writing. She’s authored and illustrated the children’s picture book, THE LITTLE DROP OF RAIN. She has also co-authored several sweet romance novels alongside her husband under the pen name of M.T. Knights. When she is not reading, writing or editing, she can be found with her family in the hills of Utah hiking, cheering on her children in soccer games or soaking up their talents in a school play.

Scott & Julie Wright

Bookstore

Julie Wright is the author of over twenty novels, including Lies Jane Austen Told Me and Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance line.She is a Whitney Awards winner and a Crown Heart recipient. She is represented by agent Sara Crowe. She loves reading and writing, playing on the beach or hiking with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.

Visit her at her website.