Tiana Smith

Chair

Tiana Smith is the author of sweet YA rom-coms and closed door adult spy romance. She has double degrees in Honors and English from Westminster University but wants to go back to school to learn sign language. Her latest book, MR. NICE SPY, is out now from Berkley / Penguin Random House.

Stacey Leybas

Co-Chair

Stacey Leybas writes kidlit stories ranging from picture books to middle grade fiction. She has a degree in Recreation Management from Brigham Young University. Stacey owns 73 musical instruments, designs home-based escape rooms, and loves reading aloud to her five kids.

Liz Wood Nix

Assistant to the Chairs

Liz Wood Nix writes YA fantasy and sci-fi, with a recent side quest into cozy mystery. She’s been an administrative assistant for over 20 years, so she’s great at telling people where to be and how to get there—on and off the page. Her cat is convinced he rules the world (he might be right), and her adult son roped her into D&D. She loves this conference and the amazing community that comes with it!

Stephen Pulsipher

Assistant to the Chairs

Stephen Pulsipher writes speculative fiction that walks the tightrope between science fiction and fantasy — usually without falling off. His short ghost story appears in Central Texas Writer’s Society and Beyond 2024. A former attorney with degrees in economics and philosophy, he lives in Austin, Texas, with his brilliant wife, four wildly imaginative children, and an ever-growing pile of laundry. He enjoys cooking elaborate meals his kids won’t eat, scaling indoor cliffs, swimming, and losing gracefully at grand strategy games. If forced to choose between mountains and beaches, he’d pick the beach — but only after thoroughly overanalyzing it.

Tifani Clark

Registration

Tifani Clark grew up on a rural potato farm in Idaho. She had plenty of space to imagine and daydream alone since there weren’t friends nearby. Naturally, she became an author.

Tifani is married to the love of her life and has four fabulous children and one amazing daughter-in-law. When not writing, she can be found hosting an episode of her podcast Additional History: Headlines You Probably Missed, playing the violin in the city orchestra, or traveling to new places on her quest to see the world. You can find more about her books at www.tifaniclark.com.

Elesa Hagberg

Registration

Elesa Hagberg is the creative director of Splinter Press, and the author of The Dissection and Reassembly of Cohen Hoard. She loves cookies, board games, collecting and remodeling travel trailers, laughing louder than other people, and hanging out with her family. She also loves the gospel of Jesus Christ and tries to be a good person and sometimes she really sucks at it. Sorry. She lives in Utah, sleeps in a bed, wears a lot of socks, and quotes Star Wars with her husband. Sometimes she’s an accountant and always she is a mom to two boys whose feet are now bigger than hers.

Emily Inouye Huey

Instruction

Emily Inouye Huey writes historical fiction for children and teens. She is the author of BENEATH THE WIDE SILK SKY, which won the Golden Kite Award, the Malka Penn Award, and three Whitney Awards. Her picture book, WAT KEPT PLAYING, won an AML award and was selected for the Library of Congress Great Reads from Great Places. 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.

Lena Jeong

Instruction

Lena Jeong wrote her first novel in the fifth grade—complete with a dude in distress, a heroine named Macaroni Pizza, and a dragon that is allergic to men. When she’s not working on her Korean-inspired novels, Lena is doing everything in her power to remain the “Favorite Auntie” amongst her adorable niece and nephews. You can also find her endlessly experimenting on new ways to make the perfect matcha latte. Her pronouns are she/her.

Tricia Levenseller

Instruction

Tricia Levenseller is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several fantasy novels, including The Shadows Between Us and Daughter of the Pirate King. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. She lives in Utah with her bossy dog, Rosy, where she writes full time. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing video games, and finding tasty restaurants to frequent.

Lindsay Hiller

First Chapters

LINDSAY HILLER grew up hating creative writing—but she loved to read. At age 23 her husband dared her to write a book, and her entire world changed. After dabbling in fantasy and romance, she settled happily into upmarket adult fiction. Lindsay and her husband are dedicated entrepreneurs, so logically she jumped head-first into Indy Publishing. She’s a freelance editor and an obsessive plotter, a mother of six, and president of the Typewriters chapter of the League of Utah Writers. She’s also the founder of Writing Inspired, an organization dedicated to teaching the craft of writing to aspiring authors.

Julia Allen

First Chapters

Having been an editor for the past twenty years (and writing for even longer than that), Julia loves all things editing, from strengthening plots and characters to fixing pesky grammar issues, like the differences between affect/effect or how to use a semicolon.

If there’s ever a time when she’s not editing or working on her own historical romance novels, she’ll be throwing random movie quotes into conversation every chance she gets. Julia lives near the Oquirrh Mountains with her husband, four kids, and crazy dog.

Talysa Sainz

First Chapters

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.

Gina Denny

Agents & Editors

Gina has attended Storymakers since 2013, joined the faculty in 2019, and the committee in 2020. She acted as a member of the inaugural DEI committee in 2021. She is an editor and the operations manager for Ayesha Pande Literary.

Serene Heiner

Agents & Editors

Serene Heiner is the creative force behind @magicalbooknook on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where she entertains over 130K followers. A lifelong fantasy fanatic, she occasionally dabbles in other genres (just don’t tell the dragons).

She’s taught at writers’ conferences such as Storymakers and StoryCon, served on conference boards, and twice placed in the Storymakers First Chapter Contest. She lives in Idaho with her husband and their seven book-loving children, surrounded by precarious stacks of books.

Michelle Christensen

Agents & Editors

Michelle Dennis Christensen connects Latter-day Saints with stories of heritage and faith that help them overcome darkness, embrace the light of God, and be a shining beacon in the latter days. Michelle is a kidney donor, award-winning author, speaker, avid family historian, and chocolate lover. She currently serves on the editorial staff of the Liahona Magazine. Her first book, Mirrors of Jesus: Finding Parallels to Christ in Our Lives, was published through Cedar Fort Publishing. You can connect with her at MichelleDennisChristensen.com.

Mengxi (Margaret) Seeley

Diversity

MENGXI (MARGARET) SEELEY is an immigrant born in China and raised in Utah. She has a BA in international relations from Brigham Young University and an MA in East Asian studies from Stanford University, where she studied history, culture, and languages (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) to varying degrees of proficiency. A professional academic translator married to a history professor, she enjoys a domestic life brimming with nerdy conversations. Many of Mengxi’s published translations can be found in the journal Chinese Studies in History. She also writes fiction based on the history and mythology she encounters through her work and heritage.

Chris Cole

Diversity

Chris Cole (xe/xim) writes both fiction and nonfiction. Born and raised in Southeast Idaho, xe has eleven books on the market, with more in the works. A licensed counselor, Chris also enjoys working with members of the queer community, ethnic and racial minorities, and women to empower them all to live their values in a world increasingly trying to keep them in predefined and toxic boxes. In xis spare time, Chris serves on the board of an LGBTQ+ nonprofit dedicated to providing social support to the population, enjoys playing video games, and spending time with family.

Bonnie Jo Pierson

Community

Gifted with a short attention span, American romance author, Bonnie Jo Pierson, wants to experience and do as much as she can. As a member of Romance Writers of America, the Storymakers Guild, Idaho Sisters in Crime, Idaho Writers Guild, and Manuscript Academy, she’s won the Heart of Denver’s Molly contest, placed third in the Orange Rose contest, was a finalist in the Sheila and Four Seasons contest, and placed multiple times in the contest at Storymakers. She also earned a spot in the RAMP mentorship program. She and her Navy veteran husband have four children and spent several years as military nomads. Now she’s made her home in small-town Idaho, where she’s attempting to resurrect her great-grandparent’s one-hundred year-old farm.

Soquel Baumgardner

Community

Soquel Baumgardner (SOH-kel BAHM-GARRD-ner) weaves a bit of herself into every story, whether she’s writing obscure fairy tale retellings, time-traveling urban fantasy, alternative history, or snarky chick lit. A Las Vegas-based creative writing teacher for teens and adults, she has a psychology degree, a love of all things quirky, and a strong opinion about Dr Pepper cupcakes. She’s lived in 51 homes—including one beside a famous plantation and another haunted by a ghost in a spacesuit. She’s written 22 novels, 2 screenplays, and some deeply regrettable poetry. Her latest novel, KISS AND DWELL, launches the delightfully hilarious Hot Mess Express series.

Emily Adams

Thursday Workshops

Emily Ann Adams is the author of “Is There No Other Way? Exploring Growth Through Grief” and the “Loss for Littles: A Guide for Families Dealing with Death” children’s picture book series. She is the creator of Ministering Moms of Missing Multiples, a bereavement support group for LDS mothers who have lost one or more of their multiples and gave a TEDx Talk focused on finding utility in our pain. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education and has had the privilege of marrying her teaching background with her writing experience as a faculty member and instructor at the annual Storymakers Writing Conference since 2021. An advocate for exploring the world and embracing diversity, Emily has taught English in southern Mexico, volunteered with a nonprofit helping leprosy colonies in India, and studied in Paris, France. She and her husband currently live in Northern Utah and are the parents of four living children and one angel son.

Katia Combe

Thursday Workshops

Katia was born in Peru and immigrated at the age of six, carrying the stories of her homeland with her in her pocket. After 15 years as a pediatric nurse, she found a new passion: storytelling. With the support of her family and doggies, she crafts enchanting tales that celebrate diversity.

Emily Paxman

Thursday Workshops

Emily Paxman is an author and artist from Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. She’s a huge fan of gardening, cats, watercolour painting, and several other hobbies that befit an octogenarian. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University, has written for indie video game company Wizard Games, and splits her time (unevenly) between creating comics and writing novels. You can read her webcomic, Neptune Bay, on Webtoon. Her debut novel, DEATH ON THE CALDERA, is a fantasy murder mystery published by Titan Books.

Don Carey

Tech

Don Carey loves laughing, kissing, and dreaming about the future (though not necessarily in that order), which is why he writes futuristic romantic comedy under the name Leslie Dacapo.

He supports his writing habit by working as a software engineering team lead. He has a Master’s of Engineering degree in Project Management, which is helpful for both planning stories and squeezing every last drop of writing time from an overloaded schedule.

Don lives with his family in the Kansas City area. When not working or writing, he enjoys bicycle riding, ukulele playing, and attending as many writers conferences as possible.

Ben Inouye

Tech

BEN INOUYE studied Compassion and Dignity in Education from the University of Colorado: Boulder. He also teaches middle school and has survived that profession for 18 years. Ben writes middle grade fantasy and non-fiction. He loves cooking, eating, and hanging out with his family.

Amy Bell

Tech

Amy Bell was born and raised in Utah, where she currently lives with her husband and three year old son. She is a system administrator by day and an aspiring writer by night. She’s been writing since she was in elementary school and could be found staring out the window during long road-trips, writing stories in her head. As an aspiring fantasy-romance author, she hopes to create characters that inspire others and help them believe in the world around them and in themselves. In addition to writing, she is also the co-host of the podcast How To Survive Until You’re Published. When she’s not writing, Amy loves to go on epic adventures with her husband and son, play boardgames, go on long walks while listening to Harry Potter, and eat ice cream while snuggled up with a good book.

Megan Walker

Tech

Megan Walker was born and raised near the mountains, where she currently lives with her husband, their son and their fun-loving German Shepherd. She is the author of the children’s book, “I Think My Cat is a Dragon,” and is published under the pen name M Irene in a recent thriller anthology. In addition to writing, Megan is the co-host of the podcast How to Survive Until You’re Published, a free writing resource. When she’s not working or writing, Megan can be found biking in the mountains, playing dungeons and dragons with her husband and friends, watching horror movies, or traveling the world and collecting mugs.

Rebecca Lamoreaux

Vendors / Book Signing

Rebecca loves to read, write, dance, and sing. But mostly she loves her baby girl, Jen, and her husband more than anything else in the world. She also loves her 2 dogs, 2 cats, and one fish. She lives in Arizona but loves traveling to California regularly – going to Disneyland, the beach, and visiting family/friends.

Rebecca will one day publish the many stories, in various stages of writing and editing, that exist in her head and on her computer. Also, she can be bribed with licorice, root beer, chocolate, and milkshakes.

Laura Watkins

Vendors / Book Signing

Laura Watkins is ADHD personified. From writing and crafting to social media management and small business, she is always doing something new. A DV survivor, mother of three special needs children, and neurodivergent extraordinaire, Laura uses her experience with life and mental illness to advocate and spread awareness. In her spare time, she enjoys riding horses, spending time with her pets, binging Korean and Chinese dramas, and indulging in all sorts of geekery.

Amanda Kanno

Partners / Giveaways

AMANDA KANNO is a Japanese American writer, editor, and sensitivity consultant. She has her degree in English/Creative Writing with a focus on diverse literature and critical theory. In 2024 she worked as an editor for Utah Valley University’s Journal of Student Leadership, and she was the recipient of the English and Literature Dean’s Merit Award. For her academic work, she was invited to be a guest presenter at Utah’s Conference for Undergraduate Research, and in 2025 she was invited to present her work in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction at UVU’s Conference for Scholarly and Creative Partnership. She lives in Eagle Mountain with her husband, children, two goats, a bunny, and the world’s okay-est dog.

Kenzie Wall

PR / Social Media

Kenzie Wall is terribly disappointed that she can only cram in, at max, reading 7,000 to 8,000 books in her lifetime. This doesn’t keep her from re-reading her favorites. When she’s not working her dream job at MaHK Advertising, she helps writers launch into social ads and loves connecting with fellow local writers. If you can write a book, she promises that you’re tough enough to market it. Hint: https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/keyword-insights/pc/en

Amey Zeigler

PR / Social Media

Amey Zeigler is an award-winning author of romantic comedies and mysteries. Her laugh-out-loud Rom-Com, The Swiss Mishap, won third place in the Book Buyer’s Best for Contemporary Romance. Her ten years of theater training in college and high school inspired her to narrate her own books. She spins stories with humor, charm, and heart, often with a dash of action and adventure. When she’s not writing, she is teasing her three kids, globe-trotting with her husband (for book research, of course!), or trying new things.

Tara Lundmark

Volunteers / New Attendee Guides

Tara Lundmark has been writing YA novels since 2014 when she discovered her passion for storytelling after participating in NaNoWriMo on a dare. Determined to become a traditionally published author, she has spent the last ten years learning the ins and outs of the writing industry. Tara grew up as a bilingual, third culture kid in vibrant communities in Europe and Latin America. She draws from her cultural background and experience in theatre, music, and art to craft meaningful and layered stories with universal coming-of-age themes. Tara is represented by Cathie Armstrong of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Amanda Brimley

Volunteers / New Attendee Guides

Amanda Brimley writes the tender and quietly wondrous, blending folklore and the ache of ordinary moments. Her short fiction is published through The Messy Manuscript Society and has appeared in the speculative fiction zine Trembling With Fear. When not writing, she’s with her family, investigating the small wonders of lakes and woods in Tennessee.

Abby Annis

Website

Abby has been writing for seventeen years and loves reading and writing YA speculative fiction. She studied software engineering at Brigham Young University-Idaho and is the webmaster and software administrator for a large school district in Idaho. One of her favorite things is finding new ways to use technology to simplify and streamline the writing process. Abby lives in Idaho with her husband, daughter, and their Great Dane, Beau. She is the mother of three amazing adults and grandma to three perfect grandkids.

Traci Abramson

Finance

Bio to come.

Taryn Skipper

Finance

Taryn Skipper started writing and illustrating picture books over a decade ago after a previous decade selling commissioned art and portraits in watercolor and oil. Her YA Scifi, Between Tungsten and Gold, released September, 2025 (Splinter Press) and she’s a Storymakers Conference superfan, having attended since 2017 and served as webmaster for the Whitney Awards, Whitney Awards President, Faculty, Panelist, and Co-Chair of Finance. She’s also presented at LTUE, she’s a FanX approved panelist, and she loves contributing to the writing community that made her writing dreams come true.

T.J. Bronley

Finance

Originally from So Cal, but currently lives in Utah. T.J. and his wife have been married for over 20 years and have four children. His independently published novel Which One of Us was released in February 2025. In his day job T.J. is an accounting administrator who really likes numbers, but has been known to correct grammar.

Davina Sauthoff

Contracts

Davina Sauthoff, EdD., is the Library Media Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education, where she champions the expertise of school 🏫 librarians and their vital role in enriching the learning experiences of Utah 🌄 students. She is passionate about fostering dynamic school library programs that empower students and educators. When not immersed in the world of literacy and learning, Davina enjoys reading 📚 spending time exploring with her family💟, including her two rambunctious pups.

Jaime Theler

Facilities

Jaime Theler is the author of two non-fiction books with a small press. She loves the power of the written word, and has embraced and explored that for many years as an author, a newspaper writer and proofreader, corporate social media coordinator, freelance content writer and editor, and she now manages a whole team of writers and editors at a digital marketing agency. She has also helped to run Storymakers for many years. She’s addicted to running, reading, and watermelon. Her family might argue that she has workaholic tendencies, but she asserts that she simply isn’t good at sitting still.

Adi James

Facilities

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 managing programs, projects, and people. When she escapes her dark corporate office, she writes 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.

Mary Bronley

Green Room

Mary loves being the green room mom. it is her favorite annual tradition.

Kimberly Robbins

Photographer

Bio to come.

Kara Reynolds

Emcee

Kara Reynolds has been attending Storymakers since 2014. She loves storytelling in all forms, particularly through books and theater. Kara works as an administrative assistant to Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Gracie Marsden

Emcee

Gracie Marsden is a librarian by day, a writer by night, and a crazy cat lady 24/7. Her debut novel, “BONES OF JADE, FLESH LIKE ICE”, is forthcoming with Viking/Penguin Random House Fall 2026.

Gracie enjoys reading in various genres, but has an affinity for speculative fiction with a literary bent. Almost all of her favorite books have made her ugly cry at some point.

Her favorite song on Taylor Swift’s TTPD album is “The Black Dog”. She may or may not regularly sing it in the shower while sobbing uncontrollably. Her celebrity crush is Viktor from Arcane. She can be reached by saying “meow” three times in a mirror.

Jessica Kendall

Whitney President

Jessica Kendall has a BFA in creative writing with minors in both English and History. She is an editor for CookieLynn Publishing. She lives in Meridian, Idaho with her 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. She is a world-class hugger and an enthusiastic procrastibaker who loves experimenting with new flavors. When not editing, reading, or writing, she bakes, beats her kids in Nertz, and binges shows like Leverage and Buffy.

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.

Dwight Mendenhall

Bookstore

Bio to come.