Faculty List

My name is Adam Calder. I am 28 years old, I live in West Haven Utah with my wife and 3 children. Before becoming a police officer, I worked as a lifeguard, diesel mechanic, and did many jobs in sales. In 2019 I was hired on by Weber County Sheriff’s office where I worked for just under 2 years as a deputy in the jail. After working at the jail, I was hired on by Centerville City as a Police Officer. I am still currently with Centerville City and for almost 5 years. In my free time what ever my wife says I will enjoy doing on my day off.

Angie Hodapp is the Director of Literary Development at Nelson Literary Agency. She holds a BA in English and secondary education from the University of Northern Colorado and an MA in English and communication development from Colorado State University. A graduate of the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver, she has worked in professional writing, editing, and education for more than twenty years. A frequent presenter at writing conferences and events, and the author of Query Craft and Do You Need a Literary Agent, she loves helping writers improve their craft and learn about the ever-changing world of publishing.

Bonnie Swanson (the agent not the cartoon character!) is a former elementary school teacher who lives in Southern Illinois. A member of AALA, she represents authors who cover all age groups from picture books through adult manuscripts. She has a husband, three grown children, two bonus daughters, and three fur-babies who think they need to eat all the cat food. While she eagerly/impatiently awaits grandkids, she is lucky enough to have one granddog, and two grandkitties.

Bryan Young (he/they is a storyteller across many media. He's published comic books with Slave Labor and Image and is co-writing the upcoming BattleTech graphic novels with NYT Bestseller Michael Stackpole. He's been a regular contributor to Huffington Post, Star Wars Insider, SYFY, /Film, and more. He co-authored the Robotech RPG and has written six novels in the BattleTech Universe. His latest non-fiction tie-in, The Big Bang Theory Book of Lists is a #1 Bestseller. He's won two Diamond Quills and was named 2023 Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. He teaches writing for Writer’s Digest and at the UofU. Visit swankmotron.com.

C.R. Langille spent many a Saturday afternoon watching monster movies with her mom. It wasn't long before she started crafting nightmares to share with her readers. She is a retired, disabled veteran with a deep love for weird and creepy tales. This prompted her to form Timber Ghost Press in January of 2021. She is an award-winning author, affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association, the DEI Chair for the League of Utah Writers, earned her MFA: Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2014, and was named Editor of the Year by the League of Utah Writers in 2024.

Callie Stoker is an editor with almost two decades experience. Her business The Manuscript Dr offers coaching and editing services. We believe that writing is a skill that can be taught through the application of individual tools and we love helping our clients elevate their abilities and reach their publishing goals. Callie has three children on the Autism Spectrum and is a champion for neurodiverse representation. She was a guest on Brandon Sanderson’s podcast: Writing Excuses, and currently resides in the Dallas, TX area.

Caryn Larrinaga is an internationally best-selling mystery and horror author. She has won multiple awards for her work, and in 2021, she was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. Caryn lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their clowder of cats. She is an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, the Cat Writers Association, and the League of Utah Writers. Visit www.carynlarrinaga.com for a free spooky cat story and true tales of haunted places.

Christina Allen (publishing as C.W. Allen) is a Midwestern transplant to rural Utah where she serves as the President-Elect of the League of Utah Writers. She writes long stories for children and short stories for former children. She is also a frequent guest presenter at writing conferences, which helps her procrastinate knuckling down to any actual writing. Her award-winning middle grade fantasy series The Falinnheim Chronicles is out now, with many more stories waiting in the wings. Follow her latest projects at cwallenbooks.com.

Courtney Milan writes books about carriages, corsets, and smartwatches. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. She is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller.

Janci Patterson writes young adult science fiction and fantasy, romantic comedy, and epic fantasy. She has co-authored many books, including the sixth book in the Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarian series and the Skyward Flight collection with Brandon Sanderson. Janci and Brandon will be continuing the Skyward universe with a new co-authored trilogy. As a hybrid author, Janci has published forty books both independently and traditionally. She lives in Orem, Utah with her husband, two children, and her energetic border collie.

Bestselling author Jason Cordova is both a John W. Campbell Award and Dragon Award finalist (though not in the same year), and is the editor of the anthologies Chicks in Tank Tops, Dancing with Destruction, and Chaos and Consequences (all from Baen Books).

Along the way, he has had novels published in multiple languages around the world, been featured in over 40 anthologies, and has penned over two dozen novels across many genres, including YA, horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy. A history nerd, he is a Navy veteran, former teacher, and is currently an Associate Editor at Baen Books.

Jodi L. Milner is the author of the YA fantasy series The Shadow Barrier Trilogy, which has won several awards including the prestigious Diamond Quill from the League of Utah Writers in 2023. She’s also a cohost of Squirrel! The Podcast for the Distracted Writer, runs a small virtual assisting business helping author clients overcome their technical challenges, and teaches at local writing conferences.

When not chasing daydreams or her children, she enjoys destroying movie plots, making amigurumi, and plotting to take over the world.

Learn more at https://jodilmilner.com/

John M. Olsen edits and writes speculative fiction across multiple genres and loves stories about ordinary people stepping up to do extraordinary things. His short stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies. He's also written several novels across multiple genres, including science fiction, fantasy, and military historical fantasy.
He loves to create and fix things through editing and writing, just like when he's working in his secret lair equipped with dangerous power tools. In all cases, he applies engineering principles and processes to the task at hand, often in unpredictable ways.

John Peragine is a hybrid author, ghostwriter, and speaker with 20+ years of publishing experience. He’s authored 20 books and ghostwritten over 100 across genres, including memoirs, nonfiction, and fiction. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, and Writer’s Digest. John specializes in hybrid publishing, storytelling, and career-building strategies. As a passionate mentor and teacher, he equips writers with tools to achieve their goals and craft resonant stories. He is also the author of the Secrets of the Twilight Djinn series.

Johnny Worthen is an award-winning, best-selling author of books and stories. Trained in stand-up comedy, modern literary criticism and cultural studies, he writes excellent multi-genre fiction, symbolized by his love of tie-dye and good words. “I wear tie-dye for my friends, but I write what I like to read,” he says. “This guarantees me at least one fan and easy dressing decisions in the morning.”

Johnny teaches writing at the University of Utah and lives in a house with his wife, sons and assorted cats. There’s also a lawn. Find him at: www.johnnyworthen.com.

Whether editing fiction, RPG sourcebooks, or podcast anthologies, Katherine lives for strengthening the written word. She lives for creating it, too, as the author of various novels, novellas, and award-winning short stories. She hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, where her non-wordsmithing hobbies include playing video games and thinking about fictional characters a normal amount.

Kendra Griffin is an indie author and developmental editor who has never met a good dog or a good underdog she didn’t fall in love with. She is addicted to writing (and reading) about quirky misfits, social inequality, diverse ensemble casts, and family dynamics. She writes the YA Pox series and has several fan-favorite adult serials on Amazon Vella. Kendra has an MA in Literature and has taught college-level creative writing for ten years. She coaches authors of all levels through community programs, local libraries, and professional conferences.

Kollin Kennedy was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He earned his BA in English Creative Writing from the University of North Texas and a handful of leadership certificates from Louisiana State University. A successful poet, Kollin's passion arose from Renaissance period writings and art.
He spends an equal amount of time in the gym, playing his guitar and participating in open mics when he can. Kollin loves to collect sports memorabilia spending time with family and friends.
Kollin currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

Lisa Mangum has been the Managing Editor for Shadow Mountain since 2014 and has worked with several New York Times best-selling authors. She is also the author of four national best-selling YA novels, several short stories and novellas, and the nonfiction book Write Fearless. Edit Smart. Get Published.: A Master Class for Fiction Writers. She regularly teaches at writing conferences, including hosting a writing weekend in Capitol Reef National Park through UVU. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah.

Michael A. Stackpole is an award-winning novelist, game designer, computer game designer, podcaster, editor, screenwriter and graphic novelist. He's had over sixty novels published, the best known of those being the New York Times bestselling I, Jedi and Rogue Squadron. He has an asteroid named after him (165612). In 2023 the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers named him their Grandmaster by presenting him the Faust Award. His most recent novels are DARK SOULS: Masque of Vindication and BattleTech: A Night in the Woods.

Rachael Bush published her fourth book, Love on Location, with The Wild Rose Press in 2018 under her pen name, September Roberts. As September, she writes romance that's smoking hot and always happy ever after. As Rachael, she writes the Botany for Everyone series, because everyone should know the basics of botany. You can find out more at botanyforeveryone.com. When she's not writing, she volunteers as the President of the League of Utah Writers, serves on the Blue Quill chapter leadership, and helps build the app for their conferences. For nerdy science and art, follow Rachael on Instagram @botanyforeveryone

Sammi Walker is an internationally ranked and 9 time published poet from Salt Lake City Utah. She formerly produced Salt City Slam and Page to Stage Writing workshops along with coaching in various high schools around the Salt Lake Valley before moving to Las Vegas where she is currently on the Spotlight Poetry slam team as a coordinator and competitor. Sammi as set foot on many stages around the US like; Bigfoot Regional slam (2023) WOWPS (Woman of the world international slam) (2023/2024) Chill List (2024) charm city (2023/ 2024) and many other stages on her 2024 tour.

Sandra Murphy is an award-winning actress who has narrated over 100 audiobooks across a wide range of genres, authors, and accents. Listeners enjoy her “flawless” character work where she “adds just the right amount of flair and drama” to the story. As an improvisational actress, she embodies believable characters in crisis for first responders. This first-hand experience informs her performances in mystery, thriller, and suspense narrations. She loves saying “yes and” to an author’s intent and to life in general.

Sara Flannery Murphy is the author of THE POSSESSIONS (HarperCollins, 2017), GIRL ONE (MCD/FSG, 2021), and THE WONDER STATE (MCD/FSG, 2023). Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, she holds an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, she lives in St. George, Utah, with her husband and two sons. She loves teaching courses on novel-writing and publishing through Utah Tech's Community Education program. Murphy's shorter works can be found at LitHub, The Guardian, and other publications.

As a freelance editor specializing in many fiction and nonfiction genres, Sarah Bailey loves helping authors access editorial services at a wide range of price points. Sarah is also proud to serve as the publication coordinator and an editor for Inkpot, LUW’s literary magazine. She holds a degree in Writing Studies from the University of Utah and a publishing certificate from the Denver Publishing Institute. When not writing, editing, or listening to audiobooks, Sarah can be found walking her dog, planning her next travel adventure, or helping one of her five kids find their shoes. www.baileyediting.com

Stephanie Stein is a Senior Editor at Tor Books, where she edits fantasy and science fiction by authors including Ilona Andrews, Evan Leikam, James Logan, Marie Lu, Jenn Lyons, Maddie Martinez, Annalee Newitz, Serra Swift, and R.R. Virdi. She also works with the Brandon Sanderson team to bring his latest epic worlds to readers’ shelves. Previously, she was a Senior Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she edited a range of acclaimed and bestselling fiction for YA and middle grade readers.

Travis is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author, a Locus, Nebula, and Hugo finalist, and a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Wendy Bird Womack is a writer, filmmaker, and founder of Yesterbird Media, where she develops original narrative projects. She co-wrote and produced the indie series Groundbreaking, which premiered at the Cannes International Series Festival, and her screenplays have been recognized by the Austin Film Festival and First Flights Film Fund. She previously taught film courses at Utah Tech University, specializing in narrative structure and producing. She began her career as a script reader for Ivan Reitman’s production company before transitioning into film producing and sales, gaining hands-on experience in adaptation and distribution.