Stacey Leybas

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.

Tifani Clark

Co-Chair

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.

Liz Wood Nix

Assistant to the Chairs / PR

Liz Wood writes YA fantasy and sci-fi, with a recent side quest into cozy mystery. As an administrative assistant for over 20 years, she’s great at telling people where to be and how to get there, which only makes characters refusing her direction more frustrating. Through bonding with her adult son over role-playing games, she’s picked up just enough terminology to sound impressively knowledgeable, though in truth, she’s mostly faking it. She shares her home with her beloved cat, a small menace with a passion for knocking things off tables. She loves this conference and the amazing community that comes with it!

Abby Annis

Registration

Abby has been writing for eighteen 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 and their Great Dane, Beau. She is the mother of three amazing adults and grandma to three perfect grandkids.

Shannon Greenhalgh

Registration

Shannon lives in southeast Idaho with her husband, five kids, and a newly minted son-in-law. She writes young adult novels and in no particular order loves fantasy, dystopian, and contemporary. With a degree in psychology, she’s learned that her book characters are a perfect medium to improve on all the mistakes she’s made on her children. Her lesser-known claim to fame is being a jumprope world champion, way back in 1997 when joint problems weren’t a reality.

Amanda Kanno

Instruction

Amanda Kanno is a Japanese American writer, editor, and sensitivity consultant with a degree in English/Creative Writing. In 2024 she worked as an editor for Utah Valley University’s Journal of Student Leadership, and she is the two-time recipient of the English and Literature Dean’s Merit Award. She has presented her academic and literary work at Utah’s Conference for Undergraduate Research and UVU’s Conference for Scholarly and Creative Partnership. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and was appointed UVU’s Salutatorian for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Amanda lives in Eagle Mountain with her husband, children, a bunny, and the world’s okay-est dog.

Serene Heiner

Instruction

Serene Heiner is the creative force behind @magicalbooknook on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where she entertains 200K 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.

Tesia Tsai

Instruction

Tesia Tsai received her MFA in creative writing and is a former Pitch Wars mentee. She currently teaches first-year composition at Brigham Young University, and lives with her husband, dog, and two cats in Utah. When not writing or reading, she enjoys watching Asian dramas, playing video games, and planning her next trip. Deathly Fates is her debut YA fantasy.

Lindsay Hiller

First Chapters

Lindsay Hiller is a contemporary romance author, freelance editor, and president of the Typewriters chapter of the League of Utah Writers. Lindsay stays busy with her fantastic husband and six children, but always finds time for growing vegetables, weight lifting, and going to Disneyland.

Maddie Buell

First Chapters

Maddie Buell writes YA contemporary romance aiming to making readers laugh, catch feelings, and maybe ugly-cry a little. She has an Education degree from Brigham Young University and has worked with children and teens as a dance teacher, camp counselor, classroom teacher, and EdTech professional. When she isn’t writing, she’s crafting thematic playlists, spending time outdoors with her family, and taste-testing every flavor of Blue Bell she can get her hands on. Her debut novel is coming out with Putnam Young Readers / Penguin Random House in Spring 2028. You can find her on Instagram @maddiebuellbooks or at www.maddiebuell.com

Kiri Patterson

First Chapters

Kiri Patterson grew up in small town Idaho and communicates through movie quotes and song lyrics.

She taught herself to read before Kindergarten and has loved reading ever since. Especially books with sweet love stories, strong characters, and lots of witty banter—ingredients she hopes to have in all her stories.

She tries to survive on chai tea, Dr. Pepper, and dark chocolate …but throws in the occasional vegetable for good measure.

Kiri currently resides in Star, Idaho, with her hot husband, four rapidly growing children, a strong belief in happily ever afters.

Gina Denny

Special Guests

Gina Denny is an author, editor, and publishing professional with 17 years of publishing experience and 6 years of experience on committee and faculty for writing conferences. Her writing and publishing advice reaches millions each month via social media and Patreon. She is the Operations Manager of Ayesha Pande Literary.

Tricia Levenseller

Special Guests

Tricia Levenseller is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of YA and adult fantasy. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world and been translated into over twenty languages. Tricia lives in Utah with her bossy dog and saltwater fish tanks, 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.

Michelle Christensen

Special Guests

Michelle Dennis Christensen is an award-winning author, speaker, family historian, and chocolate lover who connects others with stories of heritage and faith that preserve the past, strengthen the present, and shine a light into the future.

She serves on the editorial staff of Liahona magazine, writing and editing for print and creating digital content for their global social media channels. Her first book, Mirrors of Jesus (Cedar Fort Publishing), is part memoir, part inspirational nonfiction about her experience as a kidney donor. She has presented at LDSPMA and spoken at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square.

Connect with her at MichelleDennisChristensen.com

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 and was a finalist in 2026 for the RWA’s Diamond Heart award. 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.

Tara Lundmark

Community

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.

Brandon Chambers

Community

Brandon B. Chambers was born and raised in Utah, where he developed a love for reading at a young age. He began his first manuscript when he was twelve. He is also an accomplished martial artist, with black belts in Taekwondo and three different variants of Karate. He owns and operates his own dojo and enjoys balancing martial arts with his love of writing. He lives in Utah with his wife, daughters, and dog.

Katia Combe

SAID

Katia Combe is a Peruvian American writer of historical fiction whose work explores culture, identity, and belonging. Before writing, she spent many years as a pediatric nurse, a role that shaped her compassion and love for meaningful stories. Katia is an active member of the Storymakers community and brings a warm, collaborative spirit to every project she joins.

Emily Opal

Thursday Workshops

Emily Opal is the author of historical romance The Gentlewoman Series. She spent her childhood reading, having tea parties, and imagining she existed in another century. While pleased to live in a time when chamber pots are obsolete, she loves researching a bygone world full of hardships both foreign and relatable. Fortunate to find a spouse equally afflicted with wanderlust, Emily and her husband travel whenever and wherever they can. They live with their children and Labradoodle in Utah, where she enjoys mountain views and hiking but pretends to love skiing.

Janilise Lloyd

Thursday Workshops

Janilise Lloyd is the author of the young adult fantasy series The Sinking Kingdom, including Shadowed Memories and Forgotten Crown. She lives in Utah with her husband and kids. Janilise enjoys the outdoors and balances a passion for running with a love of all things dessert. Her family likes to be on the go, so you’ll probably find them at the park, on a hike, or hunting for dinosaurs. Find out more at janiliselloyd.com.

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. Megan is the co-host of the podcast How to Survive Until You’re Published, a free resource which focuses on mental health for writers and writing tips. She primarily writes horror and thrillers, and was published in the Write Now Freaky Friday Flash Fiction Anthology, under the name M. Irene, but she is also the author of the indie-published children’s book, I Think My Cat is a Dragon. 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 root beer, chocolate, and milkshakes.

Terry Parry

Vendors / Book Signing

Tarry Perry is a writer, baker, nutritional fitness coach, & professional collector of far too many projects. Together with her husband, she wrangles her three boys away from the 3d printer & into the great outdoors, drawing inspiration from the beautiful chaos of family, entrepreneurship, & the occasional disaster that later always becomes a story. Between writing & editing several manuscripts in multiple genres, all at the same time, she does the opposite of hibernation in the winter by running her home bakery, adding in the chaos of catering dutch oven food booths during the summer fairs. She’s an avid reader & loves stories filled with adventure, heart, & traumatized characters who discover courage in unexpected places.

Jessica Kendall

Sponsors / Giveaways

Jessica has a BFA in creative writing with minors in both English and History. She is an editor for CookieLynn Publishing. Jessica is a self-proclaimed reading omnivore who loves to immerse herself in multiple genres, so long as there is kissing or stabbing, which translates into her love of writing in several different genres—so long as there is kissing and stabbing. She lives in Meridian, Idaho with her hunky, science nerd husband and four brilliant, creative, and crazy kids. When not editing, reading, or writing, she bakes, beats her kids in Nertz, and binges shows like Leverage, Buffy, Great British Bake Off, The Nanny, and Golden Girls.

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 cranking out word counts with her critique groups. 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

Mengxi (Margaret) Seeley

PR / Social Media & SAID

Mengxi Seeley is a 1.5 generation immigrant born in China and raised in Utah. She has an MA in East Asian Studies from Stanford University and a BA in international relations from Brigham Young University. After working for many years as an academic translator, she now writes novels inspired by historical research, but with fantastically happy endings. Her debut novel, Silk and Sensibility, will be published in September 2026 by Shadow Mountain.

Soquel Baumgardner

Volunteers

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 the famous Oak Alley plantation and another in a Californian Victorian 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.

Tiana Smith

Website

Tiana Smith is a web designer turned novelist who grew up in the Rocky Mountains. She graduated from Westminster University with double degrees in Honors and English with a focus in creative writing. In her spare time she’s learning sign language with her hard of hearing husband and she volunteers with special needs individuals attending the biweekly activities for Utah County’s SNAP program. She is the author of MATCH ME IF YOU CAN and HOW TO SPEAK BOY, both from Macmillan. Her latest books, THE SPY AND I and MR. NICE SPY are out now from Berkley / Penguin Random House.

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.

Stephen Pulsipher

Finance

Stephen Pulsipher writes speculative fiction that walks the tightrope between science fiction and fantasy. His short ghost story appears in Central Texas Writer’s Society and Beyond 2024. A former attorney, he lives in Austin, Texas, with his brilliant wife and four wildly imaginative children.

T.J. Bronley

Finance / Green Room

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.

Shari Pippen

Contracts

Shari Phippen loves words. She has loved words since 92-year old Nat Blumenthal taught her how to write poetry in the 1980s. She is terrified of rejection, so wanting to be a writer is a natural choice. When she’s not writing about dating disasters, family history scandals or the secret life of the pigeon she saw on the subway, she works for the LDS Church. She always has Diet Coke on hand and cheese in her fridge (and sometimes in her backpack).

Jaime Theler

Facilities

Jaime is a writer, strategist, and creative leader with a lifelong devotion to story. She has been writing fiction and nonfiction since childhood and believes deeply in the power of language to spark connection, imagination, and action. In her professional work, she leads creative teams at a digital marketing agency, shaping brand storytelling, messaging, and content strategy with both creativity and clarity. She has also served on the Board of Directors for a national writers guild and has devoted years to supporting writers through conference leadership and mentorship. Jaime is passionate about helping writers create meaningful work that lasts.

Heidi O’Barr

Facilities

Heidi is the co-author and photographer of The Cupcake Company Baker’s Manual. She has four short stories published in various anthologies. Heidi is the co-founder of the Messy Manuscript Society and the Storymakers Middle Grade Writing Group. She currently serves as secretary on the Storymakers Guild Board of Directors. Two of her submissions have won awards in the First Chapter Contest at the Storymakers Conference.

Mary Bronley

Green Room

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

Kimberly Robbins

Photographer

When I’m not behind the camera, you can often find me immersed in the world of musical theater, teaching voice and acting students, or spending quality time with my family. I’m blessed with a loving husband, twin daughters who constantly keep me on my toes, and an adorable dog who never fails to bring joy to our lives.

Kara Reynolds

Emcee

Kara is an actress and writer who lives in southern Arizona with her husband and 3 children. She works as an administrative assistant for Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Her short story “Standing in Line for the First Ship Off-Planet” can be read in the EARTH (ISH) anthology released by Splinter Press.

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.