Meet the Presenters

Working with an Editor with Heidi Hess Saxton

In this interview, Heidi Hess Saxton, senior aquistions editor for Ave Maria Press, hare about the different types of editing, and which type you need when. She'll also discusses how working with a good editor can really help your book get to the next level.

To learn more about Heidi please visit: https://www.avemariapress.com/authors/heidi-hess-saxton and her blog at https://heidihesssaxton.blog

What a Traditional Publisher Looks for with Patrick O'Hearn

In this interview, Patrick shares about his writing journey, how his self-pubished book became a traditionally published book. He will also discuss with us what a traditional Catholic publisher looks for today.

To learn more about Patrick please visit: https://tanbooks.com/authors/patrick-ohearn and his site at https://contemplativeheartpress.com/

The Writing Impulse with Paul McCusker

Paul McCusker is best known for his work on the long-running children’s audio program Adventures in Odyssey and award-winning Radio Theatre productions for the Augustine Institute and Focus on The Family. His published works include The Adventures of Nick & Sam first-reader series; The Virtue Chronicles series for 10-13 year-olds; The Imagination Station book series, the Passages series (tie-in novels to Adventures in Odyssey); adult mysteries and thrillers; biographies; plays and musicals.

​Paul is currently Senior Director of Creative Content for the Augustine Institute in Denver. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, son, and daughter. 

To learn more about Paul, please visit his website at paulmccusker.com. 

One Book Can Change Everything with Dan Burke

Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 72 countries and prepares men for seminary in 14 dioceses.

Dan is the author and editor of more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.

Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.

The Vocation of a Writer with Heather King

Heather King is an award-winning author, columnist and speaker. Her subjects include addiction, conversion, money, food, womanhood, annoying neighbors, prayer, gardening, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

To learn more about Heather, please visit her website at heather-king.com. Additional links can be found here to her books, columns, writing workshops, and media events. As well, you can learn about her speaking and coaching services.

How to Market and Sell Your Self-Published Book with Dr. MaryRuth Hackett

MaryRuth Hackett isn’t just an author, speaker and podcaster. She also is a mother of four with a PhD in Educational Psychology with a concentration on Lifespan development. Her interest in helping parents and families integrate the best of science, the depths of the Catholic faith, and the uniqueness of their individual gifts and parenting styles led to the blog Parenting With Peer Review, the popular Parenting Smarts Podcast, and opportunities to speak on parenting and family life to groups around the country.

A regular contributor to Spiritualdirection.com and Blessed is She’s books and devotionals, Mary Ruth writes and teaches at the important intersection of faith and science, blending them both in the original harmony God intended.

To learn more about MaryRuth, please visit her website at maryruthhackett.com/.

Make it Happen: Writing in the Busy Season with Crystalina Evert

Crystalina Evert is the founder of Women Made New! and co-founder of the Chastity Project. She is a best-selling author of Pure Womanhood, How to Find Your Soulmate without Losing Your Soul, and the curriculum YOU: Life, Love, and the Theology of the Body.

Crystalina has spoken internationally to more than one million people about the virtue of chastity, healing, and God’s plan for human sexuality. She has a weekly syndicated radio show on EWTN and has made television appearances on MSNBC and the BBC network. Crystalina has hosted several television series for teens and women on EWTN.

She and her husband, Jason, have spoken at World Youth Day in Sydney, Madrid, and Poland. Crystalina and her husband have been blessed with eight children.

What to do when you hear No with Sarah Damm

Sarah Damm is wife to Greg and mom to six children, ages 20 to 12. She has written for Blessed Is She, CatholicMom.com & WINE: Women in the New Evangelization. She is also a contributing writer to two daily devotionals, both published by Ave Maria Press:

• The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections
• Called By Name: 365 Daily Devotions for Catholic Women

To learn more about Sarah, please visit sarahdamm.com.

Writing with a Co-Author with Fr. Boniface Hicks

Fr. Boniface Patrick Hicks, OSB is a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey and a Catholic priest and Director of Spiritual Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary. He is the General Manager and Programming Manager and an On Air Host of We Are One Body® Catholic radio (WAOB®).

To learn more about his books, retreats and blog, please visit fatherboniface.org.

The Blogging Life with Kate Eschbach

Kate Eschbach is a mom to five children with a seventeen year age span. Changing diapers and thinking about kiddos leaving the nest happen at the same time in my home. Encouraging moms in the everyday is something I am absolutely passionate about. I share our days as a living scrapbook for my family. I include recipes, crafts, reviews, and photography tips. Our struggles with miscarriage, our beautiful adoption journey, and our newest little miracle are chronicled on the blog.

I am the wife of a lovely husband, mother to wonderful children, photographer of everyday moments, daughter of Jesus, blogger and friend. I began the blog in 2008 as a way to stay in touch with my sweet family back in Texas when we moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. 

To learn more about Kate, please visit songskatesang.com.