A Writer’s Conference Success Story
Got a note this morning from Shawn Grady, a registrant for the past 6 years at Mount Hermon’ s Writers Conference. He’s been a firefighter and paramedic in northern Nevada for over a decade and has recently started using his gift of writing. He recounted some exciting things about his experience so I asked if I could use it on the Writers Blog. Bless him, he agreed!
“Mine is a Mount Hermon success story. I met my editor, agent and ultimately signed a three book deal because of the contacts, education and encouragement I gained while attending the writing conferences. Being named Most Promising New Writer at the 39th annual conference was a huge blessing. (On a side note, my mother –who was instrumental in bringing me to faith in Christ– gave her life to the Lord at Mount Hermon when she was just fourteen years old.)” Shawn Grady, Author
Now do you see why I loved this? God is good to let us hear some of what He does as we open up this gorgeous facility and allow Him to use it as He desires, even to several generations!
Rachel, must share how important my one and only Mt. Hermon Conference was in 2007. If you go to http://jilliankent.com/news.html you’ll see a picture of Shawn Grady and bunch of us that were blessed to be in James Scott Bell’s mentoring class. Those relationships have made such a difference in my life. It’s a long story but my first book, Secrets of the Heart, The Ravensmoore Chronicles, Book One is making it’s debut in May! I brought this book with me that is getting published with me to Mt. Hermon and now with the help I got there and from others within the Christian writing community my dream of publication is coming true with a three book contract via Strang Communication’s Realms Imprint. When God says it’s time you can count on the doors and windows swinging wide open. I wish I could come to Mt. Hermon every year. Bless you all big time. Oh, and I went from being Jill Nutter to using a pen name, so now I’m Jillian Kent. But we both reside in the same body. 🙂 Mt. Hermon is awesome and I will never forget that year.
Rachel,
I tell people all the time how my world exploded (in a good way) when I came to Mount Hermon in the spring of ’06.
It was my first writer’s conference and it was magical. I was amazed at how gracious the editors, agents and other writers were. I formed friendships there that are still going deeper, and contacts that launched my career.
When I came back in ’07 I was part of the mentoring class JK mentions where I formed life long friendships with her and Shawn.
Mount Hermon will always hold amazing memories for me and I’m hoping to get back soon.
Jim
Wow, thanks Jim and Jillian. We love hearing what God did through Writers Conference in your lives. And thanks for “getting the word out” to others.