Living Word

MISSION STATEMENT

It is the goal of Living Word to represent the works of authors dedicated to fulfilling God’s promise of purpose, hope, and healing. To bring new and talented writers to the attention of Publishers best suited to their heart and message. And to encourage and promote fledgling newcomers, building a strong foundation of integrity and respect through growing relationships within the publishing industry. 

 

ABOUT THE AGENT

In April of 1997, Kimberly Shumate began her employment in the sales department of Harvest House Publishers as the assistant to the National Sales Manager as well as the International Sales Director. Within four years, she was hired into the editorial department steeped in the slush pile of would-be/trying-to-be/can’t-seem-to-be authors. Having been a screenwriter since 1995, a freelance article and book contributor, her ability to identify and polish the diamonds hidden within the coal mines of unsolicited submissions gives her an eye for talent and a heart for the underdog.

 

Having discovered numerous new authors for Harvest House with sales topping 750,000 copies, several of them have gone on to find success with various book deals, Christy nominations and awards, PW star ratings, and established themselves as the new voices within the CBA market in both fiction and non-fiction genres.

 

As a member of the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association), the CMA (Christian Media Association), and 12 years of publishing experience, Kimberly is pleased to introduce the launch of Living Word Literary Agency where she will continue to pursue her passion for helping new and hungry authors find a home within the publishing community. 

 

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Living Word Literary Agency is now taking on new clients!

Submit an initial query letter with short synopsis and first chapter via Word document (see contact info.).  If the material fits the agency’s interests, then a request  for additional material will be sent to you within one week. If you do not receive a response, it means that your project simply doesn’t fit the agency’s program, and we wish you well in your continued pursuit of representation.   

Living Word will be representing adult fiction, YA fiction, Christian living, dating/marriage, parenting, self-help, apologetics, health, inspirational, environmental, social issues, pop-culture, women’s issues, and men’s issues.

No cookbooks, children’s books, science fiction or fantasy, memoirs, or poetry. No simultaneous submissions, please.

CONTACT INFORMATION

LIVING WORD LITERARY AGENCY   

PO Box 40974, Eugene OR 97404

livingwordliterary@gmail.com

 No phone calls, please.

 

AUTHORS REPRESENTED

William Baldwin (Leadership/Christian Living)

After earning his B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, Bill Baldwin received a Masters Degree in theology with doctoral studies from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. He has been a church leader for over thirty years beginning his ministry at age 21. He has planted four churches, and addressed leader’s groups and church conferences in the United States and abroad.

In 2001 he founded Truth To The Nations, a ministry to encourage the church and her leaders to pursue a greater passion for Christ. As a communicator and inspirational speaker, Bill also addresses civic and business organizations.

While continuing his ministry as speaker and writer, he serves as the pastor of a church in Albemarle, North Carolina where he makes his home with his wife, Karen. Together, they have four children, two grandchildren, and two dogs, Rosie and Gracie.

Stacey Speller (Relationship/Self-Help)

Stacey Speller is a highly sought-after author, life coach, and international speaker. She knows that all things are possible, and passionately believes that everyone should discover their own unique gifts, talents and purpose. 

Originally from Philadelphia, Stacey has lived in “all corners” of the country and regularly travels internationally to maintain global perspective.  Prior to coaching and speaking, Stacey enjoyed a career in both The California Family Law Court and The Texas Criminal Court, where she found a broadest spectrum of people and situations. Her diverse professional, cultural, and regional experiences have allowed her to connect with clients and audience members that range from corporate executives to suburban domestic engineers. 

As a busy professional, wife, and mother, Stacey is well versed in the concept of “having it all” and contends that “you can have it all, just not necessarily all at one time.”  In her spare time, she is actively involved in her local church and various other service organizations where she volunteers her time and talents generously.  Stacey and her husband reside in Georgia where her most important work is being mom to a teenage son.

Roland Mann (YA Fiction)

Roland Mann received a BS in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Mississippi, and immediately upon graduation, found himself in comic book publishing industry having such roles as partner/editor for Silverline and managing editor for Marvel Comics. Roland also wrote many titles during this time; Cat and Mouse, the most visibly recognized, ran for nearly two years, won critical acclaim and led Roland to other work. Roland has over 500,000 copies of his work in print.

In 2000, Roland found Christ, earned a Master’s degree in English, and taught at the university level for nearly five years. God has pulled Roland back to writing and has given him the desire to create Godly entertainment for teens/tweens, something that Roland feels is sorely lacking in the marketplace.

Roland now lives in Oxford, Mississippi, and has just enrolled in the MFA Creative Writing program at the Spalding University. He lives with his wife BJ, daughter Brittany, and son Brett. He has recently finished two YA novels and is working on a third. Visit Roland at www.rolandmann.wordpress.com

Jill Nutter (Regency Fiction)

Having spent a portion of her senior year at Oxford University studying the British novel, culture, and countryside, Jill’s imagination took flight. Today, as a historical romance author, she finds the Regency genre one of her favorites filled with mystery, suspense, and a touch of humor. 

She writes, “My Christian faith is very important to me so it’s only natural that God is easily detected in my writing because he is so much a part of my every day life. Faith is a journey, and I love to explore my character’s faith issues, whether they are running toward God or away from him, and their motives behind it. I hope someday that you will escape with me into the past and discover faith for the future.”

Jill resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Randy, of twenty-eight years, their two teenage daughters, Katie and Meghan, and six pets.

You can read more about Jill’s life adventures at the following websites: www.jillnutter.com                                                               www.jillnutter.blogspot.com                       www.inkwellinspirations.blogspot.com  (Launching 8/31/09)

Randy Ray (Men’s Devotions/Humor)

As the Assistant Director of Broadcasting in the Mass Communication Department of West Texas A&M University, Randy teaches classes on journalism and communication technology.

Having spent the early part of the nineties as a recording artist on the Christian record label WORD Inc. his band, Legend Seven, was the first Christian rock band to be signed directly to the Word label. In the years that Legend Seven spent with WORD, they logged thousands of road and air miles playing in at least 45 of the fifty states, Canada and Europe. They were nominated for an American Christian Music Award for Favorite Rock Band in 1994, and garnished a number of Top Ten Christian hits.

After choosing to get off the road to spend more time with my family, Randy managed a recording/film studio and worked with such clients as Directors Spike Lee, Robert Altman, and artists Neil Diamond, Shania Twain, and Peter Frampton.

He has written columns for newspapers, including The South Cheatham Advocate and the Amarillo Globe News, and has had articles published in magazines such as Hot Spots travel magazine and TV Technology.

Randy now resides with his wife and two children in Canyon, Texas.

Rev. Kendrick Weaver (Christian Living)

The Reverend Kendrick D. Weaver is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. He is the pastor of Union United Methodist Church in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from American University, a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, and has studied at the doctoral level at Drew University. 

Reverend Weaver has taught and mentored ministers at the University of Africa in Zimbabwe.  His travels and research on Christian spirituality in Guatemala and The Dominican Republic have led him to deeper understandings of the power of prayer and meditation. Reverend Weaver currently serves on the Board of Ordained Ministry in Baltimore Washington Annual Conference and continues to lead numerous retreats, workshops, and mentor groups.

Rev. Kendrick Weaver has authored four books.  His latest work is entitled Chasing Chariots: 11 Biblical Lessons for Christian Growth (CSS Publishing).

Born in Washington’s District of Columbia and raised in Prince Georges County, Maryland, The Reverend Kendrick D. Weaver and his wife, Lynnette, reside in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Jeffrey Scott Peterson  (YA Fiction)

Jeff is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force and holds a Bachelors Degree in Communications and a Masters Degree in Aerospace Science.  He also proudly serves as a soldier in God’s army, employing fiction as his weapon.  He explains, “Culture and entertainment are tools the enemy uses to pull our youth apart from their Creator; therefore, [I] believe that Christian authors are challenged to write stories that can compete with the culture and point our kids to the truth.”

As a husband and father of four, Jeff knows all about this cultural battle.  His two oldest sons serve as test readers for his fiction, which Jeff has discovered is a creative means of ministering to his children without being preachy. 

Jeff and his family reside in Northfield, MN where Jeff serves on a prison ministry team once a month, bringing the Word of God to the inmates of the MN Department of Corrections in Faribault.  In his spare time Jeff enjoys working with his hands, mostly carpentry and home remodeling.

Kelley Kingston-Strayer (Women’s Fiction)

In both 2008 and 2009 her play, A Southern Exposure, won the Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative “New Voice Series” and was presented at the Aronoff Center, Fifth Third Bank theatre. Recently, it placed third in the 2009 Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights and is to receive its premier at the historical Barter theatre in Abingdon, VA during the 2010 season.

Kelley’s short fiction has won several awards and has appeared in publications ranging from  major newspapers to literary reviews. Her YA novel, Venus Moose and the Rhinestone Miracle was a finalist in the 2008 Ohio Arts Council “Governors Award for Individual Excellence.”

A native Texan, Kelley Kingston-Strayer now resides in Kentucky with her husband.

Bert Goolsby (Dramatic Fiction)

Bert grew up in Dothan, Alabama, and now lives with his wife Prue in Columbia, South Carolina.  He attended the University of Alabama before transferring to The Citadel where he earned his undergraduate degree.  He also earned a law degree at the University of South Carolina and an advanced law degree at the University of Virginia.  He is the former Chief Deputy Attorney General of South Carolina. 

He has authored two novels, Her Own Law (Xlibris 1995) and Harpers’ Joy (Grace Abraham Publishing 2005).  His short stories The Fan Dancer and A Presbyterian Cookbook appeared in the anthologies entitled More Sweet Tea and On Grandma’s Porch (BelleBooks 2005) and (BelleBooks 2007), respectively.  Marlo Thomas included his piece Truck No. 15 in her collection The Right Words at the Right Time, Vol. 2 (Atria Books 2006).  St. Anthony Messenger (December 2006) published his short story The Box with the Green Bow and Ribbon.  His and Prue’s son, Philip Lane Goolsby, M.D., practices family medicine in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

  

Jake and Melissa Kircher (Dating/Marriage)

Jake and Melissa met while attending Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. Jake graduated with a degree in Youth Ministry as well as Bible & Theological Studies. Melissa acquired her degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture.  

During and after college, Jake served as the Youth Pastor of First Congregational Church in Essex, MA for six years. He is now the Youth Pastor at Grace Community Church in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Melissa is currently a self-employed artist in the fields of painting, photography, graphic design, and writing. Her visual artwork can be seen on her website: www.starveartist.com.

“We started writing because we really had a passion to share our experiences about marriage with our peers.” Jake and Melissa were married on August 27, 2005 and reside in Norwalk, Connecticut, where they enjoy hiking, cooking, and reading.  Jakes is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan, and plays guitar and bass. Melissa loves the beach and enjoys expressing herself through her artwork. See www.holymessofmarriage.blogspot.com 

Christi Corbett (Historical Fiction)

After graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in Communications, Christi took a job with a CBS affiliate in the Creative Services Department. Over the years her lifelong love of writing was put to good use; in addition to writing over three hundred television commercials, she earned the position as head writer for a weekly television show. Responsible for over one hundred press releases detailing the station’s various special events, community programs, and news department awards, Christi was awarded with multiple American Advertising Awards (ADDY) and recognized by the March of Dimes with an award for providing “Outstanding Communications Support.”

As an active member of the OCW (Oregon Christian Writers), Christi looks forward to putting her experience in public speaking and marketing to use during the publication and promotion of her first historical novel, Along the Way Home.

Christi currently lives in Oregon with her husband, and twin children. For more information, please visit Christi’s website: http://christicorbett.wordpress.com

Gloria Stockstill (Women’s Devotions/Humor)

As a graduate of CLASS (Christian Leaders, Authors and Speakers), Gloria McQueen Stockstill is a gifted public speaker and coauthored (along with her husband) of  Family on the Rock Or How to Keep Your Family off the Rocks. They have reached thousands with their teachings in various parts of the United States, and have also ministered abroad in South Africa, Korea and Germany. Her theatrical plays and skits have been performed for enthusiastic audiences, and her seminars are always well received at churches, Bible studies, and women’s retreats.

In addition to leading denominational conferences on the state and national level, Gloria has authored four children’s, The Basket in the River, To the Town of Bethlehem, The Blind Man by the Road, and Jesus Rose on Easter Morn by Concordia Publishing and they continue to do well.

Gloria lives and serves in southern California with her minister husband. They have two children, and six grandchildren. Her hobbies include camping, stream fishing, crafts, and spoiling her grandkids. Find out more about Gloria through her devotional blogsite, Stretch Marks: Devotions For the Not So Perfect Woman found at www.gloriastockstill.blogspot.com.

Dr. Michael Olin Hitt (Dramatic Fiction)

Michael Olin Hitt is Professor of English at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, where he teaches fiction writing, American Literature, Native American Literature, and Children’s Literature.  He also served Mount Union as the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College from 2001 to 2002. He has published one book: The Word of God Upon My Lips: A Christian’s Journey Into Prophecy and Vital Messages for Our Time (Council Oak Books, 2007) and numerous short stories in literary journals.  

His most recent novel, The Homegoing, takes place in small town in the Appalachians where nobody knows why Hannah Marshal drowned in Laurel Creek in 1937. But twenty years later, her niece, Ruth Sherman, takes it upon herself to find out.  With only a few rumors, old newspapers clipping, and even some ghost stories, Ruth begins to uncover the events surrounding Hannah’s death. The fifth chapter of this novel was published by Thomas Nelson Press in Not Safe But Good: Stories Sharpened by Faith, Volume 2, which was edited by Bret Lott. 

Michael resides in Canton, Ohio, with this wife and two children where he enjoys hiking, bicycling with his family, restaurants, and sitting in a coffee shop with a good book.

Nathan Birr (YA Fiction)

Nathan was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, to wonderful Christian parents. His family moved to Wisconsin when he was 1 ½, and he grew up in Campbellsport, Wisconsin, where his father was the pastor of a small church. Nathan trusted Christ as his Savior at a young age, and credits excellent parenting for his spiritual maturation. (He credits himself for still having a good deal of maturing to do.)

Nathan was home schooled all the way through high school. He attended Crown College for two years before graduating from Moraine Park Technical College with an associate’s degree. While working as a Systems Administrator, he has kept up his long-time passion for writing fiction, endeavoring to create stories that he would ultimately like to read.

Nathan likes to spend his spare time with his family, or with sports. He enjoys watching, playing, or video gaming just about anything athletic and competitive, but especially college football. He has recently taken up tennis, and hopes to add snowboarding this winter. Nathan currently lives in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, with his wife of five years, Sierra.

Dennis Pollock (Christian Living)

Dennis Pollock serves as the primary evangelist for Spirit of Grace Ministries, an evangelistic and teaching ministry with a strong focus upon Africa and India. Dennis is the former co-host of the Christ in Prophecy television broadcast, and still does guest spots on that program.

After suffering from severe blood sugar fluctuations, Dennis found relief through applying basic fundamental principles of metabolic health, and wrote the book Overcoming Runaway Blood Sugar, which has sold 100,000 copies via Harvest House Publishers.

Jeff Wishard (Dramatic Fiction)

Jeff’s debut novel, Redemption Avenue, is a thriller about a world-famous pastor held hostage by the Mafia syndicate who bankrolls his ministry at Redemption Church, the largest megachurch in Texas.  Fifteen years after his mother’s suicide, Bobby unwittingly returns to his father’s life as Davis Morgan’s promising new associate. Unknown to Charles, his son is working undercover inside the Morgan family, a final opportunity to salvage his fading career.  Bobby’s slim chances are made more precarious by a secret affair with Davis’ daughter Teri, and an uneasy alliance between the Morgans and Bobby’s nemesis, a sinister District Attorney poised to be the next governor of Texas.  As the body count rises and loyalties are tested, Charles and Bobby realize that their only hope of survival is each other.

Jeff was born in Greenville, Texas and lives in North Richland Hills, Texas, with his wife Donna, and two spoiled cats.  He has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Abilene Christian University.  You can follow Jeff and his Facebook and Twitter updates at http://jeffwishard.com.

Dr. Larry Brice (Christian Living)

With a B.A., M.Div., M.A. and Doctorate from the University of Toronto and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, Dr. Larry Brice is an International speaker and ordained minister from the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Since 1981, he has served as a pastor in the Hamilton, Ontario area.  In 1989, Larry published his first book, The Gamble of Faith, and then in 2003 introduced a national television broadcast on Crossroads Television System, Reachout for Life.

By 1992, Larry and his wife Karen launched Reachout Ministries under federal incorporation as a Christian charity. As an evangelist, Larry serves individual churches, and also larger, community-wide Good News evangelistic campaigns. In 1994, he led a week-long evangelistic crusade on live national television on 100 Huntley Street, and in 1996, Untley Street Reachout Ministries began fruitful overseas crusades and pastor’s conferences in Africa, the Middle East, and Alaska.

Larry continues to pastor churches, Pine Ridge Church in Toronto, and most recently, St. Paul’s in Burlington, Ontario while serving God as an evangelist overseas.  He and his wife have two daughters, Alena and Erika, and reside in Ontario Canada.

Judah Israel Michael (Spoken Word)

Equipped with the unique ministry of “lyrical evangelism,” Judah Israel Michael has been described as an artist and minister who “brings God’s message to the masses.”  A graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University, Judah has traveled to over 25 states and much of Canada, as a guest speaker and presenter for churches, Messianic Jewish congregations, conferences, men’s retreats, youth camps, college ministries, singles events, and many other programs, including radio and television appearances.

Over the last five years, Judah has trained under and serving with Dick Mills ministries, in a wide variety of church and para-church ministry settings.  Presently, Judah is continuing to reach the body of Christ with fresh, anointed, and dynamic spoken-word poetry and preaching, while also getting more involved with the open mic and poetry slam venues where he first got started. Judah resides in San Diego.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g665n3vaPiY

April M. Anderson (YA Non-fiction)

In 2000, April earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA.  She then returned to her native state of Texas, teaching high school and junior high band.  In 2003, her junior high band placed 5^th in the state round of the T.M.E.A. Honor Band competition.  Throughout her college and professional career, April and her husband have taught leadership camps during the summers, performed at youth camps and at True Love Waits events through their music, drama and juggling.

During her years of teaching, April developed a heart for the struggles of teenage girls as she witnessed the sexual pressures they faced at school.  Having been led by God to pray for her future husband as a youth, and, through His Grace, maintained her sexual purity until marriage, she found that girls received encouragement through her testimony.  As a result, she has felt God leading her into writing as a means of sharing her message. 

Temporarily, April has left the teaching profession to be a stay-at-home mother.  She currently enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Jason, her son, Timothy and her daughter, Rebekah.  She teaches high school girls Sunday School and remains involved in her husband’s band program by instructing his auxiliary group.  She enjoys songwriting, singing and playing the flute (or whatever instrument she can get her hands on!). www.trying2bloom.blogspot.com

Victoria Ceretto-Slotto (Inspirational Fiction)

Victoria, RN, BSNEd, MA spent many years as a nurse, primarily in the field of death and dying. As the recipient of a successful kidney transplant, donated by a friend and co-worker, she lives in gratitude for the gift of each day. Her experiences inspires the “what if” story of Claire and her donor, the launching point of Winter is Past, Victoria’s latest inspirational novel.

Victoria now lives in Reno, Nevada with her husband, David, and two dogs, Sparky and Zoe. She spends several months each year in Palm Desert, California—her favorite writing haven. Read more on Victoria’s blogsites:  www.liv2write2day.blogspot.com; http://liv2write2day.wordpress.com

Jen Corkill (YA Fiction)

Having graduated from the University of Reno, Nevada with a degree in English Literature, Jennifer has always had a love affair with the written word. Story plots and characters kept her up nights until she finally started writing them down. From those restless endeavors, her first novel, Hoist the Colors, was born.

In Jen’s free time, she’s involved with the Pirates of Reno living history group. Every Monday and during charity events, they dress up in costume to bring fantasy to life around the community. From courtesans to gutsy pirates to ladies in waiting, Jen have the opportunity to experience make-believe every day of her life and it is magnificent.

www.piratesharbor.net                                                            www.piratesofreno.com

John Deem (Christian Living)

For John Deem, the ultimate compliment is having a reader say, “Gee, I never thought of it like that before.” That approach has helped John earn more than a dozen awards for writing and editing in his two decades as a journalist and public relations professional. It also is at the heart of his first book, “Jesus Alive! Elvis Still Dead,” which retells the Bible’s greatest stories as they might have been “reported” in a supermarket tabloid of today.

Deem, a native of Toledo, Ohio, lives with his wife, Susan, and daughters, Leslie and Mary, in Huntersville, North Carolina. “I’ve now lived exactly half my life in the Carolinas,” Deem says. “So I guess that makes me a Southerner.”

Dr. Joseph M. Onesimus (Christian Living)

After graduating from Moffat College in Kijabe Kenya his native country, Joseph  earned his B.A. in Group & Interpersonal Communication from Trinity International University and a received his Masters degree in theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.   Joseph went on to earn his Doctorate degree from Florida Christian in Philosophical Theology and has been working as an entrepreneur in the Chicago area. 

With a deep zeal for ministry and desire to return to his native land of Kenya as an administrator and educator, Joseph serves as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, a radio producer, and presenter for Biblia Broadcasting Network in Nairobi-Kenya. He is also a motivational speaker and instructor of Business Communication in Chicago, Illinois.  Joseph’s passion is to teach while educating the Church of Christ on the dangers of secular humanism and to raise awareness to all believers to stand firm in the faith.  While continuing his passion as a speaker, humanitarian, and writer Joseph is also pursuing a Master’s of Science degree in marketing from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Michael Crespo (Self-Help/Christian Living)

Michael is a researcher, motivational speaker, Success Coach, and Youtube personality. He was born and raised in the Bronx of New York City where he still resides.  He has spoken for church adult and youth groups in most of the five boroughs, and coached adult professionals and non-professionals through his seminars from varied walks of life, medicine, law, business, etc.

Michael’s coaching presentation can be seen in part at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLsLysj3014&feature=related