Today, we would like to introduce you to conference workshop leader, Nadine Brandes.
Nadine is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. Her debut YA novel, A Time to Die, won the ACFW Carol Award while both it and the sequel finaled for the Christy Award. Nadine’s been known to eat an entire package of Oreos by herself, and watches Fiddler on the Roof at least once a year. She writes about brave living and other worlds soaked in imagination. When she’s not taste-testing a new chai, she and her hubby are rockin’ shalom, dorkiness, and board games with college students in the midwest.
Connect with Nadine: Website Facebook Twitter.
What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. That I love meeting new people and I’m just like any other writer there—I get nervous and, depending on the day, I can be ridiculously shy. I’m terrible with names. I’m a tea drinker (just come up to me and say “TEA!” and I will hug you. 😉 ) I have trouble finding a writing rhythm and I almost always loathe my first drafts.
You are my people—fellow writers and lovers of Christ! Come say hello, even if I’m in conversation or being an awkward wallflower. 😉
What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop/who will get the most out of it? This workshop will leave attendees with a full and well-rounded understanding of the YA genre—from readers to writers to publishing to marketing.
This workshop is for anyone who wants to understand the YA genre and market. Being aware of the “hot markets” is key to getting our books out there! And YA is one we need to watch because these readers are shaping the reaing community of the future. I think that writers interested in reaching teens, young adults, or adults who read YA literature (which is the majority of readers in the YA genre) will get the most out of this workshop.
If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Frankly, it wouldn’t have anything to do with the actual writing craft. It would be this: Immerse yourself in Christ. Perhaps that sounds cliche, but I have to remind myself daily. Write with Him as your reward—not as though a published book or a contract or 100 five-star reviews are your rewards. Because He is the one who will use your writing to reach (and change) the world. Pray over your writing constantly. Draw inspiration from His word. I could go on and on. 🙂
Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.
Book 1 – A Time to Die
How would you live if you knew the day you’d die? Parvin Blackwater believes she has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside. In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the government’s crooked justice system. But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall — her people’s death sentence. What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her clock is running out.
Book 2 – A Time to Speak
How do you live after you planned to die? Parvin Blackwater should have died in her brother’s place. She didn’t. Now she’s the only one who can protect her village, but no one wants to listen. When the Council starts forcing “new and improved” Clocks on the public, those who refuse are declared Radicals and exiled. Having been across the Wall once, Parvin is the only one who can save them. But instead of going through the Wall, she’s packed into a boxcar, loaded on a cargo ship, and forced out to sea. How will she lead when facing the unknown? Worse yet, why are people suddenly dying before their Clocks have zeroed-out?
Book 3 – A Time to Rise
What more can you sacrifice than your life? Parvin Blackwater is dead. At least…that’s what the Council—and the world—thinks. But her sacrifice tore down part of the Wall long enough to stir up hope and rebellion in the people. Now she will rise again. Strong, free, and fearless. Parvin and Solomon must uncover the mysterious clues that Jude left behind in order to destroy the projected Wall once and for all. Meanwhile, the Council schemes to new levels of technology in its attempts to keep the people contained. Can a one-handed Radical and a scarred ex-Enforcer really bring shalom to the world? This is the concluding book in the Out of Time Series.
If you would like to purchase a copy of her books, visit her books page on her website.