Beauty From The Ashes

Athena Dean Holtz has been at the forefront of Christian custom publishing for the last 30 years. The co-founder of WinePress Publishing, she now leads Redemption Press. Author of three previous books and a highly-rated personal blog, she serves as president of the Northwest Christian Writer’s Association, is a president’s club member of the Christian Women in Media Association, and a member of the Advanced Writer & Speaker Association.

She serves as host and interviewer on “Always Faithful Radio,” KCIS, Seattle. Married to Ross Holtz, pastor of The Summit, Athena enjoys her grandchildren and time spent sailing. The couple makes their home in Enumclaw, Wash.

Andrea is a wife & mother, blogger, speaker, and author of Scarred Beautiful. The book chronicles Andrea’s true story of leaving her family behind to check into the Pima County Jail in Tucson, Arizona, Andrea experienced a shame that was deep and boundless. The painful episode dredged up emotional, and even physical, scars that she’d long buried and hoped to forget.

It’s through this journey that she learns to unearth the beauty in her flaws – and emerge from incarceration with renewed courage and faith, and a new appreciation for what is most precious and cherished in her life. Today, Andrea has a beautiful tattoo that covers her scars. Her message is that of overcoming, accepting oneself and seeing beauty in our scars.

In 2010, after opening for such artists as Tracy Lawrence, Eric Church, Easton Corbin, and Randy Houser, she left her career as a high school English teacher to pursue music full time. Quickly after making that decision, two of her three young boys were diagnosed with a rare esophageal disease which required them to drastically change their lives and undergo surgical procedures every 8 weeks. Music took a back seat.
In 2014, her children were finally stable, and McKenna realized it was time to balance her home life and pursuit of her music career. She started singing again, and in a short time, opened for Montgomery Gentry, David Nail, Scotty McCreery, and Cassadee Pope. She began traveling to Nashville to write and to eventually record a heartfelt 6 song EP, “Ever After.”

Jennifer McGill is a speaker and singer with over 30 years of experience in front of audiences around the world, performing with talented individuals including Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake, and Vanessa Williams. Jennifer began her career at age 10 as a Mousekateer on The Disney Channel‘s New Mickey Mouse Club and has progressed into leading worship at multiple churches for the last 15 years, including TBN’s Praise The Lord with Michael W. Smith, Donnie McClurken, and Martha Munizzi.

Jennifer has a heart to use her speaking, singing, and written words to help people find grace, peace, and restoration in the midst of the grind of daily living.

Deborah Lassiter, the author of Beyond the Face of the Movies, resides in the Pennsylvania area and is the founder of DCL Ministries. Currently, she enjoys studying God’s word at Lancaster Bible College, pursuing a degree in Science & Biblical Studies (minor in Communications). You can find her most days writing on her blog and engaging with her listeners on her weekly radio show called Dovetales- affiliated with PJC Media Network.
 
Through various guests, Deborah finds delight when they reveal what the Holy Spirit has done in and through their lives. It is while hosting this program that she has an opportunity to encourage many towards a personal relationship with the Godhead. A relationship that is for everyone: all nationalities, all races, all ages, and all backgrounds. Deborah also look’s forward to her second book, The Women God Used, coming out later this year.

Sheila Preston Fitzgerald, only by the Grace of God, is alive today. 

A near-death motorcycle accident that should have taken her life, instead, filled this godly woman with a passion larger than life itself. 

Dubbed ‘Sweet & Sassy’, Sheila’s love of people, love of life and most importantly her love for the Lord radiates in all she does. 

Her miraculous testimony of redemptive healing, ‘from the inside out’ as Sheila calls it, will have you laughing and crying with joy. In spite of multiple horrific losses and countless ‘one step forward – two step back’ do-overs, Sheila has learned to, literally, walk out her incredible journey of faith and recovery. 

Whether she’s encouraging one on one, or speaking to an arena full, Sheila’s amazing ability to bring her story into another’s personal journey – gives everyone hope!

Sue Z. McGray entered adulthood as a shy, young woman from humble circumstances. She grew personally and professionally to become an independent National Sales Director for a prominent, international, cosmetics company.

Her spiritual journey began at the end of a failed marriage. Since then, Sue has overcome heartache, co-dependency and fear. She shares her struggle and failures in her book Becoming Visible. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, Duane. They enjoy spending time with their three adult children and five beautiful granddaughters. 

Maria Oliveira was born in Brazil and grew up in a small country town called Aracatuba. She came to Massachussets in 2005 and still resides there. She is a mother of two amazing kids: a 29 years old daughter that lives in Brazil and a 6 years old boy born here. Maria is also a proud grandmother to be next November 2017.

She became saved 20 years ago and soon after served as a missionary in YWAM for 2 years in South America. Maria has been a member if Vineyard Church in Hopkinton, MA since 2013. She considers herself a every day work in progress and still looking to achieve different projects as a Christian, woman, human being, mother, friend.

Diane Cunningham, M.Ed. is the President and Founder of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs®, a global association where women meet to connect, create, and collaborate. She coaches women (and a few brave men) on business, life, recovery, and authentic living.

She is a woman living in recovery and is now a Life Recovery Coach, which she offers through her ReStart Coaching Program. Diane is the author of seven books, four which are Amazon Bestsellers, including The Inspired Business Toolkit and the Rock Bottom is a Beautiful Place Book Series.