LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

Trina Boice

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Rob Jex!

By Leave a Comment

Rob Jex currently lives in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I am not a content creator. My work assignment at the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the product manager of the Gospel Library app, a channel through which the books and media that others have created get delivered to Church members throughout the world. With the help and input from many others, I am responsible for the organization of the content in the app, the user experience of the app, and marketing/user education.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I do not enjoy reading. I have always preferred listening to books, lectures, and messages.

Thus, I have felt inspired to help other visual learners like me who prefer to hear the word of God (like audio versions of the scriptures and general conference messages), in addition to having the chance to read it. I’ve also always enjoyed watching videos. So after the success of the Church’s Bible Videos series happened, I helped initiate the Book of Mormon Videos project.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlight has been helping to amplify the reach of the messages of living prophets.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Good decision making comes from research, revelation, and reasoning.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Developing relationships, focusing on audiences’ experiences, and aligning with top organizational priorities get results.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

What inspires me is helping God’s interested children to have digital access to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His prophets to help them receive personal guidance in their daily lives.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I would like others to know that most of my inspiration doesn’t come during work hours at my desk; rather, it comes while pondering, talking to people, and observing others’ innovations.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I have helped many of God’s children develop faith in Him and Jesus Christ by making the scriptures and general conference messages more widely available.

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Gale Sears!

By Leave a Comment

Gale Sears lives in Sandy, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

The Silence of God, Letters in the Jade Dragon Box, The Fifth Favorite, Christmas for a Dollar.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

Multiple stories inside my head fighting to get out were what inspired me to create. My first love of the written word came in the second grade. My teacher, Mrs. Leamon, would read stories to us.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Being able to publish 10 novels has definitely been the highlight of my career so far. It is exciting and humbling each time a book proposal or manuscript is accepted.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Every author has bad days, negative reviews, rejections, writing blocks. It happens, even to established writers. Find a person you trust to help you through those moments and who will realistically boost your confidence.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Find a story you LOVE, and then tell it with enthusiasm. You need to be passionate about the story.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

The words. The story. The characters. A nibble of dark chocolate doesn’t hurt either.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I am much more creative in the morning. By 3 p.m., my brain turns to mush.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I write mostly historical fiction with an LDS thread running through. Hopefully, my stories not only open a new world of discovery for the reader but also lift their faith.

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Victor La Vanway!

By Leave a Comment

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

Books:
Bones in The Sand: The Extraterrestrial Connection to Earth
Grandpa’s Collection of Mostly True Tales
Painting: Emergency Landing Monochrome Acrylic (black, gray, white, 33 x 27 inches)

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

All that is the world around me, as well as a third grade classmate and friend, Robert Smith, who taught me how to draw with pencil and perspective. Our teacher, Mrs. Stevens, taught us how to think and write. The Old and New Testaments ignited my child imagination to real things beyond my sight but within the grasp of diligent, devoted practice.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I think my highlight is my collection of mostly true tales written for my children and grandchildren. The collection is humorous, serious, occasionally sad, imaginative, and edifying. It draws readers into experiences descriptive of earth life as adventurous, joyful, real, and astonishing. With faith in God, it’s an embraceable challenge.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Find a better way to . . . Never give up. Rewrite.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

The advice I received above and would add, “God gave you talent, so don’t submit to discouragement.”

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

The scriptures, the unfolding mysteries of Heavenly Father’s Kingdom, and people.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I am a convert to the restored gospel and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My experience confirms the principles of Christ’s doctrine. Psalm 1:2-3 and Doctrine and Covenants 46:8-9 tells of comfort and encouragement and instructs me in personal responsibility as steward of blessings and talents. Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Artist. If any person strives humbly and diligently, following His example, we may eventually achieve His stature and creative skills as joint-heirs with Him. Presently, I enjoy the wonder of discovery and the familiar patterns of practice.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

In my literary efforts, I have tried to lead readers to a consciousness of Heavenly Father and His plan for His children. Reserved for them are things “eye has not seen, nor ear heard.” All things are spiritual unto Him, but many things are exciting, cosmic, physical, mathematical, and scientific wonders as well, hinted at in his word, the scriptures. My motive is to point readers to things that will help them find love, joy, and eternal riches by devoting their lives to becoming the divine creatures Father counseled us to become and to glimpse the mysteries of our Father’s Kingdom.

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Julie Spencer!

By Leave a Comment

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I have over 30 publications, mostly romance and love stories. My most controversial novel is called Combustion, which is a powerful love story that readers have suggested should be on the required reading list for every high school in the world. In Combustion, readers see an emotional sexual assault through the eyes of the guy. My most popular fiction is a YA sports romance series is called All’s Fair in Love and Sports. I also have a romance/coming-of-age series called Rock Star Redemption, an action/adventure/romance series called Royal Family Saga, and several stand-alone romance/love stories that are LDS Christian fiction.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I’ve been writing and playacting since I was a little girl. I wrote my first novel in junior high but threw it away! What I wouldn’t give to have that manuscript back! My first published work was a poem in my junior high yearbook. My second published work was my master’s thesis. I didn’t write fiction again until I ran out of Twilight novels to read. Now I write the books I’d like to find on the shelves of bookstores and libraries. I love my characters and I love my readers.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Oddly, the highlights of my career so far come in the little moments. Every day, I publish a blog called Chapter-A-Day where I (courageously) publish unedited chapters from my current Work-in-Progress on my website and readers give me feedback. Sometimes, the feedback is critical. Usually, I’m told all the things my readers loved about the chapter and how they refresh the screen every little while, hoping the next chapter has been posted. The best compliments I receive are “I cried during chapter ten!” or “I didn’t see that twist coming!” or “I couldn’t put the book down!” Those are the highlights.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Get better covers for your books! People really do judge a book by its cover. My first published book was called The Cove and I found a beautiful photograph of the lake where I grew up with a pretty sunset. The book is not about the lake and the sunset. It’s a love story between the two main characters. Once I had a professional cover designed, the book started selling. Also, research the names of books and carefully select a title that conveys the genre. People search for books with keywords. Learn the keywords for your genre.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Write as much as you possibly can. Learn your craft. Don’t get distracted by the newest exciting thing but be open to new technology. Hire professionals to do the things you’re not good at or things that don’t have to be done by you. Anyone can do the dishes, mow the lawn, balance the checkbook, or shop for groceries. Only you can write the words in your head.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

My readers keep me inspired. I’ve had many readers tell me they refresh their screen hoping my next chapter has been posted. I can’t let them down. Receiving positive reviews buoys my resolve to put out the next book. Plus, I just love my own stories. I read back a particular passage and think, Dang, I’m a good writer! What the heck? Did I really write that? Yeah, I did. Vain? Maybe? Delusions of grandeur? Maybe. Do I care? No, not really. Go away, world. I’ve got more stories to write.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I write all day, every day, as much as I can fit into my day. I don’t find writing to be a job or inconvenience or a chore. My ideal vacation would be for everyone else to go away and let me write all day, every day. I have more stories in my head than I’ll ever be able to get on paper in my lifetime. Until the Lord intervenes and finds a way to force me to stop writing, you will continue to see content emerging from my brain. Writing is my happy place.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

My stories contain a lot of my religious convictions, including maintaining the laws of chastity and healthy living, such as avoiding drugs and alcohol. Although I don’t mean for my books to be preachy, my characters learn things the hard way and thus my readers learn the same lessons. As a convert to the gospel, I’ve seen the world outside the Church, and there are a lot of challenges, especially related to alcohol. A huge percentage of the world’s problems would go away by removing alcohol. I want to be a positive influence on the world.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.
https://www.authorjuliespencer.com/

Member Spotlight: Elizabeth Hubbard!

By Leave a Comment

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

  • Fight On! World War II and Cold War Experiences of Lt. Commander John R. “Jack” Hubbard USNR
  • The Search Never Ends: Musings of John R. “Jack” Hubbard
  • Adventures With A Historian: The Life and Times of John R. “Jack” Hubbard

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

It was an accident. I spent many years proofreading books my father wrote. In 2011, in an effort to maintain my sanity while recovering from major surgery, I worked side by side with my dad as he put his brother’s memoirs, letters, and notes into a manuscript for publication. I began by fact-checking everything I could because I quickly realized that my uncle’s story was as much a global history lesson as it was his personal story. I conducted extensive research to answer questions that arose during the compilation of the manuscript, then incorporated my findings into the book.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlight has been the encouragement and assistance received from David McCullough, Congressman Michael Burgess, and the University of Southern California.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

It is better to push back a release date than not verify that your facts are accurate, your grammar is correct, and your typos have been eliminated. Don’t be afraid to include photos, illustrations, maps, etc. if they add interest and/or understanding to the story but don’t use them just to fill up space.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

If you are writing nonfiction, make sure you document all sources and give credit where credit is due. Don’t be afraid to make cold calls to obtain more information and understanding.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

I’m inspired by looking at the mountain of source materials in cardboard boxes that sits in my office. To me, it’s too valuable to throw into the dumpster.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I was surprised at the reaction of immediate and extended family members. Deep feelings ranging from anger and resentment to awe and wonder arose from the four corners of the world. As a result, we took out certain sections, deleted some names, and re-worded embarrassing or compromising sections to protect the innocent without compromising the integrity of the story.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

We were able to make the Amazon Best Sellers list without using profanity to tell war and espionage stories.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.

http://www.punaluudata.com

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Monique Bucheger!

By Leave a Comment

Monique Bucheger lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

My middle-grade fiction is called the Ginnie West Adventure series: 1) The Secret Sisters Club, 2) Trouble Bows West, 3) Simply West of Heaven, 4) Being West is Best, plus the story Popcorn; also see the boxed set of The Ginnie West Collection (books 1-3).

I will be launching Change Rushes West this year with my co-author, Scoot Merritt, who is an author, artist, and horse whisperer—a needed resource for our series going forward. 🙂 I am also in two anthologies: Little Boy Blue: Hope After Miscarriage and Angels from the Realms of Story. Proceeds from each anthology are donated to help people.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

As a former foster mom to over 100 kids, I write books that empower and amuse kids. Adults resonate with my books as well. I deal with hard subjects such as alcoholism, child abuse, child abandonment, death of a parent, divorce, and blended families, all in an age-appropriate way.

My books also deal with friendship, horses, country living, overcoming hard things, and finding joy in the journey of your life. Kids aged 8 to 108 realize they can change their own stars and that they can step into their own power to become the superheroes in their own lives.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlight has been meeting people who have shared with me that my series has helped them have courage and brought them peace and healing, and knowing my series has impacted people in a positive and meaningful way.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

Write books you want to read and be authentic. I want to impact lives in a positive, uplifting way, and my series does that. Also, write SOMEthing—you can always edit to perfection—you just can’t edit a blank page. Give yourself permission to write garbage if you need to—then FIX it. 🙂

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Write something you are passionate about. You don’t have to know everything to start, but starting will help you learn what you need to know.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

My series is a safe place to overcome hard things—and hopefully helps others to step out of their comfort zones like my characters do to help their lives become more meaningful.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

I love being a catalyst for empowering people. I am passionate about my published series as well as my two unpublished ones. I want to help people step into their courage—to be the person they know they can be. Usually the key person who holds us back is our self. Giving ourselves permission to be who we know we need to be is the first step to stepping into our own power. Allow yourself to BE that person.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I write books that empower kids and adults. I champion kids in tough situations. I share my story of seven miscarriages and stillbirths in Little Boy Blue: Hope After Miscarriage. I lost a twenty-year-old son to a car accident and find parents in similar situations crossing my path. I always try to uplift them. I advocate for people to be heroes in their own lives—because sometimes you have to save yourself. I want to empower people to save themselves and other people they care about.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.
https://theheroinsideme.com/

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Shaun Stahle!

By Leave a Comment

Shaun Stahle lives in Bountiful, Utah.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

I was a journalist for nearly 40 years, including 17 years at the Deseret News, where I wrote and edited the Church News section, writing about 1,000 articles, covering such events as temple dedications and travels of President Gordon B. Hinckley. I loved writing about the obscure acts of faith as well the 15-year-old girl who shrieked with joy when President Hinckley walked in front of her in Moscow as he entered the hall to speak with members in Russia.

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

I wanted to be an architect. An aptitude test in junior high school suggested I become an art critic. Somehow, Mother Nature veered me down the path of writing, much to my surprise. I remember talking with friends only weeks after our missions, telling them I’d have nothing to do with writing or newspapers… too hard, poor pay. Before I knew what was happening, I was receiving my journalism degree from BYU. As a reluctant writer, I find great joy in telling the unknown, obscure story.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I’m honored that I could be an eyewitness to meaningful moments, like the dedication of temples and Church history sites, to feel the energy and hear the testimonies of Church leaders when the cameras weren’t rolling, to stand outside the Boston temple on dedication day and look over the beautiful landscape and feel that the people who mingled on the grounds weren’t the only ones there. But I probably most prize working beside my father during my teenage years in his community newspaper where I learned the fine art of communication.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

“He who would cast a living line must sweat.”
This simple quote was taped to the edge of my father’s wooden desk. How I was able to find it under so many piles and stacks of books and yellowing sheets of paper, I’m not sure. I don’t know if it’s what changed me but foretold my experience, that writing is hard, maybe harder than swinging a 75-pound sledgehammer to break concrete.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Writers are lovers of life, with an ambition to know and do. Their souls are open and long for new thoughts and sensations. If you grow grumpy when you fail to express yourself in words, then you have potential. If not, you’d be better off swinging that sledgehammer.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

The sensation of doing good. Writing about people and historic events is a release of joy. I feel a spiritual connection to those I write about. Discovering the good in them, how they have sacrificed to make life better, is a thrill to discover, like finding gold in a stream. Sharing their experiences with the world amplifies my joy.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

It seems that thoughts and finding interesting perspectives on life and what is going on around me are constantly coming to mind. I’m slow to respond by writing. For me, there are two great challenges to the creative: sludge in the bloodstream that seems to cause my procrastination, and the feeling, or fear, that my writing will not match the greatness of the person or the event I’m describing.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

I feel that my God-given talent and purpose in life is to help others see what they are missing, to slow them down to recognize the value and contribution of an obscure person, or to take a moment to relish a seemingly insignificant moment in life. My writing over the years has the unspoken motive of unifying a community, to discover the goodness of life, to stir feelings of peace and contentment. I hope my creative juices have built communities of faith.

LDSPMA Member Spotlight: Ilyan Lavanway!

By 3 Comments

Ilyan Lavanway lives in Lehigh, Kansas.

First, tell us about your unique name!

I asked my dad about the meaning of my name. He told me he named me by inspiration, which is especially significant to me, given the fact that my parents knew nothing about the Church until I was three years old. They were introduced to the gospel by a bishop who owned a farm in Connell, Washington. My parents were renting a house on his land. My parents were baptized when I was three years old, and have remained active, raising me in the Church. According to my dad, my first name, Ilyan, has origins in several countries and means Superior, Gentleman, Gentle.

Also interesting is the fact that while my dad was inspired to name me as he did, he said he did not learn the meanings of my names until after the fact. He said my pediatrician, Dr. Vernie from Holland, told him my middle name, Kei, means Stone or Rock. My last name, Lavanway, comes from French origins and means Keeper of the way, or Keeper of the front gate. My dad said his inspiration in naming me has proven accurate. I appreciate knowing that, and I realize it gives me a lot to live up to.

What are some names of the books or other media you have created?

My Spiritual Horizons Expander Pack is a growing collection of eleven out of over two dozen books I have published. These eleven books include: Pondering the Atonement of Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon Answers the Fermi Paradox, Eternal Family Structures Among Exalted Couples, Nature of The Godhead, Onions of Eternity, The Grandeur of Christmas and the Son of God, Circumscription Hypothesis, Thought Log 2015.08.17.1900, Intelligent Universe, Paradise and Spirit Prison, What Happens at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Most of these books are short reads, but all invite lengthy pondering, deep thought, exploratory personal scripture study, and personal revelation. Another is called An Aviator At Heart, which is about my teenage years as an aviator. Hopefully, it’ll inspire other young ones out there!

What inspired you to become a creator of media?

When I was a pathologically shy fourteen-year-old boy, I was told in a priesthood blessing that I have the ability – which means responsibility – to teach and to project myself to my fellow man. I was promised that I would be a full-time missionary, and that I would bring many souls into an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a later blessing, I was promised that complex things would become simple and easy to understand. I consider it my lifelong responsibility as a member missionary to be anxiously engaged in gathering Israel through my personal written works.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Soon after launching The Book of Mormon Answers the Fermi Paradox, and sending hundreds of emails inviting NASA and SETI scientists to read it, a senior scientist from The Mars Institute and SETI responded. Although he maintained his secular perspective and disagreed with the content of my book, he was kind and continued an email conversation with me for several days. The Holy Ghost helped me address his arguments. Later, I was invited to write an article about my book for a science website. Having answered the SETI scientist, I was prepared, but my article was not published as promised.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?

“Do not become discouraged when trials come to you, for all men must overcome the adversities of life in order to achieve perfection.”

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

I would pass along the same advice given to me. I have discovered during my endeavors to invite others to read my written works, that fat too often I encounter total rejection. Much of it is mean and abrupt. All of it is unfounded. Such rejection presents opportunities to be forgiving, and to press on, undaunted.

What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?

Something my dad said to me, after I shared with him a particularly hurtful rejection, inspired me. My dad told me, “Son, you are a voice crying in the wilderness, and a light shining in darkness.” My dad also told me, “Son, I love reading your work. It makes me think and feel.” Encouragement like this, and the influence of the Holy Ghost, and sheer determination to not be silenced keep me forging ahead. Personal insights that come to me as I study and ponder the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets and apostles constitute ongoing inspiration in my creative work.

What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?

Searching the mysteries of God and then sharing and discussing them is part of declaring repentance, affording and inviting a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world. The deep things of God point us right back to the first principle of the gospel, which is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The mysteries of God point us right back to the first law of heaven, which is obedience. This expanded perspective of what it means to declare repentance is the foundation and the core of my creative process.

In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?

While few and far between, positive reader feedback is one indicator. For example, one reader said of The Book of Mormon Answers the Fermi Paradox, “I love this book. It was clearly written and answers questions I’ve had for years. The author writes in a way that’s simple to understand but informative.” Of course, reader reviews are not decisive indicators of merit. I know I am a voice for good because my books are an integral part of my personal testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. By the word of my testimony, I can help defeat the Adversary.

I have taken the initiative to produce a short, two-part video series of The Book of Mormon Answers the Fermi Paradox, narrated by a simple text-to-speech system.
Part One is fifteen minutes. 
The Book of Mormon Answers The Fermi Paradox by Ilyan Kei lavanway Part 1 of 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A18zirdV04
Part Two is seven minutes.   
The Book of Mormon Answers The Fermi Paradox by Ilyan Kei lavanway Part 2 of 2  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp4oh_xy2iw
YouTube playlist containing both parts:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7pXkt_XY8yYNNKfdTfnNv_PlHG2lz8Cm
That’s twenty-two minutes of pondering the infinite and eternal majesty of our Creator, Jesus Christ. It’s one small and simple invitation to look upward and consider the works of God that extend beyond our own myopic perspectives.
Twenty-two minutes to investigate “a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world.”
Please watch and share. This is an integral part of my personal testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I discovered it through years of diligent personal scripture study, and I am supposed to share it, so please indulge me in my efforts to do so in this creative manner.

If you want your spotlight to link to your website or any of your social media platforms, include the URLs here.
https://www.amazon.com/Ilyan-Kei-Lavanway/e/B004YL1HG2