Mary Morris is the author of four books of poetry, most recently, Lanterns in the Night Market. Other books include Late Self-Portraits (selected by Leila Chatti, winner of the Wheelbarrow Book Prize, MSU Press), Dear October (winner of the New Mexico Book Award), and Enter Water, Swimmer, selected by X.J. Kennedy.

Naveen Sridhar is a novelist whose stories bring the ancient world vividly to life. From the bustling streets of Sumer to the royal courts of the Hittites and the crossroads of Indo-Greek kingdoms, his books uncover the untold lives of queens, priestesses, warriors, and ordinary people caught in extraordinary times.

Benjamin Ingram Jr., who began writing at just seventeen, introduces his debut children’s book Quentin and the New Friend, a heartfelt story inspired by real-life experiences that highlights kindness, friendship, inclusion, and emotional growth.

Kate Laack is a high school English teacher, theater director, and author. She earned degrees in English and secondary education from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, where she got her start in publishing with the university newspaper. Her freelance work has appeared on Thought Catalog, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The Comedy Show Show, and elsewhere.

Ruth is a middle school teacher and poet living in the Somerset town of Frome with her husband and her son, Eddie.

Jennifer Nelson is a New Mexico–based trauma therapist and private practice owner with a degree in social work, specializing in PTSD, dissociative identity disorder (DID), and abuse recovery. A mother of two sons, she has long been drawn to the emotional terrain of survival, identity, and the ways trauma shapes the inner lives of individuals. Her clinical work informs her fiction, offering a nuanced understanding of fear, resilience, and the fragile architecture of trust.

Al Isaacs is a retired comedian who was twice named Long Island’s Best Comedian by the Long Island Press. With a career that spanned clubs, stages, and classrooms, Al not only made people laugh but also taught the art of improv comedy at schools, comedy clubs, corporate workshops, and at Hofstra University. He’s been married for over thirty years to his wife Theresa and is the proud father of their son, Nick.

James B. Agape is a reflective writer whose work explores the quiet complexities of the human mind from anxiety and emotional struggle to healing, self-discovery, and resilience. He is the author of Pent Up Thoughts, an award-winning poetry and short-story collection recognized as one of the best in its category in 2025 by Regal Summit.

Julia Jaxsun is the recipient of the Aspiring Authors scholarship from the Colorado Author’s Hall of Fame and a finalist for the Diverse Worlds Grant from the Speculative Literature Foundation. She grew up in the Southwest and played in an indie-punk band, achieving MILD success. She has a few college degrees, which ground her writing, while her sci-fi ideas keep it weird. She enjoys the great outdoors and lives in Colorado with her partner and their cat, Madame President.

Taylor Curtis was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. His childhood passion for science fiction and pop culture helped him navigate the world, fostering his love for the art of storytelling. He has been writing since a young age, concentrating on fiction that explores social, political, and existential issues—layered beneath epic sci-fi.