I am a writer, high school English teacher, and school counselor from Vancouver, Canada. My flexible career has allowed me to work in America and Europe for the last twenty years. Recently, while residing in the Netherlands, I finally found the time to complete my first young adult novel, Below the Surface, which was triggered by a real event. I am currently working on a women’s novel, a menopausal memoir delving into the remembrance of my past courage. My greatest accomplishments include raising two magnificent daughters and a clever border collie, learning enough German to marry a Swiss man, completing an Ironman, and swimming in over thirty countries...so far. I’m forever grateful to the wonderful people and stories that I have gathered along my journeys.
I’m Kayra Lilith Oz, a teen author who published my first book at the age of thirteen. Mythology and horror are my biggest inspirations, and as I approach my sixteenth birthday, I continue writing – hoping that my stories will reach and resonate with more people.
I grew up reading myths and legends so it’s no surprise that my fantasy books reflect that – my first independently published trilogy is based on the legends of King Arthur but with a twist, and I’m currently working on the final book of The Viking Saga, a Norse-inspired trilogy. My romance novels are in the same vein as Hallmark movies but are set in the UK and are inspired by my travels – I have a five-book series set in the Lake District (Romance in the Lakes) and I’m currently working on another series set in the Cotswolds (Appleford). I’ve also published two standalone novels and two Christmas novellas.
Chelsea Muzar holds her MFA in creative writing from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Her work has been published in Clarkesworld Magazine, Planet Scumm, and Kansas City Voices. When she isn’t writing, she’s enjoying time with her husband, daughter, and their toy poodle.
I am the author of six novels and a collection of short stories, all released by Nightbird Publishing. I have been writing fiction for forty-plus years, moonlighting for thirty-one of those years while working a day job as a technical writer for corporate IT companies in the Atlanta area. My first five attempts at a novel currently reside as dusty manuscripts in the deep dark confines of what I call my ‘apprenticeship trunk.’ They were absolutely dreadful and amateurish (LMAO!). They will never see the light of day, but they taught me a lot about the craft of writing commercial fiction.
Kristen Capezza is a nationally recognized leader, storyteller, and creative strategist. After more than fifteen years as a senior executive in higher education, where she led award-winning marketing and enrolment initiatives, Kristen followed her calling to write children’s books that inspire imagination, wonder, and heart. She is president and founder of Three Little Lights LLC, a company dedicated to bringing ideas to life through personalized consulting and children’s book publishing.
Selma Byrd is a romance writer with a background in fashion, criminology, and sociology. Her work blends contemporary romance with dark and gritty themes. Drawing from her academics, she crafts multifaceted and complex characters that feel real and compelling.
Nick Paskoski is an activist and writer from the Washington D.C. area. Simultaneously heartfelt and sarcastic, his debut novel, American Pride, combines a rock and roll style with thoughtful political and social explorations.
Russell Gerney is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and the Duquesne University School of Law. He has published two novels, Eighty Hours and To Sleep, Perchance to Dream. He has also had the poem Dreams of the Beach published in Scribeworth magazine.
J.L. Kirby is a pen name for sisters Jacqueline and Lauren Kirby. Jacqueline lives in New Jersey with her husband, Mike, and daughters Emma and Lorelai. She runs a marketing agency, First & Vine Marketing. Lauren lives in South Carolina with her husband, Tyler, and their cat, Meadow, DJ’s sister. Lauren teaches third grade and loves working through writing prompts with her students.