I am a writer whose work embodies the profound depth of my richly interwoven cultural heritage and historical legacy. As a descendant of an English Protestant who fled England during the perilous reign of Mary Tudor, my lineage is a testament to resilience and adaptation. My ancestor’s courageous escape from England to Calais and eventually to France anchors my family’s narrative in a legacy of survival, faith, and defiance in the face of adversity.

I grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia, where I obtained a PhD in physics-acoustics and worked in this field. Since 1993, I’ve lived in the United States, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1998. Working at a consulting company in Arlington, Virginia, I led an applied acoustics group and published dozens of scientific articles, conference papers, and technical reports. Upon completion of my scientific career, I turned to long-sought literary activities in creative writing, including prose and poetry.

E.J. Mankin is a Queer author from Missouri who writes as a form of resistance to the status quo. Though their works are fantasy, they can be read as allegories of the reality that we live in today.

I’m an educator, strategist, and theological thinker. My work focuses on how people learn, lead, and live with integrity across systems, cultures, and roles. Whether I'm designing leadership frameworks, coaching neurodivergent leaders, exploring fictional worlds, or writing about beauty in learning, I'm committed to one thing: helping people grow without pretending.

Twenty-two-year-old writer, musician, and indie filmmaker Justin Hughes was born in Warrington, England, on April 12, 2004. Growing up in Cheshire, Hughes would write short stories and television pilot screenplays for fun before eventually taking the step into long-form work.

Alana Dowley balanced a legal career with raising three amazing children. She told them stories as they were growing up and now writes for clever, curious kids.

Even though I graduated from Tufts University with a BS in zoology, I knew I wasn’t cut out for the jobs being offered in science labs or hospitals or any of the usual spaces you might expect to find science-minded people. Instead, I took a job in the secondary school science department at a textbook publishing house and now have enjoyed a long career devoted to books—from textbook editing and management to tradebook publishing and finally to my own fiction and nonfiction writing.

Claire Ibarra’s second novel Alteration was recently published by Atmosphere Press. Her debut novel Fragile Saints was a finalist for the 2022 CAL Literary Book Award. Claire’s poetry chapbook Vortex of Our Affections was published by Finishing Line Press in 2017. She received her MFA in creative writing from Florida International University. Her work can also be found in many literary magazines and anthologies. You can learn more at www.claireibarra.com.

Rene lives in Central Texas, works as a solution engineer, and is an avid reader of literary fiction with underlying dark themes. He regularly goes kayaking and mountain biking. He also loves live music and traveling.

Currently a practicing cardiologist with Vandalia Health in South Charleston, West Virginia.