I hope I encourage my readers to follow their dreams—write the book, start the project, travel, learn a new language, do what is on their hearts—you never know where that will take you!

My first short story was published in a national magazine Popular Dogs at age 14. Over the years, I have written and traditionally published in different genres and ventured into stage and screenplay writing with some awards and productions that include That’s The Spirit: A Haunting Comedy (produced stage play), The Great Mudbug War (produced stage and screenplay), Riders of the North Wind (award-winning unproduced screenplay), and The Swamp Dragon (award-winning unproduced screenplay).

Stacy Alderman’s short story, Steel Valley, won the Children of Steel Fiction Award and will be published by Anaphora Literary in 2024. Her other writing has been featured by local newspaper, The Valley Mirror, as well as Rune Magazine, Defuncted Journal, Macro Magazine, Capsule Stories, and several more. She lives near Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and two defiant rescue dogs. If she's not writing or reading, she's probably watching hockey or (dreaming about) traveling.

Janie Sullivan, MBA, MAEd, has been teaching adult learners for over 30 years; online for over 25 years. She specializes in writing, communications, and small business applications. She was a faculty trainer for over 15 years at both the University and Community College levels. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a master’s degree in both business administration and education administration, with an emphasis on training and performance improvement.

Beth Overmyer is the author of the fantasy trilogy The Goblets Immortal. Booklist describes book one as ‘packed full of adventure’ with an ending that leaves readers ‘anxiously awaiting a sequel.’ Beth's works can also be found in various magazines and anthologies.

The one thing I hope readers take away from the book is that it’s okay to be different, in fact our strengths often lie in our differences. Rat wouldn’t have been able to fly on Pino’s back without Pino’s tuft of hair. It turns out to be the perfect handle for Rat to hold onto. The book is about celebrating our differences and not allowing people like Worm to get us down.

When she was a teenager, JK Chichester wanted to be a crime scene investigator. She loved—and still loves—solving complex puzzles. When she isn't writing, she is watching true crime shows, reading psychological thrillers, or spending time with her family.

Mike Norris lives in County Durham with his wife Kayleigh, their daughters Eleanor and Imogen, and their three needy cats. This is his first novel. When Mike isn’t pondering the inner workings of the AfterLife, he presents the popular podcast ‘My Classic Album’, where musicians share their love for their all-time favourite album.

Madeline has contributed to books and documentaries about music including Stardust: The David Bowie Story (1985), The Wild One – The Story of Iggy Pop (1988), Mick Ronson: The Spider with the Platinum Hair (2003), and The Nomi Song (Klaus Nomi documentary, 2005). Madeline was a staff writer at CMJ from its inception in 1978. She has contributed to a variety of magazines including Mojo, Dazed & Confused, and Goldmine.

Katherine Briggs crafted her first monster story at age three. Since graduating from crayons to laptop, she continues to devour and weave fantasy tales while enjoying oolong or chai tea. She, her co-adventurer husband, and their rescue dog reside outside Houston, where she classically educates amazing middle school students, teaches ESL to adults, and studies other languages.