Author Interviews

Wendy Waters is an award-winning author, composer, lyricist, and librettist. Born in Australia, she grew up in Sydney, lived in the USA for six years, and now divides her time between London, Sydney, and Paris. In 2011 Waters volunteered to work with OASIS Salvation Army Crisis Centre in Sydney, helping musically gifted young people and it was in this capacity that she first conceived of the idea of a guardian angel rescuing a troubled or abused child as many of the young people at Oasis spoke of guardian angels coming to their rescue at times of danger.

Poet Laureate Emerita Wendy Van Camp is a dynamic voice in speculative poetry, blending cutting-edge technology, astronomy, and daydreams into her work. Her talent has earned her nominations for the Elgin, Pushcart Prize, Rhysling, and Dwarf Stars Awards. Wendy’s poems, stories, and articles grace journals worldwide such as Star*Line, Scifaikuest, Worlds of IF, and San Diego Poetry Annual. She also contributes to Indy Author Magazine. Wendy is the editor of Eccentric Orbits: a science fiction poetry anthology. As a member of SFWA, SFPA, and IBPA and co-chair of the SFWA Poetry Committee, Wendy is a passionate advocate for the speculative community. Her debut poetry collection, The Planets, was nominated for the Elgin Award.

Born in the south of England, Wendy trained as a nurse and midwife before moving into teaching after the birth of her two children. After a variety of jobs and houses, she moved to France to open a B&B and teach English as a Foreign Language. When the COVID pandemic started, she used the unexpected time on her hands to start writing the novel she’d always wanted to write.

Thomas M. Wing, a Naval Academy and Naval War College graduate, retired after thirty-two years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. He served across a broad swath of tactical and operational billets, including more than ten years at sea in guided missile destroyers and frigates. A dedicated sailor for over half a century, he founded and served as executive director for the Continental Navy Foundation, and commanded the foundation’s tall ship, Megan D.

Stephen C. Pollock (“Steve”) is a poet, essayist, eye surgeon, neuro-ophthalmologist, business executive, and inventor. His debut poetry collection, Exits, won the 2024 North Street Book Prize for Poetry, the Gold Medal for Poetry in the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, and 1st Place for Poetry in the 2025 Firebird Book Awards. The twenty poems in Exits were written and edited over a period of twenty years. Designing and formatting the book required an additional two years.

Originally a shy and awkward biracial adoptee, Stephanie is now one of those people who, as soon as you meet her, you’ll feel joy around. She graduated from Langara College (Digital & Print Publications, Dean’s Honour Roll) and recently from Simon Fraser University (Editing Certificate). Last summer, she published her first children’s book – Septopus.

Last year, I entered a micro-fiction writing contest with a horror/Halloween theme. My love of horror attracted me to this contest, and I had so much fun writing it. I didn’t win the contest, but it triggered something. I’ve always loved writing short stories, but this started me on a new path of writing up an absolute storm. Many of the stories I crafted were in the spooky/horror realm. So, you could say that I wasn’t exactly “inspired” to write a book, more so that I had lots of fun writing some shorts and realized… these could be a book!

I’m a British author based in the North West, UK. I published my first book, Drifting in a Dream, in 2021, with the sequel, Falling in Flames, escaping in 2024. Despite reading far and wide, young adult and fantasy remain two of my favourite genres to write. I love the flexibility of fantasy, and I particularly enjoy incorporating it into our mundane everyday world.

Roberta Beach Jacobson is an American author/poet/editor who is drawn to the magic of words – flash fiction, poetry, song lyrics, puzzles, and stand-up comedy. Her latest book is Demitasse Fiction: One-Minute Reads for Busy People (Alien Buddha Press, 2023). She lives in Indianola, Iowa, with her husband and three cats.

I searched, for many years, for enlightenment. I questioned a lot and searched for reasons for why people think the way they do and react the way they do. The absurdity of life has always fascinated me and disturbed me. Philosophy has always been an interest. Even in this book of funny illustrations, there is a lot of philosophy behind the scenes! Art helps me create the settings and allows me to make fun of myself and our crazy world.

By day, I’m a former scientist with a background in materials chemistry, now working in the saner (but no less complex) world of intellectual property. Both sides of me live in Birmingham—a city full of grit, heart, bin bags, and endless inspiration for the end of the world. We have two cats, one kid and one husband that we have to share.

Rachel has enjoyed writing all kinds of funny little stories since she was the young age of eleven. Also a nerd, she likes Star Wars and anything involving vampires. Some of her favorite TV shows are The Vampire Diaries, Brooklyn 99, and Supernatural. Her inspiration for The Dark Prince of Lazera comes from a lifelong interest in magic, folklore, and the paranormal.

Rachanee Lumayno is an actress, voiceover artist, screenwriter, avid gamer, and amateur dodgeball player. She grew up in Michigan, where she spent way too much of her free time reading fantasy novels. So when she decided to try her hand at writing a book, it made sense that it would be in her favorite genre. The Kingdom Legacy series marks her debut as an author. She is also a staff writer for two comics and an upcoming video game.

I write how I feel, and when I started writing this book, I was just so upset and angry at quite a lot of recent cases of animal cruelty that had appeared in the news. This novel was my way of venting my anger and creating the ultimate form of punishment for people who think it’s okay to be cruel to animals as, in my opinion, there is no justice for the animals who fall victim to these cruel people. I wanted to create a system that would keep them safe, all of them, and protect them from the darker side of humanity.

Oluwabunmi Ajao holds a bachelor’s degree in German and French Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a master’s degree in Intercultural German Studies from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, as a DAAD Scholar.

Olivier is a writer and cosmopolitan thinker working in San Francisco. She is committed to humanistic perspectives and the importance and power of the narratives we share. Olivier won the 2023 Hicks Prize in Fiction, and has been featured in The Lawrentian newspaper.

Nicki’s debut novel, Ellis River, won the Independent Book Publishers Association’s Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book – Fiction. The next year, it won IBPA’s award for Best Audiobook – Fiction. The novel was also a finalist for the Eric Hoffer First Horizons Award, received an Honorable Mention for the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize, and was a semi-finalist for the Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize.

As an author, Michelle is passionate about creating stories that help children (and adults) build strong social-emotional skills in a fun, approachable way. Through her books, she tackles everyday challenges like learning patience, calming a busy mind at bedtime, and using art to manage emotions like anger.

Hampton County native Michael M. DeWitt Jr. is a multiple-award-winning journalist, longtime editor of the 144-year-old The Hampton County Guardian, author of four books, including Wicked Hampton County and Fall of the House of Murdaugh, and host of the Wicked South Podcast.

Mesalie Feleke is a doctor, biologist, peer reviewer, and postdoctoral cancer researcher based in Perth. She has a passion for literature, art, and storytelling, and draws on her diverse experiences to craft thought-provoking narratives that explore change, resilience, and human complexity.