Author Interviews

Mary Jumbelic, M.D. is an author and former Chief Medical Examiner of Onondaga County, NY. In her twenty-five-year career, she has performed thousands of autopsies and helped to pass national safety policies for consumer products, preventing untimely deaths. You might’ve seen her as an expert witness on Dateline, 48 Hours, Discovery Channel, Law&Crime, and more. While retired from government work, Mary continues to consult on cases, pursuing her passion for writing by sharing her stories of experience both in and out of the morgue. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first book, Here, Where Death Delights (2023), has been featured in Times Square and is the recipient of international press and awards. Mary’s second book, Speak Her Name: Stories from a Life in True Crime (2025) has received early praise, and is now available.

Lailo Lema is a dark fiction author. Her work blurs the line between desire and dread. She is a pioneer of mixed genre, her favorite being erotic horror and gothic fairytales. Her work masterfully uses synesthesia and artistic design. She believes the right words can do more than entice but wreck someone as well.

D.K. Silver is the author of The Weight of Flowers, and Forcing Shoots, a four-book genre-bending saga. The series explores themes of sexual exploitation and dalliance, greed in its many guises, and the quest for self-worth.

Siobhán F. Murphy is a Belfast-based freelance writer and editor with a specialism in fiction writing and in ELT and educational publishing. She primarily writes fantasy and dystopian fiction, and educational video scripts. Her first novel, Hedge Witch, was published in October 2025. It is the first book in the Hedgefall Chronicles trilogy. She has also written a comedy short story for BBC Radio Ulster, and a body horror story for The Selkie. She has a degree in English literature and Spanish and is currently studying part time for a Creative Writing MA at Queen’s University, Belfast. She lives with one bad-tempered cat called Ianto. In her free time, you can find her playing Dungeons and Dragons, getting involved in amateur theatre, making folded book artwork, trying to learn new languages, and, of course relaxing with a good novel (usually about the end of the world, whatever that says about her).

Preethi Saravanakumar is a software developer by profession and a poet at heart. Writing poetry remains her deepest passion, and she also enjoys creating imaginative works for children. Over the years, she has written hundreds of poems, many of which have appeared on her blog, in magazines, and across social media.

Chris Cage is a product manager, writer, endurance athlete, and the voice behind The Mental Lens blog and the podcast Through the Mental Lens. After years in high-pressure environments that prized efficiency over empathy, Chris set out on a journey toward clarity and connection.

Marcus Blacksmith is a resident of the Cotswolds, England. Wolds End was his first independently published work. A collection of eight stories of supernatural retribution, all set in the area he lives in.

I’m a wife, mom of two (plus two fur babies), and a lifelong lover of stories. My passion for books and writing began in childhood, when I filled notebooks with poetry and short stories. I earned my degree in English, and while I once thought I’d spend my life teaching, my path eventually led me to a second degree in web and graphic design. Today, I work full-time as a web designer and developer, but writing remains one of my greatest joys. When I’m not at my desk, I love reading, listening to true crime podcasts, crafting and painting, and spending time with my husband, kids, and pets – usually while binge-watching cop dramas or cooking competitions.

K.M. Kaufmann is a Denver-based author who writes about reluctant magic, messy healing, and the kind of community that sneaks up on you. When she’s not crafting spells on the page, she’s probably meeting up with her trashy book club or making up songs about her dog. Ink in the Hands of Witches is her debut novel.

Oakley Beaumont is a primarily fiction writer who has primarily explored self-publication of fantasy novels. These include She Amongst the Pigeons, 2025, and A Boy Named Bliss, 2025, and under the name J.S. Young, The Weaver Heir, 2019, Dragonsoul, 2021. In traditional publication, he has recently debuted in Spirit of the Wolf, 2025, a short story collection. Alongside his writing, he is currently studying creative writing and works in education.

Adnan Amir is an author, award-winning actor, and filmmaker, and the creator of the Back 2 Forward universe – a bold, multi-timeline world where love, memory, and destiny collide across parallel realities.

J.J. Raine is a mother-son duo whose debut novel, Whispers From the Treehouse, began as a whisper in a high school classroom and grew into a story of memory, magic, and connection. They write to remember, to heal, and to pass the lantern forward.

A teacher by training, I now write stories about women of all shapes and sizes finding love and figuring out life.

Verity Thornhill is an emerging voice in sweet, small-town romances, creating stories that make readers believe in the wonder of realistic, enduring love. Her stories are fade-to-black tales that are deeply character-led, focusing not just on the sparks between the different love interests, but also on the strong, fun-filled relationships that anchor her main female character to the town or village she’s in. To keep things interesting, she also likes to weave a gentle mystery into the background too.

Ben Almond is a judo coach and business leader with a passion for simplifying complexity, developing talent, and delivering excellence.

Shelley Suzanne is a native East Texan who raised her hand for her debut book, I Didn’t Raise My Hand For This. She spent many years teaching elementary school math and science and the idea for her book started out as a blog called The Party Never Ends. She currently lives in the high deserts of New Mexico with her husband and three dogs with rock star names.

J.P. Coffman is a storyteller, family man, and self-proclaimed hermit in the woods. A lifelong lover of fantasy, he has been building worlds since he was old enough to write and roll dice. When not writing, he enjoys painting miniatures, playing tabletop war-games, and crafting adventures for friends. Battle for Crossroads his first book in The Arkencrest Chronicles.

Lizzy Brendel is a new author whose debut poetry collection, The Human Condition Exhibition, details her life experience for the past decade. While pursuing a career in nursing, she often daydreamed of depicting her experiences in the written word. This fueled a full-blown poetry passion; giving life to the tumultuous, traumatic, and whimsical. So much so, in fact, that she pursued a minor in creative writing alongside her nursing degree at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her writing prowess, however, started much earlier. In her teenage years, she took two creative writing courses with Duke at Appalachian State University over two summers. She writes poems from her home in St. Louis, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and their two cats and dog. You can find her hiking, embroidering, and reading in her free time. You can find her latest work on her Instagram, where she enjoys sharing her writing and engaging with other writers.

Glenn Armocida resides in western Pennsylvania. He was a finalist in the Rash Award in Fiction (2022 and 2024). His recent work appears in The Broad River Review, Solum Journal, Black Moon Magazine, Havik, Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, The Watershed Journal, and The Ground Up. In the 1980s, Armocida attended the University of Pittsburgh as an English major in the College of Arts and Sciences’ creative writing program. During this time, he published poems in Poetry ‘n Prose, Kiosk, and Afterimage, and feature articles in Pittsburgh Magazine, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Executive Report. He has worked as a mill laborer, cook, radio news anchor, printer, technical and business writer, editor, and the past thirty-four years as an investment manager. When he is not writing, Glenn is with his family, ministering to the homeless, tending his gardens, or pursuing outdoor life.

Amy Lanci is the author of Listen Up!, The Email Communication Bible, and Untold Storyland: The Voice Within. A memoirist, story coach, and former sea turtle geneticist, she helps people uncover and share their most meaningful stories. With a unique blend of scientific precision and creative insight, Amy guides writers, entrepreneurs, and families in clarifying their vision, building confidence, and bringing their stories to life.