Marc Hopkins is an endurance athlete, author, and speaker who has completed the Bigfoot 200, eight Ironman-distance triathlons, and more than 300 races ranging from 5Ks to ultramarathons. He holds an Executive MBA and has coached hundreds of athletes across their own finish lines—often helping them overcome the mental barriers that matter as much as the physical ones.
Shay Casper writes her debut series while juggling the whirlwind of college athletics, classes, and family life. Whether crafting a D&D campaign to save a village from a fire-breathing dragon or winning skittles in a short story competition, storytelling has always been her passion. Inspired by her family and characters, she’s finally sharing her world with readers, inviting them to embark on the adventure with her.
Tim Hutchinson grew up on an Arkansas farm where faith, family, and hard work shaped his understanding of America’s promise. His journey from the hills of Spavinaw Creek to the United States Senate reflects a lifetime of conservative conviction and a belief that freedom thrives when rooted in personal responsibility and enduring values.
Vincent Rubino, aka “Vince” or “Vinny,” was born and initially raised in Brooklyn, New York, before his family moved to North Bay Shore, Long Island. He graduated from Brentwood High School before attending college in upstate New York. Vince returned to Long Island to attend Hofstra School of Law, then relocated to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where he met his wife, Julie. Julie and Vince built a house in Stroudsburg, which is where they raised their two fantastic children, Rena and Katie, both now New York City residents.
Belle is a children’s picture book author and teacher who loves creating warm, funny, picture books filled with heart. Inspired by her own shy beginnings, she writes stories that help children find their courage and celebrate who they are. Her tales often feature adorable animals and life lessons, discovering that even the smallest voices can make a difference.
Forever bored of my Midwest upbringing, I read voraciously as a child, falling asleep to the sound of my grandparents reading me Rudyard Kipling as a child. My parents fed the storyteller in me at every book fair; they knew that they were forming my brain to create tales of my own. I wrote stories from the time I could hold a pencil — always romances. Romance remains my homeland.
Sneha Villalva served as the executive speechwriter for the UCLA chancellor and two Pomona College presidents. She previously worked as a journalist with The Press-Enterprise in Southern California.
Growing up in Southern California, I’ve always had a wild imagination, thanks to my love for history and storytelling. Some of my favorite authors, such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, and Brian Jacques, have greatly inspired my writing. This passion for history and knack for spinning myths and fantasies pushed me to write my first novel, The Gathering, while I was chasing my MA in history. Since then, I’ve rolled out two more books, and there’s a fourth one on the way!
Marí is a debut author from West Virginia. Her poetry is inspired by her own experiences with love, loss, motherhood, identity, and family. As a lover of the outdoors and the mountains that she calls home, much of her work is heavily rooted in nature imagery. The Line Between is her first published collection of poetry that began as an emotional outlet and diary of sorts, before morphing into words that she wanted to share with the world. When Marí isn’t writing (or reading), you can find her on a nature trail or at her favorite beer garden with her husband, son, and their two dogs.
Makayla Ghazal is a fifteen-year-old author who published her debut novel, The Ungoblin Brother, at fourteen. She loves her family, chocolate, and Jesus, everything a girl needs! She has lots of pets and enjoys writing stories and watching movies with her dad.
Cisco Gonzalez is an American author who writes fictional stories with a comedic twist under the name Matt Peterson. As a military brat, he grew up all over the place. He enjoys any well written and funny fiction and is influenced by authors such as Christoper Moore, John Scalzi, and Martha Wells. He currently resides in Tucson.
Blake Anderson spent more than three decades in the technology industry, including over twenty years at Microsoft, before retiring to pursue new passions as a certified life coach and author.
Chester is a young trans man from Hertfordshire, England. With an overactive imagination, he has always used writing to bring the worlds and ideas in his head alive, even when he was still small and just learning to write! To have his words printed in books is a massive achievement that he’s entirely honoured by.
I am James Abbot, ‘Jim’ to my family and friends, and the author of The Burdens of Aeneas: A Son’s Memoir of Duty and Love, which was a finalist for a 2018 Georgia Author of the Year Award. I have a doctorate in classics and have written and taught courses on Latin poetry and Roman history. Born and raised in rural Georgia, I now live with my family in Brooklyn, where I dream about wild rivers and deep forests.
Andy Barrow is a New York–based writer whose debut novel, Peter in Progress, draws inspiration from his own later-in-life gay awakening. When he’s not writing, Andy is likely perfecting his backhand, chasing his next cold brew, or making up for lost time on the dance floor — preferably with nineties icons (Crystal, CeCe, Whitney …) on rotation.
An award-winning published author and multicultural communications strategist, guest speaker, business writer, and small business advocate, Susana G Baumann, MAA, MLS, is the president of Excel Branding, and founder and former editor-in-chief of LatinasinBusiness.us.
I am a lifelong learner and very passionate about education. However, growing up in Nigeria opened my eyes to issues of gender inequities around me. It was a common challenge encountered in different facets of the society, even in education. So, I chose to write this novel to add my voice to especially the issue of girls’ education.
Terry Cozad Taylor is a raconteur and photographer who has gained local fame for his storytelling ability and his image-creating acumen. He grew up in an industrial suburb of Chicago, and has earned degrees in English and philosophy, journalism, and art. He spent the first two-thirds of his life doing public relations for universities; the final third he spent leading non-profit organizations in the field of spirituality.
Evan Hulick, PhD, is a visiting instructor of English (VI) at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. He graduated with his PhD from The Catholic University of America (CUA) in May 2024 after successfully defending his dissertation titled, ‘Transcending Genres: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Influence on Narrative Worlds in Ursula K. Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, and Junot Díaz.’
Marina Lizio is a data scientist and a writer. She grew up in Sicily, Italy, where she studied computer science and bioinformatics. She moved to Japan in 2006, working as a bioinformatics researcher at the RIKEN institute in Yokohama until 2019.