Author Interviews

Kristen Capezza is a nationally recognized leader, storyteller, and creative strategist. After more than fifteen years as a senior executive in higher education, where she led award-winning marketing and enrolment initiatives, Kristen followed her calling to write children’s books that inspire imagination, wonder, and heart. She is president and founder of Three Little Lights LLC, a company dedicated to bringing ideas to life through personalized consulting and children’s book publishing.

Selma Byrd is a romance writer with a background in fashion, criminology, and sociology. Her work blends contemporary romance with dark and gritty themes. Drawing from her academics, she crafts multifaceted and complex characters that feel real and compelling.

Nick Paskoski is an activist and writer from the Washington D.C. area. Simultaneously heartfelt and sarcastic, his debut novel, American Pride, combines a rock and roll style with thoughtful political and social explorations.

Russell Gerney is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and the Duquesne University School of Law. He has published two novels, Eighty Hours and To Sleep, Perchance to Dream. He has also had the poem Dreams of the Beach published in Scribeworth magazine.

J.L. Kirby is a pen name for sisters Jacqueline and Lauren Kirby. Jacqueline lives in New Jersey with her husband, Mike, and daughters Emma and Lorelai. She runs a marketing agency, First & Vine Marketing. Lauren lives in South Carolina with her husband, Tyler, and their cat, Meadow, DJ’s sister. Lauren teaches third grade and loves working through writing prompts with her students.

Tracey Kyler lives in Ohio with her family and mini Goldendoodle, Tucker, who thinks he runs the show. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, crocheting, visiting local restaurants, taking family walks, and binge watching The Great British Bake Off and documentaries. She is an avid Formula One fan and loves cheering on her favorite hockey and football teams. And of course, all things paranormal, mythological, and Star Wars!

Michelle Campbell is an indie author who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, but moved to South Carolina with her two children a decade ago. Another Life Lesson is her debut novel. It comes out on February 1.

Christopher Cole is currently editing his first book, Ephemeris, which he wrote while winding down a thirty-year career in marketing and communications in the higher education and public utility sectors. During that time, he has also earned his Master of Public Administration and Juris Doctor. He passed the Kentucky Bar Exam in 2009 and the Kentucky Real Estate Exam in 2022.

A saxophonist and music lover, Daniele holds a MA Degree in Conservation of Cultural Heritage from the University of Venice. In 2004 he relocated to Lisbon, specialising in photography and film production at the Cinemateca Portuguesa-Museu do Cinema of Lisbon. Over the last two decades he has collaborated with private and public institutions across Portugal, Spain, Italy, Finland, Albania, and the UK.

William Bundy is a writer and filmmaker with an expanding portfolio of short stories and screenplays. He has directed short films and intends to publish short stories and several novels, as well as produce feature films.

Elise lives in the UK with her husband and children, surrounded by antiques, teacups, and far too many books. She loves stories steeped in history, magic, slow-burn romance, and a hint of darkness.

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.