Author Interviews

I’m the author of over eighty books. William Saroyan, now forgotten, was a very big influence, but after moving to San Franciso I took up with the Beats, sharing the first floor of an apartment with Philip Whalen, making friendships with Allen Ginsberg, Richard Brautigan, Gary Snyder, and many others. My book on them, Six Poets of the San Francisco Renaissance, resulted in me becoming a poet myself, although my best-known work is The Road From Home, about my mother’s survival of the Armenian genocide. This book received countless awards and assured me to become a full-time writer.

Kathleen Spivack is the author of twelve books of poetry and prose, from Doubleday, Graywolf, Knopf, and others. Among them are A History of Yearning, With Robert Lowell and His Circle: Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Elizabeth Bishop, Stanley Kunitz & Others, and her poetry book, Homage, published last fall.

My name is Michael Wardner. I was born and raised in California, but now I live just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, in a very small town called Pine Lake. I love to draw and write stories. I have won recognition for my cartoons from the SF Weekly and for my short story writing from Creative Loafing Atlanta. In addition to Kris Kringle and the Great Magic Swindle, I have written The Boy Who Went Boom, The Girl from the Gamma Zone, and a graphic novel called Crumble. I work in video post-production, and I love to do improv comedy and hang out with my wife, two kids, and our dog and cat (I’m not sure the cat enjoys it as much as I do).

Jacoby double majored in illustration and theater at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in 2017. He works professionally as an artist at UW-Eau Claire. Being a jack-of-all-trades, he also works in a variety of artistic mediums, including but not limited to, illustration, writing, painting, carpentry, woodworking, sewing, acting, ballroom dance, and more. In his spare time, he enjoys cruising around in his hearse or riding motorcycle, working on his vintage car, cosplaying and attending conventions, reading comics, watching horror movies, and finding new ways to create and make art.

Who am I? A writer passionate about the Caribbean—the tumultuous history, the resolute people, the unfolding events of today that tug at the heart. I don’t write about fun things to do on vacation. I seek out stories that cry for attention—poverty, wealth, overdevelopment, crime, and who gets and doesn’t get a piece of paradise.

Katherine is an award-winning picture book author who writes stories that celebrate the love and joy found in family life. Her books often feature authentic disability representation, inspired by her belief that every child deserves to see themselves in literature. Katie lives on Cape Cod with her husband and two young daughters.

Teresa Tennyson explores modern issues through the lens of speculative fiction. A former soldier and diplomat, she is a lifelong writer who believes storytelling has the power to build empathy, bridge cultural chasms, and mobilize collective action toward a better future for all.

E.L. Wilk is an award-nominated indie author and publisher whose work explores the ethical, emotional, and technological boundaries of modern medicine and artificial intelligence. Her debut medical techno-thriller, Body of Work, examines the global trade in human organs and the consequences of turning the human body into a commodity.

Four published novels. Two more novels completed. One screenplay optioned. Six completed screenplays.

Atlanta writer Mark Elberfeld began this essay collection – appropriately on the theme of journeys – at a remote chateau in tiny Orquevaux, France. Educated at the University of the South, Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, and Georgia State University, Mark previously taught sixth grade in the Washington, D.C. area, where he grew up, and in Budapest, Hungary.

Chandra Lynn, MBA, is a certified transformation coach, author of Root-to-Rise: How to Love Life, and founder of Glow Living – a platform dedicated to helping people love life. After a twenty-five-year career as a marketing expert for brands like Apple, Avid, and Universal Audio, she answered a deeper calling: to guide others through healing, growth, and awakening.

Meena R.D. is an award-winning author of Path to Rebirth: Fight. Survive. Repeat., a memoir about transformation and perseverance. Her work has appeared in Pretty Women Hustle Magazine, Caribbean Collective Magazine, and Influencer Magazine UK.

V.S. Lawrence grew up in Utah being scared of everything. Now, she puts her fears on paper, writing spooky books that feel like Scooby-Doo chase music. When not writing, she can be found buried in a horror novel, wandering aimlessly, or cuddling her dog, Rigby. She is still scared of everything.

I’m M.M.D.A., the author of the Horns and Bark series. I write dark fantasy rooted in myth, moral conflict, and unforgiving worlds shaped by power, faith, and identity. My stories draw from folklore and medieval tones, focusing on flawed characters forced to confront brutal choices and uncomfortable truths. I’m drawn to the spaces where wonder and cruelty coexist, and where no decision comes without consequence.

Born in the UK, I grew up in a working-class home in Cheshire. I love animals and outdoor spaces. I enjoyed working hard at school, achieving ten O-levels, but couldn’t wait to start work. My first job began a twenty-eight-year career involving two-way radio communications, until a work injury meant I had to try a different role elsewhere.

Born and raised in the South of France, I moved to the UK in my early twenties and have remained here ever since, primarily working as a digital designer.

Chelsea Elliott grew up on a steady diet of monsters, magic, and heartbreak. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural reruns taught her that the villain always has the better lines. Her love for Spike sparked a lifelong fascination with morally grey characters and the kind of dark romances that blur the line between ruin and redemption.

Patrick Chuka (b. 2000, Lagos, Nigeria) is a multidisciplinary artist and writer whose work explores the intersections of identity, spirituality, and human transformation.

Freelance novelist/screenwriter seeking screen media interest. Loves art galleries, beaches, forest walks, and people.

Ford entered the world of writing towards the end of 2025 by releasing his debut novel, What Lies Through the Smoke. A mish mash of noir, thriller and dieselpunk, Ford hopes to continue the series by completing the sequel by the end of the year.