Tami Veldura is an enby/aro/ace author of queer fiction. Their pronouns are they/them/Mx. They love romance, fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal stories that push genre limits. Their work has been nominated for the M/M Goodreads Reader Choice Awards and they have been nominated and placed in the Rainbow Awards. Website: Failure To Communicate Twitter handle: tamiveldura Email: tamiveldura@gmail.com

Terry Odell was born in Los Angeles and after living several decades in Florida now makes her home in Colorado. An avid reader (her parents tell everyone they had to move from their first home because she finished the local library), she always wanted to "fix" stories so the characters did what she wanted, in books, television, and the movies. Once she began writing, she found this wasn't always possible, as evidenced when the mystery she intended to write rapidly became a romance. However, her entry into the world of writing can be attributed to a "mistake" when her son mentioned the Highlander television series on a visit home. Being the "good mother" she began watching the show and soon connected with the world of fanfiction, first as a reader, then as a critique giver, and then, one brave weekend, she wrote her first short story. Things snowballed (if one can use that analogy in central Florida!) and soon she was writing her first original novel. Much later, she mentioned something about a recent Highlander episode to her son, and he said, "Oh, I've never actually watched the show, I just thought the concept was cool." Little did he know what he'd started. "

Hello! I've been writing young adult novels for eight years now and they are my favorite genre—teenagers are funny, smart, savvy, world-wise and yet still have enough innocence to keep believing in people. When I was a teenager, YA novels helped me through some tough, lonely times. Honestly, they saved my life (although maybe a few of my favorite musicians helped ). Without books, I never would have understood there was a better world just waiting for me both inside my head and after I survived high school. Why YA? Because young readers feel things. They haven't forgotten that the world is both real and unreal, and that everything flipping matters. That's a marvelous, scary, amazing, wild ride. I remember when I was little, thinking to myself, "I'll never grow up and forget that I had real thoughts and they meant something. Everyone treats me like I'm not real yet, because I'm still a kid." I remember exactly where I was—on the school bus, slowing down to drop me off at my lonely mailbox, my face pressed against the rattling bus window. My characters are real to me. And they inspire me. And I love, just love the Young Adult and Middle Grade genres. When we're young, it's so hard to see past the walls trapping us into our immediate lives, so hard to believe that we have the power to change our world. It's also so frustrating to be young and trust that our thoughts matter, to realize that we're insightful and real and important, when often our peers, communities, and politicians don't value us or ask our opinions. I love focusing on realistic, imperfect characters. We're all misfit toys in our own way, and labels don't do anyone any good in this upside-down world. I also value sibling relationships, probably because I spent more time with my brother than my parents. We grew up too young and too fast, and we didn't always get along, but during the rough times, we were the closet family we had. You can read more about that in Seventeen Seconds when it's finally out. Representing marginalized characters is also crucial to me. I especially like telling stories that aren't often told, stories about kids who haven't grown up with money or in exciting circumstances or even with two functioning parents in the household. For most of us, that's a fantasy. I love a good story that someone could read and relate to while tucked away under a leafy tree in their small-town favorite reading nook, or when settled on the metal stairs of their fire-escape hideaway, finding precious solitude in a busy city. Please check out my Pox series. It begins with Pablo's adventures in The Pox Ward, continues with my almost finished sequel for those who survive the Ward, and then jumps ahead to the return of the Pox in Apocalypse Thoughts with Kella. (I promise this is not a real spoiler :) I will be adding sequels as quickly as I can get them edited! I began this Pox series years ago before we had any idea a pandemic would change the way we saw ourselves and live in this world. I believe it will also change the way we treat each other, in both good and bad ways. I'm editing and publishing as quickly as I can, but please feel free to ask me questions and send suggestions! I'm also a teacher at a community college, and I host workshop in my community and advise our school's creative writing club. I love helping writers of all ages find and trust their voices.

CS Simpson is a multi-genre writer of several short stories, some poetry, and a novel. Her work can be found in Shoreline of Infinity, the Pikes Peak Writers Anthologies, frontiertales.com, and her own self-published fables. When she's not writing, editing, or stressing about writing, she's either devouring other author's books or playing The Sims and watching movies while sipping Diet Coke. She also enjoys short hikes with her husband and dog under the Colorado skies she calls home. Keep up with her writing journey at www.authorcssimpson.com

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. Her debut middle grade novel, ALONE, won the Colorado Book Award, is an NCTE Notable Novel in Verse, a Goodreads Choice Award Finalist, and was included on over a dozen Best Of and state reading lists. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, and her poetry chapbook, Lessons on Sleeping Alone, was published by Liquid Light Press. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students K-16, and she is nationally recognized for presenting workshops and speaking to audiences across the country. She studied theater and dramatic literature for many years, earning degrees from Occidental College and the Ohio State University. Megan is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Northern Colorado Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Columbine Poets of Colorado, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She is an Impact on Education Award winner, a fellow with the Colorado State University Writing Project, a Fund for Teachers fellow, and a member of the Colorado Poets Center. She used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she lives in northern Colorado.​

Ian Neligh is an award-winning investigative journalist and best-selling author. As a journalist Neligh has flown airplanes, ridden horses and dog sleds, run with burros, dressed up as a mascot, reenacted Civil War battles, hunted for lost treasure, investigated corruption, interviewed mayors, senators, governors and film directors - but generally not at the same time. Neligh helped create the Denver Post’s first podcast program and was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” for his work. He has mingled with ghost hunters, broken national news stories and photographed U.S. Presidents. He developed his passion for storytelling at the family dinner table while growing up in Colorado, where he learned that a good story must be captivating and, if possible, hilarious.