Sylvia Heike is a fantasy and science fiction writer from Finland. Her stories have appeared in Flash Fiction Online, PodCastle, Nature Futures, and more. When not writing, she likes to go hiking and looking for birds. To find out more, visit https://www.sylviaheike.com or say hello on Twitter @sylviaheike.

I live in the backwoods of western PA with my partner and a small pack of (in their opinion) wild animals. I accidentally collect a very specific model of vintage blender and make a hobby of finding new hobbies. One day my slowly amassed hoard of crochet blankets may consume my home. My short stories have appeared in Apex Magazine, Cossmass Infinities and in the Women in Practical Armor Anthology. You can find the rest of my writing credits at https://clhilbert.wordpress.com/publications/.

Liam Hogan is an award-winning short story writer, with stories in Best of British Science Fiction and in Best of British Fantasy (NewCon Press). He's been published by Analog, Daily Science Fiction, and Flame Tree Press, among others. He helps host Liars' League London, volunteers at the creative writing charity Ministry of Stories, and lives and avoids work in London. More details at http://happyendingnotguaranteed.blogspot.com/.

Brian Hugenbruch is a speculative fiction author and poet living in Upstate NY with his wife and their daughter (and some unruly pets). By day, he writes information security programs to protect your data on (and from) the internet. His poetry has also appeared in Eye to the Telescope, Penumbric Spec, Liquid Imagination, and Apparition Lit. You can find him on Twitter @Bwhugen, on Instagram @the_lettersea, and at the-lettersea.com. No, he’s not sure how to say his last name, either.

Vanessa Jae writes horrifically beautiful anarchies, reads stories for Apex Magazine and translates for Progressive International. She also collects black hoodies and bruises in mosh pits on Tuesday nights. To read tweets by interesting people follow her at @thevanessajae.

Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, Ignyte Award winner, Nebula-, Locus-, Bram Stoker-, and BFSA Award finalist, and an immigrant from Fujian currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. She is a member of HWA and SFWA. Her work can be found in F&SF, The Dark, Uncanny, among others. She is the recipient of Odyssey Workshop's 2022 Fresh Voices Scholarship and the author of Linghun and I AM AI. Find her on X (@AiJiang_), Insta (@ai.jian.g), and online (http://aijiang.ca).

Gabrielle Johansen creates pieces of speculative fiction and fantasy from her Charlotte, NC home. While she was born in Boston, she has lived in the South most of her life. She has never developed an affinity for grits, but she does love biscuits. Gabrielle is an avid reader, boardgamer and sometime-crafter. Her main partners in all of the above are her wonderful husband and terrific kid. Sometimes her two cats try to join the games, but their strategies mostly consist of knocking pieces off the board.

Julie Allyn Johnson, a sawyer’s daughter from the American Midwest, loves long walks in the woods. She digs Halloween, photography, gravel-travel, art, poetry and haiku, reading and hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Her current obsession is tackling the rough and tumble sport of quilting and the accumulation of fabric. Julie prefers black licorice over red, cigarette-length Tootsie Rolls and Hot Tamales, practically the perfect candy. Her poetry can be found in various journals including Lyrical Iowa, The Briar Cliff Review, Phantom Kangaroo, The Disappointed Housewife, Anti-Heroin Chic, Coffin Bell, Typehouse Literary Magazine, Better Than Starbucks and Chestnut Review.

Timothy Johnson is a writer and editor living outside Washington, D.C., where he recently earned an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University. His published writing includes the novels The Pillars of Dawn and Carrier as well as short fiction from Gamut, Deracine Magazine, Crystal Lake Publishing, and Inked in Gray Press. He was editor-in-chief of phoebe journal, and in 2021, he was an Alan Cheuse Center Fellow and a Pushcart Award nominee. He is an HWA member. Learn more at www.timothyjohnsonfiction.com.

Elisabeth Kauffman is an author, an editor, a writing coach, and an artist. She edits novels and memoir for independent clients as well as publishing companies, and coaches writers to find their voices and connect to the magic in their creative lives. When she’s not making up stories, Elisabeth loves reading immersive fiction, doing puzzles, and playing co-op video games with her friends. Learn more about her at www.elisabethkauffman.com or email her at ekauffman@writingrefinery.com.