MULTIVERSE 2019 GUESTS

Author Guest of Honor: SEANAN MCGUIRE

Seanan McGuire writes things. All kinds of things. She writes books, novellas, and short stories, and thanks to them, has won multiple major genre awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Campbell. She is also a two-time recipient of the Alex Award, which makes her mother very proud. As Mira Grant, Seanan writes biomedical science fiction thrillers, which sounds fancy, doesn't it? If that wasn't enough, Seanan also writes for Marvel Comics, and is the current writer of Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider, as well as the writer of various X-Men one shots. She feels this justifies many of her childhood financial choices. Seanan lives in the Pacific Northwest with her collection of very large cats, very creepy dolls, and remarkably specific Overwatch merchandise. Keep up with her at her website, www.seananmcguire.com, or on Twitter as @seananmcguire. Pre-order Seanan/s books for pickup at Multiverse here!

NOTABLE WORKS

Wayward Children series
October Daye series
InCryptid Series
Newsflesh & Parasitology series (as Mira Grant)
Middlegame (novel, 2019)
X-Men Black: Mystique
Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider series
X-Men Black: Nightcrawler

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

New York Times Bestselling Author
Hugo Award Winner
Nebula Award Winner
John W. Campbell Award Winner
Earned a record five Hugo Award nominations in a single year (2013)
Two-time Alex Award Winner

Artist Guest of Honor: JOHN PICACIO

JOHN PICACIO is one of the most acclaimed American artists in science fiction and fantasy over the last decade, creating best-selling art for George R. R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series, as well as the STAR TREK and X-MEN franchises. Major clients include Penguin Random House, Tor Books, HarperCollins, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Subterranean Press, Pyr, Baen Books, Dark Horse Comics, and many more. His body of work features major cover illustrations for authors such as Michael Moorcock, Harlan Ellison, Brenda Cooper, James Dashner, Frederik Pohl, Dan Simmons, Mark Chadbourn, Sheri S. Tepper, James Tiptree, Jr., Lauren Beukes, Jeffrey Ford, Joe R. Lansdale, and many, many more. His accolades include two Hugo Awards, eight Chesley Awards, two Locus Awards, two International Horror Guild Awards, the World Fantasy Award, and the Inkpot Award. In 2012, he founded his own creative imprint, Lone Boy, which became the launchpad for his Loteria Grande cards, a bold contemporary re-imagineering of the classic Mexican game of chance. In 2018, he became only the third person in 76 years to serve as Guest of Honor and Hugo Awards Master of Ceremonies at the same Worldcon. For more, please visit www.johnpicacio.com.

Industry Guest of Honor: CAT RAMBO

Nebula, Endeavour, and World Fantasy nominee Cat Rambo lives, writes, and teaches on a hill in Seattle. Since appearing on the scene in 2005, Rambo has produced over 200 short stories, six collections, two novels, a cookbook, and two books on writing, as well as editing multiple anthologies and Fantasy Magazine. A frequent volunteer and two-term President with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, she is also the creator of online school The Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, allowing students across the world to connect with some of the best teachers in F&SF today.

ALSO APPEARING:

(in alphabetical order)

Featured

Marc L Abbott is the author of the YA novel The Hooky Party and the children’s book Etienne and the Stardust Express. His short story’s “Welcome to Brooklyn, Gabe” and “A Marked Man” are featured in the Bram Stoker Nominated horror anthology’s New York State of Fright and Hell’s Heart. He is the co-author of the horror anthology Hell at the Way Station. He is the director of the horror short SNAP. A two-time nominated best actor for his role in Impervia. A 2015 Moth StorySlam and GrandSlam winner. He is the host of the monthly storytelling show Maaan, You’ve Got to Hear This! in Bushwick, Brooklyn and a member of the HWA New York Chapter. Find out more about him at www.whoismarclabbott.com .

Troy Carrol Bucher served thirty years in the U.S. Army, where assignments sent him to three wars and places like Turkey, Albania, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Korea. His travels allow him to tap into a lifetime of working with diverse cultures and peoples, bringing multiethnic customs and realism with a distinct military flavor to his writing. He is the author of Lies of Descent (2019), the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy from DAW, and he was the coeditor of The Razor's Edge (2018). Troy is a graduate of Seton Hill University's MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. Read more at tcbucher.com.

Dana Cameron writes across many genres, but especially crime and speculative fiction. Her work, inspired by her career in archaeology, has won multiple Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity Awards, and has been nominated for the Edgar Award. Dana's Emma Fielding archaeology mysteries were optioned by Muse Entertainment; the third movie, based on MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, premiered the Hallmark Movie & Mystery Channel in January. When she's not traveling or visiting museums, she's usually yelling at the TV about historical inaccuracies.

Craig Campbell is an indie RPG designer and the owner of NerdBurger Games. He is the designer of the award-winning CAPERS RPG, as well as Die Laughing and Murders & Acquisitions. Craig has been playing RPGs for nearly thirty years and has freelanced for games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Iron Kingdoms, Heavy Metal Thunder Mouse, Pip System, and Never Going Home. As the secretary of the Indie Game Developer Network, Craig seeks to encourage and mentor new, diverse design voices. He is a staunch believer that there is no such thing as “too many games.”

Mike and Matt Chapman are the VACWAD's of HomestarRunner.com, an animated web-series that's been around since the early aughts. VACWAD stands for Voice Actor-Creator-Writer-Animator-Directors. They also VACWAD'd a series of shorts for Disney called "Two More Eggs" and most recently made "Trogdor!! The Board Game" with James Ernest after a successful Kickstarter campaign. I wanted to use VACWAD one more time but couldn't think of another good use. Oh wait! I just did!

Preeti Chhibber is a YA author, speaker, and freelancer. She's written for SYFY, The Nerds of Color, and The Mary Sue, among others. Her short story, "Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers" was published in A Thousand Beginnings and Endings (HarperCollins, 2018). Her debut, Peter and Ned's Ultimate Travel Journal came out this year (Marvel Press, 2019). Find her co-hosting the podcasts Desi Geek Girls and Strong Female Characters (SYFYWire). She’s appeared on several panels at NYCC, SDCC, and on screen on the SYFY Network. You probably recognize her from one of several BuzzFeed “look at these tweets” lists. PreetiChhibber.com

Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of Aru Shah and the End of Time, The Star-Touched Queen, A Crown of Wishes, and The Gilded Wolves. Her work has been nominated for the Locus and Nebula awards, and her books have appeared on Barnes and Nobles Best New Books of the Year and Buzzfeed Best Books of the Year lists. Chokshi lives in Georgia, but doesn’t have much of a Southern accent. Alas.

Paige L. Christie is author of The Legacies of Arnan fantasy series: Draigon Weather (2017), Wing Wind (2018), Long Light (2019), Storm Forged (2020). As a believer in the power of words, Paige tells stories that are both entertaining and thoughtful. Especially of interest are tales that speak to women and open a space where adventure and fantasy are not all about happy endings. When she isn’t writing, she teaches belly dancing, is director of a non-profit, and runs a wine shop. She is a proud, founding member of the Blazing Lioness Writers. You can follow her at https://paigelchristie.com, https://www.facebook.com/paigelchristie, and https://twitter.com/paigelchristie

Gerald L. Coleman is a Philosopher, Theologian, Poet, and Author residing in Atlanta. He did his undergraduate work in Philosophy, English, and Religion Studies and holds a Master’s Degree in Theology. He is the author of the Epic Fantasy novel saga The Three Gifts, which currently includes When Night Falls (Book One) and A Plague of Shadows (Book Two), and his short stories have appeared in several anthologies. Gerald is the Director of the GEEK:Fantasy programming track at Multiverse 2019. You can find him at geraldlcoleman.com.

Milton Davis is a Black Speculative Fiction writer and owner of MVmedia, a small publishing company specializing in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Sword and Soul. MVmedia’s mission is to provide speculative fiction books that represent people of color in a positive manner. Milton is the author of seventeen novels; his most recent is the Sword & Soul adventure Son of Mfumu. He is the editor and co-editor of seven anthologies. Milton’s African Martial Art Screenplay, Ngolo, won the 2014 Urban Action Showcase award for best screenplay and his story, ‘The Swarm,’ was nominated for the British Science Fiction Association award for Short Fiction.

Sargon Donabed holds a Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations PhD from the University of Toronto and completing another MS in Anthrozoology. He is an expert on Assyro-Mesopotamian culture and currently penning two fantasy series; an epic fantasy entitled Of Beasts and Mischief: The Unremembered and a midgrade/YA tale Scion of the Ancients, an alternate reality/timeline based on the epic of Gilgamesh. Sargon is an avid adventurer and enjoys yoga and martial arts as well as almost every other sport imaginable. Today, he is associate professor of history at Roger Williams University and lives with his human/feline family in New England. (www.sargondonabed.com)

K.D. Edwards lives and writes in North Carolina, but has spent time in Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, New Hampshire, Montana, and Washington State. (Common theme until NC: Snow. So, so much snow.) Mercifully short careers in food service, interactive television, corporate banking, retail management, and bariatric furniture have led to a much less short career in higher education, currently for the University of North Carolina System. THE LAST SUN and THE HANGED MAN are the first two books in his TAROT SEQUENCE series, inspired by thoughts of a modern-day Atlantis.

Meg Elison is a science fiction author and feminist essayist. Her debut novel, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, won the 2014 Philip K. Dick award. Her second novel was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick, and both were longlisted for the James A. Tiptree award. She has been published in McSweeney’s, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Catapult, and many other places. Elison is a high school dropout and a graduate of UC Berkeley. Find her online, where she writes like she’s running out of time. Meg’s website and Twitter

Barr Foxx (JaBarr), creator of Cosplay Your Way, is an influencer that promotes individual style through cosplay. A seasoned cosplayer and television/film professional, he’s often a special guest at prominent cons such as DragonCon and BlerdCon. He aims to create a positive outlet for all cosplayers, regardless of race, age, size or gender. He has been spotlighted in Cosplay in America Volume 2 and on Marvel’s official website. He will be featured in the upcoming comic book series, The Greenville Triangle, as an original character based on his likeness. “Use YOUR voice, express YOUR style and do it YOUR way.”

Venessa Giunta is a writer of weird things, an editrix extraordinaire, and a little bit of a nerd. She is a published author, with non-fiction essays, short stories, and the urban Fantasy Soul Cavern series. She is a dedicated viewer of the show Supernatural and was devastated when Sense8 was cancelled (Damn you, Netflix!). She lives in Atlanta, GA, with her husband — also known as her muse — and three cats who basically rule the house, but won’t pay the mortgage. She’s been called the kind of evil that inspires hugs. Venessa is the director of the WRITE track at Multiverse.

John G. Hartness is an author, publisher, and podcaster from Charlotte, NC. He is the author of multiple novel series (including the Black Knight Chronicles and the Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter series), co-founder and publisher of Falstaff Books, and a member of the Authors & Dragons podcast. He spends far too much time and money playing Magic: the Gathering. Find him at JohnHartness.com

M. Haynes grew up loving fantasy worlds, but soon realized that they failed to include people like him. He began developing his Elemental book series at a young age to correct that. Over fifteen years of writing later, M. Haynes has sought to help show that fantasy can include more than just straight, blonde haired, blue eyed men or boys. In particular, M. Haynes' uses his writing to show a more nuanced version of heroism in fantasy worlds. His works show that anyone, regardless of race, gender, or sexuality can be a hero. Learn more about the series at www.mhaynes.org/elemental.

Scott Hawkins is the author of the critically acclaimed horror novel The Library at Mount Char, which a Kirkus starred review described as: “"A wholly original, engrossing, disturbing, and beautiful book. You've never read anything quite like this, and you won't soon forget it." Scott was born in Idaho in 1969 and grew up in South Carolina. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S.C.S. in computer science in 1991 and an M.S. in 1993. He lives in north Georgia with a lot of dogs, and for fun he enjoys reading (of course), movies, cooking, and woodworking. Find him at www.shawkins.net

As a sailor, scientist, and gamer, writing nautical, SF, and RPG tie-in stories came naturally for Chris. His Scimitar Seas novels won three gold medals from Foreword Reviews, and his Pathfinder Tales Pirate’s novels have received high praise. His magical assassin Weapon of Flesh series launched Chris’ full-time writing carrier by repeatedly hitting the Kindle bestseller list. The Deep Gate, Arkham Horror for Fantasy Flight Games, and his first horror work, released in 2018. The Blood Sea Tales kicked off last year, and his contemporary science-fantasy trilogy, Dragons of Boston, debuted from Falstaff Books in spring 2019, with Dragon Dreams.

Stuart Jaffe is the madman behind The Max Porter Paranormal Mysteries, the Nathan K thrillers, The Parallel Society series, The Malja Chronicles, The Bluesman, Founders, Real Magic, and so much more. His unique brand of old pulp adventure mixed with a contemporary sensibility brings out the best in a variety of SF/F sub-genres. Find him at www.stuartjaffe.com.

Tiara Janté is an author, ghostwriter, and literary publicist from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her passion for speculative fiction has positioned her as a Staff Writer for BlackSci-Fi.com and a Co-Editor of Black Girl Magic Lit Mag. As a writer, Tiara uses speculative fiction as a tool to highlight matters of social injustice as it pertains to Black people in America and beyond. Her work has been featured in Black Girl Magic Lit Mag, The Scribes of Nyota: A Compendium, and the 2018 Locus Award winning anthology, Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia Butler. Tiara’s short story, L'innocent is available on Kindle.

Valjeanne Jeffers is a speculative fiction writer, a Spelman College graduate, and the author of nine books, including her Immortal series and her Mona Livelong: Paranormal Detective series. She was also choosen as a Seer (2016) by the Horror Writers Association (HWA). Her writing has been published in numerous anthologies including: Steamfunk!;The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South; Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler; Fitting In; Sycorax’s Daughters; Black Magic Women, and The Bright Empire. Valjeanne is also one of the screen writers for the horror anthology film, 7Magpies (in production). Purchase her work at: www.vjeffersandqveal.com

Robert Jeffrey II is an Atlanta based freelance writer who has worked for such clients as DC Comics, the Centers for Disease Control, and Nitto Tires. He is the co-writer of Radio Free Amerika, the writer of RET: CON, the creator/ writer of the Glyph Comics Award winning/ nominated Route 3: Vol 1, and the creator/writer of Mine To Avenge: The Book of Layla. He’s contributed to the Dark Universe: The Bright Empire and The Scribes of Nyota prose anthologies. He is a graduate of the 2017 DC Comics New Talent Writers Workshop. You can reach him at www.robertkjeffrey.com

R. J. Joseph is a Texas-based writer and professor who must exorcise the demons of her imagination so they don't haunt her being. A life-long horror fan and writer of many things, she has finally discovered the joys of writing creatively and academically about two important aspects of her life: horror and black femininity. R. J. is absolutely thrilled to have a story in the 2018 Bram Stoker-nominated anthology Sycorax’s Daughters and a featured poem in the Horror Writer’s Association Poetry Showcase, V. When R. J. isn't writing, teaching, or reading voraciously, she can usually be found wrangling one or six of various sprouts and sproutlings from her blended family of 11...which also includes one husband and two furry hellbeasts. R. J. can be found lurking (and occasionally even peeking out) on social media. R. J. is the director of the LEARN programming track at Multiverse.

Kirsten Imani Kasai is a writer and editor who celebrates literature as a change agent. She's written three novels: The House of Erzulie (2018, Shade Mountain Press) an African-American Gothic tale set 1850s New Orleans, and the speculative fiction series Ice Song (2009, Random House) and Tattoo (2011, Random House). According to Foreword Reviews, “Kirsten makes the macabre beautiful.” She has an MFA from Antioch University Los Angeles and is certified in the teaching of Creative Writing. She lives in San Diego, CA, where she quietly advocates for introvert rights from the privacy of her home. www.KirstenImaniKasai.com and www.MagicWordEditingCo.com

TaLynn Kel is a writer, cosplayer, activist, and podcaster in Atlanta, Georgia. She writes about cosplay, interracial relationships, and pop culture fandom through the lens of social justice. She conducts panels at conventions throughout the U.S. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, NBC, Fabulize Magazine, InStyle, and Huffington Post. TaLynn has published two books, Breaking Normal: Essays about My Fat, Black, Geek Life and Still Breaking Normal: A Fat, Black, Femme, Geek Navigating an Anti-Black World, available on Amazon and you can find her work at www.talynnkel.com. She is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Darin Kennedy is a graduate of Wake Forest University’s undergraduate and medical schools. After completing family medicine residency in Virginia, he served eight years as a United States Army physician and wrote his first novel in the sands of northern Iraq. His works include the Fugue & Fable series, The Mussorgsky Riddle, The Stravinsky Intrigue, and The Tchaikovsky Finale, and The Pawn Stratagem, including Pawn’s Gambit and Queen’s Peril. His short stories are published in numerous anthologies and magazines. Doctor by day and novelist by night, he writes and practices medicine in Charlotte, NC. Find him online at darinkennedy.com.

Featured

John Edward Lawson's novels, short fiction, and poetry have garnered nominations for many awards, including the Stoker and Wonderland Awards. In addition to being a founder of Raw Dog Screaming Press and former editor-in-chief of The Dream People he currently serves as vice president of Diverse Writers and Artists of Speculative Fiction.

Catherine Lundoff is an award-winning writer, editor and publisher from Minneapolis where she lives with her wife, bookbinder Jana Pullman, and the cats who own them. She is the author of over 100 published short stories and essays. Her books include Silver Moon, Out of This World: Queer Speculative Fiction Stories and, as editor, the fantastical pirate fiction anthology, Scourge of the Seas of Time (and Space). In addition, she is the publisher at Queen of Swords Press, a genre fiction publisher specializing in fiction from out of this world. Websites: www.catherinelundoff.net and www.queenofswordspress.com

Jenn Lyons lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, three cats and a nearly infinite number of opinions on anything from Sumerian mythology to the correct way to make a martini. She is a video game producer by day (although currently taking a break from that to concentrate on writing epic fantasy). A long-time devotee of storytelling, she traces her geek roots back to playing first edition Dungeons & Dragons in grade school and reading her way from A to Z in the school’s library. Her debut epic fantasy novel, The Ruin of Kings, from Tor Books, found its way into the wild on February 5, 2019. The second book, The Name of All Things, drops October 29, 2019.

Kyoko M is a USA Today bestselling author, a fangirl, and an avid book reader. She is the author of The Black Parade urban fantasy series and the Of Cinder and Bone science-fiction series. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the University of Georgia. Like any author, she wants nothing more than to contribute something great to the best profession in the world, no matter how small.

Left-handed. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books. I've had an unhealthy fascination with dragons since the age of-- well, for a while. Native Floridian. Current Tennessean. Location subject to change based on insurrection, upheaval, or availability of coffee. Twenty-six novels and counting under two names, with no end in sight. Let's have coffee!

Lee Martindale is an old hand at inhabiting multiple universes. As a writer, her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and can now be found in the collection BARD’S ROAD. As an anthologist, she edited the groundbreaking SUCH A PRETTY FACE and THE LADIES OF TRADE TOWN. Lee is also a Lifetime Active Member and former member of the Board of Directors of SFWA, veteran human rights activist, fencer, teacher of writers’ workshops, and owner of nano-press HarpHaven Publishing. She lives in Plano, TX and shares news with friends and fans at http://www.HarpHaven.net.

Rena Mason is the Bram Stoker Award® winning author of The Evolutionist and East End Girls, as well as a 2014 Stage 32 /The Blood List Presents®: The Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest Quarter-Finalist. She’s had nearly two dozen short stories published and writes a monthly Haunted Travels column. Her latest work, “Clevengers of the Carrion Sea” is in The Seven Deadliest by Cutting Block Books. She is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, The International Screenwriters' Association, Stage 32, and the Public Safety Writers Association. For more information visit: www.RenaMason.Ink

Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel, a rollicking adventure of magic on the high seas, and the long-awaited sequel, Kestrel’s Dance. She is a co-editor of The Weird Wild West and Lawless Lands: Tales of the Weird Frontier, and she’s working on a series of Shadow Council novellas for Falstaff Press featuring the famous gunslinger Doc Holliday. When she’s not writing, Misty studies and performs Middle Eastern dance. She’s a sucker for good sushi, African coffee, and the darkest rum she can find. You can keep up with Misty at mistymassey.com, Facebook and Twitter.

Melissa McArthur is the Associate Publisher at Falstaff Books, a small press located in Charlotte, NC. She is an author and freelance editor who has worked with presses and authors worldwide. When she isn’t working in the realm of fiction, Melissa is an adjunct professor of writing at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, and editorial director and Evernote instructor for Author Essentials. Visit Melissa online at www.melissamcarthur.net.

Leatrice "Elle" McKinney, writing as L.L. McKinney, is a poet and active member of the kidlit community. She’s an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing, and the creator of the hashtag #WhatWoCWritersHear. Elle's also a gamer, Blerd, and adamant Hei Hei stan, living in Kansas City. She spends most time plagued by her cat--Sir Chester Fluffmire Boopsnoot Purrington Wigglebottom Flooferson III, Esquire, Baron o'Butterscotch or #SirChester for short. She is the author of A Blade So Black and its sequel, A Dream So Dark (available 9/24/19). Find her at https://www.llmckinney.com/

Violette Meier is a happily married mother, writer, folk artist, poet, and native of Atlanta, Georgia, who earned her B.A. in English at Clark Atlanta University and a Masters of Divinity at Interdenominational Theological Center. Writing since her preteen years, she has written over 1,200 poems, 25 short stories, and 11 books. The great granddaughter of a dream interpreter, Violette is a lover of all things supernatural and loves to write paranormal, fantasy, and horror. Her books include:The First Chronicle of Zayashariya: Out of Night, Angel Crush, Son of the Rock, Archfiend, Ruah the Immortal, Tales of a Numinous Nature: A Short Story Collection, Loving and Living Life, Violette Ardor: A Volume of Poetry, and This Sickness We Call Love: Poems of Love, Lust, and Lamentation. To find out more about Violette and her unwavering imagination, visit VioletteMeier.com

Linda Mercury started her career as a librarian. After September 11, 2001, she knew there had to be a better way to bring people together, make good times happen, and transmit the values of love and caring. Today, she’s the author of several paranormal romance novels including Dracula’s Secret, Vamping It Up, and Curse of the Spider Woman, and a non-fiction book called The Sexy Little Workbook, which helps you discover your sexual fantasies, desires, and turn-ons. Her life’s work is about coming together, honesty, and passion. She’s based in Oregon, adores lipstick and hot tubs, and loves writing stories about strong, fierce female heroines who know (and get) exactly what they want.

Before his move to Tom Doherty Associates, Christopher spent time helping build two different genre-based communities focused on putting the readers and fans first. He is a lifetime fanboy who was lucky enough to turn his passions into something positive for readers everywhere. This philosophy continues to shape his own personal tastes as he is constantly searching for projects that inspire excitement and more than a little bit of obsession. Media tie-ins and genre fiction have always been his primary love when it comes to books. Now that he is at Tor/Forge, he looks forward to building a list that is centered on fun, commercial fiction driven by great characters and told with a strong voice. He loves exciting adult stories full of action. He is looking for all kinds of high-tech and science-based thrillers, near-future military fiction, and epic fantasies. Most of all, he loves a story that grabs your attention with a great hook and keeps you turning the page.

An award-winning author, Bobby Nash writes novels, comic books, short stories, novellas, graphic novels, and the occasional screenplay for a variety of publishers. Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thriller Writers. On occasion, Bobby appears in movies and TV shows, usually standing behind your favorite actor. For more information on Bobby Nash and his work, please visit him at www.bobbynash.com, www.ben-books.com, and across social media.

James Nettles has a thirty-year career consulting for dozens of clients from startups to Fortune 100s, media contributor, speaker on privacy, futurism, coming disruptive technologies and their impact on businesses and individual daily lives. He is also a founding partner for Author Essentials. He has contributed to and written hundreds of articles and now develops content and materials for personal and professional development, technology, privacy issues, and Artificial Intelligence. James is also a science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary fiction author. His current series are the Home Summonings and Longbow Initiative urban fantasy series, and soon to be released technothriller series under the name James P. McDonald. Short stories & more: https://www.jim-mcdonald.net/ Non-fiction & appearances: https://www.jamespnettles.com/ Twitter: @JPNettlesAuthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimmacauthor

Havana’s passion for design and technology has fostered hundreds of clients including authors, politicians, and tech companies like Microsoft, Sage, and Stripe. At Moving Ink Media, Havana serves as the Chief Branding Officer and the Lead Character Artist behind the Glyph award-winning comic series, Kamikaze. Her passion for animation and comics stems from the idea that great storytelling has the ability to connect people all over the world.

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Errick Nunnally served one tour in the Marine Corps before deciding art school was a safer pursuit. He enjoys art, comics, and genre novels. A designer by day, he earned a black belt in Krav Maga and Muay Thai kickboxing by night. His work has appeared in several anthologies and is best described as “dark pulp.” It can be found in LAMPLIGHT, TRANSCENDENT, WICKED WITCHES, THE FINAL SUMMONS, PROTECTORS 2, the novel, BLOOD FOR THE SUN, and the upcoming novel, LIGHTNING WEARS A RED CAPE.

An award-winning author, screenwriter and game designer, Balogun Ojetade is one of the leading authorities on Afroretroism – film, fashion or fiction that combines African and/or African American culture with a blend of “retro” styles and futuristic technology, in order to explore the themes of tension between past and future and between the alienating and empowering effects of technology. He writes about Afroretroism – Sword & Soul, Rococoa, Steamfunk and Dieselfunk at https://chroniclesofharriet.com/.

Irette Y. Patterson is a native of Atlanta, GA. Her short fiction has been published in Strange Horizons, FIYAH, People of Color Take Over Fantastic Stories of the Imagination and the website of The Saturday Evening Post. You can find her online at http://www.iretteypatterson.com.

Nick Porter is an RPG developer from Atlanta, Georgia. His first RPG, the Norse-themed Sagas of Midgard, smashed through its Kickstarter funding goal in 90 minutes and has since reached Bestseller status on DriveThruRPG. A lifelong gamer, Nick is passionate about games, game design, and the unique ability of games as a medium to create memorable stories. When he's not writing games, Nick is a Critical Care Registered Nurse who enjoys martial arts and badly spoiling his dog.

Delia Remington is the author of The Blood Royal Saga vampire series: In The Blood (2017), Out For Blood (2017), and Trial By Blood (2018). Winner of the 2018 Silver Stake Award from the International Vampire Film and Arts Festival and a 2018 Midwest Book Awards Finalist, Delia’s stories combine her love of history with her interest in all things dark. She’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and the Midwest Independent Publishing Association. You can find her at deliaremington.com.

Riley is a tabletop RPG writer who likes to write games that focus on storytelling and collaboration, such as Dusk to Midnight and The Riot Starts. In March, she successfully kickstarted Synthesis, a zine with a collection of mini-rpgs about meta, perspective, and creation. She works as the ttrpg specialist at a sleepaway camp over the summer, and is a biology student during the school year. You can get Riley’s games at metagame.itch.io, and find her on twitter @jaceaddax.

Josh Roseman (not the trombonist; the other one) has more than two dozen published novels and short-stories, including After the Apocalypse (a story of what happens to all the girls like Buffy after the world is saved) and the collection Boss Fight (eighteen short-stories, featuring tales of aliens, plumbers, witches, and pillows). He lives in Georgia (the state, not the country) and, when not writing, mostly complains about not writing. Find him online at roseplusman.com, or on Twitter or Instagram @listener42.

Peter Adam Salomon is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Horror Writers Association, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, the Science Fiction Poetry Association, the International Thriller Writers, and The Authors Guild. His second novel, ALL THOSE BROKEN ANGELS, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Young Adult fiction. His poem ‘Electricity and Language and Me’ appeared on BBC Radio 6 performed by The Radiophonic Workshop. He founded both National Dark Poetry Day (Oct. 7) and the HWA Horror Poetry Showcase. His latest novel, EIGHT MINUTES, THIRTY-TWO SECONDS, came out in early 2019.

Mr. Jarvis Sheffield, M. Ed. has been involved in multimedia for 20+ years. He holds a B.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Tennessee State University, a Master’s Degree in Education and is a Doctoral Candidate with Trevecca University. He is founder of Black Science Fiction Society and also produces Genesis Anthology, Magazine and Radio Show. Leadership positions: Coordinator of the Tennessee State University Media Center; Director of DragonCon Diversity Track with DragonCon, Inc.; Board Member of Urban Media Makers. Sheffield is a proud father and husband, a member of Lake Providence Missionary Baptist Church and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Paul "JollyGoodGiant" Sims is a self taught miniature painter. When he was a teen he painted Monster in my Pocket figures, Transformers and HeroQuest board game figures. After taking a 15 year break, he is back to converting and painting models and figures. In addition to painting miniatures and making Dragon eggs, Paul has run a miniature painting group at the Millis Public Library where he helps children in 1st grade through adult work on thier techniques to become better miniature and model painters. Last May while running workshops at MomoCon, Paul was made a PLAID Brand Ambassador. Thanks to PLAID for partially sponsoring two of his workshops here at Multiverse!

Chad Eric Smith, a native of Washington, DC, is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, and musician. In 2014, he co-wrote and starred in his film directorial debut, the short vampire comedy Dark Therapy. Smith then wrote and directed the award-winning short psychological sci-fi drama Rumination, which was produced with his production company MisterDuke Productions, LLC. In 2019, Smith co-produced and starred in the short sci-fi drama Fatherless, which will hit the national film festival circuit in 2020. Most recently, the Washington, DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment selected Smith as the October 2019 Filmmaker of the Month.

Lindsey Hein (Leilia Spaniel) is an activist and performer who is known for her dedication to helping others. Since 2015, she has performed for 30+ charities and events throughout the state of Florida, with a focus on pet-related charities like the annual fundraiser for The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. Her goal is to spread happiness and give back to her community through her character performances, and she recently told her story of triumph over social anxiety through creativity and performance in a 2018 episode of This is Life with Lisa Ling featuring the furry fandom.

E.J. Stevens is the award-winning author of the Ivy Granger Psychic Detective urban fantasy series, the Spirit Guide young adult paranormal mystery series, the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series, and the Whitechapel Paranormal Society Victorian horror series. She is known for filling pages with quirky characters, magnificent monsters, and kick-butt heroines. Her novels are available worldwide in multiple languages. Learn more at EJStevensAuthor.com, IvyGranger.com, WhitechapelParanormal.com and connect at @EJStevensAuthor.

Dr. Alyse N. Steves received her Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory University. An expert in genetics, molecular biology, and cell/ stem cell biology and regeneration, Alyse is currently serving as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Diego. Alyse is an internationally acclaimed indie author, with her first science fiction novel, Child of Humanity, making its debut in August 2016. Outside of science and writing, Alyse is an avid traveler who also enjoys the company of her family, friends, and pets.

Featured

Shannon Strucci is a video essayist and filmmaker best known for Fake Friends, a video essay series on parasocial relationships, and “SO YOU WANNA BE A FILM NERD”, a series on film culture and history, along with being a player on the dark comedy/body horror teen superhero actual play podcast Critical Bits. She also collaborates with others under the StrucciMovies umbrella to make short comedy and horror films. She has guested on various film and pop culture podcasts and her work has been mentioned on IndieWire, Kotaku, Sight & Sound, Digg, Filmschoolrejects, Fandor, Polygon, and others.

Sheree Renée Thomas is an award-winning fiction writer, poet, and editor. She is the author of Sleeping Under the Tree of Life (Aqueduct Press), honored with a Publishers Weekly Starred Review and longlisted for the 2016 James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and of Shotgun Lullabies (2011). Thomas edited the two Dark Matter (Hachette) black speculative fiction volumes, winning two World Fantasy Awards (2001, 2005), and Trouble on the Waters: Tales of the Deep Blue (Rosarium). Her editorial work uncovered a legacy of over a century of black science fiction writing and helped launch the careers of some of the most exciting new voices in the field. Look for her first all-fiction collection, Nine Bar Blues, forthcoming from Third Man Books in 2020. Visit her on Twitter: @blackpotmojo, Facebook/Instagram: @shereereneethomas

Steven Van Patten is the author of Brookwater’s Curse trilogy featuring 1860s Georgia plantation slave who becomes law enforcement within the vampire community. His Killer Genius series is about a hyper intelligent black woman who uses high-end technology as a socially conscious serial killer. The first in the series was nominated for Best Novel in 2016 in the category of Mystery/Suspense. He’s a member of the New York Chapter of The Horror Writer’s Association, he’s also a member of The Director’s Guild of America and professional arts fraternity Gamma Xi Phi. The website is www.laughingblackvampire.com.

Whiskey Weasel Cosplay is a foam-smithing and sewing cosplay power couple. Between the two of us, we have over 25 years of costuming experience. We have worked on several film/tv projects as well as over a dozen stage productions. We have also won several awards for our cosplays. We take pride in sharing all our "trade secrets" and helping our cosplay community to learn and grow their skill sets.

Alex White was born and raised in the American south. They take photos, write music and spend hours on YouTube watching other people blacksmith. They value challenging and subversive writing, but they’ll settle for a good time. In the shadow of rockets in Huntsville, Alabama, Alex lives and works as an experience designer with their spouse, son, two dogs and a cat named Grim. Favored pastimes include Legos and racecars. They takes their whiskey neat and their espresso black. Alex is the author of THE SALVAGERS book series (Orbit, 2018), a magical space opera treasure hunt, ALIEN: THE COLD FORGE (Titan, 2018)(yes, THAT Alien), and EVERY MOUNTAIN MADE LOW (Solaris, 2016), a dystopian Southern American yarn.

L. Marie Wood is the bestselling author of 4 novels and over 130 short stories. Her short story, "The Ever After" was part of the Bram Stoker Award Finalist anthology Sycorax's Daughters. Wood has been recognized in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Vol. 15 and as one of the 100+ Black Women in Horror Fiction. She is the director of the GEEK:Horror programming track at Multiverse.

Georgia Center for the Book offers its young audience this zany, Jimmy Fallon-esque live young adult book talk show centered around YA authors called YATL Live. The program was created by former bookseller, literary influencer and author Kimberly Jones (Mass Disturbance, Sourcebooks 2019), and author photographer, writer, and literary influencer Vania Stoyanova (Vania Photo Studio). Writer, artist, designer Jessi Esparza (Motion Designer at CNN) serves as showrunner. YATL Live is a live show filmed for later playback on Facebook and YouTube with author interviews, games, giveaways, fun video clips and lots of shenanigans.

Yarn Goddess Cosplay is a gifted crocheter from Atlanta, GA who takes great pride in their work! They first started crocheting since they were about 8 years old and have been in the cosplay world since 2010. About a year ago, they began to sell their work in artist alleys for other people to enjoy! They enjoy crocheting anything from pillows to scarves to even 100% of their cosplay, even the wigs! They are constantly trying to do the impossible with their cosplays. They are also a certified instructor and teach classes around the Atlanta area. They really hope to one day see more crocheted cosplays, either accessories or the whole cosplay. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also shop their store at http://yarngoddesscosplay.mybigcommerce.com

Darie (aka Mama Lyric) is a professional LGBTQ+ health educator, assister, and administrator. In addition to being Volunteer Director, she is a Guest at Multiverse, presenting panels on health and wellbeing. Darie lives in Metro Atlanta with her hubby Keith and their 2 ESA dog-kids and 3 bratty cat-kids. Darie uses she/her pronouns, puts the “Q” in LGBTQ+, and her name rhymes with “sorry and Ferrari.” Her fandoms are vast, with most of her love given to the Whedonverse, Potterverse, MCU, Disney, Neil Gaiman, and board games. In her free time, she spends obscene amounts of time crocheting, sewing, attending ATL United matches, hoping the Cubs will clinch another WS, and figuring out what her next D&D character should be.

Kenesha Williams is an author, screenwriter, speaker, and Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Black Girl Magic Lit Mag. She took to heart the advice, "If you don't see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself," and created a Speculative Fiction Literary Magazine featuring characters that were representative of herself and other women she identified with.
Kenesha was awarded First Runner Up for Best Short Screenplay for the Women in Horror Film Festival 2018 and her essay "Step into the Bad Side: Black Girl Magic Villains” was published in Fireside Fiction Quarterly in January 2019.

R.S. Beck has been an educator on both the college and high school levels for the past twenty-four years. She received both her Masters and Bachelors degrees from The State University of New York where she majored in English Literature. She can be found in Asheville where she teaches about long-dead British writers and writes speculative fiction. Her first novel, Amber Witch, was published in the fall of 2018. She writes historical fantasy as she prefers her reality with a touch of magic.

TALK: An Exploration of the Psychological Reasons Behind Why People Crave Time Travel Books and Movies

A.D. Boynton, II (he/him/his) is a Southern scholar-blerd based in Lawrence, KS and a doctoral student in English at the University of Kansas. This Georgia native earned his B.A. in English at Fort Valley State University and his M.A. at Georgia College & State University. Boynton is an Editor for the Journal of Science Fiction, on the Editorial Board of the new Third Stone, and the curator for the 4:44 Syllabus. He is a cultural critic and creative writer who writes (and writes about) ghosts, the future, popular culture, queerness, and blackness.

TALK: Black Histories, Black Futures

Originally from Mississippi, Kenneth Broome, Jr. currently lives in Georgia and works as an English instructor at Albany State University. He received his Bachelor’s in English Literature from Alcorn State University in Lorman, MS, and his Master’s in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, LA. He is a writer and works as an editor and contributor for the website BlackNerdProblems.com. He also works as a freelance editor of fantasy, sci-fi, and urban fiction novels, and he incorporates these topics plus monsters and horror into his classes.

TALK: Friends with the Monster

TALK: Teaching Children Through Fantasy: The Importance of Fablehaven

Leadie Jo Flowers authors novels, short stories and poetry in the genres of science fiction and horror. She makes extra money for traveling by teaching English in Moscow, Russia. She is a member of the Horror Writer’s Association and British Science Fiction Association. You can usually find her at Stokercon, World Science Fiction and Eurocon conferences as well as a few others. Her poetry has appeared in HWA Poetry Showcase Volume IV, and a short story in Hazard Yet Forward and Terror Politico anthologies. You can follow what is happening with her writing at these links:

https://www.leadiejoflowers.net/

https://www.facebook.com/Leadie-Jo-Flowers-198085643573595/

TALK: Teaching Science Fiction to Get Young Minds Interested in Science and Fiction

Sarah Beth Gilbert is currently a graduate student at Villanova University where she studies the intersection of feminist and queer theories with all mediums of Sci-fi and Fantasy. Sarah Beth has published on Doctor Who twice but is an avid consumer of all Sci-fi content especially given the shifting landscape of streaming production value. She most recently has fallen into the rabbit hole of the comic book world and is working on a paper about the queer and feminist Sci-fi comic book series, Paper Girls. Sarah Beth enjoys alternative rock music, lots of coffee, and has lately been making her way through Frank Herbert’s Dune series.

TALK: The Institutionalized Control of Female Agency: The Knowledge and Power of Witches in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Penny Dreadful

Long time fan of all things gaming related, Sean currently writes for EN World, blogs about role playing games, and designs games as well as writes adventures. When not wrangling a cat and a 5 year old wyrmling, he can be found writing and spinning ideas.

TALK: RPGs and Social Movements

TALK: Zombies as a Racial Proxy: From Xenophobia to an Egalitarian Apocalypse

Victor Monnin is pursuing a doctorate degree in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Strasbourg. He attended the École Normale Supérieure in Paris from 2013 to 2018 and received his master’s degrees in Philosophy and Art History from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in 2016. While working on his dissertation, he is teaching French language and literature in Orange County, CA.

TALK: Should We Breed, Tame, Hunt, or Leave the Dinosaurs in Peace? Addressing Bio- and Environmental Ethics with Dinosaur Stories

Rory Montgomery received their Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in May 2019. Their research interests are queer studies, film history, and audience studies. They plan to pursue a Master’s degree that will help them teach these subjects.

TALK: The Invisible Queer: Reading James Whale’s The Invisible Man Through a Queer Lens

Dr. Clifford Murphy is a professor of physical chemistry at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. He earned his B.S in Chemistry from Saint Michael’s College and his Ph.D in Physical Inorganic Chemistry from Binghamton University (SUNY). In academia, Cliff’s research efforts focus on the development of new marine chemosensor devices, and developing greener methods for the fabrication of photovoltaic cells. Outside academia, his primary interests are cooking, indoor rock-climbing, gaming, and passing his love of reading on to his two children. Cliff is at all times an avid reader, whether the singular of “axes” is “axis” or “axe”.

TALK: Good Science in Great Fantasy: Thermodynamics of Magic Systems in the “Belgariad” and “The Dresden Files”

S. Kay Nash is a writer, editor, and bibliophile. Raised by a cabal of university professors, anthropologists, and librarians, she holds two degrees as magical wards to protect her from being hauled back into the ivory tower. She is an associate editor at Escape Pod and has also served as a guest editor, episode host, and narrator. By day she works for a comic shop, specializing in consignments of rare and collectible comics. Her short fiction has appeared in See the Elephant and Road Kill 2: Texas Horror by Texas Writers.

TALK: Disability, Representation and Superheroes

Elizabeth Rawitsch received her PhD in Film, Television, and Media Studies from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. She is currently a Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she teaches courses on contemporary British television, Turkish Yeşilçam cinema, and the history of American film exhibition. Her book Frank Capra’s Eastern Horizons: National Identity and the Cinema of International Relations was published in 2015, and her research on popular culture and national identity has appeared in Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media, Journal of American Studies, and Journal of Popular Film and Television.

TALK: Plagiarism as “Pragmatic Necessity”: In Defense of Turkish Spec-Fic Mockbusters

TALK: Byronic Legacy: Celebrating 200 Years of The Vampyre by John Polidori

Tonia Thompson is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, a horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers. Tonia has been writing horror since the second grade, much to the dismay of the teachers in her rural East Texas community. She is currently working on her first audio drama series, and a book about monster biology. Tonia tells horror stories regularly on Twitter, and in her spare time, she loves to hike. She lives in Texas with her husband and son.

TALK: Werewolves in the Real World

Alexandria Lily Tolson is currently attending UNC Wilmington to complete her bachelor’s degree in film studies. She is a transgender woman who is seeking to provide representation in the films that she makes, both as a member of the crew and in the shaping of the films’ content.

TALK: "I never did this when I was a man!": The Importance of Transgender Representation in Doctor Who

Mariah Williams Wooldridge is a counselor working toward her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Lindsey Wilson College. She received her master’s from East Tennessee State University. Her research interests are mental health in media, LGBTQ+ issues, Appalachia, and self-harm, and she has presented at the national and local level. She counsels and consults on mental health for her local school district. When she isn’t advocating for her students and her profession, she is reading fantasy and sci-fi endlessly. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and her two dogs. Twitter: @Mfww_

TALK: Mental Health and Fandom Reactions on the Fates of Quentin and Julia in The Magicians

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Author Guest of Honor: SEANAN MCGUIRE

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