Aaron Canton is an author who specializes in fantasy stories and game content. He has sold over 150 short stories to Eduland, an edulit company, and over 16 stories to Tellest, a fantasy universe. He has also sold game writing material to publishers such as Inkwell Ideas and Underbyte Studios.

Abigayl Martin has helped put together teen writer conferences in Idaho. She currently works as a producer for a local talk radio station and previously wrote for BYU-Idaho Scroll. When sheâs not reporting, she writes historical fiction and runs Sandcastle Editing, her freelance editing business.

Allison Anderson lives her best life as a wife, a mom, a dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and a fantasy author. As a life long fantasy nerd, you can often find her jotting down new story ideas or talking about dragons.

Angeline Boulley, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She is a former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education.

BRANDON B. CHAMBERS is an author represented by Michelle Witte of Mansion Street. He is also an accomplished martial artist, with black belts in Taekwondo and three different variants of Karate. He recently opened his own dojo and enjoys balancing martial arts with his love of writing.

Bryan Young (he/they) has been a regular contributor for the Huffington Post, StarWars.com, Star Wars Insider magazine, SYFY, /Film, and Big Shiny Robot! His work has won two Diamond Quill awards and in 2023 he was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. He teaches writing for Writerâs Digest, Script Magazine, and at the University of Utah.

Celesta Rimington is the bestselling author of magical middle grade books including THE ELEPHANTâS GIRL, winner of the 2020 Reading the West Book Award and nominee for the Texas Bluebonnet Award and other state award lists, and the forthcoming REACH (Nancy Paulsen Books and Penguin, January 2026.)

Cindy Mitchell has more than 25 years as a middle school librarian. She has a master's degree in Library Science from Emporia State. Cindy is also the founder of Kiss the Book, an online book review site dedicated to helping school librarians make the best choices with their limited budgets.

Elizabeth Lowham began writing at 15 years old and never stopped. Her books have been finalists for the AML, Reading the West, Whitney, and Foreword INDIE Book of the Year Awards. Casters and Crowns received the Tome Society Book Award and a starred review from Foreword Reviews.

Faralee Pozo is the senior editor at Splinter Press and works as a freelance editor and formatter at Oddball Editing on the side. In her spare time, she plays and creates tabletop games with her family, reads, and tries to avoid cooking.

Heather Nichols (@Jammers_Epilogues) is a Bookstagram strategist and community-builder who helps authors and Bookstagrammers team up to make a lasting impact. Her session empowers attendees to grow with purpose, foster real connection, and use Instagram to build a bookish space that truly matters.

Janet Sumner Johnson is a middle grade and picture book author. Her works include Help Wanted: Must Love Books, and The Winterton Deception mystery series. After living in all four continental US time zones, she now lives in Utah with her husband, three kids, and dog. Learn more at janetsumnerjohnson.com.

Jessica Day George is the award-winning, bestselling author of over a dozen fantasy books for teens and younger readers. She likes, books, knitting, movies, dark chocolate, dogs, and her family (not necessarily in that order).

Jolie Taylor is the author of, “The Totally Not Boring Book of Feelings,” which is a graphic novel for ages 7-10. She runs a Booktok and Bookstagram under the handle @endlessfairytales. She also has her degree in secrondary education with an emphasis in health and English.

As the author of The Journey Blueprint, Julie has studied the power of understanding the Journey process for more than a decade. With a unique ability to speak to Journeys across ages and experiences, she is able to help others to navigate through and successfully complete their most important Journeys.

Kasie West is the author of many YA novels, including The Fill-In Boyfriend, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love, and Listen to Your Heart. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, Junior Library Guild selections and ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults books. In the summer months you can often find Kasie on the California Coast with her family escaping the heat of the Central Valley.

Kristyn Crow is an award-winning picture book author whose books have been featured in the New York Times. Her titles include All Aboard the Moonlight Train (Doubleday), the Zombelina Series (Bloomsbury), Skeleton Cat (Scholastic), and many more. She has received starred reviews and a blue ribbon from the BCCB.

Mark Parsons has written over 200 articles for national publications and a pair of nonfiction books.

On the fiction front, his newest YA novel, THE 9:09 PROJECT (Delacorte/Random House) explores the healing power of art. Kirkus called it âWryly funny, extremely intelligent, and sweetly romanticâ in a starred review.

Mike Thayer is a proud father of three, lucky husband of one, passionate author, lifelong gamer, viral blogger, degreed engineer, decent impressionist, inept hunter, erstwhile jock, and nerd. His award-winning books include The Talent Thief, The Double Life of Danny Day and The Techno Wizard series.

PJ Gardner is the author of the middle grade Horace & Bunwinkle series, The Great Zoodini, and Worst in Show (March 2026). She has a Masterâs degree in Art History from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. You can find her online at pjgardnerswitzer.com

Robyn Schneider is the bestselling author of seven young adult novels including The Other Merlin, The Beginning of Everything, and Extraordinary Means. Her books have earned numerous awards and starred reviews, been optioned for film & television, appear on many state reading lists, and are published in over a dozen countries.

Sandra Tayler is a writer, editor, and publisher with credits in over thirty different titles. Her most recent book is STRUCTURING LIFE TO SUPPORT CREATIVITY, a non-fiction book to help writers and artists make more art with less burnout. Sandra lives in Orem, Utah. You can find Sandra online at sandratayler.com

Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of more than seventy witty and charming historical novels, which have sold over one million copies worldwide. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.

Shion Cook helps manage the social media accounts for Operation Literacy and StoryCon. As such, she has years of experience in social media management.

Tom is an Emmy-winning writer, producer, and director, and the CEO of Martian Studios—creating edutaining movies, cartoons, and interactive experiences. And, he’s a dad who uses story to engage his kids and teach them how to slay dragons and befriend aliens.

Aaron N. Hall is the author of The Legend of Uh, the Wevlian Chronicles, the Hammerfist series, and multiple collections of stories and poems. When heâs not writing (which isnât often), heâs doing nonprofit work, lifting heavy things, reading a book, or sipping a cup of tea. He lives in Utah.

Adam Berg is a real human boy and not a figment of his dog’s imagination. He started his career in sketch comedy, spending seven years writing and acting for Studio C. Now he works for JK Studios. His love of writing has pushed him to explore TV, film, gaming articles, and YA fantasy novels.

Allison was born and raised in Taiwan and arrived in the U.S. at twenty-two as a university student. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and writes in both Chinese and English, both fiction and nonfiction. Her work appears in the New York Times and HuffPost and has won both national and international literary prizes.

Ayana Gray is a New York Times-bestselling novelist. Her works have been translated in eleven languages across five continents and have received critical acclaim at the state and national level. Ayana has served as a guest lecturer for writing workshops across the country. Originally from Atlanta, she now lives in Arkansas.

Brandon Sanderson is best known for the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his fantasy novels, most notably the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive, are set. Outside of the Cosmere, he has written several young adult and juvenile series including The Reckoners, the Skyward series, and the Alcatraz series. He is also known for finishing author Robert Jordan's high fantasy series The Wheel of Time.

Cara Stout has been a storyteller since a young age when she would spend hours coming up with intricate lives for her dolls. When she is not lost in her world of stories, she can be found drawing digital art, cooking, and binge watching her favorite TV shows for the hundredth time. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, but has never been skiing.

Chad Morris is an award-winning author. He is the co-author of Mustaches for Maddie, Squint, Willa and the Whale, Virtually Me, and The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry. He also wrote the Cragbridge Hall trilogy. His books have won the Utah Book Award, Nebraska Book Award, The Buckeye Children’s Book Award and Foreword review’s Book of the Year Gold Winner, along with being finalists for various other awards. Chad and Shelly have also appeared on CNN and the Hallmark Channel.

Courtney Millecam writes fantasy novels with atmospheric settings, magic, girls with swords, swoony love interests, and heart pounding adventure. Her debut book, The Never Heir, is a 1920s Peter Pan retelling that takes favorite fairytale elements and twists them into something new.

We’re Emily Cox and Nicole Allen, and our debut YA novel, The Other Side of Together released January 2024 by Monster Ivy Publishing. We’ve been co-writing “Clean Steam” YA novels for twelve years and have been picked up, dropped, hopeful, and discouraged but always fearless.

Frank L. Cole has visited hundreds of schools nationwide promoting the value of reading and using imagination to solve problems. The Legend of the Last Library is Frank’s 15th published book.

Teacher by day, author by night, J.M. Sullivan is a fairy tale fanatic who loves taking classic stories and turning them on their head. Although known to dabble in adulting, J.M. is a big kid at heart who still believes in true love, magic, and most of all, the power of coffee.

Jared is an Author/Gamer/Writer â Twitch Affiliate, a former writer for SI.com and Yahoo. Published works include Changing Wax and LIFTED. He has served roles with Storymakers, League of Utah Writers, CASWJ, EMAA, BigWorldNetwork, TEDxSaltLakeCity, TABC, LTUE, Utah Poet Laureate Selection Committee, and more.

Jo Schaffer Layton is the author of YA novels, Against Her Will, the Stanley & Hazel (trilogy), and Badlands. She's a founder of Operation Literacy, the creators of Teen Author Boot Camp and StoryCon. She writes for TV and film, is a taekwondo black belt and teaches self defense.
Jo is passionate about community, travel, books, music, healthy eating, classic films and martial arts. A native Californian, she now lives in Texas with three kids and a hunky tattooed husband.

Josh Allen is the author of the critically acclaimed middle grade horror books OUT TO GET YOU, ONLY IF YOU DARE, and ONCE THEY SEE YOU. His work has received praise from The Wall Street Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and more. He teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University-Idaho.

Kaela Rivera is the multi-award-winning author of the Cece Rios series and LEGO DREAMZzz novelizations. She loves writing about folktales and healing adventures from the soaring mountains of Utah. When not writing, she’s busy working as a content strategist (while secretly doodling characters in her notebook). Sign up for her newsletter at kaelarivera.com.

Kathryn Purdie is the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of The Forest Grimm, Bone Crier’s Moon, and Burning Glass. Kathryn loves writing songs on her guitar for her characters, snuggling with her tiny dog, and dreaming up fantasy worlds.

Gwen/Leigh is usually hanging out somewhere in the way and tries to help, but usually trips up the stairs to the big stage.

Michael Sampson is a Fulbright Scholar and an American children's author best known for easy-to-read books that feature rhythmic and repetitive language. Sampson's first children's book, The Football That Won, was written solo in 1992 and illustrated by Ted Rand.

Nick Brooks is an award-winning author and filmmaker from Washington, DC. In 2022 he published his first middle grade novel, NOTHING INTERESTING EVER HAPPENS TO ETHAN FAIRMONT, the first book in a three book series. The last book in the series, EVERYTHING INTERESTING KEEPS HAPPENING TO ETHAN FAIRMONT released November of 2024.

Polly Holyoke is the award-winning author of the MG sci/fi Neptune Trilogy (Disney/Hyperion) and the MG fantasy series, Skyriders (Viking Childrenâs Books). A former classroom teacher, Polly has presented at hundreds of schools and believes kids need to read, write, unplug from their gadgets and spend more time⦠daydreaming!

Ryan is the dungeon master for the live play D&D podcast DadsNDragons and the twitch channel DragonsKeepTV. He writes his own TTRPG game adventure modules for D&D and DreadRPG which are published under the name RNG Seed Gaming

Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of multiple books, including the YA fantasy Defy trilogy, the Dark Breaks the Dawn duology, and the Sisters of Shadow and Light duology. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their dogs, Loki the Maltese and Bindi the English Cream Retriever.

Serene Heiner is the creative soul behind the growing Instagram and TikTok accounts @magicalbooknook where she does all kinds of weird things with her eyebrows. She’s a diehard fantasy reader but can be caught cheating on the genre from time to time. She's a proud mother to seven readers and lives with them and her husband in their Idaho home where books are stacked to the ceiling.

Soman Chainani’s debut series, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD & EVIL, has sold over 4.5 million copies, been translated into 35 languages across six continents, and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Netflix that debuted at #1 in over 80 countries.

Tricia Levenseller is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of eight YA romantasies, including the Daughter of the Pirate King duology and The Shadows between Us. Her books have been translated into twenty languages and counting. Tricia grew up in Oregon, where she spent her childhood climbing trees and playing make believe. She now lives in Utah with her bossy dog, Rosy, where she writes full time.

Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and International bestselling author of The Field Party Series. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers and even then she still forgets a few.

Alaa Al-Barkawi is a first-generation, Iraqi-American Shia Muslim writer. Alaaâs novels center around messy Iraqi characters navigating complicated family dynamics, Shia faith, weighty responsibilities, and culture.Her young adult debut novel, IN THE COUNTRY I LOVE, will be published in Summer 2026 by Peachtree Teen.

Ally Braithwaite Condie is the author of the # 1 New York Times bestselling Matched series and the Edgar Award Finalist Summerlost, among other novels, and of several picture books, including Here. A former English teacher, Ally resides outside of Salt Lake City with her family, including her four children. She has an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is the founder and director of the nonprofit WriteOut Foundation.

Benjamin Hewett lives in Houston and works for NASA. He is a Vera Hinckley Mayhew Award recipient, winner of the 2019 Marburg Award in Germany, and the author of several novels for teens and adults. Ben enjoys spending time with his kids, juggling fire, and was once a fourth-grade teacher.

Bree Despain is the award-winning author of the Dark Divine trilogy and the Into the Dark trilogy. Bree earned a master’s degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Utah with her family where she enjoys paddle boarding and baking French macarons.

Cass Biehn is the author of VESUVIUS (Peachtree Teen/Little Brown, UK, 2025). They write messy characters in messier situations—and always with angst. They hold a Master of Library Science from Aberystwyth University in rainy Wales and currently live in Salt Lake City, UT.
Learn more about them at cassbiehn.com or @cassbeewrites on Twitter and Instagram.

Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of fantasy and romance fiction. Published in over 20 languages, she is a Goodreads Choice Awards and ALA finalist and a multi-Whitney award winner.

After being unfairly accused of plagiarism in eighth grade, Debbie knew writing was her destiny. Her novel, Necromancy the Musical, won two Whitney Awards, including Best Novel by a Debut Author. When not writing, Debbie drinks the Diet Dr. Peppers, eats the chocolates, and explores the spooky graveyards.

Emma Faye, the Clean Reads Queen, is an award-winning narrator/producer of 100+ audiobooks and founder of Cats Meow Productions. She champions clean, uplifting stories - loves romance, YA fantasy, Christian non-fiction, and middle grade, and enjoys helping authors bring their books to life. Off-mic, sheâs baking, acting, or snuggling cats.

Gillian Bronte Adams is the author of the YA epic fantasy series The Fireborn Epic. Her novels feature richly-layered storytelling, pulse-pounding action, and soul-striking character arcs. When sheâs not dreaming up vibrant new worlds, she can be found off chasing sunsets with her dog, Took.

Writing as J. D. Horn, Jack is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Witching Savannah series (The Line, The Source, The Void, and Jilo), the Witches of New Orleans Trilogy (The King of Bones and Ashes, The Book of the Unwinding, The Final Days of Magic), and Shivaree.

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to write full-time. He is a husband, father of five, and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Jeff lives in the Rocky Mountains. His fantasy books have sold more than 6 million copies and have been translated into multiple languages worldwide.

Johan Twiss is passionate about writing exciting science fiction and fantasy stories for tweens, teens, and adults alike. He has over ten published works, including his award-winning novel, Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace, and the I Am Sleepless series. Learn more at johantwiss.com.

Josh Roberts is the author of The Witches of Willow Cove series and the forthcoming Victoria Dare series, both from Owl Hollow Press. His debut novel received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, and was a Massachusetts Book Awards Must-Read and a Kirkus Reviews Book of the Month.

Kara Swanson writes stories about fairytales and fiery souls. She is the award-winning YA author of Peter Pan retellings DUST and SHADOW and phoenix fantasy novel, IGNITE. She is the Co-Founder of the Author Conservatory, an online college-alternative where she teaches young writers to craft sustainable author careers. IG: @karaswansonauthor

KB is a no-spice romantic fantasy author who uses books as an escape from reality and believes everyone can learn from them. That is why she writes books that aren't afraid of darkness and struggles. She writes characters who are flawed and selfish and have a lot to overcome. She writes about finding hope, strength, and light within those challenges...

​​Libba Bray is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Gemma Doyle trilogy; the Michael L. Printz Award-winning Going Bovine; Beauty Queens, an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist; The Diviners series, and Under the Same Stars. She has written numerous short stories, essays, and plays. Originally from Texas, Libba makes her home in New York City and Paris.

Michelle is a literary agent with Mansion Street Literary Management specializing in childrenâs fiction and nonfiction. As an agent, her tastes vary widely, and she represents authors across the spectrum of kids books, from illustrated board and picture books to middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction.

Award-winning, international bestselling author Nicole Conway writes action-packed young adult urban and epic fantasy adventures. When she's not writing about quirky characters, magical battles, and loyal dragon companions, she spends her time tabletop gaming and crafting cosplay costumes.

Rachel Huffmire is an award-winning author and screenwriter who writes futuristic fairytale retellings with twisty plots and happily-ever-afters. She has five published novels, and has written and edited movies and TV shows for producers in Hollywood. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband, three children, and a library of books that is slowly overtaking our house. But it's not her fault. Promise.

Sabine is an author, editor, and publisher with over 13 years of experience. As co-publisher of the YA imprint Mad Cat at Roan and Weatherford Publishing Associates, she champions compelling stories for teen readers. Her upcoming six-book YA Holiday Romance series, co-written with two talented authors, will debut in 2026-2027.

Once upon a time, Sara Ella worked for Disney. Now she spends her days homeschooling her three Jedi, braving the Arizona summers, and reminding her superhero husband that it's almost Christmas. Sara is the author of six young adult novels and believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away.”

Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts where she learned—among other things—that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She’s the internationally, New York Times, and USA Today bestselling author of the award-winning middle grade series, Keeper of the Lost Cities, as well as the Sky Fall young adult series.

Stephanie Jaeger writes the Scrolls of Zndaria series with her husband, Jerry, as J.S. Jaeger. As a self-proclaimed word nerd, she thrives on the editing process of writing. She loves traveling, puzzles, axe throwing, and sharing tips and tricks sheâs learned through many trials and errors with aspiring authors.

Fantasy and Sci-fi Author with a decade of experience in technology, AI, and cyber security

From the shadow of the Wasatch Range, Abigail OâBryan writes YA novels featuring strong women, deep characters, and true love with a healthy dose of gritty adventure and strange magic. Montaigne Medal Finalist Iron Roseâa dark YA reimagining of Beauty & the Beast meets Hunger Gamesâis her debut novel.

Alayna Beck is one of the talented social media managers for Operation Literacy and StoryCon. She also helps produce the BackStory Podcast hosted by bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen.

Amber M. Davies is a passionate storyteller, podcaster, and writer creating rich narratives for fiction and TTRPGs. As Chief Project Director at Dungeon Studios and lead writer for the fantasy/horror audio drama Fables From the Forgotten, she knows how to captivate audiences and build suspenseâall without any visuals!

An award-winning screenwriter and film producer, and comic book and short story writer, Blake's films have been screened at film festivals throughout North America and the Cannes Film Festival. To date his films have won 95+ individual film festival awards. His short fiction has been published in multiple anthologies.

Because of two parents who were Greek myth geeks, I grew up thinking the latest fashion trends were inspired by Aphrodite, and a good conversational opener was, “So, which mythological character do you most resemble?” Despite these social shortcomings, I found a great husband who’s always my first reader. We live in Utah with our two young boys, who still have no idea why I'm at the computer all the time.

Cassie M. Shiels writes heartwarming, clean romance across genresâfrom contemporary to fantasy. Inspired by childhood reads, she now creates swoony heroes, strong heroines, and happily-ever-afters. A mom of five, she loves family time, great books, and crafting sweet, suspenseful stories. âBringing fictional crushes to life, one heartwarming story at a time.â

Chris Baron is the award winning author of Middle Grade novels in verse, Spark All of Me, The Magical Imperfect, &The Gray from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, as well as The Secret of the Dragon Gems. a Middle Grade novel co-authored with Rajani LaRocca from Little Bee Books. He is a Professor of English at San Diego City College and the director of the Writing Center. Learn more about him at www.chris-baron.com and Instagram: @christhebearbaron

Dedra Tregaskis detests spoilers. Thatâs why she doesnât watch movie trailers or read the back covers of books. Though she sometimes judges books by their covers, she tries not to judge people. She believes that if you take the time to understand a person, they often amaze you.

Erin Stewart is an award-winning author of realistic fiction for teens and tweens. Her most recent novel, THE WORDS WE KEEP, received the Schneider Family Book Award from the American Library Association for its portrayal of living with anxiety. Her third young adult novel, EVERY BORROWED BEAT, hit shelves in 2025 along with her middle-grade debut, THE FORGOTTEN MAGIC OF ZOEY TURNER.

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.

Janci Patterson writes young adult science fiction and fantasy, romantic comedy, and epic fantasy. She has co-authored many books, including the sixth book in the Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarian series and the Skyward Flight collection with Brandon Sanderson. She lives in Orem, Utah with her husband, two children, and her energetic bordie collie.

Jennifer A. Nielsen is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of several books for young readers. She also serves as the Utah Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Jennifer loves being in the mountains and is sorta obsessed with all things dark chocolate.

John Schu has made a career out of advocating for the people and things he cares about most: kids, books, and the people that connect them. He was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker for his dynamic interactions with students and his passionate adoption of new technologies as a means of connecting authors, illustrators, books, and readers.

Josiah DeGraaf is a literature nerd who loves epic fantasy stories with imaginative worlds and authentic characters. He loves crafting fantastical stories about characters who face the same dilemmas we do when we try to do the right thing. He works as the program director of the Young Writerâs Workshop.

Karen is a wife, mother, teacher, fitness instructor, lover of food, and world traveler. She spreads a love for reading by hosting the BookHuddle podcast, serving as a judge for the Cybils awards, contributing to the blog From the Mixed-Up Files, and hosting the Readgab YouTube channel.

I am a combination of artist and psychologist. I have illustrated the work of Tolkien and written and illustrated my own high fantasy story currently in rewrite. I also work as a family psychologist.

Lindsay is an award-winning author and editor who is passionate about writing books for and about powerful girls. Her debut novel, AnnaGrey and the Constellation, is the 2024 first runner-up in the middle reader category of the Eric Hoffer Book Award and a First Horizon Medal Finalist. Her second creative love is photography, which you can view on @lindsayflanaganbooksandpics. She was born and raised in Utah and still makes her home with her husband, two daughters, three dogs, and sometimes a horse. 

International award winning author, scriptwriter, playwright and producer, Michelle Worthington is an advocate for creating inclusive and diverse productions to allow people of all abilities the chance to share their story.

Nova McBee is the award-winning author of the Calculated series, which is currently in development to become a major motion picture. Emmy-Award winning screenwriter, Ann Peacock, best known for The Chronicles of Narnia, will adapt the novel for the screen with One Door Studios. Nova, a PNW native, has lived over 20 years of her life in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Three-time Editor of the Year nominee, Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling author of Christian fiction. She started her first novel while homeschooling her kids. Now that theyâre adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional characters, wreaking havoc and working magic to give them happy endings

Samantha Hastings met her husband in a sandwich line. She teaches World Literature at Brigham Young University. Her young adult fiction books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections and her historical romances are published around the world. She writes murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen that Publisherâs Weekly called âwildly enjoyable.â

Sarah is the author of four middle grade novels. Her books have been Jr. Library Guild selections, Whitney Award winners, A Mighty Girl Best Of pick, and state award winners. Sarah received her MFA in creative writing from BYU and now lives in Florida with her two fluffy black cats!

Shelly Brown is the award-winning author of Mustaches for Maddie, Squint, Willa and the Whale, Virtually Me, The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry, and The Playmakers. All of which she co-authored with Chad Morris. She is also the author of the middle grade horror Ghostsitter. Her books have won book-of-the-year awards like the Nebraska Book Award and The Buckeye Children’s Book Award.

Editor-in-Chief of Whisper House Press, whose Costs of Living and Dread Mondays horror anthologies released in 2025, Steve Capone Jr. is an HWA member, ACES editor, and award-winning Utah-based author and screenwriter hailing from the Rust Belt. Find him via his linktr.ee at https://linktr.ee/stevecaponejr.

Wendelin Van Draanen is an international award-winning, bestselling author of over thirty titles enjoyed by readers around the world. Two of her books have been produced as movies, including FLIPPED which became a Rob Reiner directed Warner Brothers feature film. Her latest novel, THE STEPS, is a page-turning YA thriller.