Born in the Year of the Dragon, Vonnie Winslow Crist is author of award-winning short stories, poems, and books. An active member of the Horror Writers Association, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, Society of Children's Book Writers & illustrators, and National League of American Pen Women - she taught creative writing for the Maryland State Arts Council for 10 years.

"Beneath Raven's Wing" is winner of The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival's Saturday Visiter Award and a Finalist for the Imadjinn Award. "The Enchanted Dagger" is a Compton Crook Award Finalist and Maryland Writers Association Book Award Winner. Both "Owl Light" and "The Greener Forest" are eFestival of Words Short Story Collection Award Winners. "The Greener Forest," "The Enchanted Dagger," and "Owl Light" were voted among the Top Ten books for Young Adults in the P&E Reader's Poll.

As an illustrator, she's had over 1,000 illustrations published in books, magazines, and calendars.

She is an avid JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis fan, and a firm believer in the magical world that surrounds us! A clover-hand who has found so many 4-leafed clovers she keeps them in jars, Vonnie is quite fond of Harry Potter & Hogwarts, The Hunger Games, A Song of Ice & Fire, Star Wars, Star Trek, and everything Faerie!

Paula R. C. Readman was born in Essex and has family roots in Whitby, North Yorkshire. She's married. After leaving school with no qualifications, she worked in low-paying jobs until redundancy changed the direction of her life. Encouraged by her husband, she taught herself how to write from books purchased from eBay.

In 2010 her first short story was published by English Heritage in an anthology. In 2012, she was the overall winner in the Writing Magazine/Harrogate Crime Festival Short Story competition. Since then she has had over other a hundred short stories and flash fiction published in various anthologies and online.

Paula writes mainly about the darker side of life in her gothic crime tales. Her first gothic crime novella is The Funeral Birds published by Demain Publishing and a collection of short dark tales published by Bridge House called Days Pass Like A Shadow. Her first full-length gothic crime novel, Stone Angels was published by Darkstroke Books in August 2020 and they also published her second gothic crime novel, Seeking the Dark in May 2021 and The Phoenix Hour in 2022.

Paula is busy writing a follow-on novel to The Funeral Birds called, As The Crow Flies. two graves and one body.

You can catch up with all her latest news at https://paularcreadmanauthor.blog/or join her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Goodreads, YouTube, BookBub

Kevin J. Kennedy is a horror author, editor, and anthologist. He is also the owner of KJK Publishing.

He lives in the heart of Scotland with his wife and his three cats, Carlito, Ariel and Luna. He can be found on Facebook most days if you want to chat with him.

Short-fiction author, and poet, Nerisha Kemraj, hails from Durban, South Africa. She is the mother of procrastination, and two beautiful girls.

J.W. Garrett is a multi–award winning author and has been writing in one form or another since she was a teenager. Her love of the Fantasy genre goes all the way back to elementary school when she read The Hobbit for the first time - she's been hooked ever since. Her works include novels and poetry as well as short stories.

When she's not hanging out with her characters, her favorite activities are reading, running and spending time with family.

Check out Remeon's Quest, the latest book in her fantasy scifi series, Realms of Chaos.

Visit her website at www.jwgarrett.com to subscribe to her newsletter and find out the latest updates regarding new releases and works in progress.

Join in on her writing journey!

Dawn Burdett is an award-winning Software Expert and Children's Book Author, on a mission to simplify the intricate world of coding and technology and make it not only fun, but accessible to the young. Above all, she is a firm believer of the future and the up-and-coming generation that will help shape it. This is what drives her to educate children through the power of storytelling.

Born in the UK, Dawn's affinity for the written word began early on. During grade school (while living in Germany), she distinctly remembers the moment when the creative spark officially entered her life. Her 4th grade teacher would read "Day of the Triffids," and have his students write alternative endings. From that point forward, putting that pen down was out of the question.

Outside of writing, Dawn serves as the Chief Technical Officer at a prominent software development company. During her free time, she is a voracious reader and avid drummer. Writing and coding aside, her biggest loves, apart from her children and husband, are her furred/feathered children, a Golden Retriever (Alphee), a Labrador (Hunter), two cats (Floki and Ragnar), and three chickens (all named Gertie). Dawn currently calls Melbourne, Australia home.

To find out more about the author both personally and professionally, feel free to visit Dawn's official website at www.dawnburdett.com

SHAWN M. KLIMEK is the award-winning poet and author of more than 200 published poems and short stories in several genres, including the illustrated, poetic fantasy tale, “Hungry Thing”. He travels the globe with his military nurse wife and their Maltese. Follow him on Facebook @shawnmklimekauthor, on Twitter @shawnmklimek, or via his blog, https://blog.jotinthedark.com/.

AR Johnston is just a small-town girl from Nova Scotia, Canada, looking to share her tales with others. She is known to write mostly urban fantasy, though she goes where the muses lead her and you never know where that may be. She is a lover of coffee, good tv shows, horror flicks, and a reader of good books. She pretends to be a writer when real life doesn’t get in the way. Pesky full-time job and adulting!

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Dawn DeBraal lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband Red, two small dogs, and a cat. She has discovered her love of telling a good story can be written. Dawn also writes under the pen name of Garrison McKnight. Along with the books on these pages, Dawn has been published in many online magazines. She was one of the Falling Star Magazine's 2019 Pushcart nominees, has a song published in the House of Harmony, International Habitat for Humanity Song Book and, was a finalist in the "Great American Song Writing Contest." in 2016

Sue Marie St. Lee writes tales that challenge your imagination and poems that touch your heart — one way or another. She has featured in several international horror anthologies including Black Hare Press releases. Her poems and prose can be found on Spillwords Press. A short fantasy tale, Unseen Magic, appears on The Paper Djinn. Her most recent work, Rhapsodie de Claire, appears in an anthology inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and is available on Amazon.

Maggie D Brace, a life-long denizen of Maryland, teacher, gardener, basketball player and author attended St. Mary's College, where she met her soulmate, and Loyola University, Maryland. She has written 'Tis Himself: The Tale of Finn MacCool and Grammy's Glasses, and has multiple short works and poems in various anthologies. She remains a humble scrivener and avid reader.

Gregg Cunningham 50, born Scotland currently serving out his time in the largest penal colony on earth.

So far I have had 20 short stories published over the last 5 years, each tale a greater challenge than the one before.Competition out there is tough so my rejection list seems to be getting even longer! All the more time to practice, and produce something special.

Mostly I try humour/horror/ science fiction- tongue firmly in cheek dead pan humour. My first story was picked up by 559 publishing and printed in 13 Bites volume III - titled "Stacey" which was about a seance that goes horribly wrong and a horny teen who has to deal with the bloody aftermath. A few good giggles in that one.

I've scattered a few breadcrumbs in many anthology books, some tales carrying on from other stories hidden away.

One such story is "War Pig" picked up by Zombie Pirate Publishing in their anthology 'World War Four'. My tale follows the life of an old time travelling pilot as he battles enemies above the mining craters of our Moon, before finding himself lost in time, a reluctant prisoner of war caught while trying to steal the very secret enemy technology that began his adventures.

Some technology just ain't worth the blood spilled to capture.

Or is it?

Another tale follows Sydney, a young girl lost in space and trying to survive against the stacking odds against her as her Oxygen supply leaks away.

'The Lucky One' can be found inside Deep Space Volume 1 Black Hare Press.

-UPDATE- Her latest Adventure out August 2021 finds Sydney teaming up with a very familiar Mechanical Medical mech as they battle a common foe.

look out for 'Jonah' in Black Ink Fiction's Space Opera Anthology.

Scruddin' Awesome that one!

My First Novellete release in 2020- WARDENCLYFFE is a tongue in cheek daring doo adventure following Captain Swarley Paxmore as he battles monstrosities over the Atlantic ocean onboard the infamous Titanic.

Swarley's second adventure Loves great adventurer is Published soon with Breaking Rules Europe releasing their Adventure Awaits Anthology late 2021.

I hope you read a few of my short tales on your own travels, and enjoy the yarns.

Thanks for stopping by.

https://cortlandsdogs.wordpress.com/

“Never ignore coincidence. Unless, of course, you’re busy. In which case, always ignore coincidence.” Matt Smith AKA the Doctor.

Pamela Jeffs is a speculative fiction author living in Queensland, Australia. She has been nominated for several awards including Aurealis Awards, Ditmar Awards and has also been noted for her work in the Writers of the Future Competition. She is also a member of the Queensland Writers’ Centre. For further information, feel free to visit her at www.pamelajeffs.com.