Kalynn Bayron is a debut author and a classically trained vocalist. She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska.

When she's not writing, you can find her listening to Ella Fitzgerald on loop, going to the theatre, watching scary movies and spending time with her kids. She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her family.

Terry J. Benton-Walker writes fiction for adults, young adults, and children, which also means he spends a lot of time holed up in coffee shops. Terry is the author of BLOOD DEBTS, his magical YA contemporary fantasy debut, coming from Tor Teen in Winter 2023, and ALEX WISE VERSUS THE END OF THE WORLD, his apocalyptic MG contemporary fantasy debut, coming from Labyrinth Road/PRH in Fall 2023.

Terry grew up in rural GA and holds a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Master's in Business Administration from Georgia State. He lives in Atlanta with his husband and son. When he's not writing, he can be found gaming, eating ice cream, or both.

Kendare Blake is originally from South Korea, but was brought up in the US. She has a BA in Business from Ithaca College in New York and an MA in Writing from Middlesex University in London.

She is the author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares and Antigoddess, all published by Orchard Books. Two Dark Reigns is the third book in her Three Dark Crowns series. She lives with her husband in Kent, Washington.

Lamar Giles writes novels and short stories for teens and adults. He is the author of the Edgar Award nominees Fake ID and Endangered, as well as the YA novel Overturned.

He is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, and he resides in Virginia with his wife.

Chloe Gong is the New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and its sequel Our Violent Ends.

She is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double-majored in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe is now located in New York pretending to be a real adult.

Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. She grew up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories.

When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, you can find her painting or watching horror movies with her feline familiar. Currently, Alexis resides in the sun-soaked marshland of Charleston, South Carolina.

Tiffany D. Jackson is a TV professional by day, novelist by night, awkward black girl 24/7. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University and her master of arts in media studies from the New School.

A Brooklyn native, she is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves with her adorable Chihuahua, Oscar, most likely multitasking.

Adiba Jaigirdar is a Bangladeshi/Irish writer and teacher. She is a contributor for Bookriot and an editor/writer for Cultured Vultures.

Previously, she has published short fiction and poetry in various journals and anthologies. She lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Born and raised in the rural South, Karen Strong spent most of her childhood wandering the woods, meadows, and gardens on her grandmother’s land.

She developed a deep adoration of books from her weekly visits to the public library. A graduate of the University of Georgia, she is an advocate of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). An avid lover of strong coffee, yellow flowers, and night skies, Karen currently lives in Atlanta.