A. W. Fleck writes speculative fiction and literary romance. She is a non-profit professional by day, and runs Harlem Writers United in every other free moment. A former Californian of the northern variety, she now lives in Harlem, NYC. In her free time she enjoys collecting Pokémon plushies, sampling french fries, and adding books to her TBR pile - currently 160 books deep. Her short story "Swell" was published in Inkd Publishing's anthology "Yay! all queer" (December 2024). This will be her fourth Multiverse attendance and first guest appearance.

Anya Acheron is an English VTuber who debuted on November 9th, 2024. Streaming on Twitch, they entertain their audience with a variety of content including: gaming, ASMR, hand-cam streams, music, and more. Known for their chaotic personality, somehow breaking games, and a love for the macabre and mythology! Anya is an assistant to the Greek god Charon, who often causes trouble in the underworld. Anya's fanbase is called "Shades" as everyone who joins them is assumed to be boarding Charon's boat and therefore are dead. Will you come visit the chaotic Captain and see what fate lies before you?

Alex White is one of Disney’s go-to Alien writers, having penned the VR action-horror game Alien: Rogue Incursion and two Alien novels (THE COLD FORGE, INTO CHARYBDIS). They also wrote a Star Trek DS9 novel (REVENANT) and the critically-acclaimed Starmetal Symphony and Salvagers trilogies for Orbit Books. Alex is a well-regarded moderator and performer, entertaining ballrooms from DragonCon to San Diego Comic Con, and has been interviewed by Variety, Digital Trends, IGN and more. For fun, they write music on synthesizers and make knives on an anvil. Never at the same time, but maybe with some practice…

Alison Tracy is a sociologist and sci-fi/fantasy author. Her fiction stories include dystopias that challenge assumptions about free will and divine forces, fairy tale romances with a feminist twist, and more. As a researcher at Stanford University, her academic research on organizational culture change has been published in peer-reviewed journals and has been featured in press outlets like BBC, Forbes, Wired, and Fast Company. Her debut fiction novel, The Guardian, won 5 stars from Readers’ Favorite and became the #1 best seller in multiple categories. The Guardian follows the journey of a young woman prophet living in a corporate-run dystopia.

Alyssa Askani is a badass, inspirational writing queen. Don’t let her Amazonian size and strength fool you—her mind burns with the fire of a thousand suns while her heart beats with the thunder of a million gods. As an editor and author specializing in science fiction and dark fantasy, Alyssa channels dreamlike storytelling and emotional drives to help writers craft immersive, engaging worlds. Passionate about compelling prose and dynamic narratives, she also writes as Len Berry, Writer of Ethereal Darkness. In either guise, Alyssa is always empowering others to tell their best stories.

Amber Hansford grew up a Navy brat before settling in Atlanta, Georgia, where she spent years building a career in tech—from front-end development to UX leadership. But through it all, she was always writing. After quietly publishing Highlander fanfic in the early 2000s (yes, it’s still online—be kind), she eventually shifted to novels full of character-driven fantasy and emotional fallout. When she’s not writing, she’s working at Atlanta conventions herding filk musicians here and there, designing and building websites for authors and businesses, or diving into her latest potential Apocalypse Skill™.

Amelia G. Sides is the author of fantasy, science fiction, and alternative history novels. Her books are filled with complex heroes, political intrigue, and the search for home amidst the chaos of life. Amelia lives in the southern US and enjoys long walks with her dog, Reuben, as well as late nights at her computer plotting her next book. A gamer at heart, Amelia will be self-publishing the first installment in a new series titled “I Don’t Want to Fight!”: A GameLit Novel, which is set to be released in April of 2025. Feel free to check out her social media sites at the link below and give her a follow. https://linktr.ee/asides3

Amy Brewer-Davenport is an award-winning artist and lifelong con-goer, always looking for new inspiration or ways to inspire others to create. They have spent decades volunteering and exhibiting art at conventions throughout the Southeast and beyond. Through their work they emphasize whimsy through color, texture, and chance. Along with their studio practice they teach creativity workshops in multiple mediums. Outside of conventions you can find the artist in the woods around the rural home they share with their husband Andrew, in the studio painting, or plotting new shenanigans. You can find them on all the usual socials, plus Patreon @amybdart.

Andrew Greenberg, co-creator of the “Fading Suns” roleplaying and computer games, is producer of the Emperor of the Fading Suns computer game. The original developer of White Wolf’s “Vampire: The Masquerade,” his credits include Dracula Unleashed, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Warhammer 40K: Final Liberation, Merchant Prince II, Mall Tycoon, Global Agenda and more. A fellow with the Mythic Imagination Institute, Andrew is also executive director of the Georgia Game Developers Association (www.ggda.org) and organizer of the Southern Interactive Entertainment and Games Expo. He chairs the DeKalb County Entertainment Commission.

Angela is an Army brat who grew up with a love for the strange and unusual sparked by an early taste for fairy tales and scary stories. She draws inspiration from many sources, including Imaginative Realism, and has been academically trained in Studio Art, English, and Arts Administration. She creates character-driven Fantasy work via paintings, prose, and comics. Angela currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband, Kevin, and works out of her home studio. She is the author of the Fantasy Art how to book “Angelic Visions” from Penguin Random House and the Birthstone Goddesses Coloring Book.

Ariel, a D.C. area native and ADHD dyslexic, is a multi-award winning internationally published digital painter. Her dedicated fans love her hyper-realistic style and hidden references beginning with her work as an Official Wheel of Time artist in 2012. In 2023 she was Guest Artist of Honor at Balticon 57. Currently she is focused on her Patreon community, creating original fantasy works and continuing to work in book illustration and cover work. Now she paints Dragons, Witches and even bunny riding dragons! Recently she has delved from high fantasy works to Romantasy works. (www.artistarielburgess.com)

Ariyanna White, LCSW, is a therapist who integrates pop culture and nerd culture into therapy to make therapeutic concepts engaging and accessible. As the founder of Roll for Wellness and Roll for Connection, she creates affirming spaces where neurodivergent individuals can build community through gaming and media. Ariyanna holds a Geek Therapy® Certification and specializes in using fandom, TTRPGs, and storytelling to support mental health. Her work empowers clients to navigate their journeys with creativity, connection, and play.

Ashley Chappell writes satire and fantasy featuring expansive world-building and universes filled with magic, mayhem, and monsters. Upcoming releases include A Mother of Gods: Dreams of Chaos Book 4 and Harrowers: Lucifers’s Hawk, a gritty adventure in which Hell is a job for life. Or rather, a job for the afterlife. Ms. Chappell currently resides in North Alabama where she works at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. When not writing or reading a Terry Pratchett or Brandon Sanderson novel, she can be found exploring outside her home in the foothills of the Appalachians.

Beaz is your happy, helpful harbinger of HYPE! He is a BIPOC variety streamer, voice actor, speedrunner, podcaster, pixel artist and overall hype man from Florida. He's portrayed a multitude of exciting, chaotic, and deep characters across the TTRPG-sphere and is the DigiDM for the hit Digimon actual-play series, Digiverse as well as the Founder of the Across The Planes Podcast Network. Beaz has been publicly creating content for over 8 years and has worked with esteemed groups such as the One Shot Network, Roll For Chaos, The Roaring Trainers, TheOtherDev Productions, & the DoYouValidate Network. You can find him online at https://linktr.ee/Biggest_Beaz.

Bill Bridges is a writer and game designer, most known for developing White Wolf’s World of Darkness horror RPG setting and the Fading Suns science-fiction universe. His fiction works include My Time Among the Stars for Fading Suns, and The Silver Crown, The Last Battle, and The Song of Unmaking novels for Werewolf: the Apocalypse. He contributed to world design for Segasoft’s Emperor of the Fading Suns computer game and co-wrote the scripts for Viacom’s interactive horror movie Dracula Unleashed and Interplay’s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. He serves on the board of the C.G. Jung Society of Atlanta.

Bob McGough is an author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer from south Alabama. As an author he has been published by a number of small presses in a range of genres, from steampunk to horror. He is best known as the author of his ‘Rural’ Urban Fantasy series, the Jubal County Saga. He teaches a number of classes and workshops on various aspects of the business of writing. He has freelanced for a number of tabletop and video games, as well as publishing his own small ttrpgs. He is the host/cohost for a number of book based podcasts.

Catherine Barson Eastis is the content creator behind The Gluttonous Geek, a blog and YouTube channel exploring the bridge between food and fiction with recipes based on books, film, and video and tabletop games. A game designer and a recipe developer, her work can be found in The Word Refinery’s Spelljammer Cookbook, as well as her 5th-ed compatible adventure/cookbook, Breakfast of Champions.

Darin Kennedy, doctor-by-day and novelist-by-night, writes and practices medicine in Charlotte, NC. Works include his Fugue & Fable trilogy: The Mussorgsky Riddle, The Stravinsky Intrigue, and The Tchaikovsky Finale; The Pawn Stratagem trilogy: Pawn’s Gambit, Queen’s Peril, and King’s Crisis; the Songs of the Ascendant series: Shadows of the Night, All Fired Up, and You Better Run; his YA novel, Carol; and The April Sullivan Chronicles.

Dave Harlequin is a professional screenwriter, event organizer, and independent filmmaker from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the Creative Director of the indie film studio and production group A Stranger Concept Films, as well as the Festival Director of the annual Stranger Days Independent Film Festival and the Film Track Director of ConCarolinas. First breaking into the world of filmmaking in 2013, Harlequin has written, directed, and/or worked on over three dozen films, many of which winning numerous awards throughout the film festival and convention circuits, and has been featured on various TV and streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Shorts TV, and AMC Networks.

Drew Bailey is the author of the dark fantasy horror series The Giftborn Chronicles, published by Falstaff Books. He has a deep love of the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, both in literary and film media. He also maintains a regular schedule on social media providing fellow writers and readers with advice and insights into his writing world experiences, as well as updates on his latest reads, and favorite current movies and tv shows.

Errick Nunnally​ was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, ​served one tour in the Marine Corps, and decided art school was a safer pursuit. He enjoys art, comics, and genre novels. A graphic designer by day, he has trained in Krav Maga and Muay Thai kickboxing. His work has appeared in several anthologies of speculative fiction. His work can be found in APEX MAGAZINE, FIYAH MAGAZINE, GALAXY’S EDGE, LAMPLIGHT, NIGHTLIGHT PODCAST, and the novels, BLOOD FOR THE SUN, ALL THE DEAD MEN, and THE QUEEN OF SATURN AND THE PRINCE IN EXILE. Visit erricknunnally.us to learn more.

Gerald L. Coleman is a philosopher, theologian, poet, and SF&F author. He did his undergraduate work in philosophy, english, and religious studies, followed by a master's degree in Theology. He’s served as a Scholastic National Writing Juror, is a Co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets, a Rhysling Award Nominee, a Locust Award Nominee (anthology contributor), an NAACP Image Award winner (anthology contributor), and is a Fellow at the Black Earth Institute. He’s been a guest author at conventions, conferences, colleges, and universities. His newest release is a collection of poems and essays entitled Incendiary: Poems & Essays (Fall 2025).

H.D. Hunter is from Atlanta, Georgia. He’s the author of Something Like Right, winner of the 2025 Children and Youth Literary 'debut' award. Hugh is also the winner of several international indie book awards. You can find his short fiction online in Porter House Review and The Meadowlark Review. Hugh authored the Futureland trilogy, including Battle for the Park, which was named a Georgia Center for the Book 2023 Book All Young Georgians Should Read and the 2023-2024 VAReads Chapter Book of the Year. Battle for the Park is also a 2024 selection for the CORE Excellence in Children’s Science Fiction Notable list and the 2025 Read Across America selection for the state of Georgia.

Hollis is an award winning fantasy author, designer, Bookfest Bellwether, former professional cosplayer, podcaster, and all around silly person. She writes two different dark fantasy book series: The Raashan Series and the Lost Beacon Chronicles. Romantic subplots are a staple in her stories, especially the Raashan Series. Hollis holds a degree in history, with specializations in the ancient Etruscans and medieval Britain. History and mythology are continuous inspirations in her writing, so you'll even get some fun historical nuances to rattle off at parties when you read her books.

Isabelle Hardesty writes stories for all readers, and people like her, who didn’t see themselves in their favorite fantasy adventures growing up. She has written four YA book series: The Destroyer Witch Chronicles, The Delacourt Shapeshifter Trilogy, Viola the Vampire Witch Duology, and Sea Witch High Duology. Isabelle’s books are found in libraries in the US and internationally including Seattle Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library, and Auckland Council Libraries. She is a Miami native who uses her creative work to share her experiences growing up in South Florida. Isabelle lives in the Atlanta area with her family.

J.E. Pittman dabbles in many speculative worlds. He blurs the borders between genre and crafts salient lies to tell a measure of truth. His work has been described as: capriciously chimeric, dreamlike, and a vivid enigma with indelible images stamped on your brain. His published works include the Felix Chance contemporary/urban fantasy series – Felix Chance, Second Chance, and Off Chance; The St Germain Letters – set in the Felixverse and following the exploits of the Comte de Saint Germain; and his Pandora Squad sci-fi series. Additionally, he has been published in the Hidden Villains Arise and Behind the Shadows.

Janet Carden aka The Halfling is one half of the husband/wife team of The Halfling and The Spaceman podcast. She has been active in many aspects of fandom since her high school days. She and her husband have created many fan projects together, including The Familiar Magazine, Crimson Streets, and most recently their podcast. They also founded and ran their own local convention, ConSpiracy and volunteered for several years at Anime MidAtlantic.

Jess L. M. Anderson, aka @stressinabox on social media, is a content creator with over two million followers on TikTok and the author behind the fantasy series The Source Keepers. Jess became known from 2019-2022 for her animal care, cosplays, make up tutorials, and DIY videos.

Jessi Ann York’s stories have been featured at several professional-rate horror markets, including PseudoPod, Vastarien, Cemetery Gates Media, Love Letters to Poe, and more. Her first two stories, “Phases of the Shadow” and “Women of the Mere,” were mentioned as standouts in the Summation section of The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 13. Her creative work is represented by Elizabeth Copps, the founding agent of Copps Literary Services.

Jessica Nettles is the author of The Children of Menlo Park: The Thrilling Supernatural Adventures of Kate Warne, Lady Detective and the upcoming novel Kudzu Ridge (2026). Her sci-fi and horror short fiction is featured in Off the Beaten Path 3, Georgia Gothic, Lonely Hollows, League of Monsters, Southern Fried Cthulhu, Effigies and Incantations, and Jukebox Thrillers. She also is a regular and frequent guest GM on Hit the Dice on the Go Indie Now Network. She lives north of Atlanta, GA with her two black cats. Follow her on Facebook ,Instagram,Bluesky (steampunkenglish), Substack, or at www.jessicanettlesauthor.com.

Joe Compton is an Indie Author of The Duality of Truth Crime Trilogy, and the coming soon Epic Fantasy Series Fragility. He is also an Indie Filmmaker that’s worked on over 40+ independent TV and Film productions in 5 different countries. Joe worked 18 months as Script Doctor/Consultant in Hollywood and as an instructor at the Speculative Fiction Academy teaching different Screenwriting classes. Since 2106 Joe runs the Online Network Go Indie Now, which highlights, supports, and promotes Indie Artists of all art disciplines through various shows that air on a weekly, monthly, and seasonal basis.

Joel Ruiz is an Atlanta-based podcast producer and videographer, and the founder of the Do You Validate Podcast Network & Studio—home to shows like Critical Bits, Oddity Roadshow, SS Bad Ship, Riff Tank, and more. Through his comedy-focused production company, Joel also curates the Studio 42 podcast room at Multiverse Con, creating space for voices that entertain, question, and validate.

Judy Black is a writer who makes her home in Atlanta, Ga. She loves games, books, cats, and most things with caffeine. She's an Ennie-nominated writer of Dungeons and Dragons modules such as Passel O'Possums; The Weal, Woe, And What of Fortune Telling, and many more. Her current goal is to eat as many shapes of pasta as she can in a single year.

Julia Benson-Slaughter has so many (figurative) hats that it’s hard for her to remember which she’s wearing at any given time. Maker, writer, tech geek, storyteller, pyromaniac, drummer, research guru, and cat slave are the ones she wears most frequently since retiring from teaching computer science at the local community college. She and fellow author Michael Aurelius have written eight books in the Chronicles of the Multiverse world (as of January 2025), with at least five more underway. As the purple-haired creator of Noctua Designs’ eclectic jewelry, she caters to the magpie in all of us. She's also prone to shenanigans and fluent in sarcasm.

Jared Austin is a young adult science fiction author who lives in the Rocket City—Huntsville, Alabama. With Space City and the books in the series to follow, he hopes to show and inspire his daughter and son, as well as all of his readers, that science and technology are not dull subjects, but gateways to a brighter, exciting future.

Jason Gilbert is an author and film critic best known for his action-packed and often irreverent Coldstone Case Files series and his dark Urban Fantasy/Alternate History Clockworks of War series. Jason streams on Twitch as Failflix with O Hai Mark and The Grey Cat on Terrible Movies with Wonderful People. His influences include horror cinema, bloody video games, dark beer, and heavy metal music.

Jason Roach is an American Writing Awards award-winning finalist in LGBT+ Fiction & Thriller Fiction for his book The House on Dead Man’s Curve, inspired by his personal paranormal experiences. His new M/M Vampiric romance series, The Vampire Crusades, launched in August of 2024. He is the owner and editor-in-chief of Gold Dust Publishing, an indie publishing company for LGBTQIA+ and Allied authors. He's been a paranormal/Sci-fi/writing guest panelist or presenter at GalaxyCon, Jordancon, ConCarolinas, Congregate 9 & 10, Ret-Con, and Multiverse. He resides in Winston-Salem, NC.

Kenneth Broome, Jr. is a college English Instructor with over 10 years of teaching experience. He is a writer and editor of fantasy, sci-fi, and urban fiction. He is an assistant editor and contributor for the site BlackNerdProblems where he does horror-related movie and tv shows reviews and recaps, book reviews, and more. He loves the paranormal and supernatural, but witches and other magic users are his favorite. He is a big Blerd at heart and enjoys using spec fic topics in his courses.

Kenny Emmanuel immerses readers in original science-fiction via short stories, novels, and video games. His vision of futuristic, post-apocalyptic, and extraterrestrial worlds is grounded in everyday reality using his computer engineering background. When he's not writing, Kenny supports various local and remote communities. He's a member of the Huntsville NASFCAS, an eclectic group of writers who share and critique each other’s excerpts. He's engaged with various video and board game developers, testing and providing guidance on balance, theme, and accessibility after building a library of three hundred titles and sharing casual and instructional playthroughs on his group's YouTube channel.

Kevin A Davis is a fantasy author with seventeen published novels including the award-winning DRC Files. While continuing to add to the DRC Files, he is publishing in 2025 a collaboration with his wife, April Davis, a YA Shifter Romance trilogy, the Sorrowborn Series. Working projects include a collaboration with Tim Lewis, and a separate fantasy series. Residing in north Florida, Kevin A Davis attends conventions throughout the year, including as staff as Director of the Authors Workshop Track at JordanCon. As Inkd Publishing, he publishes a wide variety of anthologies.

Kristina’s stories revolve around found family, epic magic, and overcoming the darkest times in one’s life to step into the light. Between lifelong damage from a car accident and autoimmune diseases she has struggled with pain and physical disabilities most of her life. Through it all her found family―those that have stood by her through the darkest times when all hope was lost―became one of the foundation blocks of her life. For that reason many of her books focus on those themes: found family and finding a way through tragedy, loss, and hardship.

Kyoko M is the USA Today bestselling author of The Black Parade urban fantasy series, the Of Cinder and Bone science-fiction series, and the Starlight Contingency space opera series with Falstaff Books. The Black Parade has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews. Kyoko M has appeared as a guest and panelist at such conventions as DragonCon, Blacktasticon, Momocon, JordanCon, and MultiverseCon. She is also a contributor to Marvel Comics' Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda (2021) anthology as well as the Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson (2025) anthology.

L. D. Lewis (she/her) is an editor and Shirley Jackson award-nominated writer of speculative fiction, co-founder for the World Fantasy and Hugo Award-winning FIYAH Literary Magazine, and (formerly) researcher for the LeVar Burton Reads podcast. She runs the Ignyte Awards, and pays the bills as the Director of Programs and Operations for Lambda Literary. Her published short fiction and poetry includes appearances in many online publications, Neon Hemlock anthologies and Jordan Peele's Out There Screaming. Her debut novel Year of the Mer is forthcoming from Saga Press in 2026. She lives in Georgia on perpetual deadline with her partner, two cats, and an impressive LEGO build collection.

Ever since he was old enough to read, M. Haynes has been afflicted with the geek bug. From ATLA to Zelda, the world of fantasy has always intrigued M. Haynes, and as an adult he has made a career out of pretty much living the genre. When he is not moonlighting as an academic or professor he can be found residing on Earth 1914 writing, playing video games, or watching any number of video essays.

Marc Gunn doesn’t just sing drinking songs—he conjures them with the swagger of a bard and the soul of a storyteller. Armed with an autoharp, he fuses Celtic folk with rock energy and geeky lore from Star Wars, Firefly, and beyond. A veteran of Renaissance festivals, Marc turns every show into a joyful, rowdy celebration of music, myth, and mayhem. His songs blend Irish and Scottish tradition with heartfelt stories of love, loss, rebellion, and laughter. Expect clapping, singing, and maybe a tear if the whiskey flows just right. This isn’t your granddad’s Celtic music—it’s something far more alive.