About the author... from Trevor
I started writing when given a typewriter at the age of ten. The world of Kinthur was born in 1991 during the start of my journey through college. The first novel, Penta Ka Wa: The Dark Gift started as an oral story told to friends, but as the years passed, the story got longer and came alive, demanding it be put to paper.
Inspired by role-playing games (Dungeons & Dragons) and all the influences of the great fantasy writers in the past, the world of Kinthur was born. Over 10,000 years of history have been planned out to be shared and more stories are on the way. Kinthur is filled with dragons, elves, heroes, vampires, gods and more fantastical creatures than you can throw a grimoire at.
The Penta Ka Wa series came first, as the character held a special place in games and story alike.
The next series, The Adventurers, was born out of one of Penta's chance encounters with a wayward group of travelers. Theirappearance was so momentous, they had to have their own series.
After that my wife joined me in my writing journey and we started a third series of book based on actual games played in my fantasy world.
We’ve moved to Costa Rica with our two dogs to semi-retire and write full time. We hope to give more Kinthur to our readers than ever before and look forward to interacting with them as the canon of Kinthur grows.
Find Trevor and his books on his website here: https://kinthur.com/
Jesús Canchola Sánchez had his first short story published at the age of 7 in his Chicago elementary school newspaper. His debut novel is Escape From Natura Met (2025). He received the Hispanic Playwrights in Residence award by INTAR Theater and won the Pregones Theater Asunción Playwrights Competition. He's the author of the children's book Pepito Has A Doll/Pepito tiene una muñeca (2021). Canchola Sánchez was a producer on the morning talk show Las Comadres con Gloria B (2008-2010) that aired on Telemundo 47 in the tri-state area. He is the writer/director of the Mexican feature film Bittersweet Waters (2019). As an actor, he appeared on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien "Conando" sketches and danced on Bhangra Dance Workout of Massala Productions. He was on stage at the Public Theater in 365 days/365 plays, Pregones Theater, Fringe NYC and played Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream directed by Stuart Vaughan at the Lucille Lortel Theater.
FindJesús Canchola Sánchez and his books on his website here: https://www.jesuscancholasanchez.com/
David Shactman is an expert in national health policy and medical tourism. After careers in real estate and retail, he studied health policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Following graduation, he worked on clinical practice guidelines for the U.S. Agency of Health Care Policy and Research. He then joined the research faculty at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. While there, he co-edited two collections, “Regulating Managed Care” and “Policies for an Aging Society.” Mr. Shactman has published scholarly articles in peer reviewed journals and has delivered conference speeches, academic lectures and Congressional testimony.
His fiction work entitle Mortal Choices highlights the pitfalls of kidney transplants and organ trade. Find David and his book here: https://davidshactman.com/
Liisa Kovala is a Finnish Canadian author and book coach. Her debut novel, Sisu's Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022), received a Literary Creation Project Grant from the Ontario Arts Council (OAC). Liisa's first book, Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award and published in Finland under the title Stutthofin selviytyjä (Docendo, 2020). Her most recent historical novel, Like Water for Weary Souls (House of Karhu, 2025) received a Literary Creation Project Grant from the OAC and was released in October 2025.
Find Liisa Kovala and her books on her website here: https://www.liisakovalabookcoach.com/
What an amazing gift idea! There is an accompanying journal to Kristina Rienzi's 5 Happy Choices too!
Kristina is a critically acclaimed multi-genre author of twisty beach thrillers and applied psychology. Her novels are primarily set at the Jersey Shore, where she is a local.
Find all her books here: https://kristinarienzi.com/
Holiday book & multi-genre author Melanie P. Smith was born and raised in Utah by a loving LDS family. She attended Dixie College and the University of Phoenix where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. She also earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Negotiations from the University of Utah. One summer she got a part-time job as a Student Intern for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office she never left. In 2016, she retired after serving most of her career in the Special Operations Division. For many years, she was part of the support staff for the SWAT team and responded on call-outs to man the radio in the SWAT Command Post. She was also a member of the Logistics Unit of the Child Abduction Response Team and worked closely with Search & Rescue, the Mounted Posse, K9 and the Motor Unit.
Find Melanie and her books here: https://melaniepsmith.com/
Perfect for holiday gifts for all the women in your life... Kristine Jensen's Wednesday Club is a story inspired by her grandmother's real life Wednesday Club of over sixty-years. Find out about the real-life connection and book that's sparked a movement of connecting generations of women in today's podcast!
More about the Wednesday Club... It’s 1963 and struggling to fit in, Ivy reluctantly agrees to be the secretary of her grandmother’s Wednesday Club, a group of six older women who meet monthly to discuss current events, find ways to help their rural community, and sometimes share a little gossip.
As weeks, and then months pass and Ivy’s mother rarely keeps in touch, Ivy is unexpectedly drawn into the lives of the Wednesday Club members and their struggles. A painful secret, a broken heart, the disappointment of left-behind dreams, the life and death realities of rural living, and the ache of abandonment.
Ultimately and surprisingly, it’s the Wednesday Club women who help mend something deep within Ivy and provide a sense of belonging she’s never known.
Find the Wednesday Club here: https://www.wednesday-club.com/novel
Seth Voorhees is a Black Hills Author. Living in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He enjoys drawing from his experiences as a social worker, particularly in adolescent development and mental health, to shape his characters and their journeys through human morality and challenges. He identifies himself as a dark fiction author because his writing spans over several genres. He resides in Rapid City with his partner and stepdaughter. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in sociology and psychology from Black Hills State University.
Find Seth and his books here: https://sethtvoorhees.com/
Rick Partlow is that rarest of species, a native Floridian. Born in Tampa, he attended Florida Southern College and graduated with a degree in History and a commission in the US Army as an Infantry officer. His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in northern Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
Visit his website at https://rickpartlow.com/
Andrew is the author of the Debt Collection and Ironbound series and also a gaming YouTuber known as Sigils. He loves making people laugh, video games, and food. (Not always in that order.) He lives in LA.
To learn more about him you can go to his website: http://andrewgivler.com
Constantinos Koumontzis graduated from DePaul University Chicago with a Creative Writing bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. He was awarded the Mary Zavada writing endowment and honed his craft while studying abroad in London at the University of Westminster.
He produced the short film Touch in 2024 and currently lives and writes in Los Angeles.
His debut novel, She Looks Like Fun is out now and available on Amazon, Kindle, Audible, and several major bookstores. FInd Constantinos at https://www.constantinoskoumontzis.com/
Do your kids love dinosaurs? Do you? Read Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning. In 1811, at age 12, she discovered a 17-foot fossil on the Jurassic Coast. The scientific community didn't believe a girl could make such a find. Today, she's known as the "Mother of Paleontology."
A full-time personal trainer and competitive powerlifter, Cal started writing seriously in 2017, drawing inspiration from history, his time spent practicing mixed martial arts, and of course, books. Cal lives in Chicago with his wife, Taylor, and his dachshund, Rizzo.
His debut novel, ShadowBane, is now available.
Find Cal and his books here:
www.amazon.com/author/callogan
Michael Hingson’s inspiring true story captivated the world when he and his guide dog Roselle escaped the Twin Towers together on 9/11, a story that became the New York Times bestselling book Thunder Dog. During decades of walking with guide dogs, he had learned a surprising truth that helped save his life that day: Being afraid can be a positive thing, one that prepares us to deal with any situation that befalls us.
Author & speaker Michael Hingson can be found on his website here: https://michaelhingson.com/
PS Conway has published more than 50 poems across four online journals and 16 poetry anthologies. Two anthologies have been Amazon Best Sellers (so far). He released his first poetry collection Echoes Lost in Stars [Literary Revelations Publishing House] in March 2024. To date, it has garnered significant critical acclaim. In April 2025, PS will release Life Sucks:Memories and Introspections During the Great Covid Lockdown [Fictional Café Press], a compilation of satirical essays from Covid lockdown. A two-time Pushcart Nominee, PS also serves as the 2024-25 Poet-in-Residence for the online literary journal, The Fictional Café. He finds fascination in words birthed from dark, literate, and emotive places. Find him online at psconway.com and poetrybyps.com, and follow him on social media (Facebook; Instagram; and Twitter/X).
Annmarie grew up in New York City but was transplanted to the south in high school. She writes stories about hope, courage, and resilience in fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, and mystery. She loves exploring the human experience and wants readers to feel like they can do more than survive.
When she’s not writing, Annmarie enjoys learning just about everything, playing violin, and singing. She can occasionally be found tap dancing or playing D & D. One day, she wants to go LARPing.
To keep up with her latest releases, writing news, and exclusive content, join her author newsletter on her website at https://asansevero.com/.
Award-winning Journalist and USA Today bestselling author Jeffery H. Haskell thinks he should always be himself… unless he can be Spider-Man. Then, he should be Spidey. He’s a lifelong lover of comic books and science fiction, and he owns his geek status by quoting Aliens and Star Trek at every given opportunity.
When he realized he could make a living writing about his obsessions, he jumped at the chance. With the incredible support of his amazing wife and spectacular children, Jeffery lives the dream of bringing his imagination to the page and on occasion, he writes about love and marriage.
Find Jeffrey on his website at http://jefferyhhaskell.com/
Alex Villasante has always loved telling stories—though not always with words. She has a BFA in Painting and an MA in Combined Media (that’s art school speak for making work out of *anything*). Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents, Alex has the privilegio of dreaming in both English and Spanish.
When she’s not writing, painting or chasing chickens around the yard, Alex plans conferences and fundraisers for non-profits. You can find Alex on Instagram at @magpiewrites or on her website, alexandravillasante.com
From Randee... First of all, I'm the proud owner of a first novel, the humorous pop-culture fantasy Tune in Tomorrow (Solaris)!
I'm an entertainment journalist by day and an author at all other times. My tales have been published in a bunch of anthologies, and I'm the co-editor of Across the Universe: Tales of Alternate Beatles as well as the co-author of The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion.
In my day job, I write for outlets including Today.com, Variety, The Los Angeles Times, and Emmy Magazine.
I live with the love of my life and an adorable West Highland Terrier (who is also quite lovable), in Brooklyn. Be sure to visit me at my web page, and sign up for the newsletter!
Joel McKay is an award-winning author of fantasy and dark fiction, including the YA fantasy novel The Dungeoneers and the Treasure of Roan, the horror novella Wolf at the Door and dark anthology It Came From the Trees and Other Violent Aberrations. He lives in Northern B.C.
More information can be found at https://www.joelmckay.ca