Adriel Wiggins is a virtual assistant and continuity editor for independent authors. Over the last twenty years, her career path has taken many interesting twists, all of which have built her skills and passion for putting out fires and clearing mundane, routine tasks so that authors can focus on the important work.

Alex Smith has been with Printondemand-worldwide for over 7 years during which time he has gained an in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry. This placed him in the perfect position to lead the redevelopment of the Bookvault platform. He has worked very closely with some of the leading indie-publishing entrepreneurs to ensure that Bookvault continues to deliver the latest and greatest features they need for their businesses.

An award-winning writer, editor and designer, Allyson Longueira has worked in fiction and nonfiction in multiple media, including newspapers, magazines and books for twenty years. She holds a BA in English from Rutgers University and an MA in journalism from the prestigious University of Missouri School of Journalism. While a newspaper editor, she led her newspaper to three general excellence awards in three consecutive years from the Society of Professional Journalism and the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. After she transitioned to fiction editing, Allyson launched Fiction River Presents, a series of reprint anthologies published by WMG Publishing, for which she serves as series editor. She has taught writing, publishing and design at the college and professional levels, including a post as adjunct professor at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication as well as teaching professional workshops and lectures through WMG Publishing alongside award-winning authors and editors Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith. In 2020, Allyson joined the faculty of Western Colorado University as part of the Graduate Program in Creative Writing, where she teaches alongside Publishing Concentration Director and New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson. Allyson’s latest projects are co-executive editor with Kevin J. Anderson of Gilded Glass: Twisted Myths & Shattered Fairy Tales (Wordfire Press, July 2022) and Merciless Mermaids: Tails from the Deep (Wordfire Press, July 2023). Allyson is the publisher and CEO of WMG Publishing, Inc., headquartered in Lincoln City, Oregon.

Amy Cowan, a seasoned professional with nearly a decade of experience in publishing, excels in acquisitions, editing, and financial intricacies. Presently the Publisher at Young Dragons, an imprint of Roan & Weatherford Publishing Associates, she spearheads Children’s and Middle Grade content, collaborating seamlessly with picture book illustrators. Based in Northwest Arkansas, Amy enjoys spending time with her always-supportive husband, six children, and three grandchildren, often accompanied by her newly-found love of crochet projects. Her expertise in shaping literary landscapes and her devotion to family and artistic pursuits define Amy’s dynamic presence in both her professional and personal spheres.

Anne's career at Blackstone Publishing began in 2001. Rising rapidly, she became Head of Retail Sales, where her leadership and strategic initiatives led to a fourfold sales increase in just five years. In 2008, Anne transitioned to managing Digital Sales, propelling the sector to rapid growth due to her innovative approach. This success paved the way for her eventual role as Chief Sales Officer, where she continues to excel by adapting to the dynamic marketplace and leading her team to develop new strategies that strengthen relationships with customers and partners. Outside of her professional life, Anne's French heritage enriches her personal interests, particularly in sharing French cuisine with friends. Her deep understanding of the publishing industry is enhanced by her cultural insights and academic background, making her a key player in Blackstone's success.

C. J. Anaya is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author and writes teen and young adult fantasy romance. However, she tends to tell stories within the genres she loves to read. So you can find her sweet romantic comedies of the billionaire variety under the pen name Cynthia Savage and her super steamy scifi romances under the pen name Angelina Avery. She holds a BA in Communication and an MA in Publishing. So when she isn’t writing, she’s coaching other authors on crafting romance, the book production process, and best paths for publishing and marketing their books.

Chris Mandeville is an unrepentant coffee drinker, night owl, and binge writer. She can write anywhere, but her usual spot is a comfy chair at home in the Rocky Mountains with her service dog, Oski, snoozing by her feet. When she isn't writing, she loves to cook, travel, and teach writing workshops. She is a ten-year alum of SSWS—it's her favorite place o teach, lead “First Pages Parties,” and learn from other writers. Her published works include Quake, Shake, and Break (IN REAL TIME time travel trilogy), Seeds: a post-apocalyptic adventure, Oski Becomes a Service Dog, and 52 Ways to Get Unstuck. She’s also has two short stories published in anthologies that benefit Superstars' scholarship funds. Learn more about Chris, and her current projects and appearances, at chrismandeville.com.

Cindy Gunderson is a voice actress and award-winning author. Since she has commitment issues, she writes both sci-fi and fantasy, as well as contemporary romance and women's fiction under the pen name, Cynthia Gunderson.

When she is not typing away in a quiet corner of her local library, you can find her traveling with her family, narrating audiobooks, or happily digging in her garden. She loves acting and performing, beating her kids in card games, and playing ultimate frisbee with her handsome husband, Scott.

Cindy grew up in Alberta, Canada, but has lived most of her adult life between California and Colorado. She currently resides in the Denver metro area.

Cindy's first novel, Tier 1, was awarded First Place in Science Fiction at the 2021 CIPPA EVVY Awards, and her women's fiction novel Yes, And was honored with the Indie Author Award's first place prize for the state of Colorado, 2023.

Fascinated by magic since pine cones could be fireballs, C. R. Rowenson (Clark) is an award-winning author, blogger, and writing coach that studies magic building like others study oil-painting. His prime directive is to help storytellers craft and repair unforgettable magic systems in their stories. You can visit crrowenson.com to witness, fuel, or join in his obsession.

Damon Courtney is the creator and CEO of BookFunnel, an ebook delivery service for authors and publishers. Though he would like to be a highly successful indie author, he can only lay claim to publishing a single fantasy trilogy that he does really like, despite its lack of sales. But self-publishing three novels did lead to the creation of BookFunnel, so he’s got that going for him. As a lifelong software engineer, Damon is an expert in just about everything technical and can offer unique insight on publishing as it relates to software and technology. Our lives as authors cannot survive in this new world without software, so that makes Damon feel really important.

Dana Claire, a marketing and sales expert, public speaker, and young adult author, founded The INKfluence, a specialized marketing agency for authors. The INKfluence offers special edition design & production, Kickstarter campaign management, and direct sales website build-outs. Passionate about author education, Dana empowers writers to succeed in the ever-evolving publishing landscape.

Dave Sheets has spent more than 25 years in the publishing industry working with many of the top book publishers, distributors, and printers in the industry. He currently owns a publishing services company primarily working with independent authors. Every year, he continues to work with hundreds of authors helping to create books that entertain and inform readers across the globe, with services including editing, design, interior layout, eBooks, and printing. Dave excels in helping clients by listening well and providing resources for them to reach their highest levels of potential every day. Dave grew up in the Midwest and graduated from St. Cloud State University in MN with a BS in Mass Communications while playing on a football scholarship. Dave is married with five adult kids, two grandsons, and enjoys spending his free time enjoying the Colorado outdoors.

David R. Slayton (He/Him) grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he lives in Denver and writes the books he always wanted to read. His debut, White Trash Warlock, was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. In 2015, David founded Trick or Read, an initiative to give out books along with candy to children on Halloween as well as uplift lesser-known authors or those from marginalized backgrounds. His latest release, Dark Moon, Shallow Sea, is an epic fantasy that won the Colorado Book Award.

Find him online at www.DavidRSlayton.com.

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David Sherrer is a born storyteller and has been an obsessive gamer ever since he was seduced by Magic the Gathering at the tender age of fourteen. He has alternately owned a gaming store, street performed for a living, and survived eleven years in the soul crushing world of telecommunications. He lucked out by marrying a force of nature who was determined to making living off writing, and has since escaped his 9-5 to become the Marketing Director and Lead Game Designer of Chenoweth Press. His debut card game "Cat Magic: The Game" released in 2022 and was funded on Kickstarter within hours of launching. David considers himself an Atlantan, but currently lives in Louisville, KY with his family, feline overlords, and a mountain of board games that he swears he actually plays.

Eric Madrid started audio engineering at a young age, pirating songs off the radio. With that ramshackle set up he recorded 1000 hours of book to tape for the Colorado deaf and blind school for his Eagle Scout project, Enharmonic studios was born. While dabbling in the touring rock band world for a couple decades and releasing/appearing on nearly 30 records and producing hundreds more for local and touring acts. Eric settled in Colorado Springs in 2002 keeping the tradition of his youth endeavors built Enharmonic studios an analogue/digital home studio catering to all things audio.

J.T. Evans writes fantasy novels. He also dabbles with science fiction and horror short stories. He is the former president of Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group and Pikes Peak Writers. When not writing, he keeps computers secure at the Day Job, spends time with his family, and plays way too many tabletop games.

He originally spawned in the deserts of west Texas. Before he could escape, his right arm was amputated in a car wreck when he was 15. He had the arm reattached a short while later and finally ran away from his home city to the sweltering heat of San Antonio before his 23rd birthday. After living there a year, he tried out the frozen tundra of northern Montana. That only lasted a year before eventually settling in the relatively moderate climate of Colorado.

J.T. joined the Gnome Stew Crew in March of 2016. Since that time, he has written dozens of articles for the site and has earned three Gold ENnie awards (2016, 2017, and 2018) as part of the team at Gnome Stew.

He is the author of the Modern Mythology and Flashing Blades series and is hastily working on more right now.

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I make badass art for badass stories and authors. Full of grit and storytelling, my work is geared to instantly capture attention. Using 3-d modeling software combined with digital painting and host of other assets, my fully custom creations play with perspective and scale in a way few other covers in the industry do.

Jayrod P. Garrett (they/them) is a storyteller with an MFA in English: Creative Writing from the University of Nevada Reno. A transplant in Utah, they came on a three-week vacation as a child and incubated here for 40 years to bloom into a Nonbinary, Black, Atheist, U.S. Veteran with PTSD and ADHD. These intersections they’ve discovered over time have made them work towards a world where all of us can be comfortable, safe, and free. They have published work with the League of Utah Writers and currently work on poetry, novels, editing, and storytelling projects. They live in northern Utah with their spouse and three children.

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Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

jim-butcher.com

Joshua Essoe is a full-time editor who has edited for NYT bestsellers including Piers Anthony, David Farland, and Dean Lorey. He has edited for USA Today bestsellers, Writers of the Future winners, and many independents.

He was lead editor at Urban Fantasy Magazine and founded the weekly writing podcast Hide and Create with Michael J. Sullivan, Diana Rowland, Jay Wells, and Debbie Viguie.

The 1st two of his books on writing, Action Sequences & Sex Scenes, and Worldbuilding & Mood and Atmosphere, funded in just hours on Kickstarter, each covering two subjects of the most-common issues he sees in fiction writing.

You can find Joshua teaching at the Superstars Writing Seminar every February in Colorado.

Kerrie is an author, writing consultant, speaker, writing instructor and freelance writer with over 20 years’ experience in the publishing industry. She is the author of, The Writer’s Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing and the creator of the Magazine Writing Blueprint. In addition, She has published nineteen other books, including three series’ with co-author Chuck Harrelson, under the pen names, C.G. Harris.

Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 175 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers.

He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as unique steampunk fantasy novels Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, written with legendary rock drummer Neil Peart. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Wake the Dragon and Terra Incognita fantasy trilogies, the Saga of Shadows trilogy, and his humorous horror series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie PI.

He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs.

An early reader, Laura exhausted the children’s section of her local library by age ten. At that point, she switched to adult mysteries and science fiction and never looked back. Trained as an engineer, she continued to write “for fun” until one day, she decided to write “for real.”

She has now published fifteen full-length novels under four names, thirteen short stories/novellas, and an authorized companion book about Nora Roberts. Having traveled across the US as a military spouse, Laura now resides (permanently) in Colorado with her husband and dogs. To learn more, visit her at http://suspense.net.

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Lindsay Flanagan is an award-winning editor with an MA in English and Creative Writing.

Her debut novel, AnnaGrey and the Constellation, was published by Young Dragons Press in August 2023, with two more books about AnnaGrey slated for publication in 2024 and 2025.

She’s edited for traditional publishers, worked for literary agents, and has taught about writing, editing, and publishing at numerous conferences, including Superstars Writing Seminars and Writing Day Workshops. She is a senior editor at Eschler Editing who specializes in developmental and substantive editing.

Her poetry, prose, and short fiction has been featured in several literary magazines such as Soft Cartel, Down in the Dirt, Mused Literary Review, The Penmen Review, The Scarlet Leaf Review, and Page & Spine. She’s also published writing, editing, publishing, and social media advice on industry blogs.

Her second creative love is photography, which you can view on Instagram.

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Lydia Sherrer is the award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author of the Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus universe of books which have sold over three-quarters of a million copies worldwide. She has also published the TransDimensional Hunter series with NYT bestselling author John Ringo, and has written for multiple anthologies.

Marie Whittaker enjoys teaching about publishing and project management for writers. She works as Associate Publisher at WordFire Press and Director at Superstars Writing Seminars. She also puts in time as personal assistant to Kevin J. Anderson. In 2021, she co founded the epic fantasy world of Eldros Legacy. Marie is an award-winning essayist and author of horror, fantasy, children’s books, and paranormal mysteries. She is the creator of The Adventures of Lola Hopscotch, is published in Weird Tales, and habitually adopts rescue animals. Find out more about her at www.mariewhittaker.com.

Mia has been an avid reader since she was a kid, and her passion for reading went crazy once she discovered Science Fiction and Fantasy, and more recently Detective Fiction. Her current reading (and listening) also includes Military Science Fiction, Thrillers, and memoirs.

She started proof reading for a small publisher nearly 10 years ago, and she soon realized that along with enjoying the work she was very proficient at it. Since then she has been improving her editing skills.

She loves working with authors to help make their stories the best they can be. Whether it’s helping them with developmental issues or the fine tuning of line and copy edits.

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Sabine is an avid reader, writer, and editor. She has a BA in History, a Certificate of Proficiency in Editing and Document Design, and an M.Ed in Higher Education Leadership. During the day she works in higher education. At night she reads, writes, edits fiction, and watches K-dramas. Life is good, especially because she shares it with her amazing husband, three great kids, and a crazy chocolate lab.

Sam Knight has worked for three different publishers, curated five anthologies, authored six children’s books, four short story collections, three novels, and over five dozen short stories, including a Planet of the Apes story and a Wayward Pines story, both co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson. A stay-at-home father, Sam attempts to be a full-time writer, but there are only so many hours left in a day after kids. Once upon a time, he was known to quote books the way some people quote movies, but now he claims having a family has made him forgetful, as a survival adaptation.

Steve Ruskin writes thrillers with a hint of magic, and science fiction with a streak of rebellion. His Trina Piper thrillers have been called “Dan Brown meets J.K. Rowling,” while reviewers recommend his space opera series, the ExoRok Rebels, to “fans of The Expanse.”
He is also an award-winning historian, with a PhD in the history and philosophy of science, and has written numerous non-fiction books and articles, including the #1 Amazon Bestseller, America's First Great Eclipse.
A Colorado native, Steve has been a university professor, a mountain bike guide, and a number of things in between.
He can be found at www.steveruskin.com

When Tanya Hales was a baby, she enjoyed books by chewing them to pieces before eventually moving on to the higher art of reading. Tanya splits her time between her work as a writer, an illustrator, and a mother, all of which she loves intensely. She now lives in Utah with her family, illustrating coloring books, writing YA fantasy, making cute stickers, and daydreaming constantly about imaginary worlds.

Todd Fahnestock is an award-winning, #1 bestselling author of fantasy for all ages and winner of the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age Award. Threadweavers and The Whisper Prince Trilogy are two of his bestselling epic fantasy series. He is a founder of Eldros Legacy—a multi-author, shared-world mega-epic fantasy series—two-time winner of the Colorado Authors League Award for Writing Excellence, and two-time finalist for the Colorado Book Award for Tower of the Four: The Champions Academy (2021) and Khyven the Unkillable (2022). His passions are great stories and his quirky, fun-loving family. When he’s not writing, he teaches Taekwondo, swaps middle grade humor with his son, plays Ticket to Ride with his wife, plots creative stories with his daughter, and plays vigorously with Galahad the Weimaraner. Visit Todd at toddfahnestock.com.