Like many writers, I’ve always wanted to do this professionally. You know, after I decided against being an astronaut.

I have a special fondness for small bookstores and libraries, both which helped turn me into a happy reader. Once I found the books where magic and other fantastic elements were real, I was hooked.

My hobbies, aside from spending all my money on books and cat treats, revolve around yarn. I love crocheting, knitting, and spinning. In addition to several hand spindles, I share my office with two spinning wheels, named Rose and Gideon.

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home, but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she’s not hiding from the heat, she’s corralling her four wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French, which essentially means she spent all of her university time reading and eating French pastries. She is the author of Sing Me Forgotten and A Forgery of Roses.

Misako wanted to move to America since she was 11 after she got a crush on Michael J Fox in Back to the Future. At age 19, she won a scholarship to come to America as an exchange student.

Her first break came when The Onion decided to use her illustrations for their “Savage Love” column. Shortly after Misako scored a two-book deal with Hyperion and a three-book deal with Henry Holt. Her autobiographical comic, Rock and Roll Love was featured in Best Teens Book List by NYPL.

Outside of U.S., she has published four books in Japan. Her latest book “How to learn English with Misako’s method” became the bestseller in Japanese amazon.

She was selected as one of outstanding Japanese artists in NY and invited to meet Japanese Prime Minister Abe and the first lady. After that she started appearing on multiple Japanese TV and radio shows. Also, the BBC and NHK featured her in a documentary about her comic book life.

She has taught manga drawing classes at Metropolitan Museum and Brooklyn Cherry Blossom Festival and given many speeches in various schools all around the U.S.

Besides her book projects, she currently teaches Manga at The Chapin School in Upper East Side NYC.

Robin Roe has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s from Harvard. She counseled adolescents in Boston before she moved to Dallas to become a high school special education teacher.

Her debut novel A List of Cages was named one of the Best Young Adult Books of the Year by Goodreads, Chapters Indigo, EpicReads, BookPage, Powell’s Books, The Texas Library Association, News & Observer, and Buzzfeed.

Manuel Ruiz is a life-long Texan with a passion for reading, video games and music. He works in IT, plays in an 80’s band, and owns way too many toys. He writes teen and adult fiction, usually with a supernatural twist, and loves to keep his readers on their toes.

Manuel lives in Central Texas with his family where he spends time giving the characters in his head something fun, dark, and interesting to do.  Find out more at https://manuelruiz3.com

Author J. Scott Savage is the author of 20 published novels. He has been a teacher and presenter at writing conferences for adults and youth, and has developed Common Core-aligned projects for elementary school writing curricula. He has presented at more than 3000 schools across the country, inspiring students to read, write, embrace their own creativity, and change the world. He is represented by Michael Bourret of Dystal, Goderich, and Bourret.

Scott lives in Utah with his wife of 35 years, Jennifer. He has four amazing children, and nine perfect grandchildren. He enjoys reading, watching movies, camping, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Liara Tamani lives in Houston, Texas. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of the acclaimed young adult novels Calling My Name, a 2018 PEN America Literary Award Finalist and SCBWI Golden Kite Finalist, and All the Things We Never Knew, a 2020 Kirkus Best YA Book of the Year. Before becoming a writer, she attended Harvard Law School and worked as a marketing coordinator for the Houston Rockets & Comets, production assistant for Girlfriends (TV show), home accessories designer, floral designer, and yoga and dance teacher.  Find out more at https://www.liaratamani.com/

JESSICA VITALIS is a Columbia MBA-wielding author on a mission to write entertaining and thought-provoking literature. She founded Magic in the Middle, a series of free monthly recorded book talks, to help educators introduce young readers to new fantasy books. Her work has been translated into three languages, and she was recently named a 2021 Canada Council of the Arts Grant Recipient and featured on CBCs Here and Now. 

Cody Wagner loves to sing, mime (not really), and create. He writes about topics ranging from superpowers to literate trees (really). His trilogy, The Gay Teen’s Guide to Defeating a Siren, is now available. He’s handing out cookie dough to everyone who grabs a copy. Check out his writing and see more of his wackiness at www.wagner-writer.com or follow him on Twitter @cfjwagner and Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/wagner_writer or at http://www.wagner-writer.com