• is the lauded author of multiple YA novels that span many genres. From historical to fantasy, contemporary to gothic thriller, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. A ninth-generation farmer, Mindy attributes much of her character to growing up on an Ohio farm, learning the value of physical labor, and the harshness of the natural world early in life. A former school librarian, Mindy still lives and works in her hometown, and is dedicated to making herself available to financially disadvantaged school districts and communities. Mindy has done multiple interviews and guest posts over the years, and has been featured on such outlets as NPR and PBS. She’s also been a guest on a myriad of podcasts, blogs, and websites, many of which can found on her website.

  • is hairstylist by trade turned personality, writer, comedian, and entertainer by life. Jonathan is seeking to celebrate authenticity and uniqueness within the beauty and entertainment industry as an HIV+ nonbinary truth teller, Jonathan is determined to make this world a better, more equitable yet funnier place. As a true multi-hyphenate, Jonathan Van Ness is doing the most with his time by performing his sold-out stand up comedy on tour, being an award-winning television personality, starting a sustainable haircare brand, being a New York Times best-selling author, practicing his gymnastics & figure skating skills, and having a podcast. There’s also the garden, chickens, cats, and dogs that he takes care of with his husband Mark, whom he married in 2020. Don’t let Jonathan near an adoption center, because he will leave with another cat (or two).

  • is a former neuroscientist, Astounding Award–nominated and Judith A. Markowitz Award–winning author. Naseem Jamnia (they/them) writes inclusive speculative fiction for kids, teens, and adults. Their adult fantasy novella The Bruising of Qilwa was a finalist for the Crawford, Locus, and World Fantasy Awards. Their story in the YA horror anthology The White Guy Dies First was called “artful” and “reminiscent of director David Cronenberg’s work” by Kirkus Reviews. Naseem has been a Bitch Media, Lambda Literary, and Otherwise fellow and the inaugural Samuel R. Delany fellow, and their nonfiction has been published in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, Cosmopolitan, New Orleans Review, and others. Naseem is the managing editor and book designer for Sword & Kettle Press, a tiny publishing house of inclusive speculative writing. A Persian Chicagoan and child of Iranian immigrants, Naseem lives outside Reno, Nevada, with their geologist husband and four furred creatures. The Glade is their middle grade debut. Find out more and join their newsletter at NaseemWrites.com or on Instagram @JamsterNazzy.

  • is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, an author and a youth librarian. Her service philosophy is rooted in meeting each child exactly where they are by creating a library environment that embraces inclusivity. Stacy brings those same principles to her writing, one story at a time. Her writing focuses on narratives that center community and family, with an emphasis on self-discovery and the power of finding your voice. She tells these stories through an Indigenous lens with humor and joy. In her spare time, Stacy enjoys napping and gardening. She is a pro napper but is terrible at keeping plants alive. She hopes one day that will change. Until then, she lives life to the fullest in North Texas with her family, which includes a red dog named Blu and two very adorable but very mischievous ferrets.

  • is an award-winning author of Fearless Romance. She is best known for her Survival Romance, Whiteout, a Bookpage Best Book of the Year, Entertainment Weekly Top 10 Romance, Fated Mates Best Romance, and OprahMag Best Romance of 2020, and the Amazon top 100 bestselling Kink Camp: Hunted, which blends emotional depth and sex positivity in a wildly erotic, inclusive environment. Her first Rom Com, We’ll Never Have Paris, was named a Fated Mates Best Romance of 2023. Her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Oprah, Entertainment Weekly, Booklist, Bustle, USA Today, and more.

  • is the author of The Cloak Society and Space Runners series. His first graphic novel—I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story—publishes in 2025. Jeramey also writes English dub scripts for anime series, films, and video games. He’s worked extensively on blockbuster franchises like Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and Spy x Family. Jeramey has an MFA in writing from Columbia University and lives in Texas.

  • is the author of the cozy MG fantasy Accidental Demons (HarperCollins) and the forthcoming YA speculative thriller Natural Selection (Delacorte Press / Bloomsbury UK). They hold masters degrees from the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (MA) & the University of Montana (MFA).

  • is the award-winning author of Cub, The Player, On The Line (co-authored with Eric Walters), and the upcoming novels I Got You Babe and All Fun and Games. His non-fiction essays have appeared in the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives’ Keeping Our Stories Alive Anthology and Here and Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing. Paul has a specialist in English Literature from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. He lives in Toronto with his nephew, three dogs, and a small grey parrot. When not writing glitterature, he’s often found cooking but prefers baking. You can find out more at www.paulcoccia.com or on Instagram and Twitter: @pauljcoccia.

  • is the bestselling author of SLAY, The Cost of Knowing, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Wings of Fury, and The Jump. Brittney is an NAACP Image Award nominee, an ALA Black Caucus Youth Literary Award winner, and an Ignite Award Finalist. She also writes video games and has contributed to projects such as The Lost Legends of Redwall, Subnautica: Below Zero, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Marvel's Wolverine. She lives in Philadelphia.