Attending Authors
Preorder Links Coming Soon!
Rietta Boksha
Born and raised in a south suburb of Chicago, Rietta has always been a storyteller at heart. As a child, she carried around a tape recorder, capturing the worlds she imagined, and by fourteen, she had written her first book.
After earning a B.S. in Exercise Science from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, she spent several years as a trainer before rediscovering her true passion—creating. Inspired by the love story she shares with her husband, she penned A Walk to Forever, the first of many books to come.
Now, 14 years, one kiddo, one dog, one cat, and six books later, Rietta is still writing, podcasting, and bringing her creative visions to life through Cosmic Creeative.
C.L. Briar
C.L. Briar is a believer that books are always better than reality and one of the biggest offenses a person can commit is interrupting reading time. When she is not busy dreaming up dark fantasy worlds and plotting destruction, she can be found drinking coffee in her backyard with her husband, three young daughters, and hound dog.
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Lara Buckheit
Lara Buckheit was born and raised on the Eastern Shore. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wilmington University, is a 2021 WriteMentor Mentee, an avid writer (and reader) of spice, and one time she met Taylor Swift’s dad.
She started writing at a very young age, mostly fanfiction centered around women with swords and men with devilish grins. And she hasn’t stopped since.
When not writing, Lara can be found drinking tea, reading from her endless TBR pile, and obsessing over any and all romance.
Lara lives in Rehoboth Beach, DE, with her husband, fur-child, and thirteen houseplants named after fictional characters.
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C.A. Burkhart
C.A.Burkhart is an indie author that specializes in Fantasy Romance and Contemporary Romance series.
A native of northern Delaware, she relocated to Maryland in 2016, where she rekindled her lifelong passion for writing. Over the past several years, she dedicated herself to developing her debut novel, Awakened Under the Blood Moon, the first installment in the Kingdom of Rinnia series. Since then, C.A. has released a contemporary romance novella series, set in the charming bayside town of Solomons Island, Maryland.
L.Z. Cathcart
"I don’t write heroes. I write the ones who survive them.
And if they leave a few bodies (or kingdoms) behind on the way out? Even better.
I’m L.Z. Cathcart—author of dark, twisted fantasy where dangerous women rewrite the rules, the gods have their own agendas, and magic always demands something in return. When Vengeance Bleeds Royal is my debut novel and the first in The Blood Descent Series—a story about power, secrets, betrayal, and what happens when you decide the throne is yours to take, not beg for.
I write for the ones who were too quiet, too much, too angry, too emotional. The ones who were told to wait their turn or lower their voice. The ones who didn’t get the crown—but took the sword anyway."
Kate Cunningham
Kate grew up in northwest Ohio, but as a military spouse has called many places home; including Virginia, Japan, New Jersey, and North Carolina.
She has a love of music, baking, gardening, black cats (and dogs), and home renovation projects.
Music has always been a passion for Kate, and it has been a huge inspiration while writing. She grew up on bands like Deftones, AFI, and Tool and some of her more recent favorites have been Bad Omens, Sleep Token, and Bring Me The Horizon.
Kate began writing in 2022 after becoming a mom and leaving her job in engineering. The spark of inspiration for her first book struck on a girls’ trip, and when she returned, Kate wrote the first few scenes of what would become The Blood Kingdom.
Carving out hours during naptime and after bedtime, she wasn’t sure where the story would take her, or if it would ever become a fully-fledged book. But after two years of writing, as they say in the biz; she polished that turd and sent it out into the world.
Since then, Kate has written The Blood Crown: Book 2 in the The Blood Folk series (Coming January 2025) and has started a secret side project.
Haley Davis
Haley Davis, along with her husband, two children, and pets, calls the coast of North Carolina home. She enjoys surrounding herself with friends and family. Haley has always been captivated by reading and writing, but it wasn't until she had her second child that she decided to take the leap and write her own story.
A Dance of Light and Shadows is her debut novel, and the sequel is already in the works. It explores themes of found family, hidden heritage, and a slow burn that'll have readers kicking and screaming. She loves bringing others into the worlds she creates and seeing the joy it brings them.
Emily Elder
Welcome to Emily's world, where romance knows no bounds-a bite of paranormal, a sprinkle of fantasy and a twist of darkness.
"There have been stories tumbling around my head for as long as I can remember. I started out writing fan fiction in high school and my love for romance and magical worlds only grew from there. Now I have had the honor of publishing and sharing my work with readers all over the world."
L.R. Friedman
Author L.R. Friedman loves curling up with a cup of coffee while diving into the romance of magical worlds.
She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and three children.
When she's not writing, you'll find her enjoying tacos, dark chocolate, and the occasional glass of whiskey.
The girl that grew up trying to find a hidden realm in her closet, she hopes to transport readers to beautiful, sexy, dark, and enchanting places through her stories.
Morgan Gauthier
Storytelling is in Morgan Gauthier’s blood; She can’t seem to turn her brain off at night and some of her best ideas have come to her in the shower.
She is the Bestselling author of A Song of Shadow and Starlight, the first book in a NA Fantasy Romance series perfect for fans of Avatar the Last Airbender, Tangled, ACOTAR and Dungeons and Dragons.
Also under her writing belt is the Mark of the Hunter Trilogy (Wolves of Adalore, The Red Maiden, and The Raven and the Wolf), Aloha, Seattle, and The Maine Attraction (both Contemporary Romantic Comedies).
Morgan Gauthier lives in East Tennessee with her husband and best friend, Brad, and their three children, Remi, Archer, and Roux (who are 6 years old and younger!). If five people wreaking havoc in the same house wasn’t enough, Morgan also has three dogs, Shadow, Skye, and Bubba.
If Morgan isn’t writing or reading, she can be found binge watching Netflix shows, attempting to cook like Gordon Ramsay (not even close to his level), and practicing archery.
Isabelle M. Guernica
Isabelle is a lover of all things romantic, contemporary, fantasy, dystopian, and above all, smutty! “Give me a dark and broody alpha male with “touch her and die vibes,” and I’m an immediate sucker.”
Isabelle plans to release as many books as she physically can during this lifetime, and when it’s over, she hopes to get reincarnated into either a well-loved farm dog or one of her favorite characters (either one of her own creations or another that has multiple love interests that are completely devoted to her).
Jennifer Kay
As a residential nomad, Jennifer find inspiration wherever life leads. Weaving worlds inspired by her experiences is her favorite maladaptive daydream, and creating relatable characters within those worlds is her favorite product. Jennifer's stories are magic-packed, dragon-riding, high-heat fantasy romances.
Ariella Monti
"Since graduating in 2006 with a (now-obsolete) Masters in Publishing I’ve worked as a newspaper journalist, website content writer, and SEO blogger. I became a stay at home mom when my son was born in 2016 and by 2021 my brain was screaming for a creative outlet. I began to dabble in creative writing again, this time putting myself out there and sharing my work publicly.
While doing all of these writer things, I was also an avid yoga practitioner. I stepped on a mat in 2007 and never got off. I found a form of joyful movement that resonated with me physically and spiritually. I became a certified yoga instructor in January 2019 and have fostered a reputation for working with beginners and people with injuries and chronic illness.
I see reflections of myself in many spaces, but not all. And my hope is that my work becomes a place where others can see parts of themselves, too. "
Sabrina Roznowski
Sabrina was born in Germany and grew up in Michigan in a military family. She played soccer and shot archery, and she wrestled growing up. Sabrina has wanted to write ever since the fourth grade. She joined the military and met her husband on a deployment, later having her first son in 2013. She now lives in North Carolina about half an hour from the beach.
K.C. Smith
K.C. Smith has loved creating adventurous stories since childhood. Her aim is to create fun magical worlds for you to get lost in, because who doesn't love an escape from reality every once in awhile?K.C. works as an Accountant by day and resides in Maryland with her husband and their chihuahua, Tank.When not writing or reading, she can be found rock climbing and traveling the world!
L.E. Van Veen
L.E. Van Veen lives with her husband and three dogs in coastal North Carolina, although she spends a good deal of time lost in fictional lands. She has enjoyed stories set in different worlds for as long as she can remember and has long dreamed of building her own. After studying Creative Writing at UNC Wilmington, she began work on her debut novel, Under Cold Moons, an upper young adult fantasy novel inspired by years spent dreaming.
J.M. Wallace
"I started my writing journey at a young age, creating stories that I was too afraid to share with the world. All of that has changed now!
Now with seven novels including the chart-hitting series A Legacy of Darkness and the beloved Claiming Elfhame, series, these stories are all coming to life!
A little about me… I am the wife of an incredibly supportive husband (who gives major golden retriever vibes while I, myself, give off a bit of black cat) and the mom to two beautiful, spirited children. I have been blessed to have the support of my family while I chase my dreams of becoming a published author. When I’m not writing, I’m exploring our home here in Eastern North Carolina with my bookish friends, cooking, crafting, and of course, READING."
R.V. Wilbur
R.V. Wilbur has been in love with reading ever since she received her first Little Golden Book library at the age of two. A love of words soon followed and, after publishing selected poems, she drafted her first book at the age of thirteen. Despite all of this she is still somehow terrible at writing blurbs, so this is about all you get. She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband, two children, and of course her black cat Rory Pond. And she's probably drinking coffee. No, she is definitely drinking coffee.
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Emily Colin
Emily Colin is the New York Times & USA Today bestselling, IPPY Award-winning, and INDIES Award-recognized author of adult and young adult fiction featuring love stories with supernatural twists. Emily is also the author of the award-winning young adult, romantic dystopian-fantasy series, The Seven Sins.
A creative writing instructor, book coach, editor, and public speaker, Emily has enjoyed participating in many multimedia and literary events. A former Pitch Wars mentor and 2022 KissPitch mentor, she has over two decades’ experience in the fields of arts education and creative youth development. In a past life, she organized a Coney Island tattoo and piercing show, hauled fish at a dolphin research center, and roamed New York City as an itinerant teenage violinist. A fan of sushi and indie bookstores, she lives in coastal North Carolina with her family.
K.D. Miller
"I’ve been writing for about 5 years now, and as of the end of 2024, have published 10 books! I can’t seem to pick a lane when it comes to genres, but that just means I have a little something for everyone, right?! I live on the coast of NC with my awesome husband, even more awesome tiny human, and three crazy rescue mutts (who are also awesome)."
Brittany Johnston
Brittany Johnston is a college professor by day and a writer by night, crafting dark fantasy romances filled with plot, spice, and everything morally gray. Her stories take readers on a journey through flawed, captivating characters, weaving in magic and unexpected, darker elements. Through her writing, she explores the complexity of human nature, believing that the morally gray areas of life reveal the most fascinating aspects of humanity, herself included. Currently pursuing a doctorate in English Literature, Brittany advocates for the power readers find in exploring lived experiences through darker themes and the acceptance of a broader, more nuanced understanding of love in literature.
When not writing, Brittany can be found living along the North Carolina coast beach bumming, enjoying game nights, watching K-dramas, and reading all hours of the night.
B.L. Brown
"Britta is the worst.
Not really, but NBC once tried to convince the world she was by way of an opinionated, somewhat clumsy but all together good-natured sitcom character.
They weren’t too far off the mark, although they did get the hair color wrong.
In reality, Britta is a human wrangling, word wielding, crock pot aficionado with a passion for fairy tales, folklore, and feisty characters. She can be found drowning in the wormhole that is Wikipedia, or begging her friends in academia for their JSTOR logins.
Beyond this, she is either (and in no particular order): lost in the woods, scanning the shelves at the bottle shop, flicking through a classic cookbook, chasing a toddler around the neighbor’s yard, or feverishly typing away as she dreams up new horrors and wonders for her characters."
