These are the MidsouthCon Attending Guest in alphabetical order. The Guests of Honor are listed here.
| Name | Biography |
|---|---|
| Randy Allen | Randy Allen is a Memphis native living in New Orleans since 2014, but always makes it to MidSouthCon. He has been on the leadership team for LARPs in the Camarilla, the Mind’s Eye Society, and Memphis-area troupe games since the late 1990’s, and is presently the Storyteller for the local Changeling: the Dreaming LARP, "Backbeat Ballad." He is also the lead developer behind the early 2000’s tabletop RPGs "Rumours" and "Salvation," as well as part of the editorial staff for the tabletop RPGs "SOL," "Kronos," and "Skew Effect." |
| Mazelle Attiya | Mazelle Attiya has always been interested in sewing and that age shouldn’t matter when it comes to cosplay. She learned to sew at the young age of 10 with Barbie clothes and by high school was making the costumes for the school plays. In 1987 she joined the Society For Creative Anachronism, Inc (SCA, Inc) and quickly moved up the ranks in the field of historical costuming. In 1999 she was inducted into the Order of the Laurel which is the SCA s highest level of expertise in the Arts and Sciences for her beautiful Elizabethan clothing and hat making skills. Between 1996 through 2005, Mazelle had her own custom sewing business in Memphis, catering to bridal parties, pageant, dance competition and Civil War re-enactors. During this same time period she also worked in the Wardrobe department for Opera Memphis. She went back to college and now has an MBA in Accounting so she can work to support her hobby of making costume for herself not only for the SCA but also for Sci-Fi/Fantasy conventions. Over the years she has won and judged numerous competitions at Costume Con, ShadowCon and MidSouthCon. Mazelle was the Costuming Guest of Honor at ShadowCon in 2011, 2012, 2013. She currently lives in Arlington, TN. |
| Frank J Bennett | FRANK J BENNETT was born and raised in beautiful Baltimore County Maryland. A child of the 1960’s and 1970’s. It was in The State of Maryland that the majority of his experiences with The Paranormal occured. Frank went on to apply himself to many occupations, most of which proved to be simple trial and error, as we all tend to do in life. But along the way Frank managed an interesting life, eventually becoming a Graduate of Bible Studies from Liberty University, to add to certifications in other areas of expertise. Professionally, Frank has aquired almost 17 years experience in the demolition field, to which he eventually became a demolition contractor. Having been semi-retired from the demolition business Frank has turned to writing about matters which interest him, and created the webpage, www.biblebybennett.com, which follows current news and events for sake of teaching Bible Prophecy with unique views on what’s going on in the world today. He also has taken to writing about his experiences with The Paranormal, The Cryptozoological, and The Extraterrestrial, producing the groundbreaking work "Encounter with The Aberdeen Wildman, A true story." Frank currently tours the country, appearing at many types of live events and conventions as a speaker and conducting his Paranormal Town hall, which he invites anyone to an open forum in which they can share their own experiences with The Paranormal. Personally, Frank is happily married (unless she gets mad) 27 years to the same blue-eyed gal. Frank lives in Ohio and has no children (at least not that he knows of) and enjoys swimming, writing, kayaking, etc. |
| Heather Bosi | Imogean Webb writes stories centered around the re-telling of folklore, dystopias, and dark fantasy. She has two short stories published while working on her B.A. in English. Residing in Memphis, TN. she plans to continue developing her skills as a professional author. |
| Rachel Brune | Growing up, Rachel drove her mother nuts by trying out a new hobby every week, from weaving to street hockey to piano to karate. Told to pick one thing and stick with it, she decided to become a writer and keep trying out new hobbies from fiber spinning to muay thai to medieval recreation and even fencing. Hey, it all counts as research, right? Her first paying gig as a writer came when she enlisted in the Army Reserve as a military journalist. Armed with pen, paper, camera, and weapon, she spent five years including two tours in Iraq writing and publishing stories about the men and women serving in the Army. After five years, and a few more hobbies here and there, she left the field of military journalism and commissioned as an active duty military police officer. Now, she writes long and short fiction, is an active member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, and is currently training for her second attempt at successfully completing a Half IRONMAN triathlon. My goal is to write engaging, entertaining fantasy set in contemporary times, peopled with characters who are flawed but unforgettable. Although I no longer write Army news stories, my aim is to bring the military I ve lived and experienced to life for reader, to do my small part to bridge the military-civilian divide. |
| JP Chapleau | French Canadian. Father. Gamer. Opinionated. Since the mid 80s, JP Chapleau has been GMing, running, and participating in RPG event. His other interests include history and wargaming. He has published more than four full campaign settings and supporting adventures and material for it. |
| Daniel Cordero | Daniel Cordero writing under Daniel Reece was born in Japan where his father was stationed in the Navy. Daniel eventually settled down in Lebanon, Tennessee, which on some days may not look too dissimilar from the fictional town of North Easton. Daniel attended college at the University of Tennessee at Martin where he graduated with degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice. He also met and married his wife of 25 years there. After college he moved to Memphis where he has worked for the City of Memphis for over twenty years. Daniel recently has gone back to college at the University of Memphis and plans to finish his Master s in Criminology in 2021. As a writer Daniel has had stories published through the online magazine Drunk Monkeys, through a short fiction contest with Memphis Magazine and placed in a local writing competition. Daniel has been a member of the Memphis Writer s Group since 2016. Knight and Daye is his first novel. |
| Lionel Crews | Lionel Crews is an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at UT Martin. He is married to a wonderful woman from Sharon, Lori, and has twin daughters attending UT Chattanooga and a son who is a Junior in High School. He has been active in astronomy education for 20 years, including doing workshops and presentations with K12 teachers and students both locally and regionally, and with Discovery Park of America. His research involves the study of star and planet formation, where he has done observing runs at Kitt Peak National Observatory and Las Campanas in Chile. He is also enjoying working at Coon Creek Science Center, an internationally recognized fossil site located near Adamsville, TN. Please ask if you are interested in programs there! He has attended MidSouthCon nearly every year since 2000, and plans to continue doing so in foreseeable future! |
| Elizabeth Donald | Elizabeth Donald is a dark fiction writer fond of things that go chomp in the night. She is a three-time winner of the Darrell Award for speculative fiction and finalist for the Prism and Imadjinn awards, author of the Blackfire urban fantasy series and Nocturne vampire mystery series, as well as other novels, novellas and stories in the horror, science fiction and fantasy genres. More recently, she was awarded the Mimi Zanger Literary Award for fiction. She is the founder of the Literary Underworld small-press cooperative; an award-winning journalist and essayist with more than twenty years in journalism; a nature and art photographer; freelance editor and writing coach. She is currently completing two masters degrees at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and teaches newswriting and English composition at the university. She serves as president of the St. Louis Society of Professional Journalists and Eville Writers, vice president of Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Tau Delta at the university, and is a member of the national SPJ Ethics Commission, AEJMC, Editorial Freelancers Association and many other organizations for which she volunteers. She lives with her family in a haunted house in Edwardsville, Illinois. In her spare time, she has no spare time. |
| Joseph Layman Dowdy | Local general Photography enthusiast. Has worked with Alison Rushing, Athena Baker, and HX_Rose Cosplay. |
| Samuel Allen Edwards | With an Associates Degree in Foreign Languages, Samuel A. Edwards writes in realms speculative, science fiction, metaphysical, and fringe science, which draws in his analytical fascination. If it s unexplained, he s willing to speculate alternatives to explain it, even in Spanish or French. He does not yet have any publication credits, but is actively working on several collaborative works with Bill M. Tracer, even as we speak. |
| Paul Karl Fischer | Paul is currently working at a local mid south hospital in medical administration where he is responsible for the initial patient scheduling of over 40 primary care providers and the Hoptel scheduler for patients that arrive for appointments from out of state.. He currently has over 30 years of medical experience ranging from emergency medicine, aviation medicine, home health and public health. and medical administration. He earned his Masters in Public Health from the University of Memphis in 2013, his Bachelors of Professional Studies in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services with a Minor in English in 2009. He earned a vocational certificate in Professional Photography from the New York Institute of Photography in 1995. Before moving to the Mid-South, he spent 20 years in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and retired as an HM1(AW). He completed numerous deployments overseas, with his final deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and his greatest accomplishment was bringing home entire unit without losing a soul in 2003. Since the last MSC, his art has continued to evolve to the extent that he has his own studio in Midtown and enjoys taking photographs using non-traditional techniques such as Infrared and Thermal Imaging. MSC was the first venue where he sold his first photographs and loved the experience that he now creates different types of photographic art with the focus of finishing his first photographic essay. When he’s not working or shooting, he is actively involved in the martial arts and he earned his Second Degree Black Belt with the American TaeKwonDo Association in 2021. He is happily married to Traci Fischer and they make their home in Hernando, MS, where life is never dull when the Mississippi State University Bulldogs play the University of Memphis Tigers. |
| Allan F Gilbreath | Allan Gilbreath denies that he was raised by wolves, but still enjoys quiet moonlit evenings. He is an accomplished skeptic, cook, gardener, computer geek, martial artist, and avid student of arcane knowledge. Allan is also a nationally recognized and award-winning author, publisher, speaker, and instructor. He has appeared on television, stage, movies, radio, web/podcast, and tours the country in live appearances. He is the co-host of the geek culture talk radio show The Geek Tank and the hit DIY show Tool Talk Radio. He is the host of Cooking Today and the executive programming director for Geeky Side TV. He enjoys serving on panels and covers a wide range of topics from the serious to the outrageous. |
| Jimmy Gillentine | Jim D. Gillentine grew up with a fondness for horror, science fiction and fantasy flavored with the southern tang of his native Memphis. His debut novella, Of Blood and the Moon, was published in 2009 and was the first runner-up for the Darrell Award. Other publications include stories published in anthologies Cover of Darkness and When Darkness Sees the Light, as well as a novella titled A Night at Death s Door. His novel The Beast Within begins a bittersweet love story between a woman and a beast, which continued in Crossroads, published by Inkstained Succubus Press. The trilogy was completed with Heart of the Beast, published as a compendium by Pro See Press. Jim has recently completed a bachelor s degree in English literature and philosophy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He is a member of the Literary Underworld and the Eville Writers, and is the biggest Godzilla fan in the western hemisphere. He is married to author Elizabeth Donald, and their family lives in a haunted house in Illinois. |
| Emily Elizabeth Greene | Emily (she/they), under the name of Fair and Valiant Cosplay has been cosplaying and sewing for almost a decade. After learning how to sew in her Theatre program in college, she has since then dedicated her time into making elaborate and detail oriented cosplays. In the past, she has worked in regional theatres in the Northeast as both a wig technician and a dresser. She has also recently taken an interest in historical costuming and corsetry. IG and Tiktok: fairandvaliantcosplay. |
| Kelly M Guentner | Kelly Guentner is one half of the cosplay and geek content creation team, Phoenix Sisters Cosplay. She does two shows as part of the Back of the Cereal Box podcast network: Cosplay Cafe, which focuses on cosplay, and Back Issue Breakfast Club, a comic review show. She is also chairwoman of the Multiverse FunRaiser, a small nonprofit virtual convention that is geared towards raising money for charitable causes. She also writes under the pen name Kelly Edwards. In between all of those things, she lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two kids and spends half the year lamenting the cold. |
| Tommy Hancock | Steeped in pulp magazines, old radio shows, and all things of that era s pop culture, Tommy Hancock lives in Arkansas with his wonderful wife and three children and obviously not enough to do. He is Partner in and Editor in Chief for Pro Se Productions, is an organizer of the New Pulp Movement and works as an editor for various Publishers. He is also a writer for various companies, including Airship 27, and Moonstone. |
| Amy L Herring | Amy L. Herring (Louise Herring-Jones) writes speculative fiction, with a preference for historical fantasy and alternate mystery. Her stories, appearing in fourteen anthologies, include The Poulterer s Tale in God Bless Us, Every One Christmas Carols beyond Dickens (Voodoo Rumors Media, 2019). Amy is a NaNoWriMo co-municipal liaison. She also coordinates the Huntsville (Alabama) Literary Association s writers group. She practices law in Alabama and holds two law degrees (Washington & Lee University School of Law, J.D., 1979; University of Alabama School of Law, L.l.M., 1992). Visit her online at http://www.louiseherring-jones.com. |
| William Hillard | Paranormal Investigator for 20+ years. Founder of ATL Radio X (atlradiox.com) a website of rock and paranormal fun. Co-Host of the K & A Show Podcast. |
| Larry Hoy | Larry Hoy Biker Writer Legend Larry is a contributing author for a collection of anthologies. Most of them dipping into the horror, supernatural, and Mystery worlds. He is also the current president of the Malice in Memphis & Memphis Writers club. When not writing, Larry can be found on the back of his motorcycle. Trips have taken him through a healthy bit of America and some of Europe. Over those years, he has collected an endless supply of stories. Now, on days when he isn t thundering down backroads, he has been spotted putting some of his stories down on paper. This is one of those stories. Other high water marks in his life include his wife and daughters. Together they have shared many adventures and somehow come out safe on the other side. The family also trains in Kempo-Karate, where they earned enough belts so they can all hold up their pants. If you are fortunate enough to see him out and about, please wave him down and tell him how much you loved the story. |
| Celeste Marie Hurns | Hello, my name is Celeste! I’ve been into videogames and anime for about 15+ years. I absolutely enjoy going to con and have been doing so since 2013. I also greatly enjoy wearing Japanese street fashion and cosplay. If you have anymore questions feel free to contact me. |
| Cynthia Jerkins | Cynthia (aka Cyn) is a founding member of the local Changeling LARP, Backbeat Ballad: She brings several years experience as a LARP staff member and contributor, as well as passions for costuming, community health and engagement, and storytelling. She reps for the RPG company Studio Agate as well, and is a big advocate for their projects. In addition, she has over two decades of customer service and people management experience, both in consumer retail, and in the hobby gaming industry. She is also a massive hoarder collector of plushies and a lover of spiders |
| April Jones | April Jones has read, written, or edited her way through numerous fictional worlds. When she’s not teaching or writing, she spends her time trying to learn other languages or keeping her mischievous cat from eating the pet fish. She received her bachelor’s in English and her M.F.A. in creative writing. A Tennessee native, April currently lives in South Carolina with her husband and three children. You can find her poems and short stories published in various literary magazines across the internet and in print. You can also check out her debut novel, The Curse Breaker. |
| Bryan A Jones | Bryan Jones is a chainmail smith and digital artist who proudly hails from Huntsville, Alabama, the Rocket City. He grew up in a computer-literate home long before computers were cool and enjoys transferring his imagination into digital space vistas. On the other end of the space-time continuum, Bryan is a fan of Renaissance Faires and medieval combat, translating that interest into chainmail creations that will delight any fair lady and her knight in shining armor. Always ready to explore new artistic endeavors, Bryan combined a pre-cosplay family legacy of costuming and a love of Jim Henson s stunning work into his latest endeavor, creating puppets and mastering puppetry, inviting fans to join him on this journey. |
| Katherine L Jones | Katie Jones was born in Memphis, TN and studied at the Memphis College of Art for her BFA in Painting and a Masters of Art in Teaching in Art Education. A majority of her time is spent making classroom examples or lesson plans but at the request of her therapist she is allowing herself to be "Katie the Artist" again in her life. Her childhood was spent growing up between Frayser and Raleigh in North Memphis and would often draw to escape the harsh reality of growing up without a father in her life. She would often focus on the way people sat or moved with each other then what they were wearing or their faces. Greatly influenced also by the French artist Henri Matisse, the southwestern artist Ted DeGrazia and the street artist Keith Haring she developed her own style of often faceless figures through their fluid motions and actions depict the artist s how feeling of loss, hope, grieving, cohabitation, separation, anxiety, and dealing with the effects of mental illness hidden behind a façade of bright colors and lines. |
| Michael Kartaltepe | Michael has been shooting for 20 years. He got into cosplay over 3 years ago, and has worked with some local cool kids like @s.a.f.ire_art, @angel_of_azarath, and @craftyfox39 to name some of the bigger social media cosplayers. |
| Christina Kieffer | Christina Kieffer has well over 15 years of experience in the paranormal and loves to share her knowledge and experiences to other people in the field. She has a background researching ghosts, UFOs, and cryptids such as bigfoot. The paranormal is not just a hobby for her, it is something that is very much a part of who she is. Her goal is to uncover the unknown and to learn more about these paranormal phenomena. She uses her education and experience to help reach those goals. Ghosts, wither human or inhuman, do not frighten her what so ever and she does not stray away from dark or negative hauntings. She hopes to continue to develop herself within the field and to continue to increase her knowledge. Outside of the paranormal field Christina has a background in biology and ecology. She is currently working on her PhD at Tennessee State University in ecology. She also has a master s degree in ecology from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Christina has also been a university professor at CSUDH and Lanier Technical College. In the future she would like to return to teaching at the university level. In her free time Christina has a passion for the arts and takes every opportunity to draw and paint what moves her. She also has well over 15 years of experience training different marital arts forms. In the past she has trained in capoeira and taekwondo. She currently trains Brazilian jujitsu and muay thai. Additionally, she is a host on the K and A show (https://atlradiox.com/about-2/). On the show they cover topics on the paranormal, science and anything that sparks their interest. Christina has also been invited to speak on a number of different paranormal topics at different conventions like Dragon Con and Scarefest. She enjoys giving presentations because it allows her to show people different aspects of the paranormal. |
| Robert J. Krog | Robert J. Krog is a wrter/sometimes anthology editor living and working in the Memphis area. He is the author of the collections, The Stone Maiden and Other Tales and Hazards and Harrows. His novelette, A Bag Full of Eyes, won the Darrel Award. His short Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, have appeared in various journals and anthologies. Anthologies he has edited include A Tall Ship, a Star, and Plunder from Dark Oak Press and No Greater Love: Martyrs of Earth and Elsewhere from Hiraeth SFFH. Shank, the fifth novel set in CKP s Hit World, is his first novel. |
| Melinda LaFevers | Melinda LaFevers is a renaissance woman with a variety of hobbies and interests. As an Arkansas Arts in Education residency artist, she has two school programs – Life in a Castle and Life in a Log Cabin. She facilitates professional development workshops for teachers through both her AIE programs and through Arkansas A+. She likes to learn about anything that interests her, well enough to teach the basics to someone else. She writes, sings, weaves, crafts, and much more. |
| Darrell E LaRiviere | D.E. LaRiviere aka the Geek Gumshoe is a veteran law enforcement officer and detective with a background in crime scene investigation and photography. He is a podcast/web show host and a member of the production staff for the I-Scream Queens web show. |
| Donna LaRiviere | D elle Memphis is the madness behind I-Scream Queens, the BOTCB series that covers the horror and gothic sides of geek pop culture! The Pinup Cosplayer is recognized at conventions throughout the Southeast US for her stunning cosplays that fuse her love of rockabilly pinup and comic book characters! She is the lead singer of the jazz/blues band The Murdering Crows and is no stranger to geek pop culture broadcasting. She hosts a regular product review show called Digging Deeper on her own YouTube channel! The first album from the Murdering Crows is titled 4 Bad Crow and is available on Apple Music, Amazon and anywhere you get music! |
| John Michael McCarthy | Mike McCarthy has drawn comics for Apple, Dark Horse, and Fantagraphics Books (CADAVERA, KID ANARCHY), then he made underground films (TEENAGE TUPELO (1995), THE SORE LOSERS (1997), SUPERSTARLET A.D. (2000), CIGARETTE GIRL(2010), NATIVE SON (2014), DESTROY MEMPHIS (2017), and he played in Memphis rock and roll bands (ROCKROACHES, DISTEMPER, FINGERS LIKE SATURN). His latest achievement was sculpting the Johnny Cash bronze statue (2018) over in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. Right now he’s working on a 300+ page coffee table book on TEENAGE TUPELO and its re-release on blu-ray. Drop by his table and look at his new comic art for THE ANGRY REDNECKS to be published by Fantagraphics Books! jmm.memphis@gmail.com |
| Jenn L Mulvihill | Though J L Mulvihill (Jen), is a descendant of Hollywood Royalty, she relinquished her crown and rock star days to obsess over her passion for telling stories. An author of young adult fiction and an award-winning screenplay writer and public speaker, Jen dabbles in a variety of genres including science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, medievalpunk, horror, thrillers, and historical fiction. Her recent debut as host for the talk show On The Page with Geeky Side Network TV has got everyone asking, What will Jen do next? To find out the answer to that question check out Jen s webpage at www.jlmulvihill.com where you can also find her books and short stories. Or just type in jlmulvihill for all social media and you can catch up on Jen s much ado on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You might just happen upon her sporadic foodie fest Jen Can t Cook where Jen tests her hand at old style cooking. Jen s y/a series, Steel Roots, is based in the steampunk genre and engages the reader in a train hopping heart stopping adventure across a dystopian America enclosed within the walls of its own making. Follow young AB Gale Steel as she travels across America in search of her missing father learning about the world around her as she goes, and The System that has a hold on its people. A story of love, friendship, hope, and the courage to fight back injustice. Jen is also the author of a y/a medievalpunk series, The Elsie Lind Chronicles. This epic adventure boasts of demons, dragons, and dark witches. From the strange and dark corners of her mind Jen has created an extraordinary fantasy world. Weaving Scandinavian folklore into the telling of the adventure of a young girl who is struck with amnesia and finds herself in the middle of an ancient forest in a world filled with mystery and danger. Not only is she known for her writing but also her public speaking where Jen encourages other writers to hone their skills. Currently Jen is working on several writing projects including a science fiction novel, a thriller, a children s book, toss a couple of cookbooks in there and some poetry, include several movie scripts, and Jen will never get any sleep again. Ahh, but it s gonna be great! |
| Ethan Nahte’ | Ethan Nahté worked several years in TV/Film/Radio. He is an author, journalist, screenwriter, photographer, & musician. He primarily writes speculative fiction, and has over three dozen published stories, three story collections, and three novellas. Publishers of his work include Yard Dog Press, Alban Lake Publishing, Jay Henge Publishing, and several others. Nahté is the recipient of the National Quill & Scroll Award, 1st Place in the John L. Balderston competition, and four-time Writers of the Future Honorable Mention recipient. He resides in the mountains of Arkansas, where he enjoys hiking, camping, and fishing. |
| Katherine P Ostrand | Has been a guest at MidSouthCon and many others moderating and being involved with panels ranging from comics books, games, collectible toys, cosplay on a budget and everything in between for about 12yrs now! Ostrand has started her own cosplay and collectibles company just before Covid and is now back trying to get it officially up and going!!! Writer, creator, photographer, cosplayer and mom!!! |
| Van Allen Plexico | Van Allen Plexico is an award-winning writer of novels, stories and comics, best known for the ten-volume Sentinels illustrated superhero novel series and comics, the Shattering military SF/space opera series, and Cold Lightning comics. He also hosts podcasts on many SF & pop culture topics including Babylon 5, The Mandalorian and James Bond. |
| Josh Plock | Josh Plock was one of the original staff writers for the web site the House of Geekery. Here he covers everything from comics to movies to the paranormal. He was a contributor to the books: The American Superhero, The American Villain, and Robots in Pop Culture from ABC-CLIO. His latest work is as a contributing writer on the upcoming book Gotham USA from McFarland & Company. |
| John Pyka | John B Pyka has had an extensive career as a professional entertainer and storyteller. In 2020, he made a pivot from live entertainment on stage to a focus on podcasting and writing. As a Podcast host, producer and director, Johnny directed and hosted over 117 consecutive episodes of Tales From The Geek on ComicsPriceGuide, and over 130 consecutive episodes of Comixstravaganza on GraphicPolicy, and was also the producer and host of the Dieselpunk Podcast for 10 years. Back of the Cereal Box was inspired after surviving Covid-19! John is the author of 4 books on magic, including the industry best-seller Theatrical Magic. His first novella Night Reich is published by Seventh Star Press, and his original comic series The League of Impossibilists is available in digital and print format! |
| Tyrone Tony Reed Jr | Gifted by God with a talent and passion for creating and writing and inspired as a child by Superman s alter ego Clark Kent, a go-getter reporter at The Daily Planet, Tyrone Tony Reed Jr. s writing career began in his teen years. He was a Teen Panelist for The Commercial Appeal, in Memphis, Tenn., for two years and a reporter for The Teen Appeal newspaper, also in Memphis, for three years. While earning his journalism degree at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., Tyrone held several positions on the college’s newspaper, The Franklin, during his four years there. Tyrone also worked as a crime reporter for over four years at The Jackson Sun in Jackson, Tenn., where he won several awards, including two Award(s) of Excellence. As a freelance writer, Tyrone wrote articles for Examiner.com for over six years as the Jackson Crime Examiner and Jackson Geek Culture Examiner. He also wrote articles for the CrimeSEEN Examiner News (previously named the West Tennessee Examiner) for over six years. Tyrone is the author/creator of the superhero novel series, S.O.L.A.D. : Soldiers of Light Against Darkness and is currently writing the third and fourth novels in the series. Tyrone is also the host, executive producer, writer and co-designer for the talk show Hub City Now with Tyrone Tony Reed Jr.," which airs Sundays on 97.7 FM, www.jamminjackson.com, Facebook Live and on YouTube. |
| Kat Robinson | Kat Robinson is Arkansas’s food historian and most enthusiastic road warrior. The Little Rock-based author is the host of the Emmy-nominated documentary Make Room For Pie; A Delicious Slice of The Natural State and the Arkansas PBS shows Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats and Home Cooking with Kat and Friends. She is a member of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame committee, a co-chair of the Arkansas Pie Festival, and the Arkansas fellow to the National Food and Beverage Museum. She has written eleven books on food, most notably Arkansas Food: The A to Z of Eating in The Natural State, an alphabetic guide to the dishes, delights and food traditions that define her home state. Two of her more recent travel guides, 101 Things to Eat in Arkansas Before You Die and 102 More Things to Eat in Arkansas Before You Die define the state’s most iconic and trusted eateries. Robinson’s Another Slice of Arkansas Pie: A Guide to the Best Restaurants, Bakeries, Truck Stops and Food Trucks for Delectable Bites in The Natural State outlines more than 400 places to find the dessert, an extraordinary accomplishment that took thousands of miles, hundreds of hours and so many bites to properly document and catalogue. She shares her personal life experiences in A Bite of Arkansas: A Cookbook of Natural State Delights, the 2020 memoir and cookbook which offers 140 recipes made by and photographed herself. She also recently edited and contributed to the collection 43 Tables: An Internet Community Dines During Quarantine. Her most recent works include the nostalgic Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats, the companion book for the Arkansas PBS television special of the same name. Within, Robinson explores the histories of these enduring roadside dives that offer ice cream, burgers, hot dogs and more through service windows, while sharing food recommendations and stories about the folks who still run these culinary treasures. The book is noted for its unusual photographic style; to answer concerns about the spread of COVID-19 and efforting to keep others safe, Robinson shot all of the lead images for the book on the dashboard of her vehicle. The resulting tome serves both as a travel guide for hungry visitors and a preserved history of this unique form of restaurant. Her other 2021 work, Arkansas Cookery: Retro Recipes from The Natural State, examines mid-century cookbooks from all over Arkansas. Robinson’s collection of more than 400 20th century cookbooks and research into common threads of shared recipes, cooking methods and flavors of the era has been brought together for this lovingly photographed collection of the foods previous generations brought to the table. The recipes, redacted and cooked with period methods at The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, were all shot on location. The lushly illustrated book will be released in late October, 2021. Kat Robinson’s work has appeared in regional and national publications including Food Network, Forbes Travel Guide, Serious Eats, and AAA Magazines, among others. Her expertise in food research and Arkansas restaurants has been cited by Saveur, Eater, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Outline, and the Southern Foodways Alliance’s Gravy podcast, for her skills and talents related to food research and documentation. Her efforts have been celebrated in articles by Arkansas Good Roads, Arkansas Business and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She has served as the keynote speaker for the South Arkansas Literary Festival and has spoken before the Arkansas Library Association and at the Six Bridges Literary Festival, Eureka Springs Books in Bloom and the Fayetteville True Lit Festival. While she writes on food and travel subjects throughout the United States, she is best known for her ever-expanding knowledge of Arkansas food history and restaurant culture, all of which she explores on her 1200+ article website, TieDyeTravels.com. She is also the host of the podcast Kat Robinson’s Arkansas. Robinson’s journeys across Arkansas have earned her the title "road warrior," "traveling pie lady," and probably some minor epithets. Few have spent as much time exploring The Natural State, or researching its cuisine. "The Girl in the Hat" has been sighted in every one of Arkansas’s 75 counties, oftentimes sliding behind a menu or peeking into a kitchen. Kat lives with daughter Hunter and partner Grav Weldon in Little Rock. You can contact the author at kat@tiedyetravels.com with questions or correspondence – or, of course, recommendations on great recipes and wonderful places to eat in Arkansas. |
| Timothy Romine | Tim has been the prop master, stage manager, an occasional performer (Eddie, Dr. Scott, Columbia, Janet, Magenta), and jack-of-all-trades for the Memphis "Rocky Horror Picture Show" shadowcast, "Absent Friends", since September, 2010. Although his primary contributions are prop/set construction and stage management, his periodic surprise appearances as "The Gimp", Jason Voorhees, Michael Meyers, and other odd characters add one more touch of randomness and comic relief to an already outrageous theatrical spectacle. |
| Dave Schroeder | Dave Schroeder (SHRAY-der) is the author of the Xenotech Support science fiction humor series and the Congruent Mage fantasy series. He also runs Spiral Arm Press, which primarily publishes his work. Dave is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America and has been a frequent guest and panelist at conventions. A retired Chief Information Officer, Dave lives in metro-Atlanta with his wife and two cats. He enjoys voice acting and more with the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company. |
| Desiree Shaw | Desiree Shaw, also known as Not Invisible Angel, has been cosplaying since 2013. One of her first cosplays, the Weeping Angel from Dr. Who, won her 2 awards at the 2014 Arkansas Anime Festival (A2F) (The Novice Award and The Trevor Award (for acting)). Three more of her cosplays have won awards: Lolita Tardis (2nd place Intermediate Award at A2F), Kimono Sailor Pluto (2nd place Expert Award at A2F), and Sylveon (Craftsmanship at Spa Con). She is involved in cosplay groups. She has ran and assisted with panels at multiple conventions. Not Invisible Angel has also assisted others with their costumes from the design to repair. She encourages others to try cosplaying as well as encourage fellow cosplayers to grow in the craft. |
| John E. Siers | John E. Siers is a Vietnam-era Air Force veteran who spent several decades working as a software developer, designing analytical systems for corporate clients. An avid reader of science fiction since grade school, John started writing in the late 1970s, mostly for his own enjoyment. He wrote for more than 20 years and produced three complete novels before showing his work to anyone. Escaping from the overcrowded northeast, John moved to Tennessee in 1997. Encouraged by friends, he published his first novel, The Moon and Beyond in 2012, followed by Someday the Stars in 2013. The latter won the 2014 Darrell Award for Best Novel. John’s Lunar Free State series, now grown to five novels is currently being published by Chris Kennedy Publishing. He is working on the sixth novel at present, and doesn’t see an end to the series anytime soon. John has also written two novels in the Hit World universe created by William Alan Webb and Larry Hoy, and has also done a short story for Webb’s Last Brigade series. John lives in west Tennessee with his wife, son, two cats and a dog. In his spare time, he runs a small business repairing firearms under the trade name of Gunsmith Jack. |
| Diana Smith | Daisy O’Dair is a lot of things. She’s a cosplayer, a singer, an avid Star Trek & anime fan, and a big believer in being as weird as you want to be. |
| Hilaire C Smith | Medicinal chemist by degree, molecular biologist by practice and writer all of the time, H.C. Playa is a native Memphian that happened to spend a few formative years in Texas. She is particularly fond of both reading and writing science fiction and fantasy but enjoys blending her genres. Nerd, geek and a dork because she’ll explain the difference, she enjoys a number of fandoms when not gardening, hiking, or crafting magical worlds of adventure. She shares her personal realm of adventure with a dwindling number of children as they fly the coop, her girlfriend, and a motley crew of cats, dogs, chickens, fish, and her daughter’s parakeets. Samples of her work and links to social media are available on her website, hcplaya.wordpress.com. |
| Andrea Starnes | Andrea Starnes is a Memphis native who has been cosplaying for 20 years. She uses her cosplay for volunteering as part of Cause-Play Memphis, a group of costumers who just want to bring a little joy to the world with their hobby. In 2021, she started the Cosplay Cafe, a twice monthly live show on the Back of the Cereal Box Podcast Network, with co-hosts Phoenix Sisters Cosplay. Their goal is to keep the positivity in the cosplay community. |
| Lauren Stuart | Lauren Knight AKA GeekyGothicGamerGirl is a cosplayer and TikTok personality. She s known for her comedy TikTok skits and gothic alt girl gender bent cosplays. She was the lead singer of The Right Mistakes and rewrites popular songs into parodies. She is 1/4 of the I-Scream Queens, covering horror and gothic flavored goodness! |
| Kathryn Sullivan | Kathryn Sullivan writes young adult science fiction and fantasy. Any place and any object is at risk of appearing in her stories–the river bluffs surrounding Winona, MN, where she lives, can become the windswept cliffs of an alien planet or the deep mysterious woods of a fantasy tale. She is owned by a large cockatoo, who graciously allows her to write about other animals, as well as birdlike aliens. |
| Sean Hylton Taylor | Sean Taylor writes short stories, novellas, novels, graphic novels and comic books (yes, Virginia, there is a difference between comic books and graphic novels, just like there’s a difference between a short story and a novel). In his writing life, he has directed the lives of zombies, super heroes, goddesses, dominatrices, Bad Girls, pulp heroes, and yes, even frogs, for such diverse bosses as IDW Publishing, Gene Simmons, and The Oxygen Network. He also posts religious and political content from time to time. But not nearly as much as writing content. Between horror movies and cartoons, that is. Visit him online at www.thetaylorverse.com and www.badgirlsgoodguys.com (or follow his faith blog at filthyragsanddirtycups.blogspot.com). [He, Him] |
| Donald Thomas | Don has worked for several different comic book companies over the years as a writer, editor, and publisher. He created New Media Publishing with the corporate assistance of Robb Entertainment. Currently, he is raising funds for a horror/thriller film he has written and is hoping to direct. |
| William Morrow Tracer | With degrees in Art, History, and Computer Science, Bill M. Tracer, Rogue Philosopher, Artist, Metaphysicist, Ufologist, Science Fiction Enthusiast, Time traveler and writer of that thought provoking stuff, now blends these otherwise dissimilar realms through the creation of computer graphic art with science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal themes, as well as mounting expeditions into fractal geometric realms. He creates abstract works enriched with these fractal layers, as well as book cover art. Posters & other art products including home décor and fashion are available with his work at the following: Zazzle: https://www.zazzle.com/billmtracer, Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/BillMTracer?asc=u, VIDA: https://shopvida.com/collections/bill-m-tracer, and Fine Art America: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/william-tracer.html?tab=artwork. Not limited to the art world, Bill writes in the same genres. You ll find Bill s speculative fiction & non-fiction at his Amazon Author s page at: https://www.amazon.com/Bill-M.-Tracer/e/B00KU5ATZ6/ |
| Crayle Marie Vanest | Crayle Vanest is one half of the cosplay and geek content creation team, Phoenix Sisters Cosplay. She lives in central Indiana, where she is slowly crowding her husband and dog out of their house with all of her geeky collections and art. For work, she has a handmade art business, Pokeballs by Crayle, and is a freelance fiction editor. |
| Holly Lyn Walrath | Holly Lyn Walrath is a writer, editor, and publisher. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Analog, and Flash Fiction Online. She is the author of several books of poetry including Glimmerglass Girl (2018), Numinose Lapidi (2020), and The Smallest of Bones (2021). She holds a B.A. in English from The University of Texas and a Master s in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. In 2019, she launched Interstellar Flight Press, an indie SFF publisher dedicated to publishing underrepresented genres and voices. As a freelance editor, she provides editing services for writers and organizations of all genres, experiences, and backgrounds, but enjoys working with new writers best. |
| Kevin Watson | The team here at Dark Naga Adventures consists of a single, in-house Naga and a robust network of freelance creators. The head Naga is me, Kevin Watson. I began playing RPGs in late 1980 and moved from player to Dungeon Master in mid-1981. Since then, I have written dozens of campaign worlds and hundreds of adventures, mostly dungeons, but without ambition to pursue commercial release. With the OGL Enduring and the 5E SRD released in 2016, it was time to publish. The first adventure, DNH1 – The Lost Temple of Forgotten Evil, was brought into the world via a successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2016. Sequels followed. |
| Mel White | Mel. White is an author, artist, scientist, and lecturer who is "easily fascinated" by everything in and around her. Her current projects include turning the Duncan and Mallory series (co-written with Robert Asprin) into novels and sculpting with polymer clay. A long-time filker, she’s recently been adding sea shanties to her repertoire. |
| Marvin Richard Williamson | M. R. Williamson has written several novels and been nominated for Bram Stoker Award. |
| Nicholas Wohlgemuth | Dr. Wohlgemuth is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Rhodes College. His research program focuses on the evolution, emergence, and molecular genetics of viruses. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from Johns Hopkins University and received additional training as a postdoctoral research associate at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. |