Guest of Honor: Connie Willis

(ConnieWillis.net) (Wikipedia) Connie Willis is our Guest of Honor for 2007. She is the winner of an astounding six Nebula Awards and nine Hugo Awards, most recently the 2006 Best Novella Hugo for Inside Job. This Colorado resident has been thrilling readers for almost thirty years with her wonderful prose and strong characters. She has written several pieces involving time travel and a group of historians based at Oxford in the future. These pieces include her Hugo Award-winning novels Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog and the short story "Fire Watch." She lives in Colorado with her husband, a professor of physics at the University of Northern Colorado. She also has one daughter, Cordelia. Her most recent publications are D.A., just out from Subterranean Press, The Winds of Marble Arch and Other Stories, which will be out from Subterranean Press in September, and a new novella in the December issue of Asimov's called "All Seated on the Ground." She reports she is still working on her World War II time travel novel, All Clear, which she hopes to have done "by March of next year or so."

Music Guest of Honor: Tom Smith

(Tom Smith Online) (Wikipedia) Known as the World's Fastest Filker, Tom Smith is a 2005 inductee into the Filk Hall of Fame. Tom has been praised by such diverse folk as Lois McMaster Bujold, Larry Niven, Christine Lavin, Peter B. Gillis, and Dr. Demento. He has eleven albums so far, and plans several more over the next few years. He has won or shared twelve Pegasus Awards for excellence in filking, written songs for video and movies, and is working on a game soundtrack. Oh, and he's responsible for a certain sheep bent on global domination known as Fenton, the Death Sheep From Hell. (Baa!)

Fen Guest of Honor: Kathleen Sloan

(Interfilk) Kathleen "Catalogue Queen" Sloan is our Fen Guest of Honor for 2007. She became active in fandom in 1976, primarily in filking. Kathleen's early fan years were spent in Ohio, but she's called Denver, Colorado her home since 1989. Active since 1994 as a director for the fan fund Interfilk, Kathleen has been known to participate in the occasional raucous Interfilk Auction. As a frequent Worldcon attendee, she has been invited to participate in numerous panels. Kathleen can be heard on the CD's Filk Dreams and Filk Memories and sang back up harmony with Kathy Mar on My Favorite Sings. She was also featured in the film Trekkies Too in which she performed Matt Leger's song "A Simple Country Doctor." Kathleen is a 2007 inductee into the Filk Hall of Fame.

Artist Guest of Honor: David Mattingly

(DavidMattingly.com) (Wikipedia) David Mattingly, our Artist Guest of Honor for 2007, is a Chesley Award-winning illustrator and painter best known for his numerous sf/f genre book covers. He cites as his artist influences comic books, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and a wide array of artists from Jim Steranko, to N.C. Wyeth, to Jackson Pollack. After college, David worked at Walt Disney Studios, ultimately becoming head of the matte department. He worked on many films including The Black Hole, Tron, and most recently I, Robot for Weta Digital. His first sale of art for a book cover was for A Wizard in Bedlam, by Christopher Stasheff, published by DAW Books. Since then David has produced over 500 covers for most major sf/f publishers, including the "Honor Harrington" series for author David Weber. Most of his work today combines digital painting and elements generated in 3D programs. David is married to Cathleen Cogswell. They share their home with three cats: Annie, Jackson and Glinda. His father, John W. Mattingly, is the inventor of the Water Pik.

Toastmaster: Steve Perry

(Author Steve Perry) (Wikipedia) Steve Perry, our Toastmaster for 2007, plays the guitar but, no, he's not the guy from Journey. This Steve Perry is the acclaimed author of the "Matador" series of novels, the Emmy-nominated writer of scripts for Batman: The Animated Series and many more tv 'toons, and a practitioner of the Javanese martial art Pentjak Silat. Plus he's written novels in the Star Wars, Aliens, Conan, Tom Clancy's NetForce, and other shared universes. Steve says he's happily married, with two grown children, four grandsons, and assorted dogs and cats. His latest novel is The Musashi Flex with Star Wars: Death Star (co-authored with Michael Reaves) due out in October.

Special Guest: Toni Weisskopf

(Baen Books) (Wikipedia) Toni Weisskopf is our Special Guest for 2007 and she will be conducting our 2007 Writers Workshop. A long-time editor and author, Toni is now the publisher of Baen Books. She is also the winner of the 1994 Phoenix Award for lifetime achievement as a science fiction professional. Toni is a graduate of Oberlin College with a degree in anthropology.

Jarrod Davis:

(Jarrod Davis at IMDB) Jarrod served as a digital artist on both Firefly and Serenity. He was born in Odessa, Texas, and raised in Covington, Oklahoma. J-Rod, as he's known to his friends, attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater until he dropped out to pursue CG as a career. He ended up working for Newtek, makers of the Lightwave software he has used for many of his impressive list of projects. These include Eureka, Drive, Van Helsing, 24, Enterprise, and the 2003 Battlestar Galactica mini-series.

Bedlam Bards:

(BedlamBards.com) The Bedlam Bards are a duo that specializes in vigorous performances of traditional music at festivals and conventions around the country. Their members include Hawke on guitar, bodhran, bones, pennywhistle, and voice; and Cedric on fiddle, mandola, and voice. Together, they have released three albums: Take Out the Trash, Furious Fancies, and their most recent album, On the Drift, which features songs about "Firefly" and "Serenity." The Bedlam Bards return to FenCon as part of Lone Star Shindig 2007.

Paul Abell:

(ARES Directorate) Dr. Paul Abell is a planetary scientist assigned to the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He is also a research scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona. Paul has been studying potentially hazardous asteroids and near-Earth objects for over 8 years. He was a telemetry officer for the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous spacecraft Near-Infrared Spectrometer team and is a member of the science team for the Near-Infrared Spectrograph on the Japanese Hayabusa mission. Paul, his wife Amy Sisson, and their feline friends have lived in the Houston area since December 2003.

C.T. Adams:

(CieCatRunPubs.com) Cie is the co-author of several paranormal romance and historical novels with fellow Hill Country resident Cathy Clamp. These include the EVVY award winning Road to Riches: The Great Railroad Race to Aspen, Hunter's Moon (winner of five national book awards), Moon's Web, as well as a series of novels for Tor Paranormal Romance including the award-winning Touch of Evil and their next novel Moon's Fury due out in September. Cie lives in Brady, Texas, with her son and an undetermined number of cats.

David Lee Anderson:

(DavidLeeAnderson.com - Robot City) David is an acclaimed science fiction and fantasy illustrator. He's done work for Tor Books, Baen Books, Yard Dog Press, and many other publishers. A former president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, David has been teaching illustration in the Oklahoma City area for fifteen years. His work adorns the covers of many SF novels.

C. Dean Andersson:

(CDeanAndersson.com) C. Dean Andersson is the author of a variety of horror novels and short stories, most notably the 2007 HWA Stoker-recommended "The Death Wagon Rolls on By." His novels include I Am Dracula, Raw Pain Max, and the "Bloodsong" heroic fantasy trilogy featuring the adventures of a warrior woman which Dean created ten years B.X. (Before Xena, that is). Dean has degrees in astrophysics and art and has worked in television, music, programming, and technical writing.

Lou Antonelli:

(Sentinel Science Fiction) (Wikipedia) Lou Antonelli is a writer who lives in deepest, darkest East Texas. He has had more than 30 stories published since he started writing science fiction in 2002, in places such as Asimov's Science Fiction, RevolutionSF, Andromeda Spaceways In-flight Magazine, and many others. He earned a combined eight honorable mentions in "The Year's Best Science Fiction" published by St. Martin's Press for 2004, 2005, and 2006. A journalist by profession, he is the managing editor of the Daily Tribune in Mount Pleasant, Texas. His story "The Witch of Waxahachie" will be published in Jim Baen's Universe, April 2008.

Paul Black:

(PaulBlackBooks.com) Paul is an award-winning writer whose first novel, The Tels, won a Writer's Digest Book of the Year award for genre fiction. A native of Illinois, he now lives and works in Dallas. When Paul isn't writing or running his design firm he's indulging his newfound passion for tennis. His second novel, Soulware, was a finalist for book of the year in science fiction from "Foreword" magazine. Nexus Point, the final book in the Tels trilogy, is now available.

Maggie Bonham:

(ShadowHelm.net) Maggie Bonham is an award-winning author of 24 books and hundreds of articles and short fiction. She's the author of Prophecy of Swords from Yard Dog Press and the upcoming novels Runestone of Teiwas from Yard Dog Press and Lachlei from Dragon Moon Press. Her short fiction has appeared in Tales of the Talisman, The Lorelei Signal, Flush Fiction, Amazon Shorts, and many more. Maggie is the host of the Sci-Fi Traveling Road Show podcast and a world-renowned pet expert. Maggie practices shotokan karate, climbs mountains, and races sled dogs.

Peter Bradley:

(Ravenchilde Illustrations) Peter is an artist. His resume might focus on his work as a designer, a printer, a teacher, and a web designer but it's his twenty-plus years as a freelance illustrator that brings him to FenCon. Peter is tech-savvy and CAD-certified. His current projects include being the artist for the castles and crusades role playing game TrollLord.com and Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg. Peter lives in Oklahoma.

Rachel Caine:

(RachelCaine.com) (Wikipedia) Rachel is the author of the wildly popular "Weather Warden" series, the young adult "Morganville Vampires" series, and several other best-selling novels. Rachel has been writing and publishing short stories and novels since 1991. A former professional musician, she considers herself a movie buff and a TV addict. We consider Rachel a friend of the convention. Thin Air and Athena Force: Line of Sight are just out with the latest "Morganville" book, Midnight Alley, due in October.

Lillian Stewart Carl:

(LillianStewartCarl.com) (Wikipedia) Lillian Stewart Carl's work often features paranormal/fantasy themes and always features plots based on mythology, history, and archaeology. Her latest novel is The Burning Glass from Five Star/Gale. Lillian has also published a short stack of non-fiction articles and is co-authoring (with Martin H. Greenberg) a retrospective of Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction work, to be published by Baen Books in 2008. This Missouri native's hobbies include Celtic folk/rock and crossword puzzles. Her fifteenth novel, Blackness Tower, a romantic fantasy from Juno Books is due out in March 2008.

Cathy Clamp:

(CieCatRunPubs.com) Cathy Clamp writes paranormal romance for Tor Books with co-author C.T. Adams. They are best known for their best-selling "Sazi" shapeshifter series and the Kate Reilly "Thrall" vampire novels. The first book in the Thrall series, Touch of Evil, recently won the Reviewer's International Award of Excellence for best paranormal romance. Their latest Sazi book, Captive Moon, is a finalist in the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. Their latest novel, Touch of Madness, was released in June with Moon's Fury due out in September. Cathy lives in the Texas hill country with her husband, two dogs, three cats, and 26 Boer goats.

Rosemary Clement-Moore:

(ReadRosemary.com) Rosemary writes smart, funny supernatural mystery novels. The first in a series about a psychic girl detective, Prom Dates From Hell, is available now from Random House/Delacorte Press, and the second, Hell Week, comes out in February 2008. She lives in the D/FW area and writes full time, which allows her to work in her pajamas and break every afternoon to play Guitar Hero.

Cat Conrad:

(ArtistsInResidence.com) Cat is an award-winning artist, a past member of both the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists and the International Association of Astronomical Artists, and a resident of Texas. Cat's work has been published on the covers of several books and both the program and schedule guides for FenCon in 2004. Signed limited-edition prints of this amazing cover are available online in our FenConvenience Store with all proceeds donated to the Salvation Army's disaster relief fund.

Jerry J. Davis:

(JJDavis.net) The son of an inventor, Jerry is a Dallas area author whose writing credits include a SF novel (Travels, published by Grand Central Publishing) and dozens of short stories found in such magazines as Aboriginal Science Fiction. He also runs GroovyMojo Media, which publishes Dark Energy SF as well as Quantum Kiss. Sometimes, if you approach quietly and don't make any sudden moves, you can catch him on his live WriterCam website.

Bradley Denton:

(BradleyDenton.net) (Wikipedia) Brad was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1958 and now lives with his wife Barbara on the outskirts of Austin, Texas. He is the author of the novels Blackburn, Lunatics, Laughin' Boy, the Campbell Award-winning Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede, and the World Fantasy Award-winning short-story collections A Conflagration Artist & The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians. In 2005, Brad won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for his novella "Sergeant Chip." His novella “Blackburn and the Blade” is currently a nominee for the International Horror Guild Award. Brad is a founding member of the rock'n'roll band Two-Headed Baby, and he is the booking manager for Bland Lemon Denton, the World’s Oldest (and Worst) Bluesman. He reports that while both of these gigs have generated tremendous cash flow, all of it goes the wrong way.

Linda Donahue:

Linda, a self-described Air Force brat, grew up traveling. Her background includes a degree in computer science, with an electrical engineering minor, and a degree in Russian studies along with a Masters in earth science education. She has a commercial instrument pilot's certification as well as a SCUBA certification. When she's not writing, she teaches tai chi and belly dance. You can find Linda's stories in anthologies including The International House of Bubbas, Flush Fiction, The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse, and Houston, We've Got Bubbas plus a Yard Dog Press chapbook of her very own. More stories will be available soon in Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Bad Guy, Vermin, and Blood and Devotion.

Carole Nelson Douglas:

(Official Site) (Wikipedia) Carole is the acclaimed author of more than 50 novels including the best-selling Midnight Louie series (Cat in a Red Hot Rage is her latest) and a master of the fantasy mystery. In October, Dancing with Werewolves launches her "Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator" urban fantasy series. She has an essay in Perfectly Plum, the recent Ben Bella Janet Evanovich analysis, and is working on the next Delilah Street novel, Brimstone Kiss, for May 2008 release, and Midnight Louie's Cat in a Sapphire Slipper for August 2008.

P. N. Elrod:

(VampWriter.com) (Wikipedia) P.N., or "Pat" to her friends, is one of the top writers of vampire fiction on Earth. Her Jack Fleming and Jonathan Barrett novels have been published around the world in several languages. Pat edited the best-selling anthology My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding featuring stories by Rachel Caine, Jim Butcher, and many more. She's just completed work on the twelfth Jack Fleming novel. Her next anthology, My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, is due out in late December,

Rhonda Eudaly:

(RhondaEudaly.com) Rhonda is the published author of short stories, music review columns for regional publications, technical manuals, advertising copy, and several essays for anthologies. Bottom line--she's a writer. Perhaps best known as one of the Four Redheads of the Apocalypse, Rhonda collects pens, swords, smiley faces, and "things alien." A true friend of the convention, her latest story appears in Aegri Somnia from Apex Digest Press.

Melanie Miller Fletcher:

(Hoosier Red's Joint) Melanie is a woman of simple tastes; she likes to write, preferably for money. This self-described expatriate Chicagoan is a SFWA member published in three countries with two novels and a bunch of stories to her credit including "Earl Ray and the Dusky Amazons o' the Lake" in the collection Houston, We've Got Bubbas from Yard Dog Press. Her novella Sabre Dance, along with Laura J. Underwood's The Lunari Mask, is now available as "Double Dog #4" from Yard Dog Press.

Christopher Fulbright:

(ChristopherFulbright.com) Christopher is the author of numerous tales of science fiction, fantasy, and horror that have appeared in a number of small press magazines and literary venues since 1988. A former journalist, Christopher is currently a technical writer for an internet technology company in Dallas. His hobbies include playing the guitar, watching movies, reading, and camping. Recent works include a horror novella collaboration with Angeline Hawkes, Then Comes the Child, from Carnifex Press and a short story collection, When It Rains and Other Wreckage, from Grafika Press. His latest is a short story in The Book of Dead Things from Twilight Tales.

Mary Gearhart-Gray:

Mary Gearhart-Gray is a freelance editor and a writer. This West Virginia native also produces the "Buzz Blaster, Space Entrepreneur" radio-style plays. She lives in Garland with her husband David.

Daniel J. Geduld:

(B7Media.com) (Wikipedia) Daniel is a writer, producer, and voice-over actor. He came to Blake's 7: The Audio Adventure as a fan of the classic series and somehow ended up intimately involved in it. Daniel is also the person behind Flying Squid Studios, makers of The Skeletor Show, Star Trek: Infinitive Split, Super! and various cartoons for Hanna-Barbera.com and Radar Magazine's website. He has also done many voice-overs, most notably the most recent voice of Hanna-Barbera's cartoon shark, Jabberjaw. Daniel lives in Los Angeles with a dog and two mice.

Generic Radio Workshop:

(Generic Radio Workshop) The Generic Radio Workshop has been around longer than the Golden Age of Radio lasted -- a little over twenty years. They started with the Texas Broadcast Museum (later the National Museum of Communications) and have performed at festivals, conventions, and yes, on the radio. They use as much vintage equipment as they can lay their hands on for that "old time radio" look and feel. Plus, many of their sound effects devices are hand-built, following period designs. While they have made a few concessions to modern technology, at the core they follow the practices of radio's Golden Age.

David L. Gray:

(DavidLGray.com) David has been writing science fiction radio plays for five years and short stories for two years. His "Buzz Blaster, Space Entrepreneur" radio plays have been read at Dallas science fiction conventions and at MidSouthCon in Memphis, TN. He specializes in near-future military science fiction. "Collateral Damage", his first published short story, appeared in the May 15 issue of "Sentinel Science Fiction". When David is not writing science fiction, he is a technical writer in the aerospace industry.

Beverly A. Hale:

(BevHale.com) Beverly is an accomplished fantasy author with several novels to her credit, including The Happiness Box and The Essence of Stone. She loves learning new languages, collecting cookbooks and dictionaries, and travelling. Her latest short story, "Drunker," appears in Flush Fiction from Yard Dog Press. Beverly lives in Oklahoma with her husband, two dogs, and more than 10,000 books.

Teddy Harvia:

(Teddy Harvia's official site) (Wikipedia) Teddy is a four-time winner of the Hugo for Best Fan Artist. A native of Oklahoma, he grew up in the Dallas area and he lives here today. While Teddy fills his days as a technical writer his art has filled the pages of hundreds of publications. We're happy Teddy was able to make FenCon IV part of his busy schedule.

Candace "Candy" Havens:

(CandaceHavens.com) (Wikipedia) Candy is a journalist, entertainment writer, and author. Her books include Charmed & Dangerous, Charmed & Ready, the recent Charmed & Deadly, and the upcoming Like A Charm (due out in February). Candy's nonfiction works include Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy plus articles in the Alias Assumed: Sex, Lies and SD-6 and Five Seasons of Angel anthologies. Candy is also an entertainment critic for the Dorsey Gang on 96.3 KSCS, which broadcasts in the D/FW area, and the managing editor of FYI Television Features.

Angeline Hawkes:

(AngelineHawkes.com) Angeline Hawkes, a 2006 Bram Stoker Award nominee for her collection The Commandments, has publication credits dating from 1981. She is a Texas A&M-Commerce alumna and was recently named 2007 Alumni Ambassador for the Literature Department. Angeline has seen the publication of her novels, novellas, fiction in 30+ anthologies, several collections, and short fiction in various publications. Her newest fantasy series is titled Tales of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar. Angeline resides in Texas with her husband Christopher Fulbright and is a member of HWA.

Charlee Jacob:

(CharleeJacob.com) (Wikipedia) Charlee, the winner of two Bram Stoker Awards, is a major name in the "extreme horror" genre with hundreds of short stories (over 200!) and poems (almost 600!) in print. A native of Texas, she has a number of novels in print, most notably Dread in the Beast, and a poetry collection titled Sineater.

Kim Kofmel:

Kim is a Canadian writer and scholar living in Houston, Texas. A reader of science fiction and fantasy for over 30 years and active in the sf social community since 1978, she parlayed her interest in the field into a PhD dissertation on adult readers of science fiction and fantasy. She has published short stories, poetry, essays and book reviews on science fiction and fantasy and has been a panel participant and solo presenter at cons and academic conferences and in university classes.

Deborah LeBlanc:

(DeborahLeBlanc.com) (Wikipedia) Deborah LeBlanc is an award-winning author from Lafayette, Louisiana. She is also a business owner, a licensed death scene investigator, and an active member of two national paranormal investigation teams. Deborah is the president of the Horror Writers Association, president of the Writers' Guild of Acadiana, and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Women Writers, and International Thriller Writers Inc. In 2004, she created the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national campaign designed to encourage more people to read. Her most recent novels are Family Inheritance, Grave Intent, A House Divided, and Morbid Curiousity. Deborah's next release, Water Witch, is due out in August 2008.

William Ledbetter:

(WilliamLedbetter.com) William lives near Dallas with his wife, two of his three kids and way too many animals. He writes mostly science fiction and fantasy, with recent sales to Jim Baen's Universe, the Houston, We've Got Bubbas anthology, and the Sails & Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy anthology. He is also associate editor/publisher at Dark Energy Speculative Fiction, runs a Dallas writers group called Future Classics, and is an active member in his local National Space Society chapter.

Joy Marie Ledet:

First last and always, Joy is an artist and an award winning one. Recently, Joy became inspired to create art that does more than sit on a shelf. She is excited about creating art that is dynamic, art that interacts with the owner. So Joy is now working in wearable art. Joy is sculpting Silver Clay, designing jewelry, and creating new 2D designs for altered clothing.

Julia S. Mandala:

Julia S. Mandala is a reformed lawyer. Her chapbooks, Dracula's Lawyer and The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse (with fellow FenCon guests Linda Donahue, Rhonda Eudaly and Dusty Rainbolt) are available from Yard Dog Press. Other stories have appeared in International House of Bubbas and Flush Fiction from Yard Dog Press, The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy II, MZB's Fantasy Magazine and Adventures of Sword & Sorcery. She is an avid scuba diver and underwater photographer and performs middle eastern dance.

Lee Martindale:

(HarpHaven.net) Lee writes short stories, poems, songs, and all sorts of fun stuff. This Kentucky native, asked to describe herself in ten words, chose "Poet, songsmith, teller of tales, lover, student, teacher, warrior...Bard." Her stories appear in anthologies such as Sword and Sorceress XXI from DAW and Turn the Other Chick, fifth in Baen's "Chicks in Chainmail" series. Lee and her two cats live in Plano.

A. Lee Martinez:

(ALeeMartinez.com) (Wikipedia) A. Lee is the author of dozens of novels, most of which have yet to see the light of day, among them Gil's All Fright Diner (both published and a 2006 Alex Award winner), In the Company of Ogres, and A Nameless Witch (his latest). In addition to writing, he enjoys origami, juggling, time travel, and the ability to be cynical and cheerful simultaneously. He does not enjoy writing bios of himself (webmaster note: but he wrote most of this one!), but he does very much like faking pretentious author photos that render him unrecognizable.

Margaret Middleton:

(M-Cubed Ventures) Margaret is a quintessential Baby Boomer, a Valparaiso alumna, and a 20-year veteran of the Arkansas Highway Department. She and her husband Morris have one daughter, Sharon Amanda. Oh, and she's been a filker for more than thirty years and a convention-going SF fan for a wee bit longer than that. In fact, Margaret is a 1997 inductee into the Filk Hall of Fame.

James O'Barr:

(JamesOBarr.net) James is the creator of "The Crow" and a legendary comic book icon who, according to his official fan website, "changed the face of the Goth subculture and brought it, bleeding, screaming and kicking, into the comic mainstream." This Detroit native is a former Marine and a self-taught artist who credits the work of Will Eisner and his contemporaries for his cinematic style. We're thrilled to welcome James to FenCon IV.

Gloria Oliver:

(gloriaoliver.com) Gloria has published a number of short stories, including "The Bubbas of Troy County" in the Four Bubbas of the Apocalypse anthology, and the Japanese fantasy novel In Service of Samurai. This novel was a 2004 Eppie finalist for Electronically Published Fantasy Novel of the Year. A native of Puerto Rico, Gloria currently resides in Texas. Her latest novel is the fantasy mystery The Vassal of El, a 2005 Eppie nominee, from Zumaya Publications. Her upcoming novels include Cross-eyed Dragon Troubles from Hard Shell Word Factory and Willing Sacrifice from Zumaya Publications.

K. Hutson Price:

(K. Hutson Price at GooglePages) Born in Texas and educated on both coasts, K. Hutson Price did time as a government contractor, recruiter, used car salesmen, and currently flings information at prepubescent individuals as a 5th grade teacher in a local public school. Price is the LETS (Law Enforcement Teaching Students) liaison for the Mesquite Independent School District and a member of the Texas Defensive Shooters club. So far these facts remain mutually exclusive. Price's writing is influenced by Joss Whedon's every word, World of Warcraft, the insane things students pull at school, and almost anything that Yard Dog Press throws out there. To experience that odd blending of styles, readers can find Price's short fiction in International House of Bubbas, Underglass, This Way Up, Under the Clocktower, and Flush Fiction.

Dusty Rainbolt:

(DustyCatWriter.com) Dusty writes science fiction, humor, paranormal mysteries, and cat product reviews. A Texas resident, she scuba dives and skydives for fun when not chasing after her herd of cats. An animal lover, Dusty's books include the informational Kittens for Dummies and the novel All the Marbles. Her next book, Ghost Cats, is due out in March from The Lyons Press.

M.T. Reiten:

(MTReiten.com) Matt's fiction has appeared in Baen's Universe, The Writers of the Future XXI, and the Phobos Award anthology All the Rage This Year. His famed interpretive dance stylings were featured in The Yard Dog Press Traveling Road Show throughout the south-central convention circuit and he has stories in International House of Bubbas and Houston, We Got Bubbas. After earning his Ph.D. in "lasers," M.T. unfortunately left Oklahoma for a job in Maryland that paid just a little better than fiction writing. He finds it ironic that an Army soldier now works within rock throwing distance of the US Naval Academy. He's also upset they took away all his rocks.

Chris Roberson:

(ChrisRoberson.net) Chris is an author, editor, and publisher who lives in Austin, Texas. His novels include Paragaea: A Planetary Romance, X-Men: The Return, Set the Seas on Fire, and the forthcoming End of the Century, Iron Jaw and Hummingbird, and The Dragon’s Nine Sons. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as Asimov’s Science Fiction and Subterranean, and in anthologies such as The Many Faces of Van Helsing and Forbidden Planets. Along with his business partner and spouse Allison Baker, he is the publisher of MonkeyBrain Books, an independent publishing house specializing in genre fiction and nonfiction genre studies, and he is the editor of the Adventure anthology series.

Nina Romberg:

(NinaRomberg.com) Nina Romberg (aka Jane Archer) loves her cat Fluffy. That's Fluffy sharing the spotlight with her in the Everglades. Nina, not Fluffy, is the bestselling author of twenty internationally published books such as Shadow Walkers, Out of the West, and Texas Indian Myths and Legends. Nina also has a new short story in Tales Told at Midnight Along the Rio Grande. Fluffy loves cons, especially rooms filled with juicy humans, so watch your ankles during panels, at the bar, in dark corners, anywhere Fluffy might lurk.

Rie Sheridan:

(riewriter.com) Rie says she's been writing since she first picked up a crayon. She has published short stories online in half a dozen ezines and websites. Rie's poetry has appeared in print magazines such as Mythic Circle and Dreams of Decadence. Her most popular stories to date are the "Adventures of Bruce and Roxanne," humorous horror shorts available as Dollar Downloads from Echelon Press. Rie lives in Texas with her husband Newell and three cats, all spoiled rotten.

Wm. Mark Simmons:

(PerSimmons) (Wikipedia) Mark has the distinction of having his filking reviewed by Algis Budrys in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine along with his first novel, which was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award and made the Locus “Best List”. In the intervening years he has moved from Missouri to Kansas to Louisiana and has just returned to the Sunflower State this past year where he now lives near the world famous Cosmosphere with his Muggle wife and demonically possessed zombie cat. 2007 has been a busy year, so far, with the paperback release of Habeas Corpses in May, the hardcover publication of Dead Easy in June, and the novella-length first installment of Pathfinder in August.

Libby Smith Singleton:

(Tandra.com) Libby first started attending conventions in 1982 as a 17-year-old intent on being a published writer. Her stories have appeared in Caliber Comic's Negative Burn and Dominique: Protect and Serve, Hanthercraft Publications' "Tandra" and "Dragonroc" universe comics and website, and Shanda Fantasy Art's Atomic Mouse. She is also a two-time winner of the Little Rock Free Press' Literary Contest. Besides writing, she is also a stage actor in the Little Rock area, most recently The Weekend Theater's production of "The Rocky Horror Show." By day, she is an administrative assistant for the state of Arkansas. She lives in Little Rock with her three cats.

Brad Sinor:

(Brad Sinor at Zette's World) Brad is a writer and a fan and a photographer. He has seen his short stories published in numerous anthologies, such as Knight Fantastic, Bubbas of the Apocalypse, Merlin, Haunted Holidays, Space Cadets, The Grantville Gazette, and many more. Three collections of Brad's short fiction have been released by Yard Dog Press: Dark and Stormy Nights, In the Shadows, and Playing with Secrets (which also features two stories by his wife Sue Sinor.) Brad has also seen his non-fiction appear in a variety of magazines and anthologies. His latest stories appear in Places to Go, People to Kill, Ring of Fire 2, and Houston, We Got Bubbas.

Susan P. Sinor:

When not standing behind her husband, Brad, with a two by four to make sure he finishes his various writing projects, Sue performs in various community theatre productions. With her husband she is a caretaker of the home owned by two cats named Pewter and Ashe, who at last report were planning to take over the universe. She has had stories in "Computing Times," as well as the Yard Dog Press chapbook collection Playing with Secrets, and the anthologies Small Bites, International House of Bubbas, and Rotten Relations (with Brad). A second collaborative story with her husband appears in Houston, We Got Bubbas. Her latest solo story appeared in Flush Fiction from Yard Dog Press.

Amy Sisson:

(AmySisson.com) Amy was born in Cleveland, grew up in New Jersey, and has lived in (then West) Germany, Pennsylvania, Australia (Sydney), North Dakota, California, and upstate New York. She and her husband, Paul Abell, currently live in Houston, Texas. Amy has a bachelor's degree in English and Economics, a Master's in Space Studies, and a Master's in Library Science. She has been reading SF since she was sixteen, when one of her teachers in Germany lent her a box of old SF paperbacks in English that had been left in his attic. While going to school and working various jobs, including a stint at Locus, Amy edited the SFRA Review for three years and began writing freelance book reviews. In her non-writing life, she works as an academic librarian.

Casey Sledge:

(October Country at MySpace) Casey has been singing folk, filk, and Celtic music in the Dallas area for nearly twenty years, ever since his "I am Unicorn" had Leslie Fish yelling "copy!" at a Dallas Fantasy Fair filk. With Shaddow Walter, his duo October Country has played every previous FenCon, the North Texas Irish Festival, Hawkwood Fantasy Fair and even a couple of bellydance parties.

Paul Stevens:

(Tor-Forge.com) (Wikipedia) Paul is an Associate Editor with Tor Books. He acquires a wide range of books including science fiction and fantasy for Tor's award-winning line. Some of his recent books are Gil's All Fright Diner, In the Company of Ogres, and A Nameless Witch by Dallas-based author A. Lee Martinez; Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell; and Deep Inside, a collection of supernatural adult fiction by Polly Frost.

Kathryn Sullivan:

(KathrynSullivan.com) Kathryn writes young adult fantasy and science fiction. Her first book, The Crystal Throne, won the 2002 EPPIE for best Fantasy, and her second, Agents & Adepts, won the 2003 Dream Realm Award for Best Anthology. The sequel, Talking to Trees, was released in January 2006, also by Amber Quill Press. Her short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. Kathryn lives in Winona, Minnesota, where the river bluffs double as cliffsides on alien planets or the deep mysterious forests in a magical world. She is not, however, an astronaut. She is owned by two birds, a Moluccan cockatoo and a Jenday conure.

Shanna Swendson:

(ShannaSwendson.com) (Wikipedia) Shanna writes humorous contemporary fantasy. Her first novel Enchanted Inc. was published by Ballantine in 2005 and the second book in the series, Once Upon Stilettos, was released in May 2006. The third, Damsel Under Stress, is out now with a fourth, Don't Hex With Texas, to follow in 2008. Born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Shanna is a voracious reader and loves both watching television science fiction and discussing it on the internet. She's a member of both SFWA and the Romance Writers of America.

Steven E. Wedel:

(StevenEWedel.com) Steve is an award-winning author with a knack for werewolf stories. A life-long Oklahoman, he holds a master's degree in liberal studies, creative writing emphasis, from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma. Steve has worked as a machinist, newspaper reporter, corporate writer, public relations director and teacher, among other things. He has several books to his credit, including Shara, Darkscapes, Murdered by Human Wolves, and Call to the Hunt.

Leah Wilson:

(BenBellaBooks.com) (SmartPopBooks.com) Leah Wilson is editor of Dallas-based BenBella Books, and coordinates the Smart Pop series, BenBella's line of smart, fun anthologies on television, comics, films, and books. Titles Leah has worked on include Boarding the Enterprise (on the original Star Trek series), Perfectly Plum (on Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum" series), and Finding Serenity (on Firefly) and its upcoming "sequel," Serenity Found. Leah has a BA in Culture and Modern Fiction from Duke University.

Craig Wolf:

(WolfWords.com) Craig is the author of a collection of short stories called Pressure Points and a horror novel called Trespass. This Stillwater, Oklahoma, native's next project is a novel called Queen of All the Nightbirds. Craig says that, through no good-doing of his own, he is married to the same woman after all these years and is raising a reasonably well-adjusted child.