Paul Abell

(ARES Directorate) Dr. Paul Abell is the Lead Scientist for Planetary Small Bodies assigned to the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. His main areas of interest are physical characterization of near-Earth objects (NEOs), examination of NEOs for future robotic and human exploration, and identification of potential resources within the NEO population. Paul, his wife Amy Sisson, and their feline companions have lived in Houston, Texas since December 2003.

Rachael Acks

(Rachael Acks) (Musa Publishing) (Facebook) (Twitter) Rachael Acks is a geologist and writer. In addition to her steampunk series from Musa Publishing, she’s had short stories in Strange Horizons, Penumbra, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Her most recent story, "Samsara," can be found in Waylines #4. Rachael lives in Houston (where she bicycles at least 100 miles per week) with her husband and their two furry little jerks. For more information, see her website, like her on Facebook, or watch her tweet way too often.

C. Dean Andersson

(Bloodsong! Helx3) (Wikipedia) (Facebook) (Twitter) C. Dean Andersson uses technical writing experiences and a degree in astrophysics to write fantasy and horror. Bloodsong! HELx3 makes available for the first time in any form new, expanded, "Director’s Cut-Definitive" editions of his three classic Hel Trilogy novels: Warrior Witch of Hel, Death Riders of Hel, and Werebeasts of Hel. Dean’s Viking Age studies drive the warrior Bloodsong’s adventures. Defiance of tyranny inspires her battle cry: "Bloodsong and Freedom!"

Lou Antonelli

(Lou Antonelli) (Wikipedia) Lou Antonelli is a working journalist, the managing editor of the Mount Pleasant (Tx.) Daily Tribune. He's had short stories published - since he started writing sf and fantasy in 2002 - in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Some of his best Texas-themed short stories have been published in the collection, Fantastic Texas.

Margene Bahm

Margene Bahm joined fandom in the 1970’s working on numerous Kansas City area conventions. In 1992, she joined the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, holding various positions over her many years at Conquest, their sponsored convention. She ran the 2006 and 2009 Kansas City WorldCon bids, barely losing the first to LA. She's since retired from Worldcon bidding due to health. In her free time, Margene teaches Irish Ceilidh Dance and co-directs the award-winning Clanna Eireanne Irish Dancers.

Michele Bardsley

(Michele Bardsley) National bestselling author Michele Bardsley has multiple writing personality disorder. She was diagnosed after writing young adult fiction as Michele Vail, mystery/thriller novels as Michele Freeman, and freaky-naughty stories as Riley Ashford. The treatment: write often and eat chocolate.

Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking husband and their pets. Learn more about all the Micheles at her website.

Julie Barrett

(Stately Barrett Manor) Julie is a former FenCon chair, which explains the gray hairs. When not spending her waking hours on FenCon, Julie works as a writer, photographer, and slave to cats.

Bedlam Bards

(Bedlam Bards) The Bedlam Bards specialize in vigorous performances of traditional music at festivals and conventions around the world. Their members include Hawke on guitar, bodhran, bones, and voice; and Cedric on fiddle, mandola, and voice. Together, they have released five albums: Take Out the Trash, Furious Fancies, Barnyard Bedlam: A Cock and Bull Story, and On the Drift, which features songs about "Firefly" and "Serenity." Their newest album is Firefly Drinking Songs, which was recorded in part at FenCon.

Heidi Berthiaume

(Heidi Berthiaume) (Bengal Studio) (Facebook) Heidi Berthiaume has a last name that is easier to say (berth-e-um) than spell. She writes novels, has a few (2) short stories published, develops children’s iPad apps, and any remaining time is spent on some kind of project such as editing fan music videos, prototyping swag, or spreading the word about her favorite authors and artists. You can contact her through her heidi2524 website, Bengal Studio, or connect on Facebook.

Paul Black

(Paul Black) (Wikipedia) (Facebook) Paul Black always wanted to make movies, but a career in advertising sidetracked him. Born in Chicago, he is the international award-winning author of The Tels, Soulware, Nexus Point, The Presence and The Samsara Effect. He has twice won the Independent Publishers Book Award, along with ForeWord Magazine's Book Award, The London Book Festival and has been on the Barnes & Noble Best Seller list. His new book of fiction is tentatively called Cool Brain.

Karen Bogen

K.B. Bogen has a head for technology, a knack for humor, and a taste for weird. The native Texan holds a BS in Computer Science and Engineering, plus several health and nutrition certifications.  She prefers making people laugh instead cry, though she’s not above causing the occasional shiver.  Full-time sw engineer, wife and mother, part-time writer, Karen is "jacq of all trades."  She’s also a compulsive knitter, and reads technical documents for pay and forensic anthropology textbooks for fun.

Maggie Bonham

(M.H. Bonham) (Sky Warrior Books) M.H. (Maggie) Bonham is an award-winning author and editor of more than 30 books including Samurai Son, Lachlei, The King’s Champion, and Prophecy of Swords. She is the publisher for Sky Warrior Books and Garnet Mountain Press that specializes in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery and nonfiction.

Steven Brust

(The Dream Café) (The Incrementalists) Steven Brust is the author of Dragon, Issola, the New York Times bestsellers Dzur and Tiassa, and many other fantasy novels. His latest book is The Incrementalists (Tor, September 2013), co-written with Skyler White. He lives in Minneapolis and blogs at The Dream Café.

Vivian Caethe

(Vivian Caethe) (Facebook) Vivian Caethe's short stories and novellas have appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her most recent novella, The Diamond City, is published by Bold Strokes Books. While writing, thinking and breathing in general, she drinks tea in the constant search for the perfect cup. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a dog who thinks he's a human with hypertrichosis, and a supervillan cat. She can be found on her website or on Facebook.

Rachel Caine

(Rachel Caine) Rachel Caine is the NYT, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of more than 40 young adult, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, suspense and horror novels. Her last Morganville Vampires novel, Daylighters, comes out in November 2013, and her novel Prince of Shadows is out on young adult shelves in February 2014.

Lillian Stewart Carl

(Lillian Stewart Carl) (Facebook) Number seven in the Fairbairn/Cameron cross-genre series, The Avalon Chanter, will be published in January 2104. Cross-genre? That's a series that's mostly mystery/thriller but also has ghosts and touches of romance. You could call it literary ADHD, but Lillian calls it book-knitting—knit character here, purl setting there, cable in history, add bobbles of sex and violence, drape in tartan and season with Tolkien. Check it out on her website, or join her on her Facebook author page.

Peri Charlifu

(Aegean Goods) Peri Charlifu is a master potter who shows at conventions all over the country. He is highly skilled in both Wheel thrown and hand-built work, and he mixes all of his own stains and glazes. Peri also teaches pottery and sculpture and is a Guild master for Art and Artisans of Colorado, and a founding member of Stoneleaf potters guild.

J. Kathleen Cheney

(J. Kathleen Cheney) J. Kathleen Cheney is a former teacher and has taught mathematics ranging from 7th grade to Calculus, with a brief stint as a Gifted and Talented Specialist. She is a member of SFWA, RWA, and Broad Universe. Her works have been published in Jim Baen's Universe, Writers of the Future, and Fantasy Magazine, among others. Her first novel, The Golden City, will come out from Ace/Roc, November 5, 2013.

Rosemary Clement-Moore

(Rosemary Clement-Moore) Rosemary Clement-Moore is the author of award-winning supernatural mysteries for young (and not so young) adults, like Spirit and Dust, Texas Gothic, The Splendor Falls. But she’s mostly known for her wit, beauty, hatred of zombies and her love of dogs, coffee, history, archeology, vintage embroidery, rebooted Star Trek, original Star Wars, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, Russell Crowe movies, books with kissing and movies with explosions and/or sword fights.

Stoney Compton

(Stoney Compton) (Facebook) (Profile) Leonard (Stoney) Compton is a native of Nebraska, a U.S. Navy vet, and former 31-year resident of Alaska. During those 31 years he did many interesting things, and is now trying to fit them all into his fiction. He is married to Colette and they live in Corpus Christi, Texas with their many cats and Blue Heeler, Pullo, and Red Heeler/Akita, Parker. Colette teaches ballet and Stoney independently publishes his own science fiction and historical fiction under Pullo Pup Publishing.

R. Cat Conrad

(Artists In Residence) Cat's art encompasses many genres and mediums, from SF and neorealist to the surreal, directed to both fine art and commercial illustration audiences. His paintings reflect a variety of influences, but he's best known for his space landscapes and dragon illustrations. In addition to being an award-winning painter, Cat is a Golden Age comic historian and long established fan entertainer. He has been a featured auctioneer at numerous conventions, including the record breaking five-and-a-half hour marathon auction of WorldCon 51.

Joe Dalek

(KaledBook) (Enemy of the Daleks) Daleks do not do guest bios. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!!!

Charlayne Denney

Charlayne Elizabeth Denney-"Charlie" is the brand new author of the Fangs & Halos urban fantasy series about vampires and angels. Book one, Lilly's Vampire, was released September 1, 2013. A reviewer for Paranormal Romance Guild, she tends to read a lot when she's not writing, researching, or playing World of Warcraft, A trained historian, she thinks the Internet isn't for porn but for doing research. Her beloved Bruce believes she's OCD and sometimes possessed. They live in Friendswood, Texas.

Bradley Denton

(Bradley Denton) (Bland Lemon Denton) (Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede) Bradley Denton's stories for 2013 include "Blood Moccasins" (in Kasey Lansdale's Impossible Monsters), "La Bamba Boulevard" (in Rick Klaw's Rayguns Over Texas), and "Bad Brass" (in Gardner Dozois and George R.R. Martin's Rogues). "The Adakian Eagle" was an Edgar Award nominee in 2012, and the film version of Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede is still staggering toward production. When not writing, Brad manages the career of Bland Lemon Denton, the World's Oldest (and Worst) Bluesman.

Chris Donahue

Chris Donahue is an electrical engineer living in the Dallas area with his wife and fellow-author, Linda. A former member of a Joe Bob Briggs' Drive In Review committee, he served the public by counting rolling heads, types of Fu and exposed breasts in committee films. Outside of that, he has been a Navy Avionics tech, brewer and writes sci-fi, military fiction, horror, humor and combinations of those themes.

Linda L. Donahue

(Linda L. Donahue) Linda has degrees in computer science, Russian studies, Earth science education and electrical engineering. Additionally, she teaches tai chi and belly dancing, can borrow moon rock samples, and is a certified commercial instrument pilot, advanced ground instructor, and SCUBA diver. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies like Strip Mauled and Fangs for the Mammaries. Her novel, Jaguar Moon, is available from Yard Dog Press. She lives with her husband and pet rabbits, sugar gliders and cats in Garland, Texas.

Carole Nelson Douglas

(Carole Nelson Douglas) The USA Today bestselling author of 60 multiple genre novels writes the Midnight Louie, feline PI, mysteries (Cat in an Alien-X-Ray) and the Delilah Street noir urban fantasies. Her groundbreaking debut of female Sherlockian protagonist Irene Adler was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Coming soon are Cat in a Yellow Fever, the first 12 Louie mysteries in eBook, and more Delilah Street etc. Carole designs eBook covers and rescues cats in Fort Worth.

Rhonda Eudaly

(Rhonda Eudaly) Rhonda Eudaly lives in Arlington, Texas with her husband and two dogs. She's an author who hasn't met an industry she doesn't like - that's what happens with a Radio-TV-Film degree. She's only into two of the three "R"s - reading and writing...arithmetic is right out - like five in holy hand grenades. Her vices are ink (pen not skin), good coffee, and bad puns. Check out her website for publications and downloads.

Randy Farran

Randy Farran lives in Tulsa with his wife Barbara and three cartoon dogs.  He creates artwork that he is often amazed other people will pay good money for, and plays the mandolin and sings with remarkable mediocrity.  If you want to check out his website, good luck with that; he doesn’t have one.  You also cannot contact him via Facebook because he isn’t there either.  Just talk to him at the convention.  He’ll probably be wearing a hat.

Mark Finn

(Twitter) Mark Finn is an author, actor, essayist, and playwright. He is a noted authority on the author Robert E. Howard and has written extensively on that subject. Current projects include ongoing writing chores for the Fruit Ninja comic book from Ape Entertainment, a short story in Tails From the Pack from Sky Warrior Books and a short story in Ray Guns Over Texas for the 2013 WorldCon. He lives over an old movie theater in North Texas.

Michael Ashleigh Finn

(LiveJournal) (Twitter) (Coyote Reviews) Michael is a short story author expanding into novels, a thematic consultant for Dynamite Entertainment (Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files) / Hot Goblin (ManaPunk), and a founding member of SASS.

His latest story, "Sign of the Times," will see a Fall release in Dirty Magick: LA (Lucky Mojo Press).

Errata: took first and third place in FenCon's first story contest, being told afterwards "We had to make up new rules because of you."

He's oddly proud of that fact.

Melanie Miller Fletcher

(Melanie Fletcher) (Random Realities) (Don't Quit Your Day Job Podcast) Melanie Fletcher likes to write, ideally for money. As a result, she's been selling short stories, novellas, and novels since 1995 in a variety of genres. Her steampunk short story "The Lark Ascending" will appear in Gearhearts Magazine in November, and her debut novel Storm Season (written as Nicola Cameron) was published in April by Evernight Publishing. It's a paranormal erotic romance that includes bioengineering, nanotechnology, Greek gods, Alan Turing, and a battle scene. Go figure.

Brad W. Foster

(Brad W. Foster) (Jabberwocky Graphix) An artist/publisher who's won the Fan Artist Hugo, picked up a Chesley award, and turned some self-publishing started 30 years ago into the Jabberwocky Graphix publishing empire. Aside from thousands of bits of fannish artwork, he's had work in a variety of magazines, ranging through Cat Fancy, Gent, Amazing SF Stories, Cricket and more. He had his own comicbook series "Mechthings", was the Big Background Artist on "Shadowhawk", and has recently completed covers for Yard Dog and Zumaya Press.

Mary Gearhart-Gray

(4 Star Stories) Mary Gearhart-Gray is a free-lance technical editor. In 2011 she founded 4StarStories.com, a quarterly, online Science Fiction and Fantasy magazine, which she co-edits with her husband, David Gray. Her philosophy as an editor is that aspiring authors should have a user-friendly venue to showcase their work.

Ghost of a Rose

(Ghost of a Rose) (Facebook) Fencon X marks the 7th performance of Ghost of a Rose at Fencon. With Dene Foye on Guitar and Sundara on rhythm instruments, their voices blend in harmony. The music Ghost of a Rose plays is eclectic…within the same performance you can hear Celtic music, SCA/Renaissance music, Pagan music, Filk music, or original pieces (usually with lyrics by their "ghost writer", Mel Tatum). They currently have two CD’s: Live at CMA Samhain, and Plaid & Personal.

David Gray

(4 Star Stories) David L. Gray is the creator of the Buzz Blaster, Space Entrepreneur series of radio plays and writes science fiction short stories about warfare in the (not so near?) future Asteroid Belt and unsavory visitors from parallel universes. He is co-founder with his wife Mary Gearhart-Gray of the online Science Fiction/Fantasy publication 4StarStories, which publishes four times a year. In his spare time he works in the Aerospace industry writing instruction manuals for robots that assemble airplanes and feeds cats.

Beverly A. Hale

(Beverly A. Hale) (Otherwhen Oddities (Facebook)) (Otherwhen Oddities (Etsy)) While usually a writer, Bev has lately become obsessed with Steampunk and Gears. She creates Steampunk Accessories you can view on Facebook and Etsy at Otherwhen Oddities. You can check out her writing at her website. Bev's latest story "Night of the Bettys" appears in What Scares the Boogeyman. She recently sold two more stories (collaborations).

Candace "Candy" Havens

(Candace Havens) Bestselling author Candace Havens writes crazy fun novels for several publishers. A national syndicated television and movie critic, her film reviews can be heard on the Hawkeye & Dorsey Show on 96.3 KSCS. And she is the Editorial Director for the Covet, Edge and Select lines at Entangled Publishing. Candace runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2200 writers. She is a former President of the Television Critics Association, and never sleeps.

Paul Herman

(Robert E. Howard Foundation) Paul Herman is Assistant General Counsel for a major oilfield services company and has nearly 20 years as an Intellectual Property attorney, with expertise in patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, along with contracts and licensing related thereto. He is also an editor and publisher of fantastic works, an occasional author on Public Domain issues, and a board member of the Robert E. Howard Foundation, a 401(c)(3). He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law.

Kevin Hosey

(Kevin Hosey) (Cliffhanger Books) Kevin Hosey is an author, editor and cartoonist. His short stories appeared in several publications, including two Star Trek Strange New Worlds anthologies from Simon and Schuster, Hint Fiction, Bigfoot Tales, Beyond Centauri and the website 365Tomorrows.com.

He also co-edited and wrote stories for anthologies from Cliffhanger Books, including the first two volumes of the award-nominated Paramourtal series, and a collection of superhero tales called Gods of Justice.

His cartoons have appeared in calendars, books, newspapers and magazines (including Starlog).

Vickey Malone Kennedy

(4RV Publishing) Originally from Alamo, Tennessee, vickey malone kennedy (vck pronounced Vick) illegally immigrated to Oklahoma over thirty years ago.

vck is an author, an editor at 4RV Publishing, co-founder of Rose Rock Writers, and involved with Norman Galaxy of Writers, Oklahoma Writers' Federation Inc and SoonerCon.

She is the winner of the 2011 Darrell Award for Best Midsouth Short Story, "Bobbie Sue Almost Got Married", published in A Bubba in Time Saves None (Yard Dog Press).

Jake Kerr

(Jake Kerr) We won't talk about the fact that Jake Kerr's very first publication, the story "The Old Equations," was nominated for the Nebula and Sturgeon Awards. What's more interesting is that Kerr once hung out on Henry Rollins' tour bus as it traveled from Denver to Albuquerque and that Creed lead singer Scott Stapp once punched him. He recovered from both experiences.

Lee Killough

(Lee Killough) (Coffee Shop Writers) (Wikipedia) Lee Killough discovered SF/fantasy and Mysteries at the same time and became hooked on both. Fear of exhausting her favorite genres’ supply in her small hometown library drove her to write her own stories, combining the genres as much as possible. Most of her sixteen novels are SF or supernatural mysteries or urban fantasies. Yard Dog Press has published her African fantasy, The Leopard’s Daughter, and Checking On Culture: an aid to building story backgrounds. She has two chapters in The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels. Her books are being republished as e-books, with new material added.

Lady Mercuria

(Lady Mercuria, a.k.a. Sandy Boudreaux) Costumer by Love of Creativity, Dark Rose Alliance member by Creative Soul.

Lady M has costumed ten years at cons, renaissance fairs, Dickens, and The Houston Symphony. Member of The Dark Rose Alliance, Make it Sew, Houston Costume Club, Founder of The Wild Wonderful Texas Ya-Ya's, and Space City Con staff advisor. Awarded "Best in Show" at ApolloCon, FenCon, and The Houston Symphony. Lady M is now a Masquerade Judge.

William Ledbetter

(William Ledbetter) William Ledbetter lives near Dallas with his family and too many animals. His great love, after his wife of course, is reading and writing speculative fiction. He is an editor at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly and runs the annual Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest for Baen Books and the National Space Society.

Angela Lowry

(Angel Arts Studio) (eBay Store) Angela Lowry is an Oklahoma artist painting and drawing science fiction, fantasy, and realism. Drawing illustrations from stories, she has determined to make art her life. She has Classical, Fantasy, and Cyberpunk influences. Attending her first convention in Tulsa at 15, she publishes with several game companies and attends conventions. Angela creates many kinds of art, not limited to one genre. She does illustration, murals, portraits, and other fine art. Art is available at Angel Arts Studio and eBay.

Julia S. Mandala

(Julia S. Mandala) Julia S. Mandala holds degrees in history and law, and is a copy editor, scuba diver, underwater photographer and belly dancer. Her novels The Four Redheads: Apocalypse Now! and Redheads in Love (with Linda L. Donahue, Rhonda Eudaly and Dusty Rainbolt) and House of Doors are available from Yard Dog Press. Her works also appear in Witch Way to the Mall, Fangs for the Mammaries, Dracula's Lawyer, A Bubba in Time Saves None, Houston, We've Got Bubbas and Flush Fiction.

A. Lee Martinez

(A. Lee Martinez) A. Lee Martinez is best known for his sparkling wit, incredible good looks, and his ability to endlessly debate the Superman VS. Batman dilemma. (Correct answer: Tarzan) Also, he's written 10 fantasy novels and managed to get paid for it. If you would like to read random thoughts from him, you can go to his website, or check him out on Twitter or Facebook.

Margaret Middleton

Filker Margaret Middleton has recently retired from 25 years with the Arkansas Highway Department. She now lives in Mississippi and has time to quilt, sort the books she and her husband have accreted over the past 45 years into His and Hers library-storage units, and collect songs about aviation and space. She has even found a recording studio in the back of a local bait shop whose owner is not too freaked-out over the theme of her proposed next CD.

Tim Miller

(WhoFest) Tim's been active in D/FW fandom since his first SF convention in 1988. Shortly after, Bobb Waller requested his help with a small convention, Conniption. Since then he has worked on countless conventions and attended even more. He is a FenCon founder and former conchair (FenCons III & IV). In addition to his FenCon work, he is on the InterFilk board and has been on several recent Worldcons staffs. This November's DFW Doctor Who celebration, WhoFest, is also his fault.

Tim Morgan

(Facebook) Tim Morgan is Conchair for this year's FenCon . He used to have free time, but fandom discovered his inability to say no. He would welcome a referral to a good psychologist to correct this condition.

Tracy S. Morris

(Tracy S. Morris) (LiveJournal) When Tracy S. Morris was four, she wrote her first "book" on newspaper with a crayon and put the manuscript in the mail along with a silver dollar for postage. She’s still waiting to hear back from her publisher.

Tracy is the author of the Tranquility series through Yard Dog Press, and co-writes the Dennis and Betsy stories for the Grantville Gazette along with Brad Sinor. You can find her at her website.

Michelle Muenzler

(Facebook) Michelle Muenzler’s goal in life is to bring forth the bunny apocalypse and bury the earth with furry-soft goodness. The more carnivorous the bunnies, the better. Her latest short stories can be found in Daily Science Fiction, Crossed Genres, and Electric Velocipede. For more information on how you can help with the bunny apocalypse or any other furry-soft apocalypse of your choice, visit her on Facebook.

Ken Murphy

(Out of the Cradle) Ken Murphy is probably best known as being the Gen X Moon Guy, actively educating the public about our Moon, and advocating for its development. He works in the D/FW metroplex through the North Texas chapter of the National Space Society, and was recently elected president of The Moon Society. He also maintains an extensive Lunar Library of reference materials regarding the Moon and High Frontier which is cataloged online at his website.

Ethan Nahté

Ethan Nahté is a hillbilly who learned to spell. His speculative fiction short stories and poems have appeared in various anthologies and e-zines.

His professional work has also included many years of professionally slaving away in television/film, radio, photography and even as a musician once upon a time way back when.

He currently has a couple of novels and screenplays in the works but otherwise stays busy working in wildlife conservation and annoying people. Ironically enough, he has no pets.

October Country

October Country is a Celtic-influenced folk and filk band consisting of Casey Sledge on vocals & rhythm guitar and Shaddow Walter on lead. They have played pubs, coffeehouses, benefits and cons in the DFW area since 2001, including FenCon, Trinity Hall, and Hawkwood Fair. Also, they were Interfilk GoH at Seattle's Conflikt 3, in January 2010.

Gloria Oliver

(Gloria Oliver) Expert party wallflower, Gloria Oliver can be a great asset during any multi language movie experience, able to translate some Spanish and Japanese when it's splattered without warning or subtitles at your screen. She also likes to dabble at movie reviews, which she posts on her blog every Friday.

A small press author, her latest work is a magical fantasy with a French flair entitled The Price of Mercy. For sample chapters, free fiction, and more, please visit her website.

Mark Oshiro

(Mark Reads) (Mark Watches) Mark Oshiro mixes textual analyses, confessional blogging, and humor while discussing and dissecting popular media, mainly in the sci-fi/fantasy genres. He's covered Firefly, Doctor Who, His Dark Materials, Battlestar Galactica, Buffy/Angel, The Hunger Games, and, most famously, Harry Potter. He runs a vibrant community, self-publishes his reviews as books, and is destroyed by fiction on a daily basis. His sites were nominated for a Hugo in the Fan Writer category in 2013.

Karl Pajak

(Texicon) Karl's gaming started like most--family gatherings around a table to play dice or cards. But his gaming life really began the summer of 1977 when he bought his first miniature, a Space 1999 ship. He started playing "wilder" games, eventually finding AD&D. He's worked at several game stores and countless game conventions. That eventually led him to own Texicon with his twin, Kevin. His favorite things are miniatures games, writing, sculpting figures, and most of all hanging with Kevin.

Kevin Pajak

(Texicon) In Kevin's teens, it was California game conventions. During college, he formed a gaming club, Gamers for Games. He also formed several Board Game and RPG clubs at six California high schools. But his best organizing experience was 1999's Bachelor Con, his brother Karl’s bachelor party. When he moved back to Texas, he got his BA in English and his MA in Rhetoric. Now, he owns Texicon and works toward expanding and strengthening gaming here in the Lone Star State.

Stephen Patrick

(Films) Stephen Patrick loves to tell stories. His fiction ranges from horror to historical and his most recent story "Hungry" is part of the Sins of the Seven anthology from Wicked East Press.

As a compulsive film racer, he relishes the chaotic battle between creativity and the clock while making a movie from scratch in 48 hours. The Solera Visuals film "precycling" won second place in the Dallas 48 hour film race - auteur division.

Teresa Patterson

(Event Horizon EBooks) (Facebook) Teresa Patterson has co-authored books with Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Robert Asprin, and Eric Del Carlo. Her latest collaboration, Combat Corpsman, is with Navy SEAL Medic Greg McPartlin. She has also authored numerous short fantasy works as well as non-fiction and humorous history pieces. In 2004 she was awarded the Chesley Award by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists for service to artists, and she's currently an editor for Event Horizons EBooks and a balloon sculptor.

K. Hutson Price

(KHP 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.

Dusty Rainbolt

(Dusty Rainbolt) Dusty Rainbolt swears she was raised by aliens after being abandoned on Earth by grays who abhorred the TransGalactic School System. She’s the author of the new Yard Dog Press paranormal mystery, Death Under the Crescent Moon, and coauthor of The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse series. Like to shop online? She’s the editor-in-chief of AdoptAShelter.com, a free shop-to-donate website that benefits animal charities. She’s written numerous books and thousands of articles on cat care, behavior and animal hauntings.

John Randall

(Zyvex Labs) John Randall is a card carrying nanotech nerd. He is President of Zyvex Labs where they have a plot for World Domination via atom by atom manufacturing and are working to heal the blind (really). He is a world class nanofabricator and presently has committed his and Zyvex's resources to realizing atomically precise manufacturing. He loves his wife and kids.

T. S. Rider

(T.S. Rider) (Facebook) T. S. Rider is a writer and artist. She currently has two short stories published; one in Golden Visions Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, the other in the 2010 Deadly Ink anthology. Her art includes handmade wands created from natural pecan wood and tumbled stones, boxes and stands for the wands and other crafting projects. She has been working hard on her first novel and making wands.

Rob Rogers

(Rob Rogers) Rob Rogers is the author of Devil's Cape, a superhero thriller set in Louisiana. Devil's Cape was a Pop Matters pick, and was also named the HeroPress book of the year for 2008. His short story "The Adventure of the Pirates of Devil's Cape" is in the anthology The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Rob lives in Richardson, Texas, where he is working on his next novel.

Rie Sheridan Rose

(Rie Sheridan Rose) Rie is a weaver of many strands. She has written a little bit of everything. This has been a year of submissions for her--over 100 so far! She has many new anthology stories coming up, and her new novel, The Marvelous Mechanical Man, start of a new Steampunk series, debuted in July.

Selina Rosen

(Selina Rosen) (Yard Dog Press) (Castle Farms) (Facebook) Selina Rosen’s short fiction has appeared in Sword and Sorceress, Turn the Other Chick, and Thieves’ World anthologies among others.

Among her 20 published novels are Chains of Freedom, Strange Robby, The Holmes & Storm Mysteries (with Laura J. Underwood), Black Rage, and How I Spent the Apocalypse.

One of Selina's recent projects is a non-fiction book entitled It’s Not Rocket Science: Spirituality for the Working-Class Soul.

She also owns and runs Yard Dog Press—publishing great books since 1995.

Ken Ruffin

(National Space Society of North Texas) A lifelong Trekkie, space enthusiast, and former Aerospace Engineering student, Ken Ruffin is the chapter president of the National Space Society (NSS) of North Texas. At NSS of North Texas monthly meetings, Ken or other speakers conduct presentations on the latest and greatest information in space travel and space development--and the public is invited. Ken's presentations illustrate and explain current and upcoming NASA and "Commercial Spaceflight" activities. Ken endorses using technologies, energy, and materials from space, to benefit humanity.

Martin L. Shoemaker

(Blue Collar Space) (Facebook) Martin L. Shoemaker writes about Blue Collar Space: ordinary people living and working in the near space, near future world just around the corner. His characters are explorers, rescue workers, programmers, soldiers, and bartenders struggling against the laws of physics and our own human weaknesses to get off this rock. His novella "Murder on the Aldrin Express" appeared in the September issue of Analog.

When he’s not writing or coding, Martin draws stick-figure cartoons about science fiction and software design.

Adrian Simmons

(Heroic Fantasy Quarterly) Adrian Simmons writes, reads, hikes, teaches taekwondo, and bears a heavy regulatory burden in Central Oklahoma. He is famous on the internet (in a good way), has hoofed the Ouachita Trail, the Ozark Highland trail, and the northern England coast to coast trail. His fiction, essays, and interviews litter the internet like so many empty Skittles packages. He has plans for great things. Plans. He is 1/3 of the editorial team at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly.

Amy Sisson

(Amy Sisson) Amy Sisson is a writer, book reviewer, crazy cat lady, and academic librarian. Her fiction ranges from Star Trek work for Pocket Books to the short stories in her Unlikely Patron Saints series which have appeared in Strange Horizons, Lady Churchillʼs Rosebud Wristlet, and Irregular Quarterly. Most recently, her story "Patriot Girls" appeared in End of an Aeon. She enjoys making artist trading cards, studying German and Japanese, attending Houston Ballet performances, and traveling with her husband, Paul Abell.

Libby A. Smith

Libby A. Smith’s writing credits include 4StarStories, Metro Fiction, Caliber Comics, Atomic Mouse, Tandra, as well as adapting The Rainbow Bridge for cross stitch designer Sue Hillis. Libby is a stage and film actress in the Central Arkansas area, including having appeared the 2013 UCA Film Festival Best Visual Effects winner Dead Wrong. She’s done The Rocky Horror Show three times and is scheduled to Time Warp again. She lives in Little Rock with three sassy cats.

Caroline Spector

(Caroline Spector) Caroline Spector has been an editor and writer in the science fiction, fantasy and gaming fields for over twenty-five years. She's authored three novels (Scars, Little Treasures, and Worlds Without End), various stories in the Wild Cards collections, and several adventure modules and hint books (along with her husband, gaming legend Warren Spector). She also spent two years as Associate Editor at Amazing Magazine, plays and sings with Bland Lemon Denton, and contributed to Steve Gould’s Eat Our Brains blog.

Sabine Starr

(Sabine Starr) (Lady Gone Bad) (Facebook) Sabine Starr is the bestselling author of Lady Gone Bad, Angel Gone Bad, Bride Gone Bad and Belle Gone Bad (3/2014). Sabine rides the trails of her ancestors by horseback, four-wheeler and jeep when she explores Old West myths, legends and mysteries to locate authentic excitement for her historical-paranormal romance novels. Check out the fun book trailer for Lady Gone Bad above.

Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam

(Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam) (Short Story Review) (Twitter) Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam’s short stories and poetry have appeared in magazines such as Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Daily Science Fiction, and Goblin Fruit. She runs Short Story Review, a blog that published reviews of short fiction bi-weekly on Mondays, and is a recent MFA graduate from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast program. Bonnie lives in Denton with her partner and two literarily-named cats – Gimli and Don Quixote.

Kathryn Sullivan

(Kathryn Sullivan) (Facebook) Kathryn is the author of The Crystal Throne, Agents & Adepts, and Talking to Trees and picture book Michael & the Elf. A Chick who has dug Time Lords for many years, she has an essay in the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords and a review in Outside In. "The Taste of Treasure" is in Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells. Any birdlike beings only slightly resemble her cockatoo owner. She is a proud member of EPIC and Broad Universe.

Frank Summers

(Frank Summers) Frank writes horror, humor, science fiction and fantasy and has sold work to Yard Dog Press, Ticonderoga Publications, Pill Hill Press, Ink Oink Art Inc., and Permuted Press.

In his other life, he's an IT professional in the Dallas area. When he's not writing, he likes to spend time with his wife, grown daughters and dogs. 
 

Bill Sutton

(Bill Sutton's Pile of BS) Bill is a talented filker, a voracious reader, a sometime RPGer, and a fan of the Indiana Pacers. In his spare time between performances he enjoys Irish music, homebrew beer, and trains. Bill spends his days working from home for Hewlett-Packard, having headed to the wilds of Indiana in 2007. Oh, and he is a three-time Pegasus winner, thirteen-time Pegasus nominee, retired president of Interfilk, and the husband of Brenda Sutton of Three Weird Sisters.

Shanna Swendson

(Shanna Swendson) (Wikipedia) Shanna Swendson is best known as the author of the Enchanted, Inc. series from Ballantine Books and a variety of geeky pop-culture essays published by BenBella Books. She can occasionally be lured out of her writing cave by movies, promises of Doctor Who episodes, conventions or new books calling to her from the library or bookstore. Or tea or chocolate (or tea and chocolate, but not chocolate tea).

Mel Tatum

(Mel Tatum) (Benefit CD for Parkinson's Research) Mel writes songs, short stories, essays, and various assorted academic articles. Her short stories can be found in Yard Dog Press anthologies and her songs can be found online, in filk circles, and on the CATH Benefit CD. For those desperately seeking a cure for insomnia, her academic articles are also available online.

Triskelion

(Triskelion) Triskelion started as a group of friends who enjoyed playing music for fun, using MusiconFriday as their Yahoo group. Inspired by a love of Celtic music, Triskelion brings a variety of musical talent to the stage. Floyd Brigdon's background playing guitar for rock bands (and a begrudging country band or two) and as a singer/songwriter, Sarah Brigdon's as a church vocalist, and Leah Tharp's rhythm 12-string guitar and vocals blend together to bring a joyful and diverse blend of harmonies.

S. J. Tucker

(S.J. Tucker) (Music) S. J. "Sooj" Tucker has been the glad captain of her independent music career since 2004 when she left the workaday world behind to travel the continent, singing songs for her friends full time. She is a multi-instrumentalist, road warrior, front woman, songwriter and rallying point. With over ten albums released and more in the works, Sooj has received songwriting awards and traveled the world with her music. Her newest releases are Ember Days, and on October 1, Wonders.

Katherine Turski

Kathy Turski writes the way she looks--short and funny. She’s published in Yard Dog Press’s Flush Fiction, A Bubba In Time Saves None, It's the Great Bumpkin, Cletus Brown, and The Anthology From Hell. She’s also in Aurora Wolf Press and Uncle John's Bathroom Reader.

Kathy lives in North Texas with her husband. By day she clerks for a local library, and loves old movies, baking, and coming up with weird story ideas--mainly fueled with caffeine and chocolate.

Mary A. Turzillo

(Mary A. Turzillo) (LiveJournal) Mary's Nebula-winner, "Mars Is No Place for Children," and her Analog novel An Old-Fashioned Martian Girl are recommended reading on the International Space Station. She's been on the British SFA, Pushcart, Stoker, Dwarf Stars and Rhysling ballots. Lovers & Killers, her 2013 Elgin winner, is crypto-autobiographical, which is scary.

Laura J. Underwood

(Laura J. Underwood) (Facebook) Laura J. Underwood is an active member of SFWA and a former state fencing champion who sold her first piece of writing when she was 17. Recent publications include Tales from Keltora (Yard Dog Press) and book two of the Ard Magister series Demon in the Bones (Sky Warrior Book Publishing). A native of East Tennessee, she works for a public library, collects ball jointed dolls and does whatever else she can in her precious spare time.

Michael Van Slyke

Michael Van Slyke has been artist since he was old enough to pick up a crayon. He is also a craftsman who has worked in wood, metal, leather, and fabric. He has submitted artwork to various con art shows and you may occasionally see him and his wife in costumes of his design.

Mel. White

(Facebook) (Twitter) Known to her kids as "Indiana Mom", Mel. has gone back to school to become "Dr. Indiana Mom."  She still works on fossils for the Museum of Nature and Science, and is now a volunteer educator at Trinity River Audubon Center as well as a Texas Master Naturalist. She's also a proud member of the Yard Dog Press gang, with a story in A Bubba in Time Saves None.

Skyler White

(Skyler White) (The Incrementalists) (Facebook) (Twitter) Skyler White is author of the dark fantasy novels And Falling, Fly and In Dreams Begin. Her latest work, The Incrementalists (Tor, September 2013), was co-written with FenCon guest Steven Brust and edited by SGOHs Teresa and Patrick Nielsen Hayden. Her next project is an episodic erotica web series.

Craig Wolf

(Craig Wolf) (Blog) Craig Wolf does weird things up in Oklahoma, most of which you don't want to know about. Sometimes that weirdness spills out in ink. Maybe it was that he was dropped on his head early and often. Or maybe it's just that he was born under a weird sign. In any event, there are short stories and a novel and more crimes against humanity on the way. His newest little dinky collection of flash fiction is called Nibbled to Death.

Barbara Ann Wright

(Barbara Ann Wright) (Facebook) (Twitter) Barbara Ann Wright writes fantasy when not adding to her pen collection or ranting on her blog. Her novel, The Pyramid Waltz, was one of Tor.com's Reviewer's Choice books of 2012, is a 2012 Foreword Review Book of the Year Award Finalist, and is a Finalist in the 2013 Goldie awards. The sequel, For Want of a Fiend, is available now. Both are from Bold Strokes Books. She'd love to hear from you on her Facebook page or Twitter feed.