About Our Authors

Kristina Horner

Kristina Horner enjoys writing contemporary and urban fantasy for young adult and middle grade readers, though she’s also got a surprising amount of horror projects under her belt. This includes writing for a number of tabletop RPGs including 'Vampire: The Masquerade' and co-editing a horror anthology titled OBSOLESCENCE. In her free time she runs the writing podcast 'How To Win NaNo, has been a consistent winner of National Novel Writing Month since 2006, and is a co-founder of 84th Street Press. Kristina lives and works out of her home in Seattle, Washington alongside her husband Joe and their son, Maximus. When she’s not writing, she can be found in her garden or playing board games. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @KristinaHorner.

Stephen Folkins

Stephen Folkins is a friend of a friend; don’t worry about it. He works in Legal Billing and uses writing for community and as a creative outlet. He primarily writes humor using fantasy, romance, or horror as a vehicle. He has previously written for the sketch comedy group The Pilot Episode, a cult favorite, he says. Stephen likes urban exploration and watching other people out in the rain. He lives in Seattle, three hours away from his mother’s small, toothless dog, Sadie, to whom he is devoted.

Sunny Everson

Sunny Everson started creating worlds at age eleven and never slowed down. Their passion for storytelling reaches across numerous genres, but they particularly love writing queer fantasy and science fiction novels dealing with themes of childhood trauma, found family, and environmental stewardship. Although they have always been an eager student, Sunny is a repeat college dropout with a firm belief that a degree should never be a prerequisite for writing your truths. They have participated in NaNoWriMo enough times that they stopped counting and have volunteered with the nonprofit since 2016. They are the owner of a hefty collection of books about writing that they will probably never read and an embarrassing number of blank notebooks. When not writing, Sunny can usually be found wandering through nature with an unreasonable number of dogs. They live with their husband in the Inland Northwest. Follow them on Twitter at @s__everson.

Tara Theoharis

Tara Theoharis is an author and recipe developer known for her pop culture-inspired cookbooks. Titles include Break an Egg: The Official Broadway Cookbook, Tomb Raider: The Official Cookbook and Travel Guide, and Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! Official Cookbook. When not cooking, she can be found playing games and binging tv shows with her husband and two sons. www.taratheoharis.com

Maria Berejan

Maria Berejan writes fantasy and mystery with a good serving of death, and is co-founder of 84th Street Press where she publishes anthologies with her writing group. She religiously participates in National Novel Writing Month and is a municipal liaison for the Seattle NaNoWriMo region. When she’s not writing or actively avoiding writing, she collects hobbies and dreams of inhabiting a rustic cabin in the mountains where she can farm pumpkins and potatoes and think of new ways to idealize writing while not actually writing. She lives with three cats, a bunch of plants, and a husband. Follow her on Twitter @mariaberejan or at mariaberejan.com.

Katrina Hamilton

Katrina Hamilton spends her time writing, traveling, and outlining the taste profiles of various root beer brands. A constant observer and chronicler of the world around her, Katrina loves finding the interesting within the mundane and turning the ordinary parts of life into engaging and emotional journeys. With experience in playwriting, poetry, short stories, and novels, Katrina chases her ideas into whatever form and genre fit them best. She lives in Seattle with her boyfriend of ten years and several fictional pets.

Rachael Sterling

Rachael Sterling is a writer, musician, and preschool music teacher. When she’s not singing and dancing with young children in sunny Los Angeles, Rachael prefers to spend her time indoors. She sews her own clothes, crafts elaborate Halloween costumes, writes songs, plays with a band, and, of course, reads a lot. Rachael has recently discovered the joys of audiobooks, and you can often find her devouring one while she “does something productive” like washing dishes or staring into space. Rachael’s speculative and science fiction short stories have been published in anthologies and other literary outlets. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @raesterling.

Amy Piedalue

Amy Piedalue is a researcher and feminist scholar, who fluctuates between cynicism and a seemingly infinite well of hope. She works in the field of responsible AI and teaches for the University of Washington Honors Program. In fact, teaching a course on sci-fi, fantasy, and social justice inspired Amy to start writing fiction again. She won her first NaNoWriMo in 2022 and plans to finish that novel… eventually. When she’s not working or writing, Amy is playing make-believe with her toddler or board games with her husband. Occasionally she gets crafty and makes sassy cross-stitch gifts for friends.

Shay Lynam

Shay Lynam is a writer, owner of a fandom-inspired candle business, mom, and wife. Whether writing a young adult thriller/romance or figuring out what scent would be perfect for a K-pop-inspired candle, she’s almost always finding ways to be creative. A NaNoWriMo rebel through and through, she usually tries to figure out unconventional ways to get to 50,000 words during the month, whether it be writing fanfiction, short stories, or choose-your-own-adventure novels. Shay has self-published multiple young adult books as well as contributed to a horror anthology. She lives near Seattle, Washington with her husband, three children, and about 36 houseplants. Follow her on Instagram @authorshaylynam.

Jennifer Lee Swagert

Jennifer Lee Swagert is a mapmaker by day and writer by night. She especially enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction that explores power structures and the moments that make us human. She began writing using the library computer after school and still has those stories on an old USB drive somewhere. These days, if she’s not creating, she’s most likely reading webtoons or congratulating her cats on fitting inside boxes. Her greatest accomplishment to date is having operated one of the foremost British soap opera fandom blogs. She’s also a co-founder of 84th Street Press and a Seattle NaNoWriMo municipal liaison. Follow her on Twitter at @jenniferswagert.

Liz Leo

Liz Leo is a longtime NaNoWriMo victor and a co-creator of the writing podcast How to Win NaNo. Her writing repertoire focuses on sci-fi, paranormal, and magical realism—basically anything but real life. Follow her on Twitter @itsnotproper.