2014 Authors & Artists
Special Guest: Rashaad Santiago
Kind Hearted, self-motivated and driven, Rashaad Santiago is confident his creativity will make his dreams come true. With his father’s support as inspiration, Rashaad combats any adversity through his artwork. As a self-taught makeup artist, he has gained expertise in sculpting, molding and application. He’s inspired by Stan Winston because of his work on Predator and Jurassic Park.
Facebook.com/R1a2s3
Website: Empirefx.weebly.com
YouTube.com/user/r1a2s3
Twitter:@rashaadsantiago
Instagram:@rashaadsantiago
Authors
We are pleased to have many local authors join Myths and Legends.
Visit the Aschelon table to get your teaser story of the new Aschelon world by Carolyn Fritz and Chaz Kemp!
Peter J. Wacks – Editorial Guest of Honor
Peter J. Wacks is a #1 bestselling cross-genre writer and the Managing Editor of Kevin J. Anderson’s WordFire Press. He has worked across the creative fields in gaming, television, film, comics, and most recently, when not busy editing, he spends his time writing novels.
Peter, in his editorial capacity, has worked on Stories by Tracy Hickman, Kevin J. Anderson, David Farland/David Wolverton, and many others. He has also helped bring some of the seminal works of the 20th century, like Allen Drury’s Advise and Consent, back into print.
He has been a panelist, guest speaker, and Guest of Honor at a combined total of over 250 conventions, Trade Shows, organizations, and Colleges – including GAMA, Mensa, & UCLA.
When he isn’t working on the next book he can be found practicing martial arts, playing chess, drinking Scotch or IPA, or fighting with swords.
CREATIVE CREDITS
WordFire Press; Managing Editor
Uncredited Co-Writer with Kevin J. Anderson (can’t say which book, sorry!)
Fairypunk Studios; Creative Director, Art Director
Gunmetal Games; Line Developer, Interface Zero
3015 Ink Writing Cooperative; Board Member
ABC Studios (Television Show Alias), Creative Consultant
Lucid Raven Productions; Creative Consultant
Social Games; Lead Game Designer, Storyline Writer Cyberpunk CCG
RECENT PUBLICATION HISTORY
2015, Forthcoming – Invasion Oz
2014, Forthcoming – Shell Games (Magazine, Steam Punk Trails)
2014, Forthcoming – Singularity’s Edge (Novel, Media Tie In)
2014, Forthcoming – Hair Of The Wolf (Novel, Urban Fantasy, Dark Humor)
2014, Forthcoming –Veronica Mars: Queen for a Day [With David Boop]
2014 (ARC Available) – Bloodletting pt2 (Novel, Fantasy) [With Mark Ryan]
2014 (ARC Available) – Villainy (Novel, Superhero) [With Steven L. Sears]
2014 (ARC Available) – Dandy Boys Mysteries (Novel, Steampunk) [With J.R. Boyett]
2014 – The Bavarian (Anthology Story, Penny Dread Tales 4, Runewright Publications)
2014 (#1 Bestseller) – GI Joe: Post Traumatic Stress Commander [With Aaron Michael Ritchey]
2014 (Bestseller) – Second Paradigm, Author Preferred Edition (Novel, Time Travel)
2014 – In The Move Of Madness (Anthology Story, Cthulhu Passant, Red Bear Publishing)
2014 (Bestseller) – Bloodletting (Novel; Fantasy) [With Mark Ryan]
2013 – Space Opera (Anthology Story, Ray Gun Chronicles, Everyday Publishing)
2013 – Dragon’s Hoard (Anthology Story, Different Dragons, Wolfsinger Publications)
2013 (Award Nominated) – Behind These Eyes; new cover reissue (Graphic Novel, Villainous Press)
2013 – Today The Sun Sets In The East (Anthology Story, Penny Dread Tales 3, Runewright Publications)
2013 – The Shadow Stalker (Anthology Story, Penny Dread Tales 3, Runewright Publications)
2013 – A Steampunk Journey, The Coloring Book (Coloring Book, Little Airship Press)
Eytan Kollin – Surprise Guest
Author siblings Dani and Eytan Kollin’s debut novel, The Unincorporated Man was designated a SyFy Essential and went on to win the 2010 Prometheus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of the year. Their second, third and fourth novels, The Unincorporated War, The Unincorporated Woman and The Unincorporated Future were also nominated for the same award with the fourth becoming a finalist.
Quincy J. Allen
Quincy J. Allen, is a self-proclaimed cross-genre author. What that really means is that he’s got enough ADD to not stick with any single genre and, like his cooking, prefers to mix and match to suit his appetites of the moment.
He has been published in multiple anthologies, magazines, and one omnibus. He’s written for the Internet show RadioSteam, and his novel Chemical Burn is due out in 2014 in a newly revamped edition from WordFire Press. Out Through the Attic, his first short story collection, just hit shelves and browsers across the world. He works part-time as a tech-writer to pay his bills, does book design and eBook conversions as the Production Editor for WordFire Press by night, and lives in a lovely house he considers his very own sanctuary. Kind of like the Bat Cave, only with less flying mammals and more light.
He’s an entirely all-too-busy writer taking over the world one fiction at a time.
Dana Bell
Dana Bell enjoys writing regional tales and has lived many places including Boston, MA., Idaho and Oregon. Currently residing in Colorado, many of her stories are set there and star the various cats she’s been owned by. Her works include her novel ‘Winter Awakening’, a popular cat vampire short story series, soon to have their own anthology, and many short stories and poems. She has edited several anthologies including ‘Of Fur and Fire’, ‘Time Traveling Coffers’ and ‘Different Dragons’. Upcoming releases include ‘Different Dragons 2’, ‘Supernatural Colorado’ and her novel ‘God’s Gift’.
Lou J Berger
Lou J Berger lives in Denver with three kids, three Sheltie dogs and a kink-tailed cat with nefarious intent. He’s an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, has been professionally published in short form and is writing his first novel, a non-genre YA book set in 1978’s North Carolina. His website can be found at www.LouJBerger.com
Jessica Brawner
Jessica Brawner grew up in the wilds of South Texas and plotted ways to spend her life traveling the world. She has been remarkably successful at that endeavor, attending school and travelling all over Europe at the age of eighteen, moving back to the United States to achieve two bachelor’s degrees, and then moving to Central Asia for a time with the Peace Corps. Fifteen years ago she discovered the wonders of Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions and the crazy, loveable, friends-are-the-family-you-choose mentality found there. She spent many years working as a booth babe and volunteering at conventions all over the country.
In addition to her convention activities, Ms. Brawner has developed and taught self-defense classes, worked as an event planner, an entertainment agent, a computer teacher, and a personal assistant. More recently she has channeled her adventures into writing and running several different small businesses. Her newest ventures are Story of the Month Club – excellent stories to your inbox (www.storyofthemonthclub.com) and Life Stats (www.lifestats.org).
Ian Brazee-Cannon
Ian Brazee-Cannon is a writer, film maker, game designer, podcaster as well as a husband and father. His short stories have been published in The Fifth Di…, Wondrous Web Worlds, Forgotten Worlds, Tales of the Talisman, May-December Publications’ anthology ‘Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy’ and the new shared world anthology Taurin Tales. A collection of his works titled ‘My Delusions of Godhood’ can be found at Amazon.com. Ian has been working with Nomadic Delirium Press on supplements for the Ephemeris RPG. He is one of the founders and regular co-hosts on the Amateur Skeptics podcast. Ian has been involved with Dangling Carrot Films, Running Riot Productions and Ijin Productions as a writer and director on their projects.
J.A. Campbell
Julie lives in Colorado with her three cats, her vampire-hunting dog, Kira, her Traveler in Training, Triska, and her Irish Sailor. When she’s not out riding horses, she can usually be found sitting in front of her computer. She is the author of many Vampire and Ghost-Hunting Dog stories and the young adult fantasy series Tales of the Travelers. She’s a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Dog Writers of America Association and the editor for Steampunk Trails fiction magazine. You can find out more about her at her website:www.writerjacampbell.com.
Guy Anthony De Marco
Guy Anthony De Marco is a speculative fiction author; a Graphic Novel Bram Stoker Award® finalist; winner of the HWA Silver Hammer Award; a prolific short story and flash fiction crafter; a novelist; an invisible man with superhero powers; a game writer (Sojourner Tales modules, Interface Zero 2.0 core team, D&D modules); and a coffee addict. One of these is false.
A writer since 1977, Guy is a member of the following organizations: SFWA, WWA, SFPA, IAMTW, ASCAP, RMFW, NCW, HWA. He hopes to collect the rest of the letters of the alphabet one day. Additional information can be found at Wikipedia,GuyAndTonya.com, and GuyAnthonyDeMarco.com.
Tonya L De Marco
Tonya L De Marco is an author, costume designer, and cosplayer living at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and son. She enjoys traveling and attends several conventions per year.
When she is not writing or sewing, Tonya passes the time watching the squirrels she feeds from her porch.
Tonya is a member of HWA
Find her here:
https://www.amazon.com/author/tonyaldemarco
http://guyandtonya.com/
Betsy Dornbusch
Betsy Dornbusch is the author of a dozen short stories, three novellas, and three novels. In addition to speaking at numerous conventions every year, she also is an editor with the speculative fiction magazine Electric Spec and the longtime proprietress of Sex Scenes at Starbucks. She splits her time between Boulder and Grand Lake, Colorado.
Thomas A. Fowler
By day, Thomas A. Fowler is a Broadcast & Digital Producer at Vladimir Jones, a Colorado based full-service ad agency. By night, Fowler is a writer of commercial mainstream and science fi cti on. He does this someti me between being a husband and a father. He pursues both dreams to prove to his children that they can accomplish their goals with dedication, education, and lots of hard work. In everything that he does, he ensures that he instills hope.
J.M. Franklin
J.M. Franklin, a current resident of Denver, spends her free time crafting stories of adventure and mayhem. She has been published in the short story anthologies Penny Dread Tales volumes I and II, and is the author of the forthcoming Tunnel Rat series. She can be contacted at jodimfranklin.com.
Carolyn K Fritz
Carolyn K Fritz is making her professional writing debut with the Ashelon project. Her works include flash fiction and fan fic, with her latest piece being a cross between Star Wars and the Avengers, called “A Jedi Lost”. When she’s not writing, she can be seen dancing with Batavia, a tribal fusion belly dance troupe. You can see her other works at bewitchinghips.com and Fanfiction.net .
L.J. Hachmeister
L.J. Hachmeister is a freelance writer, world champion martial artist, professional illustrator and musician originally from Chicago, Illinois. She currently resides in Denver, Colorado with her family and two rambunctious dogs.
website:
www.triorion.com
Van Aaron Hughes
Van Aaron Hughes writes science fiction and fantasy short fiction. His novelette “The Dualist” was a winner in the Writers of the Future Contest. His fiction has appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Writers of the Future Vol. 27, Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, Abyss & Apex, Glorifying Terrorism, and other publications. He does book reviews and author interviews for Fantastic Reviews and judges the Battle of the Books at the Fantastic Reviews Blog. In real life, he’s a lawyer and has argued before the United States Supreme Court.
Sam Knight
A Colorado native, Sam Knight spent ten years in California’s wine country before returning to the Rockies. When asked if he misses California, he gets a wistful look in his eyes and replies he misses the green mountains in the winter, but he is glad to be back home.
As well as being part of the WordFire Press Production Team, he is the editor of two anthologies and author of three children’s books, three short story collections, two novels, and more than a dozen short stories.
A stay-at-home father, Sam attempts to be a full-time writer, but there are only so many hours left in a day after kids. Once upon a time, he was known to quote books the way some people quote movies, but now he claims having a family has made him forgetful, as a survival adaptation. He can be found at SamKnight.com.
Paul Lell
Born and raised in and around Denver, Colorado, Paul has been telling stories (some true, some not so much) for most of his life. This trait led to an early adoption of role playing games and a life-long love of the written word. An abrupt change of career in 2007 gave him the opportunity to publish his first novel, and he’s been at it ever since; trying to outdo himself with each new book.
Currently residing in Westminster, Colorado (he never did make it far from where he began), with his family; a wife, two sons, a giant dog, and two giant cats, he writes daily, reads everything he can, and works on refining his stories, and games at all hours.
Stant Litore
Stant Litore is the author of The Zombie Bible series and the Ansible Stories. He has an intense love of ancient languages, a fierce admiration for his ancestors, and a fascination with religion and history. He doesn’t consider his writing a vocation; he considers it an act of survival. Litore lives in Colorado with his wife and two daughters and is at work on his next book.
www.stantlitore.com
http://www.facebook.com/stant.litore
@thezombiebible
L.H. Parker
L.H. Parker discovered horror after winning a 2008 #Tworror contest. A former teen librarian, L.H. Parker is a marketing professional at MSU Denver and a senior writer for the Colorado Music Buzz Magazine. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado and is a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Pikes Peak Writers. L.H. Parker writes horror, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal fiction for teen and adult audiences. In 2014, L.H. Parker co-authored a short story with Kara Seal; “The Murder Wheel” is now available in the “Penny Dread Tales Volume IV: Perfidious and Paranormal Punkery of Steam” anthology.
Ashlyn Ross
Ashlyn Ross – Indie Author
A writer of Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, and Young Adult Fiction. Author of the Keeper Library Series. Winner of NanoWriMo 2013. Also writes articles to help other inspiring authors in finding inspiration on her webpage. A book reviewer of all things fiction for Moonlight Reads since January 2013. Lives in Denver, Co with husband and young daughter.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashlyn.ross.14
twitter: @AshlynMRoss
Linkin: www.linkedin.com/in/ashlynross/
webpage: www.ashlynross.com
book reviews: www.moonlightreads.com
Christopher M. Salas
Born and raised in Pueblo, CO., Christopher M. Salas developed a penchant for science fiction and the paranormal from his grandmother and uncle. As a child spending time with his grandmother, Juanita, included watching Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers. His uncle Augustine would tell tales at the dinner table, recounting scenes from movies he had watched, such as Dawn of the Dead or The Exorcist. This played a key role in Christopher’s predilection for horror and science fiction. Currently residing in Colorado Springs, CO., Christopher dabbles his storytelling in various genres of fiction, such as Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy and Steampunk. While working on the Abigail: Curses and Demons series, House on Teardrop Lane trilogy and other literary works, Christopher also is a script writer for Themis Comics.
Follow Christopher’s signings, current and upcoming projects at:
cmsalasauthor.blogspot.com
Kronda Seibert
Kronda Seibert is notorious for her work running AnomalyCon, Denver’s premier Steampunk, Science Fiction and Alternate History Convention. She also authored the majority of the hit Steampunk podcast Radio S.T.E.A.M., and is the author of Beneath the Crust and various short stories. She can be seen speaking at many events as an advocate for equality in science fiction and media representation.
Aaron Spriggs
Born shortly before the Lunar Landing, in the Land of Enchantment, Aaron has lived in many states of the Union, but has reduced his relocation rate and has lived in Colorado since 1980, all up and down the Front Range, and currently resides in Denver.
Aaron has published a few short stories and several poems and is sitting on a few novels, like everyone else.
Scientist by day (hazardous waste management in the past, and entomologist/zoologist these days) and poet/musician by night, Aaron has gone on several musical tours around the USA. He plays trumpet poorly and theremin passingly (one of the world’s only mobile theremins, so no one knows where or when he’ll show up). During the heat of summer, Aaron can be found at Burning Man every year.
Kal Spriggs
Kal Spriggs is a science fiction and fantasy author. He currently has three series in print: The Renegades space opera and space exploration series, the Shadow Space Chronicles military science fiction and space opera series, and the Eoriel Saga epic fantasy series.
Kal is a US Army veteran who has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He lives in Colorado, and is married to his wonderful wife (who deserves mention for her patience with his writing) and also shares his home with his newborn son, three feline overlords, and a rather put-upon dog. He likes hiking, skiing, and enjoying the outdoors, when he’s not hunched over a keyboard writing his next novel.
Mark Everett Stone
Born in Helsinki, Finland (The Land of the Uncommonly Stubborn), Mark Everett Stone arrived in the U.S. at a young age and promptly dove into the world of the fantastic. Starting at age seven with theIliad and the Odyssey, he went on to consume every scrap of Norse Mythology he could get his grubby little paws on. At age thirteen he graduated to Tolkien and Heinlein, building up a book collection that soon rivaled the local public library’s.
The author of six books, he has received acclaim for his BSI Series that debuted with Things to do in Denver when your’e Un-dead, which was a Debut Book Of The Year finalist. His second book, The Judas Line, received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, who wrote: ‘Stone’s depiction of magic is realistic and intelligent and his treatment of Catholicism refreshingly informed and three-dimensional. Even the obligatory near-apocalyptic ending is coherent, surprising, and exciting.’
Currently he has finished the sequel to The Judas Line called The Judas Codex and is anxiously awaiting the publication of the fifth in the BSI series, Omaha Stakesand is typing furiously away at his keyboard trying to finish the sixth book, The Spirit In St. Louis.
Artists
We are pleased to have several local artists join Myths and Legends.
J. Zoe Frazure
J. Zoe Frasure began her career as an artist at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Bent on pursuing her career, she returned to Ohio to achieve her art degree. Eventually she found her way to Los Angeles, working in the dark side of Hollywood as a storyboard and concept artist in indie horror on such films as the Hatchet movie series and The Collector. A diverse artist, Zoe has spent the past 6 years designing collectibles and creating original souvenirs for such notable clients as Disney, Hard Rock Cafe and Sea World. She finds a strange balance between making cute Disney characters by day and planning out slashing people to bits by night.
On the lighter side, Zoe has made a reputation in the advertising world creating storyboards for commercials for such names as Cindy Crawford Home, Rooms to Go and Ashley Furniture. Her first book cover, Tennis Dates, premiered in 2008. Since 2004, Zoe has provided the artwork for the infamous Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in Beverly Hills, a mecca for celebrity sightings. www.mrbonespumpkinpatch.com.
Chaz Kemp
Chaz Kemp is an Art Nouveau illustrator living in Denver, CO. He uses modern, digital techniques to create his steampunk, horror and fantasy pieces and he was nominated for a Bram Stoker award in 2012. When he’s not performing with his band Pandora Celtica, he’s working hard on the Ashelon project with up-and-coming author Carolyn Fritz! You can visit him on the web atwww.ChazKemp.com… if you dare!
Jody McDonald
Jody McDonald was born in 1988 in Englewood, Colorado. She was raised amongst scientists and computer engineers. This made her early years as a creative artist challenging. However, she persevered and obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Jewelry and Metalsmithing in Spring of 2014. She also received a Minor in Entrepreneurship and with that Minor was able to launch her small business, Nerdy Jems.
She creates and sells nerd inspired jewelry and artifacts online as well as at all the major nerd conventions throughout Colorado, which include Galaxyfest, Starfest, Comic Con, and many more. Her work includes stylized icons and symbols from famous pop culture medias such as Lord of the Rings, Avengers, X-Men, Shield and Final Fantasy, just to name a few. She is known for putting her own spin and personal touch on these popular icons.
Kathryn Renta
Kathryn S. Renta is an award winning artist and recent immigrant to Colorado. She grew up in California with a vivid imagination and unquenchable curiosity. With an intense fear of blank pages, she set out to fill every single one she could. That included sketchbooks, notebooks, journals, random bits of paper, and the wall behind her childhood bed!
In addition to 15+ years as a graphic artist and illustrator, her work includes over a decade of lettering comics for Viz Media, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics and several independent publishers. These days she devotes her creative energy to designing and illustrating book covers.
You can find her at:
Stan Yan
Stan Yan grew up in Denver, Colorado and went to school at the University of Colorado in Boulder where he got his bachelor’s degree in accounting. Due to the lack of sex-for-recruiting for accounting students, Yan’s life took the tragic turn into sales for the securities industry where he wallowed in ethical poverty on-and-off for thirteen years.
Yan takes his frustrations out by penning graphic novels such as The Wang. In 2005, he gave up on financial security and became a full-time freelance cartoonist, illustrating SubCulture for Ape Entertaiment and Action Lab Danger Zone, creating comic strips for the financial and sales industry, drawing zombie caricatures, and picking up odd illustration and teaching jobs when folks are feeling agonizing pity for him. Stan teaches Summer camps, after school programs, workshops, and helped to develop a degree program in graphic storytelling as an adjunct faculty member at the Community College of Aurora. He writes and colors the REVVVelations webstrip. Recent credits include illustrating the comic book The Adventures of Health Team 4 for Kaiser Permanente; writing Vincent Price Presents #33 for Bluewater Productions; and Yan Food Fright for the Melting Pot restaurant. Current projects, inquiries, and complaints can be lodged at stanyan.me.