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"...look at your story as an opportunity. One of the novels I’m drafting came from a short story I entered in a contest just like this one. It didn’t win, but it did generate a wonderful idea that I’m gleefully pursuing."

Matteo L. Cerilli (he/him) is a transmasc author and activist specializing in speculative fiction for all ages. His work features the YA horror novel LOCKJAW (Tundra, 2024); middle grade ghost story SOMETHING'S UP WITH ARLO (Harper Collins Canada, 2025); YA noir BAD IN THE BLOOD (Tundra, 2025); young YA gamer action FATHOM FALL (Bloomsbury, 2026); a featured short story in BURY YOUR GAYS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TRAGIC QUEER HORROR (Ghoulish Books, 2024); and poetry in Augur magazine

"Storytelling has stemmed into various aspects of my life, from dance to stage and even film. In the end, though, the written word forever has my heart and soul."

Ingrid Bruck, a Pennsylvania-based poet, grows wildflowers and makes jam when she's not writing poetry. Four of her poems were Best of the Net nominees, two nominated for Pushcart Prize. Ingrid has a chapbook, Finding Stella Maris (Flutter Press). Some current work appears in Heron’s Nest, Failed Haiku, Verse-Virtual and Poetry Hall.

John RC Potter is an international educator from Canada who lives in Istanbul. His poems, stories, essays, articles, and reviews have been published in various magazines and journals.

Karen Barrow is a Trinidad-born Canadian author. Her post-secondary studies brought her to Canada, where she eventually settled. Years later, Karen fulfilled a lifelong dream by combining a love of storytelling and her passion for travel to inspire her historical fiction novels. Palmyra, her debut novel, won the Whistler Independent Book Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Guernica Prize, the Page Turner Awards and the Eric Hoffer Award.

Michelle Lynch is a writer, photographer, and educator in the metro NYC area. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University. Her poetry has appeared in NonBinary Review, Iron Horse Literary Review, Memoryhouse Magazine, San Pedro River Review, Quarterly Journal, Heron Tree Review, Lunch Ticket, among other lovely places.

Eniola Ajao is a writer and teacher. She lives with two German Shepherds and two neurotic cats. She moonlights as a copy editor and loves spending time with her family and friends. Her work has been published in The Queens Quarterly and elsewhere.

Jonny Detiger’s works and designs transcend the mundane, celebrate life, and joyfully bridge the gap between the everyday and the sublime.

Shome Dasgupta is the author of The Seagull And The Urn (HarperCollins India), and most recently, the novel The Muu-Antiques (Malarkey Books), a short story collection Atchafalaya Darling (Belle Point Press), and a poetry collection Iron Oxide (Assure Press).

Maheshwar is a self-taught artist and author who graduated from Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.

Priscilla Bettis is an avid reader and a joyful writer. She lives in small-town Texas with her two-legged and four-legged family members. Priscilla enjoys writing short stories and poems, and she is working on her first literary novel. Priscilla's poem, "Autumn Graveyard," was published by MoonLit Getaway in December 2024.

Shantell Powell is a two-spirit swamp hag raised on the land and off the grid. She’s a graduate of the Writers’ Studio at Simon Fraser University and a Classics graduate from the University of New Brunswick.

Jake's work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Offing, Moon City Review, Wrath-Bearing Tree, and others.

Elysia is a Canadian writer whose debut novel, Whale Fall, is slated for publication with Penguin/Nancy Paulsen in 2026.

Zachary's short story, "One Jarful of a Wanted Man," was a runner-up in the MoonLit Getaway Grand Opening Contest.

Tara Zafft's Poem "She" was a Runner-Up in the MoonLit Getaway Grand Opening Contest.

Cher Smith writes novels, short stories, and children's stories. Her story, "I Know a Guy," was a runner-up in our Grand Opening Contest.

Meric Moir is a writer, digital marketing manager, and the book lead on Cosmere RPG’s Mistborn World Guide.

Danielle was a Runner-Up in the MoonLit Getaway Grand Opening Contest (Visual Art Category).