Kheryn Callender is non-binary and uses the they/them/theirs pronoun. Kheryn was born and raised in St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands. They have a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, as well as an MFA from The New School’s Writing for Children program. Kheryn is currently an assistant editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Their debut middle grade novel, HURRICANE CHILD, is due out from Scholastic in April 2018. Kheryn resides in Brooklyn.

Mara Fitzgerald writes YA fantasy. She was born thirty minutes away from Disney World, and her formative years were spent moving between various, less magical cities. She is a biologist by day and knows more than she ever really wanted to know about insects. She currently lives thirty minutes away from Graceland.

Janel Kolby is a poet and story writer for teens and children. She is a graduate from Hamline University's MFAC program, and lives in Seattle with her family and Sunny Arms community. Her debut young adult novel, WINTERFOLK, will be published in Spring 2018 by Harper Teen.

He’s been a pest control operator, a night security guard, cleaned offices at a steel mill, interned at NASA, sold high-end faucet fixtures, installed carpet flooring, taught 5th graders, and is most recently a registered nurse, happily caring for hematology, oncology, and orthopedic patients. And alas—now he gets to write books that you can read. j.a. reynolds’ debut YA novel OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS is forthcoming from Katherine Tegen Books in the U.S. and Macmillan in the U.K. He hangs out around Cleveland.

Shveta Thakrar is a writer of South Asian–flavored fantasy, social justice activist, and part-time nagini. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared or are forthcoming in a variety of magazines and anthologies. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, draws, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.

Kayla Whaley is an editor at Disability in Kidlit and a graduate of the Clarion Writers' Workshop. In addition to writing middle grade and young adult novels, she is an essayist with work appearing at The Toast, The Establishment, and in Feminism for the Real World, among other venues. She also holds a Master's in Public Administration that's languishing somewhere in her closet. She lives in Atlanta, but can most often be found being overly sincere on the internet.

Mimi is a second-generation Korean-American, born and raised in rural upstate New York. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, and an MFA from Parsons School of Design. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner, five cats, a geriatric dog, and an alarming number of foster kittens. Her debut YA fantasy THE GIRL KING is due out in Spring 2019 from Bloomsbury Children's Books in the US and Gollancz in the UK.

Scarlett Cole is a writer of contemporary romantic suspense. Her debut novel, THE STRONGEST STEEL, book one of the SECOND CIRCLE series, was published by St. Martin's Press in July 2015. A true city-dweller, she considers Toronto and Manchester home, and likes to set her books in vibrant locations such as Miami and Los Angeles.

Sherri L. Smith has previously written two historical fiction novels for Simon & Schuster UK. When not writing she spends time with her family, three rescue dogs and restores vintage furniture that would otherwise be destined for the dump. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada where the long, cold winters nurture her dark side. FOLLOW ME DOWN (Forge Books, March 2017) is her first thriller.

Katherine Fritz is the blogger behind the viral internet sensations I Am Begging My Mother Not To Read This Blog and Ladypockets. When she's not hunkered down behind her laptop trying to change the world or tell a good joke, she's a Philadelphia-based costume designer and teaching artist with a passion for telling stories.

Shaheen Peerbhai a chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and London. She is the winner of multiple culinary scholarships awarded by The James Beard Foundation (2011, 2015) and The Culinary Trust (2011, 2013). She is currently pursing a Diploma in Superior Culinary Arts at The Alain Ducasse Institute in France and is working on her first cookbook with Sterling due in Spring 2017. She conducts baking classes and blogs at PurpleFoodie.com.