ConCarolinas 2025

Robert J. Sawyer — called “the dean of Canadian science fiction” by The Ottawa Citizen and “just about the best science-fiction writer out there” by The Denver Rocky Mountain News — is one of only eight writers in history (and the only Canadian) to win all three of the science-fiction field’s top honors for best novel of the year: the World Science Fiction Society’s Hugo Award, which he won for his novel Hominids; the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s Nebula Award, which he won for his novel The Terminal Experiment; and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, which he won his novel Mindscan. Rob is a member of the Order of Canada, the highest honor given by his country, and of the Order of Ontario, the highest honor given by his province. He was also one of the initial inductees into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. According to the US trade journal Locus, Rob is the #1 all-time worldwide leader in number of award wins as a science fiction or fantasy novelist. The 2009-2010 ABC TV series FlashForward was based on Rob’s of the same name, and he was a scriptwriter for that series. Rob also hosted the Canadian TV series Supernatural Investigator and wrote the two-part series finale for the popular web series Star Trek Continues. Maclean’s says, “By any reckoning, Sawyer is among the most successful Canadian authors ever,” and The New York Times calls him “a writer of boundless confidence and bold scientific extrapolation.” The Canadian publishing trade journal Quill & Quire named Rob one of “the thirty most influential, innovative, and just plain powerful people in Canadian publishing” (the only other authors making the list were Margaret Atwood and Douglas Coupland). Rob’s twenty-four novels include The Oppenheimer Alternative, Quantum Night, Calculating God, and the “WWW” trilogy of Wake, Watch, and Wonder, each volume of which separately won the Aurora Award — Canada’s top honor in science fiction — for Best Novel of the Year. In addition, his “Neanderthal Parallax” trilogy, consisting of Hominids, Humans, and Hybrids, won the Aurora Award for Best Work of the Entire Decade (for the first decade of the 21st century). Rob’s novels are top-ten national mainstream bestsellers in Canada, appearing on the Globe and Mail and Maclean’s bestsellers’ lists, and they’ve hit #1 on the science-fiction bestsellers’ lists published by Locus, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, and Audible.com. Rob — who holds honorary doctorates from the University of Winnipeg and Laurentian University — has done consulting for many organizations, including NASA, and he’s given over 100 keynote addresses worldwide. Born in Ottawa, he lives just west of Toronto in Mississauga.

Sarah Joy Adams is an indie fantasy author and Director of the Writing Center at Campbell University. She also edits for Falstaff Books. Her most recent book is Steel Mill Vikings.

Sam Baltrusis, author of "Ghosts of Salem" and featured in "The Curse of Lizzie Borden" shock doc, has penned more than a dozen paranormal-themed books including "Mass Murders" and "Ghosts of the American Revolution." He has been featured on several national TV shows including the Travel Channel’s "A Haunting," "Most Terrifying Places," "Haunted Towns," and "Haunted USA." He recently made a cameo in the documentaries "The House in Between 2" and on several television programs including "Haunted by History," "Paranormal Nightshift," "Most Terrifying with Jason Hawes," and "Forbidden History." He also appeared in "Fright Club" (1 & 2) with the Ghost Brothers and Jack Osbourne on Discovery+. Baltrusis is a sought-after lecturer who speaks at libraries and paranormal-related events across the country. Visit SamBaltrusis.com for more information

T. Glenn Bane is a game designer, writer, artist, and world-builder with over 18 years of experience. He is the creative force behind Scaldcrow Games™ and is passionate about designing games that bring imaginative fantasy worlds and unforgettable characters to life for gamers everywhere. Bane aims to introduce fresh ideas to the gaming table that ignite limitless imagination through his role-playing series, "Worlds of Pulp™," “Shape the Story™,” and “Worlds of Pulp™,” Roll for Pulp™ Podcast, Subscription Service and the new WPM (Worlds of Pulp Mechanic).

Lover of all things nerdy, bookish, and cosplay. I am interested in a wide genre of fandoms which makes for a great moderator or panel filler. I am flexible and love research so I can adapt where needed. I love attending Concarolinas and look forward to the vibes every year.

A television and film professional for over thirty years, Paul has produced two motion pictures (Night Feeders and Cold Storage) and two documentaries (In the Footsteps of Elie Wiesel and The Final Gift) When not producing films, he works on them as a script supervisor or in the art department.

Len Berry is the Writer of Ethereal Darkness. Len greatly enjoys watching anime, reading X-Men comics, and playing existential video games. When he's not writing, Len is probably drawing weird worlds into existence, watching red panda videos, or contemplating too much philosophy.

Horror, mystery, and fantasy romance author Lucy Blue is currently a writer and senior editor for Falstaff Books, but she’s been a published novelist for more than 20 years. She got her start writing medieval paranormal romance for Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster, and she has recently returned to her romantasy roots with The Dragon’s Wife, the first book in The Chronicles of Caedwen. She is also the author of the acclaimed Southern gothic horror novel The Devil Makes Three and The Stella Hart Mysteries, a series of romantic cozy mysteries set in the 1920s. She is married to artist, illustrator, and game designer Justin Glanville, known affectionately to Blue and her many bemused followers on social media as The Thunder from Down Under.

Rachel A. Brune got her first publishing gig working for the US Army as a military journalist. Twenty years later, she writes, edits, and publishes speculative fiction, with an emphasis on the dark side of the literary spectrum. She brings a deep and abiding love of all the flavors of fear and foreboding to the Falstaff Dread line of horror fiction and the Crone Girls Press horror anthologies.

Samantha Bryant writes superhero and horror stories, which one depends on whether she wants to save the world today, or burn it down. She is best known for her Menopausal Superhero series of novels through Falstaff Books, winner of a Jacquis Award for feminist writing. Well, that and her banana bread (the secret is sour cream).

Pat O’Keefe, M.S., is a Consulting Hypnotist, certified through the National Guild of Hypnotists, Psychic & Medium, Reiki Master Teacher, Photographer, and Author. Pat has written or co-authored nine books on topics of supernatural interest, including, Appalachian Granny Witch Magick, and The Ghosts of St. Albans Sanatorium. She has written and photographed for publications around the world as diverse as “The Morbid Curious,” “Witchology,” "Ghost Voices" and “The Literary Hatchet.” She is currently working on a documentary, There’s Magick in Them Mountains, about the mystics of the mountains, Appalachian Granny Women. She is the host of the podcast, Pat O’Keefe’s World of Curiosities and has traveled the country conducting seances, gallery readings, classes, and workshops on many spiritual and paranormal topics.

Writer. Director. Actor. Drummer. Model. Artist. Canvas. Columnist. Proudest Papa EVER. As Creative Director of the straight jacket-tested and doctor-approved Mad Ones Films from Greensboro NC, Jaysen Buterin’s mission has been to make movies magical again and to show the unbridled kaleidoscopic creativity just waiting to be unleashed when the inmates are finally allowed to run the cinematic asylum. He is the writer/director of award-winning grindhouse indie film fare such as the Tarantino-meets-Twilight Zone short film trilogy, “The Gospel According to Booze, Bullets & Hot Pink Jesus,” the on-the-road black & white thriller, “Between Hell and a Hard Place,” and the sinister stay-at-home horror hits “Don’t Let the Light In” and “The Corner.” He also takes turns in front of the camera, acting in such frightful and delightful film festival favourites as “Knob Goblins,” “Loop,” “Born Again,” “Mama’s Boy,” “Department 666” “I Slay On Christmas,” “The Hicksorcists,” and “Killer Assistant” He is currently awaiting the Hollywood studio release of his very first feature-length film, the coulrophobia-courting/clown-killing thrilling goodness of “Kill Giggles,” while his latest heartfelt spell of movie magic, the award-winning short film “The Blue-Eyed Boy and Mister Death,” is currently touring the film festival circuit. Jaysen is also a proud former recipient of the ConCarolinas Spirt of Indie Film Award.

Janet and Roger Carden are the wife and husband team of

Janet and Roger Carden are the wife and husband team of "The Halfling and the Spaceman: Journeys In Active Fandom." Both are nerds who love most things geeky!. Until 2024, Janet was the editor of "Crimson Streets," and online anthology of pulp-fiction style short stories. In the 80s and 90s, the Cardens alse were part of the team which published a table-top role-playing games magazine.

Geeky pagan, paranormal investigator, and rocket scientist. I’ve worked in the aerospace industry since 2001, mostly at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Big fan of scifi/fantasy, romance/romantasy, and cozy mystery books. Been Wiccan for nearly 30 years, 3rd Degree Elder of my tradition, which was founded in the mid-1980s. Life-long interest in the paranormal, been an investigator and researcher for over 20 years. I’m also deeply into fiber crafts, mostly crochet. Always interested in exploring the intersections of my various interests, such as discussing pagan theology in the context of paranormal investigations, or my experiences being both an engineer and a witch.

I am an actor who has been in paranormal investigator for 20 years. I am the president and co-founder of Patapsco Paranormal Investigations and Research. I am especially interested in American history with a special concentration on the American Civil War.

R. E. Carr is the author of over 20 books, including the award winning Rules Undying series. She also loves ramen and cats.

Wesley Chu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve published novels, including Time Salvager, The Rise of Io, and The Walking Dead: Typhoon. He won the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. His debut, The Lives of Tao, won the Young Adult Library Services Association Alex Award. Chu is an accomplished martial artist and a former member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has acted in film and television, worked as a model and stuntman, and summited Kilimanjaro. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his two boys, Hunter and River.

Cinda Williams Chima nearly failed first grade because she was always daydreaming. By junior high, she got in trouble for writing novels in class. Yet the magic of books took her from first grade failure to first generation college graduate to New York Times best-selling author of the Seven Realms, Heir Chronicles, and Shattered Realms teen fantasy series. Her newest duology, The Runestone Saga, (HarperTeen) marries Norse mythology and magic with Viking adventure, swordplay, romance and cut-throat politics. These days she wanders and daydreams in the mountains of North Carolina.

Alexandra Christian is an author of both paranormal and contemporary romance with occasional forays into horror and urban fantasy as Lexx Christian.

Joe Compton is an Indie Author of the upcoming Epic Fantasy Series Fragility, horror novella Crying On The inside Kind, and horror novel The Light You Wish For and an Indie Filmmaker that’s worked on over 40+ independent TV and Film productions in 5 different countries. Joe worked 18 months as a Script Doctor/Consultant in Hollywood and as an instructor at the Speculative Fiction Academy teaching different Screenwriting classes. Since 2016 Joe runs the Online Network Go Indie Now, which highlights, supports, and promotes Indie Artists of all art disciplines through various shows that air on a weekly, monthly, and seasonal basis.

Jim Craig is a retired astronomy educator and life-long science fiction fan. Owner of Planet of Mystery Productions (animation and computer graphics) and the Apollo Observatory.

Landon Crispens is a writer, content creator, oenophile, and passionate about everything Japanese. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Landon’s writing journey began with blogging about his focal hobby, the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. Through the success of his blogging stardom on www.myweekgrind.com, Landon caught the eye of TCGplayer, a leading online marketplace for collectible card games. Since 2020, Landon has written over 100 Magic: The Gathering articles for TCGplayer and continues writing new articles found on infinite.tcgplayer.com.

Erica Davis is the author of the House Of The Dragon Tarot Deck and Guidebook, podcaster, and creative freelancer. Erica’s articles on grief and fandom, writing with ADHD, and quitting have appeared in Nerdist, Pipeline Artists, and The Professor Is In, respectively. She lives at the edge of the woods with her husband, two rescue dogs, and several chickens. Erica is a self-certified Schrute historian and welcomes connections via @DorkWitchery.

Kevin A Davis is an award-winning contemporary fantasy author with three published series. In his paranormal procedural DRC Files, the adept Kristen is quick to use her magic to help protect Earth from dangerous cryptids and artifacts which the other realms provide. The Khimmer Chronicles features the spunky assassin, Ahnjii, who does a quick job at making friends and enemies among Earth’s cryptid and human communities. The indominable Haddie reluctantly battles other descendants of the fallen angels in the AngelSong series.

Vanguard is a story-driven, immersive fantasy Live Action Role Playing Game(LARP) with steampunk elements situated conveniently on the North Carolina/South Carolina line.

A native of Ames, Iowa, Dave loves writing, reading, boardgames, computer games, improv comedy, pizza, barbarian movies, and the cheaper end of the Taco Bell menu. Also, his wife and kids.

David Domingo, a renowned musician, artist, filmmaker and costume builder based in North Carolina, has enjoyed a distinguished career spanning music and the creative arts. His original music composition for the short film "The Confession" garnered numerous international film festival awards for best soundtrack, best original music score, and best sound design. As a performing musician, he has consistently played shows and music venues over 300 days a year. His visual art encompasses a diverse range of genres, including costume building, photography, filmmaking, and sculpting. Notably, he has worked on major studio films, such as Sony Pictures' "Lyle Lyle Crocodile" and Apple Television's "Ghosted".

Nancy E. Dunne is a multi-genre speculative fiction author and nationally certified American Sign Language/English interpreter. Growing up in the American South and then spending time living abroad, she is fascinated with how differences in language and culture can shape and influence storytelling. She has eight published novels in her Orana Chronicles high fantasy including The Tales of the Forest War, the Nature Walker Trilogy, and the Guardians of Orana series; two in her World of Arcstone portal fantasy, Rift and Storm; and one gaslamp fantasy novel, Strid. Nancy lives and works in the Upstate of SC with her husband and dogs. Find Nancy online at nancyedunne.com or on social media @nancyd_writes.

K.D. lives and writes in North Carolina, but has spent time in Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, New Hampshire, Montana, and Washington. (Common theme until NC: Snow. So, so much snow.)

Meri Elena is a North Carolina speculative fiction writer with a focus on dark fantasy and paranormal. She published her first short story when she was 14. She has published two novels, Nightfall and Blood Magik, and produces a weekly nonfiction podcast called Herbarium of the Bizarre. She lives in Kernersville with her cats, Joon and Wednesday.

Barbara V. Evers is the award-winning author of THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH epic fantasy trilogy (The Watchers of Moniah, The Watchers in Exile, The Watchers at War), Pieces of Her (short story collection), Giraffing Around coming in late 2024, an upcoming urban fantasy series. From the mysterious Dark Corner of South Carolina, she crafts fantasy stories with strong women matriarchies and unusually gifted and clever animals. A two-time Imadjinn Best Fantasy Novelist, she’s won several awards for her short stories and essays including a Pushcart Prize nomination. When she’s not writing, Barbara uses her degrees in Zoology and Communication to conduct training workshops for businesses and conferences. Maybe she really can speak to animals!

Team AoA Streamer, stream producer, gamer

I wrote all through high school and college, but stopped after graduation because life got in the way. Not being creative was always a source of depression for me, but it wasn't until September of 2019 that I was in the right phase of my life that when I got an idea, I was able to follow through with writing it. Now I've got three books in the series published, with three more in the process of editing. I've also had one short story published in an anthology, and won the Con Carolinas writing contest in both 2021 and 2022.

By day, Anthony Francis teaches robots to learn; by night he writes science fiction and draws comic books.

In Tera’s world, she is dedicated to driving stronger engagement at her place of work, creates innovative programming for SF conventions - including her own (ConGregate), and writes short stories that tug on the emotional heartstrings of her readers.

Angela Giddings is a writer, scientist, and independent filmmaker from North Carolina. She has a PhD in Microbiology and authored multiple scientific articles in virology, cell line design, and gene therapy. She is the author of the futuristic dark fantasy series Dance of Ages, which begins with “Shadow into Light” and continues with “A Shower of Embers”. Recently, she has had short stories published in the Brave New Worlds anthology from Zombies Need Brains and the A Woman Unbecoming anthology from Crone Girls Press. In addition to her writing, she has written and directed a short and horror film with Sick Chick Flicks, and is the co-director of the Sick Chick Flicks Film Festival.

Jason Gilbert is an author and film critic best known for his action-packed and often irreverent Coldstone Case Files series and his dark Urban Fantasy/Alternate History Clockworks of War series.

Venessa Giunta is a writer of weird things, an editrix extraordinaire, and a little bit of a nerd. She is a published author, with non-fiction essays, short stories, and the urban fantasy Soul Cavern Series, and has been a professional editor, both freelance and contract, since 2008. Conventions are a big part of her life, mainly as a guest and organizer. She is the Senior Programming Director for Multiverse and second to the director of the Writers Track at Dragon Con, both in Atlanta, and has been a guest and volunteer at many others. Additionally, Venessa runs a writerly support group called The Writers' Troupe (formerly The Writing Tribe) on Facebook, Discord, and Twitch.

Theresa Glover is the author of the Caitlin Kelley Monster Hunter series, a developmental editor, and the Associate Publisher at Falstaff Books. She also gets up to ridiculous role-playing shenanigans on the Authors and Dragons podcast, and is an assistant con-runner for the Saga writing conference. At conventions, she gleefully tempts readers with awesome books at the Falstaff Books Mothership (aka table). This nerd enjoys all kinds of gaming, as well as geeking out about writing, publishing, genre fiction, and crafting. When not planning or attending conventions, wrangling the ADHD-powered kittens at Falstaff Books, or wreaking editorial havoc on copulas and other writerly sins, she's probably buried in a book, devouring horror movies alone in the dark or playing Pokemon with her nephew.

Hey, Ghouls! I'm Haley Addams, a lover of all things horror and horrifying! I mainly do horror themed cosplays and review horror movies on my youtube and tiktok, but I also dabble in real life spookyness as well! I'm a ghost tour guide in Charlotte NC and have a few of my own first hand experiences.

Award winning filmmaker and actor. Recently returned to the US from studying abroad in the UK to earn my Masters Degree in Storytelling and win a Mational Championship in American Football.

Jason is a writer of words, a doodler of drawings, and fixer of other peoples’ words and doodles. Many years ago, he founded Prospective Press. He was once punched—lightly—by Muhammad Ali. You should ask him about that last one, because no one ever does... be the change I want to see in the world :)

Dance Harden is a 3rd generation SFF fan and real life bard from Knoxville, TN. A background in the performing arts includes flutist, model, dancer/choreographer, and Knoxville Opera Company chorus member. Their goth performance group was the featured local guest for Lollapalooza 1996. They studied psychology, history, world religions, and media studies at the University of Tennessee. After moving to Charlotte, NC in 2008, they entered the healthcare field.

Described by both press and colleagues as an "independent renaissance man" and "voice of the underground," Dave Harlequin is a professional screenwriter, journalist, producer, and independent filmmaker from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the Creative Director of North Carolina based studio A Stranger Concept Films, and is the Festival Director of the annual Stranger Days Independent Film Festival. He has written and produced over a dozen films, and has won over 50 awards at various film festivals and conventions around the world. In addition to his film work, Harlequin is the Editor in Chief of Nerd Nation Magazine, has over a dozen published short stories, dozens more non-fiction published credits, and has been nominated for two Rondo Hatton Awards for his journalistic contributions. Outside of his career in entertainment, Harlequin is an avid cinema and ice hockey fan, and enjoys cooking, coffee, gaming, and hanging out with his dog.

Amazon best-selling author, V.G. Harrison enjoys creating smart heroines who are more comfortable dealing with things like Fine-structure constant and quantum entanglement than the fallout from their conflict. She loves to write stories that leave her audience so engaged they can't sleep at night, thinking about the possibilities.

A.J. Hartley (AKA Andrew Hart) is the NY Times bestselling author of 26 novels for adults and younger readers spanning multiple genres, notably mystery, thriller, fantasy and science fiction. Recent work includes Hideki Smith, Demon Queller, Burning Shakespeare, Impervious, and Steeplejack (currently in development for television). Other books include domestic thrillers such as The Woman in Our House, ghostly thrillers like Cold Bath Street, a YA scifi series called Cathedrals of Glass, and (with Tom DeLonge of Blink 182) the UFO epic, Sekret Machines: Chasing Shadows and Trinity. With David Hewson he wrote adaptations of Macbeth and Hamlet. He also has a YouTube channel focused mostly on Japanese rock music. As Andrew James Hartley he is the Robinson Professor of Shakespeare at UNC, Charlotte (Emeritus), where he specializes in performance theory and practice. His website is www.ajhartley.net

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, a righter of wrong, defender of ladies’ virtues, and some people call him Maurice, for he speaks of the pompatus of love. He is also the award-winning author of the urban fantasy series The Black Knight Chronicles, the Bubba the Monster Hunter comedic horror series, the Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter dark fantasy series, and many other projects. In 2016, John teamed up with several other publishing industry professionals to create Falstaff Books, a small press dedicated to publishing the best of genre fiction’s “misfit toys.” Falstaff Books has since published over 300 titles with authors ranging from first-timers to NY Times bestsellers, with no signs of slowing down any time soon. He is also the founder of the SAGA Genre Fiction Writers’ Conference, where students hone their business and craft skills to write better books and make more money. In his copious free time John enjoys long walks on the beach, rescuing kittens from trees and playing Magic: the Gathering. John’s pronouns are he/him.

Wanda Harward is a member of The Charlotte Geeks, assisting Joey Starnes and Carol Cowles with The Geekery Market, and other shenanigans as required. Her geeky interests include anime, filk music, renaissance faires, and gaming (online and tabletop). She runs a twice monthly D&D 5e campaign (two years and counting) and one shots here and there. She has been attending cons off and on since the 80’s, and consistently since 2006.

For over 25 years, Megan has been actively researching and investigating historically haunted locations. It’s a combined passion for history, writing, photography and the captivation of the paranormal that has lead her to ConCarolinas. She has been a ghost tour guide for the Amelia Island Museum of History, has written many online blogs, published magazine articles while sharing spooky photos and tales. Megan adores collecting stories, legends and lore on Instagram @positivelyparanormal and on TikTok @ahauntedcollective . Megan is also a proud member of the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society, also known as CAPS. Megan is a resident of Lake Norman and stretches her paranormal frequency radius to the mountains, shoreline, up to the Hudson Valley, NY and down to St. Augustine, Florida. But naturally, the Queen City and surrounding area haunts have become home.

Girl After Ghost is a paranormal investigation team founded by Megan Holland in 2022. Girl After Ghost is an organization that raises awareness for drunk driver in honor of Megan’s best friend Laura Fortenberry who was killed by a drunk driver back in 2010. Our mission is let spirits have a chance to tell stories and be heard.

Filmmaker, content creator, novelist

Professional sailor, SFF fan, career biologist, gamer, and author, Chris has a diverse bibliography of science thrillers, nautical fantasy, epic fantasy, science fiction, horror, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and RPG tie-in stories. His game tie-in work includes Pathfinder, Iron Kingdoms, Shadowrun, Arkham Horror, and Traveller RPGs. He has over 30 novels in print and has won numerous awards, including the 2020 Scribe Award for best tie-in short story. His most recent releases are from Falstaff Books (Book Three of the War of Souls post-apocalyptic fantasy trilogy) and a new Asian-themed high fantasy Seeds of Darkness Trilogy.

Stuart Jaffe is the madman behind The Max Porter Paranormal Mysteries, the Ridnight Mysteries, the Parallel Society novels, the Nathan K thrillers, The Malja Chronicles, The Bluesman, Founders, Real Magic, and much more. He trained in martial arts for over a decade until a knee injury ended that practice. Now, he plays lead guitar in a local blues band, The Bootleggers, and enjoys life on a small farm in rural North Carolina.

Author storyteller folklorist long time con guest throughout the southeast, formal bio to be sent on acceptance

To paraphrase the great Groucho Marx, “Charlie was born at a very young age.” Charlie is a self-described science nerd and a sci-fi geek, never finding a dull scientific conference or a sci-fi convention.

Darin Kennedy, born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC, is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Bowman Gray School of Medicine. After completing family medicine residency in the mountains of Virginia, he served eight years as a United States Army physician and wrote his first novel in the sands of northern Iraq.

Randee Dawn is a best-selling writer of funny fantasy, dark speculative fiction and horror. She's the author of the humorous, fantastical, pop culture novel Tune in Tomorrow, and the co-editor of The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion, and in 2025 she will have three novels coming out: dark rock 'n roll fantasies The Only Song Worth Singing and Leave No Trace (ArcManor); and the follow-up to Tune called We Interrupt This Program (Solaris Nova). She co-edited the anthology Across the Universe: Tales of Alternative Beatles, and has published numerous short stories. She's a veteran entertainment journalist who's written for outlets including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Variety, Alternative Press and Emmy Magazine.

Knight has been director of Writers' Track for the past 26 years. She has written 20 novels, numerous short stories, 6 adult produced plays, 25 produced children's plays, 2 produced film scripts. She has edited numerous anthologies. She is the recipient of the Hank Reinhardt Award (Dragon Con) and the Polaris Lifetime Achievement Award (Falstaff Books.)

Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and Science Fiction and Fantasy (Book Riot).” She’s a two-time Atomacon Palmetto Scribe Award winner. With over 20 years in publishing, she’s written for Pseudopod, Fiyah, Apex Magazine, White Wolf, The Realm (formerly Serial Box), Subsume, and Baen. Nicole has over 50 published short stories and is the author of the Cybil Lewis and Death Violations cybernoir series as well as the Kingdom of Aves fantasy mystery series.

Emily Leverett is a writer, editor, and medievalist She writes the modern fantasy series the Eisteddfod Chronicles with Sarah Adams and the paranormal historical romance the Wolf and the Nun based on the life and poems of Marie de France. She is a dev editor for Falstaff Books. She studies popular medievalism, including Terry Pratchett, the medieval tropes of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and writing medieval fantasy while being a medievalist. She lives in NC with her spouse and four cats.

SYRINX is more than just a name; it's the words you read, the songs you sing, and the pictures that give pleasure to your eye. Since 1996, he has been a dynamic force: energizing stages with bands, remixing for artists, performing with theater groups, appearing in films, sharing his passion at conventions, hosting trivia nights, and creating eerie atmospheres.

Carmen Loup is a non-binary humorologist, illustrator of Tarot in Space, and creator of The Audacity sci-fi novel and graphic novel series. They write psychedelic speculative fiction with a hopeful spin that shines through even ridiculously horrible situations. They own a spiritual supply shop in Savannah, GA where they provide mediumship and mentorship.

My name is Malorie Mackey, and I have a strong passion for everything unusual. This led me to create my unique paranormal adventure show, Weird World Adventures, which showcases some of the most bizarre myths and legends around the world (while also showcasing paranormal investigations). My adventures in the paranormal have brought me to work with Elizabeth Saint (who both produces and stars in my show), Bonnie Aarons (the Nun), the New England Society for Psychic Research, and more! At this last convention, I spoke alongside paranormal influencer Kelsi Davies and Ghost Hunters star Steve Gonsalvez. Season 1 of Weird World Adventures is on Amazon Prime now, where we feature the Winchester Mystery House, the Whaley House, and some of the most haunted locations in Asheville. And we are filming 10 episodes of Season 2 to release on Amazon Prime next year with the premiere featuring Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) and the legends of Vlad Tepes in Transylvania. Through my blog, social media outlets, and journalist avenues, I have a reach of over 2 million monthly views, and I was just commissioned to write Haunted Hikes of the Great Smoky Mountains through Falcon Guides. I’d be happy to send over more information if you are interested in hearing more.

Author Megan Mackie writes something for everyone—she’s written cyberpunk, urban fantasy, paranormal demon romance, speculative fiction, post-post zombie apocalypse, steampunk, and mid-grade science fiction. She’s also a contributing writer for RPGs Legendlore and Legendlore: Legacies by Onyx Path.

I have been a gamer and fandom nerd for most of my life. I mostly run TTRPGS, and for *ahem* decades now have been known for running Kobolds Ate My Baby!! from 9th Level Games. In 2023 I was one of the main writers on the new Orange Edition of the game which was Ennie Nominated in 3 categories. I also have an RPG published in the 2024 edition of Level 1 called Starship PETS. In my spare time I host a podcast about gaming with an actual kobold, help run gaming conventions, and showrun a GMing competition called the Pharaoh's Challenge.

Larry N. Martin writes and co-authors science fiction, steampunk, and urban fantasy for Falstaff Books and SOL Publishing. His newest book is The Splintered Crown, a portal gaming fantasy. He also is the author of Salvage Rat, the first in his space opera series.

Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy, steampunk and more for Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press.Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria. Together with Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of Iron & Blood, Storm & Fury (both Steampunk/alternate history), the Spells Salt and Steel comedic horror series, the Roaring Twenties monster hunter Joe Mack Shadow Council series, and the Wasteland Marshals near-future post-apocalyptic series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain, Sharps & Springfield, and Fox Hollow series. Gail is also a con-runner for ConTinual, the online, ongoing multi-genre convention that never ends.

Molly Ann McDonough is an author, poet, and multidisciplinary engineer with short stories featured in science fiction and fantasy anthologies. Jumpmaster Press has scheduled her debut fantasy novel, A World Apart, for release in 2026. When Molly isn’t reading, writing, or coding, she enjoys being an enthusiastic amateur in her ever-changing neurodivergent hobbies. These include learning and forgetting Spanish, petting cats, and volunteering. In her life and writing, Molly is on a quest to spread magic, mirth, and meaning.

Bob McGough is an author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer. He is best known as the author of the Jubal County Saga urban fantasy series, and host of the Books, Beards, Booze Podcast.

Edward McKeown is best known for his two Confederation Space Series: The Robert Fenaday/Shasti Rainhell series of SF novels set on the Privateer Sidhe & set in the same universe, The Maauro Chronicles featuring a 50,000-year-old android named Maauro and her friend, a disgraced pilot named Wrik Trigardt, as they battle governments and the Thieves Guild for their freedom. His forays into urban fantasy form the Knight in Charlotte series

Tina R McSwain is founder and director of the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society (CAPS) established in 2005. She has been a paranormal investigator and researcher for over 35 years. She has traveled extensively in the United States and abroad visiting well-known haunted locations. Tina and her team continue to assist clients with paranormal concerns in both North and South Carolina and surrounding areas. Tina has appeared in local television, on radio and has a recent podcast with the North Carolina Bureau of Tourism showcasing some of North Carolina’s most haunted locations.

I am a skeptical researcher of paranormal claims, and have been a part of and worked with several paranormal teams and skeptical organizations up and down the east coast. I am a computer engineer with an education in Philosophy, Theology, and Computer Science. My main goal is to bring critical thinking to the paranormal community and while I myself am a skeptic, I remain respectful and try to meet people where they are. Most of my presentations revolve around using the scientific method of researching the paranormal, why pseudoscience cannot lead to truth, and how to incorporate critical thinking into paranormal research in order to be better equipped as an investigator to be able to discern truth. I currently am the lead researcher and owner of Enigma Investigations.

I co founded and host a Youtube Channel that focuses on Sci, Fantasy and Horror books. Also I am part of a writers team that will be indie publishing our first book in '25

Gary Mitchel is a writer, reviewer, geek blogger, voice actor, gamer, sf/fantasy fan, comics reader, podcaster and International Man of Mystery (who's too dangerous for the entire country of Canada) currently living near Atlanta.

From Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Memphis Muerte combines southern sass and Puerto Rican passion. She has been lighting up stages and informing and entertaining panels since 2011. The spooky scholar that'll make you holler!

A 25+ year high school science teacher, Bill Mulligan has seen his love of horror, science fiction and fantasy films become something he can parlay into convention panels and indie filmmaking. With Christine Parker of Adrenaline Films and Sick Chick Flicks he has worked as an actor, screenwriter and makeup artist on 5 feature films and numerous shorts, including the award winning 400 Ways to Kill a Vampire, Belladonna, and Cache Me If You Can. He still loves special effects and horror makeup and his work can be seen in Blood of the Mummy and Knob Goblins. When Covid put a temporary stop to indie films, he turned an unproduced screenplay into his first novel, RAUM, published by Falstaff Books. He is currently working on an urban fantasy series set in the world of 1970s pro-wrestling territories.

Shapeshifter, LARPer, academic, and mental health professional. Totally not 13 possums in a neat outfit. I have professional experience in psychology, counseling, higher education, event planning, and makeup artistry. My hobbies include: theatre makeup, role playing, costuming, bellydance, gaming, and whatever my current hyperfixation is! Currently, I serve on the plot team and as the Mental Wellness Coordinator for Vanguard LARP in addition to my full time job and pursuing my PhD in Counseling! Past Master's Level Winner and Judge of the ConCarolinas Costume Contest.

The Eerie Travels Podcast team includes best-selling author Mark Muncy and co-host Erika Lance. Mark has written numerous books on folklore, legends and dark history. He has been featured on numerous documentaries, TV programs, and radio shows. Erika is the host of Drinking With Authors and the CEO of 4Horsemen Publications. Together they document the preternatural world in hopes of bringing it to mainstream science and history.

Born and raised in central Minnesota, Dennis M. Myers developed a serious reading habit early in life, due to the influence of a certain grandmother. In late high school he read one particularly awful book, and decided that he could do better. After spending a decade in the United States Navy, aboard submarines and teaching younger sailors, he settled in Virginia.

James Nettles is a science fiction and fantasy author, non-fiction author writing on mythology, business, technology, and privacy, and in game development. He is one of the founders of the online Con-Tinual Convention: The Con that never ends. He is the founder of Author Essentials, a workshops company offering business workshops and services for creative businesses.

Rey Nichols, a native of the Midwest, is the love child of an Eldritch horror with more apostrophes than letters in its name, and the front person of an 80's rock band she can't quite remember the name of. Only two degrees away from Kevin Bacon, when Rey is not busy trying to evade capture from monster hunters, she spends her time writing urban fantasy and paranormal investigative mysteries.

Sue Phillips has been a fixture at Dragon Con for 30 years as a volunteer and now director. She reads a lot and spends her off time taking care of cats.

Berta Platas is an award-winning author of Latina romance, as well as co-author, with Michele Roper, of the popular YA urban fantasy series The Faire Folk Saga, soon to be see a reboot by Fallstaff Press, and the new By Honor Bound fantasy trilogy cowritten with Nancy Knight. She and Nancy also write a paranormal cozy mystery series set in Charleston, SC.

Angela Pritchett is an actress, author, musician, costumer, podcaster, and makeup artist. She has been seen in films/Television and commercials such as Plan 9, the Porkchop film trilogy, TV shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy, and most recently the JG Wentworth Commercial!

Daphne has been an avid cosplayer for many years, having been a guest at numerous conventions. Her passions within the realm of cosplay include body painting and crafting her own armors. Aside from her crafting, Daphne also has a passion for acting, having been in several independent films and running her own film company: Drache Media Films. She has recently entered the world of Mermaiding, & can be seen at select special events as 'Mermaid Caspia".

Charlotte Dagorhir has been doing demos at con Carolina for the last two years. This will be our third. Though we are already slotted to do demos again this year, some of us were thinking to provide panels going over the culture and particulars of those looking to get into larping, both in regards to the role playing aspect and the different forms it takes as a sport.

Jason Roach is an American Writing Awards award-winning finalist in LGBT+ Fiction & Thriller Fiction for his book The House on Dead Man’s Curve – inspired by his personal paranormal experiences in life. Jason is also the author of the M/M vampiric romance series titled The Vampire Crusades. He is the owner and editor-in-chief of Gold Dust Publishing, an indie publishing company for LGBTQIA+ and Allied authors. A paranormal enthusiast, he spent three years as a core member of the Association of Paranormal Study. He has been a paranormal/Sci-fi/writing guest panelist or presenter at GalaxyCon, Jordancon, ConCarolinas, Congregate 9 & 10, and Multiverse. Originally from Statesville, NC, he now resides in Winston-Salem, NC.

Media generalist, streamer, voice artist

It was great when it all began for Pattycakes ... as a 2005 college freshman joining the Cepheid Variable sci-fi/fantasy club at Texas A&M University. This was her introduction to Rocky Horror ( immediately cast as Magenta), volunteering with AggieCon, and dipping her toes into cosplay.

I am apart of Team_AoA. I am a streamer, podcaster, and content creator. My content ranges from video gaming, RPGs, and mental health awareness.

Variety streamer / podcaster and member of Team AOA.

J. Matthew Saunders is the author of the Daughters of Shadow and Blood trilogy inspired by the Brides of Dracula, the Dreadful Penny occult detective series, the Southern Gothic novel Nothing but the Blood, and numerous fantasy and horror short stories. He is a member of HWA And SFWA.

Sherman is a life-long fan of Science, fictional and otherwise, and several other genre properties.

Sarah J. Sover is the author of the Urban Fantasy Fractured Fae series and the comedic fantasy Double-Crossing the Bridge, all from Falstaff Books. An active SFWA member, Sarah is a contributor to multiple short story anthologies, to Dan Koboldt’s Science in Sci-Fi, Fact in Fantasy series, and to Writer’s Digest Magazine. She has a degree in Biology and a background in wildlife rehabilitation, which she utilizes to thoroughly gross out fantasy readers. Sarah lives in John's Creek, Ga with her husband, two little forces of nature, and rescue pup Gandalf the Grey. She enjoys blazing through Hyrule, consuming all kinds of SFF media, and sipping on a good IPA.

Aubrey Spivey is an indie author, editor, and junior publicist with Inkslinger PR. Known for writing serial steamy romance under the pen name Aurum Gray, she's built a loyal following through engaging author subscriptions and fanfic. With a double major in Psychology and English, Aubrey brings both creativity and insight to her work, specializing in romance, western, fantasy, and self-help. Since 2017, she's offered highly rated editing services, helping authors polish their stories while preserving their unique voices. Whether promoting, editing, or writing.

Darcy Staniforth is an academic, writer, performer, and paranormal investigator. She has been interested in the paranormal since she was very young and that interest has carried over into both her personal and professional life. Darcy holds a B.A. and an M.A. in American Studies and in addition to the paranormal, her research areas include race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, ideals and institutions, and death, dying, and grief in American culture. Darcy is a podcaster, comedian, writer, amateur magician, as is a Ghost Host for Haunted OC. She currently resides in a haunted house in Southern CA.

Winnifred, or as most know her by Winnie, is an artist, book publisher, and Amazon Bestselling author of her debut fantasy series: The Gods’ Scion. Winnie has had a lifelong love of literature and art. She loves to create a beautiful fantasy world with compelling and intriguing characters as a writer. Winnie loves to spread positivity and joy to those around her and look at the world through a glittery pink lens.

Sean Taylor is an award-winning writer of stories. He grew up telling lies, and he got pretty good at it, so now he writes them into full-blown adventures for comic books, graphic novels, magazines, book anthologies and novels. He makes stuff up for money, and he writes it down for fun. He's a lucky fellow that way. He's best known for his work on the best-selling Gene Simmons Dominatrix comic book series from IDW Publishing and Simmons Comics Group. He has also written comics for TV properties such as the top-rated Oxygen Network series The Bad Girls Club. His other forays into fiction include such realms as steampunk, pulp, young adult, fantasy, superheroes, sci-fi, and even samurai frogs on horseback (seriously, don't laugh).

William C. Tracy (he/him) writes and publishes queer science fiction and fantasy through his indie press Space Wizard Science Fantasy. His largest work is the Dissolutionverse: a space opera with music-based magic including nine books and a TTRPG. He’s also published Fruits of the Gods, an epic fantasy with seasonal fruit magic, How To Operate Your Body, a nonfiction book about body mechanics and correct posture, and The Biomass Conflux, a sci-fi trilogy with colony ships and a planet covered by a sentient fungus. He’s currently working on a progression fantasy series about martial arts and moving islands. William is an NC native, has a master’s in mechanical engineering, has trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003, and keeps bees.

Tiffany Vega, author of five captivating books, is best known for her bestselling novel From the Window. Born and raised in Arizona, she now calls South Carolina home, where she continues to pursue her passion for storytelling. A proud mother of three adult children and grandmother to two young grandkids, Tiffany finds joy in both family and creativity. An animal lover at heart, she shares her life with two beloved pets—her dog, Sage, and her cat, Cake—who are her constant companions and muses.

Kent Wheeless is an award-winning film composer based in Charlotte, NC. His score to the dark horror film Morbid established him as an exciting new voice in the horror and dark thriller genre. Kent's score for @Tori_Love was awarded Best Score at the city's 48HR Film event; the film also took home best picture, best director, and best writing.

Beth Wojiski is a book editor living in North Carolina. A lifelong paranormal experiencer, she works with authors who write about paranormal, cryptid, and mind/body/spirit topics primarily as a project editor for a publisher. In 2006, Beth had a bilateral pulmonary embolism that resulted in a near-death experience and caused her to completely transform her life. Beth is a certified intuitive master practitioner and a founding member and senior faculty of Intuition Lab. She also serves as a threshold singer, comforting the dying and their families with song. Beth’s website is bethwojiski.com.

Joey Starnes (aka the GiddyGeeker) does not claim to be an expert on all geekeries – she's just happy to organize it. She runs the Charlotte Geeks, home of the Guardians of the Geekery podcast, the Geek Gala, and the Geekery Market. Her main geekdoms include Doctor Who, Marvel, Star Wars, board games, WoW, and most anything British. She also has a slight obsession with HGTV, Food Network, and TikTok. She's mostly prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse but is always willing to upgrade her bug-out bag contents. She has yet to build up an immunity to iocane powder. When not scooting from con to con handing out flamingos, she’s blissfully ensconced on the couch with her dog Angel and her husband Matt. You can find her in all the places by searching for @giddygeeker, but it may be easiest to start at charlottegeeks.com

This is Evan Waylett, aka Fletch, aka Weent. He tends to find himself spending his time cosplaying, LARPing, crafting, playing games (video and table top), and watching shows and movies. He has been in the Larp community for a while now and has enjoyed every bit of it. He is here to spread some information that he has gained through his time there. He hopes that by doing so, it will spread the word that this is a great community to participate in, and maybe bring more people in that are just looking for an introduction. He is excited to be a part of ConCarolina’s and can't wait to see you there.

Treasure Goblin Workshop specializes in custom cosplay builds and accessories .

With over 20 years of experience in public and school libraries, Jessica Reid has made it her mission to turn every reluctant reader into a lifelong fan of stories—especially the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly geeky. By day, she’s a dedicated school librarian inspiring young minds; by night, she’s deep-diving into true crime podcasts, cuddling her dogs, and championing the unmatched greatness of Squirrel Girl. A self-proclaimed shy social butterfly, Jessica brings contagious enthusiasm to every room (even if she’s hiding behind her favorite fandom hoodie). She believes libraries are gateways to every universe—whether you're traveling to a galaxy far, far away or uncovering the mysteries of a haunted manor. If you love glitter, graphic novels, geeky trivia, or just want to swap dog pics and talk superheroes, this is your people.