Angela Ackerman
Angela Ackerman is a writing coach and co-author of the #1 bestselling resource, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression as well as the bestselling pair, The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes and The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws. You can find her at Writers Helping Writers, a hub for all things description.

Kelley Armstrong
Kelley Armstrong is the author of the Cainsville modern gothic series and the Age of Legends YA fantasy trilogy. Past works include Otherworld urban fantasy series, the Darkest Powers & Darkness Rising teen paranormal trilogies and the Nadia Stafford crime trilogy, She also co-writes the Blackwell Pages middle-grade fantasy trilogy as K.L. Armstrong with M.A. Marr. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her family.

Kelsey Attard
Kelsey Attard is the managing editor of Freehand Books, the literary imprint of independent Canadian academic publisher Broadview Press. Freehand was awarded the 2014 Publisher of the Year Award at the Alberta Book Awards. Kelsey holds a Master of Publishing degree and was the Writers' Guild of Alberta's Calgary Teen Writing Mentor. She is currently on the executive board of the Book Publishers Association of Alberta.

Samantha Baldwin
Samantha Baldwin is the founder of The Writer's Midwife where she runs inspiration-based writing workshops and offers one on one writing coaching. She graduated from Athabasca University at Mount Royal University with an English degree in 2012 and has her poetry published in Freefall Magazine and Blue Skies Poetry online.

Karen Bass
Karen Bass is a YA writer from northwest Alberta, with four novels traditionally published. Her most recent novel, GRAFFITI KNIGHT, won the Canadian Library Association YA Book Award, the Alberta Literary's R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature, and the CAA Exporting Alberta Award. www.karenbass.ca

Ella Beaumont
Ella Beaumont is a freelance substantive fiction editor and part-time writer. She has been editing professionally for two years. Her largest and most consistent client is EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. She specialises in speculative fiction but has experience editing for young adult. Over the past year, she has been running a weekly writing productivity group known as Write Club that is open to all writers at all levels. She claims that her motivation for organising Write Club is purely selfish as she feels she writes better in a room filled with the sound of clicking keys. edgeofspeech@gmail.com.

Greg Bechtel
GREG BECHTEL'S occasionally prize-winning stories have appeared in several journals and anthologies, including The Fiddle­head, Prairie Fire, On Spec, Qwerty, and the Tesseractsanthologies of Canadian speculative fiction. Originally from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Greg has lived at various times in Toronto, Deep River, Jamaica, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Fredericton while working (among other things) as a lifeguard, technical writer, mover, visual basic programmer, camp counsellor, semi­conductor laser labtech, cab driver, tutor, and teacher. Currently, he lives and writes in Edmonton, where he teaches English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Alberta whenever they let him. Boundary Problems is his first book.

Eileen Bell
E.C.Bell (also known as Eileen Bell) has had short fiction published in magazines and several anthologies, including the double Aurora Award winning Women of the Apocalypse and the Aurora winning Bourbon and Eggnog. Her first novel, Seeing the Light, (Tyche Books) will be out in November, 2014.When she’s not writing, she’s in Edmonton, Alberta, living a fine life in her round house (that is in a perpetual state of renovation) with her husband, her two dogs and her goldfish.

Ron Bender
Ron Bender has worked as a consultant for the Canadian and Provincial governments and the private sector, as an international business consultant, business process trouble-shooter, and marketing specialist. Currently, he is spearheading the development of business process plans for one of Calgary's several MAKER groups. Ron has thirty-seven years of RPG experience. He spent the majority of that time running and designing games using the customizable GURPS system while focusing on gaming as an interactive storytelling forum. He planned, coordinated, and ran a character driven RPG campaign for seven consecutive years. Using his RPG storytelling experience as a framework, he has recently begun writing novels and just completed the first book in a historical fantasy series.

Angel Berry
Angel B is a multi-talented actress, spoken word artist, author, and fashion designer. She has garnered attention for her work in films, spoken word, TV, and PSAs (public service announcements). Angel was born in Alberta Canada, she began writing poetry and acting when she was 8 years old. Already, she has been considered for Grammy and Juno nomination. Angel received an O1 VISA to work in the USA and is one of the youngest artists to receive such a visa. In September, 2013 Angel launched her own celebrity news column on Celebzter.com and released her first CD on itunes in September 2013. Since turning 10 Angel has over 21 film credits.

Shawn L. Bird
Shawn L. Bird is a high school English teacher, Young Adult author, and poet in the beautiful Shuswap region of BC. She maintains an active daily blog of poetry and observations at www.shawnbird.com. She is represented by the Transatlantic Agency.

Susan Bohnet
Susan Bohnet has an Associate Degree in Arts and Letters with a major in psychology from Ricks College, and a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Human Resource Development from Brigham Young University. She lives in Alberta with her husband, five children, and a cute (but rather naughty) Yorkshire terrier. She has written a newspaper column called Family Frenzi for 18 years and has had two short stories published. My Life as a Troll is her first novel.
You can follow Susan through her website at www.susanbohnet.com, or through her Facebook page at My Life as a Troll.

Roxy Boroughs
Before turning her attention to writing, Roxy tread the boards as a performer, appearing in theaters across North America, TV commercials, and movies. Look for her award-winning novel A STRANGER’S TOUCH, and its sequel, along with a sweet, romantic comedy called CRAZY FOR COWBOY and the heartwarming HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.

Anna Maria Bortolotto
Anna Maria Bortolotto enjoys sharing stories, and isn't too particular about which genre(s) they decide they want to be in since she believes that no story has a home in only a single one. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop (Class of 2013); a previous winner, pre-judge, and final judge in the Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest--In Places Between; is a member of IFWA, ARWA, RWA and related writing sub-groups; and is a long time supporter of When Words Collide and it's predecessors. You can find Anna hosting the "Live Action Plotting" workshop, as a panelist on the "Odyssey and Clarion Long-term Workshops" panel, and as a part of the entertainment for the banquet on Saturday night.

Susan Calder
Susan Calder is the author of Deadly Fall (Touchwood Editions, 2011), a murder mystery novel set in Calgary. Her second novel, a yet-to-be-published sequel to Deadly Fall, is a finalist in The Sandy Writing Contest. Susan's short stories have been published in magazines and won or placed in contests, most recently the 2013 Glimmer Train Fiction Open. She teaches novel and short story writing courses at the Alexandra Writers Centre Society and is the Southern Alberta Representative for the Crime Writers of Canada. Read more at www.susancalder.com.

Jeff R. Campbell
Jeff R. Campbell is a the co-editor of the Gaslight anthologies (Gaslight Grimoire, Gaslight Grotesque & Gaslight Arcanum) and has a number of short stories and radio dramas published. His next project is the Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places anthology co-edited with Charles Prepolec.

Melodie Campbell
Billed as Canada's Queen of Comedy by the Toronto Sun (Jan. 5, 2014) Melodie Campbell achieved a personal best when Library Digest compared her to Janet Evanovich.
Melodie got her start writing stand-up. In 1999, she opened the Canadian Humour Conference. Her crime and fantasy novels have been described by industry reviewers as hilarious.
Winner of nine awards, Melodie is a two time finalist for both the Derringer and Arthur Ellis awards for crime writing. She has over 200 publications, 100 comedy credits, 40 short stories, and seven novels, including the Rowena Through the Wall fantasy series, and The Goddaughter mob caper series.

Tammy Lyn Carbol
Tammy Lyn Carbol, a proud member of the Alberta Romance Writers' Association (and Past President) since 2000, lives, loves, and "glitter spins" in Calgary, Alberta. When not writing paranormal or erotic romance, she can be found at Metro News as Office Manager, teaching/performing as a belly dancer, or playing with her 20-month-old son David. Encouraged by the members of ARWA and their successes, she hopes to submit two novels this year for publication. Her biggest joys are her family, glitter, and paying it forward. www.tammylyncarbol.com

CJ Carmichael
National bestseller, CJ Carmichael, has published over 35 novels. Her books have twice been nominated for a RITA Award and she has twice been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews. She likes to write stories about romance, family and intrigue, usually in small town or rural settings. When it’s time to take a break from the computer, she heads to the Rocky Mountains near her home in Calgary with her partner Michael, to hike, snowshoe or cross-country ski. If you’d like to learn more about her books, check out her website: cjcarmichael.com.

L.E. Carmichael
L. E. Carmichael never outgrew that stage of childhood when nothing's more fun than amazing your friends (and correcting your teachers!) with your stockpile of weird and wonderful facts. Her sense of wonder came in handy during her career as a scientist, and in 2006, she received the Governor General's Medal for her PhD thesis. Lindsey finds talking about science more fun than doing it, however, and now writes for kids, teens, and occasionally adults.
Lindsey’s books cover everything from animal migration to hybrid cars. Her 2013 release, Fox Talk: How Some Very Special Animals Helped Scientists Understand Communication, won a silver medal in the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards.

Marty Chan
Marty writes plays for adults and books for kids. A vagabond of writing genres, Marty has written for theatre, television, radio, and kids publishing. Best known for his play, Mom, Dad, I'm Living with a White Girl, Marty has over 25 plays that have been produced around the world. He was nominated for a Gemini for his television pilot, The Orange Seed Myth, and he entertained CBC Radio listeners for six years with his Dim Sum Diaries commentaries. Today, kids enjoy his novels that include The Mystery of the Frozen Brains and Barnabas Bigfoot: A Close Shave. His latest novel, The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate, is a steampunk fantasy for young adults. In 2011, Marty served as the Edmonton Public Library's writer-in-residence. For more information, go to www.martychan.com.

Dwayne Clayden
Dwayne Clayden is Paramedic with over 30 years in Emergency Services. A former police officer, Tactical Paramedic, and EMS Chief, Dwayne has been involved in the training of paramedics and tactical paramedics and an international conference speaker for more than 20 years. Dwayne has published four textbooks for paramedics. Dwayne is an Action/Thriller writer of police procedurals. Blood and Guts (WWC 2013) was a follow -up to his 2012 When Words Collide presentation last year "Drugs as a Murder Weapon".

Brenda Collins
Brenda M. Collins is a recognized speaker and much quoted expert on business issues for writers, an award-winning technical writer, and has been published in numerous industry trade publications such as Writers Market. She writes cozy mysteries laced with magic and romance, including The Holly & The Ivy (A Frost Family Christmas-Book Three) and Witch in the Wind. All authors’ profits from the sale of her sweet romance anthology with Roxy Borough, Stories of Chance Romance , are donated to advance the treatment of breast cancer. Visit Brenda on Twitter, Facebook, and her Website brendamcollins.com/. .

Jessica Corra
Jessica has always devoured books and has known since she was eight that she was destined to work with them. This led to her reading her first romance novel, when she fell in love with love and hasn't looked back. She has a degree in Creative Writing and has written over ten novels herself. Her work is represented by Natalie Lakosil of The Bradford Agency.
Jessica is thrilled to be editing for Samhain after a string of odd jobs ranging from transcribing reports at an auction house to posing as an art model. When she's not chained to her word processor, she enjoys cooking and baking, reading and social activism.

Cheryl Cottreau
Cheryl Cottreau is a “writer and a poet and a mystic and a muse”. She published her first work Whisper of a Vision in May 2013 and is working on two other books at this time. She has been journaling since she first had her first “little red book” when she was ten. She feels that journalling has been one of her greatest tools in her path of self-discovery. She blogs regularly on her website www.cherylcottreau.com.

Diana Cranstoun
Scottish born Diana Cranstoun has made Calgary her home for the last 25 years. A past president of the Alberta Romance Writers' Association (ARWA) she has had several short stories broadcast on CBC Radio and two feature-length movie scripts optioned. http://dianacranstoun.com

Rowena Cua
Rowena Cua is creating a journey to communication mastery. Her professional experience includes freelance editing and project management. She completed a doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Calgary, and this experience seeded a desire to make the richness of human knowledge accessible to all. After discovering B.A.N.K. – a paradigm shift in personality typing – she became a certified trainer in applying this Swiss army knife of communication. Wondering what your B.A.N.K. personality code might be? Take the 90-second test at www.BANKerSisters.com (click on "Play the Game").

Naomi Davis
Naomi Davis is an agent with Inklings Literary Agency, and has a background in writing, editing, and customer service. Her alter-ego, Nola Sarina, is a published author of dark fantasy, paranormal romance, and erotica. Naomi currently represents a handful of select clients and is passionate about working with authors to shape their voice and platform to their fullest potential. In fiction, Naomi is interested in Romance of any variety including Paranormal, fresh Urban Fantasy, general Fantasy, New Adult, and light Sci-Fi, as well as upper Young Adult stories in those categories.

Ryah Deines
Ryah Deines works for Tyche Books where she has complete control over Tyche’s audio book line, including hiring the narrators, editing the raw audio, and getting the product ready for sale either on CD or through Audible.com. Ryah thinks the best thing in life is to be curled up on a couch with a good book to read, and a purring kitty on her lap. While this Aurora Award nominee gets many opportunities to do just that, it is just never enough to satisfy her voracious reading appetite.

Aspen deLainey
Aspen lives in the Foothills of Alberta with her husband, two of her four children, a dog, a lovebird and a glaring of semi-feral cats.

One of Aspen’s earliest memories is writing a story for her little brother in crayon on a favored picture book and earning a spanking as her first critical review. Never deterred, Aspen continued to make up stories, and hone her craft, until finally letting a few escape her clutches in 2010.

Love ‘n Lies is Aspen’s first work in The Evermore Chronicles, the concept for which was developed while she was employed in the seniors’ medical field. Do paranormal beings also suffer from medical problems? What happens to aging Vampires, Wizards, Trolls and the like?

Craig DiLouie
Craig DiLouie is the author of seven novels published by small and big presses, with his latest horror novel, SUFFER THE CHILDREN, published by Simon & Schuster. He blogs about horror film and fiction at CraigDiLouie.com.

Virginia Durksen
Virginia Durksen provides training, writing and editing services through her company, Visible Ink.
Visible Ink’s two-day workshops are a favourite of her clients across western Canada. Her favourite clients are engineers, because they are easy to teach. She’s willing to give accountants a chance to change all of that, of course.
Between workshops, Virginia works on editing projects for select clients. She recently moved to Calgary from Edmonton, where she started her business 20 years ago. She is becoming an Albertan.

Howie Erickson
Howie Erickson graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Master’s Degree in Computer Automation. He worked in Canada, the United States, Malaysia, Borneo and Yemen. He currently lives in Calgary with his wife, Lorraine, and their dog, Sophie.
He is actively involved in the Calgary writing community and recently served on the board of the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society. His short story “Intentions” was published in OnSpec Magazine and his short story “A Sunny Day In Boston” was published in Writers’ Bloc V, an anthology published for the Las Vegas Writers’ Conference. His novel The Bloodline Artifacts is now available on Amazon.

Minister Faust
Minister Faust authored of acclaimed novels The Alchemists of Kush, and the Kindred Award-winning and Philip K. Dick runner-up Shrinking the Heroes (originally From the Notebooks of Doctor Brain). His debut, The Coyote Kings, was shortlisted for the Locus Best First Novel, Philip K. Dick, and Compton-Crook awards. His work has been anthologised and published widely, including in iO9 and The Globe & Mail. He taught at Clarion West and Shared Worlds, and presented at SFRA Detroit, Georgia Tech, and many other venues. A former national television host and associate producer, Minister Faust also hosted and produced Canada's longest-running African public affairs programme, Africentric Radio for 21 years. He is currently finishing his War & Mir trilogy.
www.ministerfaust.com

Makenzi Fisk
Makenzi Fisk grew up in a small town in Northwestern Ontario. She spent much of her youth outdoors, surrounded by the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield.
Moving west, she became a police officer with experience in patrols, covert operations, plainclothes investigation, communications and forensic identification. Within the policing environment, she transitioned to internet and graphic design. She now works for herself.
In her novels, Makenzi draws on her knowledge of the outdoors, policing and technology to create vivid worlds where crime, untamed wilderness and intuition blend. Her novels' characters are competent women who solve crime using skill and a little intuition.
Currently Makenzi resides in Calgary with her partner, their daughter, and assorted furry companions. Her first novel, Just Intuition, was published in 2014. She is hard at work on the second one, Burning Intuition.www.makenzifisk.com

Sandra Fitzpatrick
Sandra Fitzpatrick has been helping artists, writers, actors and other creative people with their taxes since 2006. Many have not known the deductions available as self-employed people and she does several seminars each year to bring this information and more on the basics of financial planning to them. She has been writing fantasy and science fiction for over ten years and is a long time member of IFWA.

Jill Flanagan
Jill has always loved writing and reading. When she was little, she pretended she could fly and had magickal powers. Unfortunately, she has many stitches to prove that she didn't. But Paranormal and Urban Fantasy still fascinates her.
Although she is a cynic, she loves creating worlds where men are alpha and have depth of emotion. She's only met a couple in the real world, so she finds that she can encounter them more often in her imagination. Jill is also the author of Twice Shy (a sweet BDSM Romance), has a Kindle Worlds novella to be released later this month, and two Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Releases slated for the latter half of 2014.

Amy Jo Fleming
Amy Jo Fleming writes romantic suspense and loves a story that leaves you wondering about the characters after reading the last page. Amy Jo has hiked all over the world, from Australia, to Scotland, to the Caribbean. Her favourite hiking is in the Rocky Mountains just a few miles up the road from her home in Calgary. A freelance writer and editor, she has written and edited Education Law, Privacy Law Reports, and publications for businesses and not-for-profits. She has been a member of many writing organizations, including the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild, Romance Writers of America, and the Calgary Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Death at Bandit Creek is a suspense novella set at the turn of the 20th century.
www.amyjofleming.com.

Susan Forest
Two-time Prix Aurora Award finalist and winner of The Galaxy Project, juried by Robert Silverberg, David Drake and Barry Malzberg, Susan Forest is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and horror, and a fiction editor for Edge Press. You can find her stories in Analog, Asimov's, OnSpec, Blood and Water, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Tesseracts, AE Science Fiction Review, and The Urban Green Man, or in her collection, Immunity to Strange Tales (Five Rivers Press). www.speculative-fiction.ca.

Ron S. Friedman
RON S. FRIEDMAN’s short stories appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Not Just Rockets And Robots, Age Of Certainty, sold to Galaxy’s Edge and received Honourable Mentions in Writers of the Future Contest (2011, 2013, and 2014).
Ron was winner of the 2013 Aurora Awards – Fan Related category, and appeared as a panelist at When Words Collide, Con-version and Calgary Comic Expo.
Ron is on the board of directors of the Canadian Science-Fiction and Fantasy Association and When Words Collide festival, and he is an active IFWA member.

Margarita Gakis
Margarita Gakis loves the art, creativity and romanticism of storytelling. Sometimes, however, the actual act of putting pen to paper, or keys to keyboard, proves challenging. She develops genuine, relatable characters who grow in the hearts of her readers. From that foundation, the stories flourish into a warm friend. She believes there is a place for both logic and imagination to work together. When they do, the results are magical. She has two Urban Fantasy novels out with a third in the works. You can find her on twitter (@margaritagakis) and her blog (www.margaritagakis.com)

Barb Galler-Smith
Barbara Galler-Smith lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She's an award winner short story writer, a long-time member of Edmonton's largest speculative fiction writers group and co-founder of a group for emerging speculative fiction writers. She's also a Fiction Editor with On Spec: The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic. Along with US writer Josh Langston, she's the author of an historical fantasy epic trilogy, "The Druids Saga"--Druids (2009), Captives (2011), Warriors (2013), and a contemporary romantic comedic fantasy. She has also committed Costuming at the World Science Fiction Convention Masquerade and won ribbons. www.gallersmith.ca.

Barbara Geiger
Barbara was born and raised in northern Alberta. She started slashing her characters before she even knew what slash was. She started writing as Angela Fiddler with her Master of the Lines series, which was for a darling friend who requested a birthday present involving hot, gay, kinky vampires and is now dabbing in a connected universe. The Tempest series, starting with Coral Were his Bones, exists in the same universe as Changeling.
When she's not following the exploits of selkies, sex demons and vampires, she writes epic fantasy and makes the occasional foray into science fiction and short stories.

Chadwick Ginter
Chadwick Ginther is the Prix Aurora nominated author of Thunder Road and Tombstone Blues (Ravenstone Books), the first two books in a fantasy trilogy in which the larger-than-life personalities and monsters of Norse mythology lurk hidden in Manitoba. His short fiction has appeared recently in On Spec, Tesseracts 16: Parnassus Unbound and Fungi. Alongside fellow Manitoba author Samantha Beiko (The Lake and the Library), Chadwick co-chairs and hosts the Winnipeg Chiaroscuro Reading Series, a series devoted to bringing quarterly readings from Canadian speculative fiction authors. Chadwick lives and writes in Winnipeg.

Kimberly Gould
Kimberly Gould hates being called Kimmy, but her mother called her Kimmydonn and that was okay. She lives in Edmonton with her husband and daughter. When she isn't writing about the post-apocalyptic world, she is doing her best to prevent an apocalypse as an environmental consultant. She is the author of the Cargon series as well as Thickness of Blood and Never Say Die: A Zombie Time Loop Story. You can find her anywhere online as Kimmydonn, including her website, Kimmydonn.com.

Ilonka Halsband
Ilonka Halsband lives in Moose Jaw, SK, where she serves on the Board of the Saskatchewan Festival of Words. When not chronicling her retired RCMP husband’s wacky antics, Ilonka collects uncommon methods of murder which she incorporates into her mystery novels. In 2013 her novel, The Raffle Baby, was one of three short-listed for Crime Writers of Canada’s "Unhanged Arthur" Award. Her short stories and essays have appeared in a variety of regional publications. She is a member of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild and Crime Writers of Canada.

Kaleen Harding
Kaleen Harding has been writing for the past six years. In April 2012 she found a passion for editing and worked for Entangled Publishing until Nov 2013. She's a Registered Nurse by day, and has now gone back to the writing bat-cave at night. Kaleen resides in Lethbridge, Alberta with her husband and son. Romance, especially paranormal, is her favorite genre.

RJ Harlick
RJ Harlick writes the popular wilderness-based Meg Harris mystery series set in the wilds of Quebec. RJ divides her time between her home in Ottawa and her log cabin in Quebec. And like her heroine Meg Harris, RJ loves nothing better than to roam the forests surrounding her wilderness cabin or paddle the endless lakes and rivers. There are 6 books in the series. The 4th, Arctic Blue Death was a finalist for the 2010 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel. In the latest release, Silver Totem of Shame, Meg travels to Canada’s west coast, to Haida Gwaii, the mystical islands of the Haida, where she unravels a story of shame and betrayal that reaches back to when the Haida ruled the seas. She is a past president of Crime Writers of Canada.

Ron Hore
Ron Hore can be found sailing on Lake Winnipeg when not writing novels or critiquing for an on-line magazine. A member of several writing groups, with published short stories, and two medieval-style fantasy novels, "The Dark Lady" and "The Queen’s Pawn" in print and ebook format, plus six novellas: "The Housetrap Chronicles" a fantasy detective series. Two sequels in the Dark Lady series arrive in 2014. These are available through Champagne/BURST Books. Supervised by his wife and a large, demanding cat, his writings fall under fantasy, with wanderings into science fiction and horror.
Updates on Ron and writing: www.ronaldhore.com and www.facebook.com/RonaldJHore.

Andrea Howe
Andrea Howe has been adeptly wrangling the written word for more than a decade. As a freelancer, she has edited books for such notable publishers as Wizards of the Coast, McGraw-Hill, and Random House as well as for individual authors. She has been called a "natural" and truly enjoys her work. She offers tips and tools for writers on her Web site and posts fun tidbits about language and grammar on her Facebook page. More information can be found at www.bluefalconediting.com and www.facebook.com/bluefalconediting.

Axel Howerton
Axel Howerton is the author of the darkly funny detective novel Hot Sinatra, a finalist for the 2014 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. Axel is a former entertainment journalist, and the co-creator/manager of the annual Coffin Hop online horror event. His short fiction has recently appeared in such weird and wonderful publications as Fires on the Plain, Steampunk Originals, Clones Fairies & Monsters in the Closet, the mini-collection Living Dead at Zigfreidt & Roy, and the best-selling holiday anthology Let It Snow: Season’s Readings For A Super-Cool Yule. He is the editor of Coffin Hop: Death By Drive-In and the upcoming weird western anthology The Horse Always Gets It First.
Axel is a member of the Calgary Crime Writers, and the Crime Writers of Canada. He spends most of his time roaming the untamed prairies of Alberta with his two brilliant young sons and a wife that is way out of his league.
You can visit Axel online at www.axelhow.com.

Caralee Hubbell
Caralee Hubbell is a book coach, editor, and writer. She is the president of the Calgary Association of Freelance Editors. Caralee has experience in-house as well as in the magazine world (Bloomsbury Publishing, WHERE magazine). She has worked with authors of young adult fiction, campus fiction, urban fantasy/sci-fi, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, short stories, novel series, and academic and literary works, as well as a variety of non-fiction projects (e.g., film, cooking, fashion, and travel). Caralee teaches the Copyediting and Proofreading course in the Professional Editing Extension Certificate program at Mount Royal University, and she was an Editor in Residence for Wordfest this past spring. calgaryeditors.com/caralee-hubbell.

Jessica L. Jackson
Jessica L. Jackson, a proud member of the Alberta Romance Writers’ Association, has lived in Southern Alberta since 1997. She began writing romances in her twenties when her three children were young. Within the last year she has e-published two novellas with Ellora’s Cave in their Blush line and two paranormal/contemporaries which are part of a three-book series. Encouraged by one of the WWC 2012 sessions on self-publishing, Jessica has also self-published three time/historical novels through Amazon.com as e-books and a Regency novella. Julian’s Chance, a contemporary angel novel and part of the Searching For Series was released early this summer. Her website is: jessicaleolajackson.com.

Danielle Jensen
Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination. Danielle is the author of the YA fantasy STOLEN SONGBIRD, and can be found at www.danielleljensen.com.

Calvin D. Jim
Born in French Canada to a Japanese mother and Chinese father, Calvin D. Jim has spent his life going in several directions at once: Writer, Editor, IFWit, Lawyer, Gamer-geek, Movie lover, Dad. He is an Aurora Award nominated co-editor of Shanghai Steam, the Steampunk-Wuxia anthology. His stories have appeared in Rigor Amortis, Crossed Genre Quarterly and the Tomorrow anthology. He is currently revising his first novel. Calvin lives in Calgary with his wife, two kids and dozens of tiny meeples. Follow him on Twitter: @CalvinJim

Kay Johnston
Kay lives in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.
She has had a selection of poems and short pieces published. Her first book, Spirit of Powwow, has now sold 5,000 copies.
She has given workshops in England, throughout BC and in the Western United States.
She has a BA in English Literature and a Masters in Counselling Psychology. She is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada, The Federation of BC Writers, Shuswap Writers Group, President of the Shuswap Association of Writers and Festival Chair for Word on the Lake-a writers’ festival.

Sarah Kades
Sarah Kades loves writing romantic fiction where nature, humor and love meet. She has a lingering fascination with helicopters from her days as an archaeologist, but it is great writing inspiration, so she’s not too worried. Her first publication was the novella Claiming Love, followed by the short story Duke Out at the Diner. Kiss Me in the Rain is her first full-length novel releasing July 2014. It is Book One of The Tanner Family Series, a five book series set in western Canada. When she is not writing, she is playing, usually outside, with her family or planning their next adventure. http://www.sarahkades.com

Constantine Kaoukakis
Constantine Kaoukakis was born and raised in Montreal. His interests include comic books (Marvel & DC), Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Greek mythology, Doctor Who, British murder mysteries, ancient history, and literature. He has degrees in education, English and Classics which have enabled him to teach Latin, ancient and modern Greek, ESL, English literature, ancient Greek and Roman literature at the high school, college and university levels: Concordia University (Montreal), Queen’s University and other minor colleges. Not only is he a former member of the Bimetallic Question-the Sherlock Holmes Society of Montreal, but he also founded The Wisteria Lodgers – the Sherlock Holmes Society of Edmonton. He is also an editor for On Spec Magazine.

Sarah Katyi
Sarah Katyi is the co-owner of Atmist, a web development company (atmist.com). Currently, she's working on Write Often: a community dedicated to helping aspiring writers practice their craft through daily writing prompts and constructive feedback (writeoften.com). Sarah graduated with a business degree from the University of Alberta, frequently blogs, and is close to completing her first novel. When she’s not immersed in writing and business, she enjoys avoiding the gym and making poorly-constructed crafts. Connect with Sarah on Twitter: @samikat

Stacey Kondla
Stacey Kondla is a life-long book nerd and averages reading 10 -15 books per month in her spare time. She was fortunate to have spent 10 years working for Scholastic Book Fairs to promote the love of reading in children and young adults. Currently, Stacey manages the IndigoKids department at a local Chapters store and is an active member of When Words Collide's organizing committee. Stacey also is a member of Bookcrossing and promotes the love of reading to the public at large by releasing books into the wild to find new readers.

Linda Kupecek
Linda Kupecek is the author of four books, including the Canadian bestseller Rebel Women: Achievements Beyond the Ordinary, and Deadly Dues, the first in the Lulu Malone mystery series (TouchWood Editions). Linda’s past careers include professional actor, television host, senior Canadian correspondent for the Hollywood Reporter, award winning playwright, screenwriter and television producer. She never wants to do the last one again. When she is not squinting at the computer, trying to finish three different books, she collects antique buttons and costume jewellery.

Kate Larking
Kate Larking is a fiction marketing expert and marketing assistant for Faery Ink Press. Armed with her Marketing degree from the University of Calgary, she wrote Novel Marketing: Making Your Author Brand Work for You & Your Books, on sale August 2014. When not studying marketing, she writes YA, fantasy, lesbian romance, and cyberpunk fiction. She is a member of the Imaginative Fiction Writers’ Association (IFWA) and the Alberta Romance Writers’ Association (ARWA). Her websites are KateLarking.com and AnxietyInk.com.

Adria Laycraft
Adria Laycraft is a grateful member of IFWA and a proud survivor of the Odyssey Writers Workshop. She co-edited Urban Green Man, which launched in August of 2013, and has a new story in the anthology FAE just launched this spring. Look for her stories in Tesseracts 16, Neo-opsis, OnSpec, James Gunn's Ad Astra, Hypersonic Tales, DKA Magazine, and In Places Between. Author of Be a Freelance Writer Now, Adria lives in Calgary with her husband and son.

Halli Lilburn
Born in Edmonton, AB, Halli Dee Lilburn teaches art journaling at local schools and through educational programs. She writes poetry, creative non-fiction and Young Adult fiction. She has work published in Canada's History, Canadian Stories, Poetry quarterly and other literary journals. Her novel SHIFTERS is published through Imajin Books.
She now resides in southern Alberta with her husband and three children and works at the local library. She is a gardener, artist, photographer, seamstress, genealogist, and singer. She can pick up spiders, handle the sight of blood, subdue aggressive dogs, make a mean grilled cheese, and keep her sanity. Most of the time.
She can be found at: hallililburn.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/hlilburn
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4878963twitter@hallilburn

Stina Linderblatt
Stina Lindenblatt writes New Adult contemporary romances and currently lives in Calgary with her husband and three kids. When she isn’t writing or lost in a romance novel, Stina loves to spend her free time behind the camera lens. Her debut New Adult contemporary romance TELL ME WHEN (Carina Press, HQN) is now available. LET ME KNOW (Carina Press) will be available Sept 1st, 2014.

Michelle Lomberg
Michelle Lomberg is a freelance editor with over 20 years' experience in the fields of education and trade publishing, technology and marketing. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with first-class honours in English from the University of Alberta and a Master's degree in industrial design from the University of Calgary's Faculty of Environmental Design. She is certified in structural and stylistic editing by the Editors' Association of Canada.

Jillian Long
Jillian Long has been captivated by stories for as long as she can remember! She graduated from the University of Calgary in 2010, with a BFA in Drama. She is the coordinator for social media for Alberta Romance Writers Association, and has recently completed her first novel. You can follow her on twitter @JillianRLong or visit her website at http://jillianlong.ca.

Ed Lukowich
Ed Lukowich of Calgary is the author of the new sci-fi futuristic novel entitled The Trillionist (under his pen name Sagan Jeffries) which was published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing in October of 2013. Ed’s new book for 2014 entitled Trillion Years Universe Theory, is a newly released cosmology theory which rivals the Big Bang Theory depicting how our universe began. Ed is a former World Curling Champion and Olympian who has reinvented himself into a sci-fi author. During his curling career, Ed authored four books on the sport of curling.

Janice MacDonald
Janice MacDonald is the author of ten books, including novels, non-fiction titles, a children's book and a university textbook. Janice's stories and essays have been widely anthologized, and her popular Randy Craig novels were the first mystery series set in Edmonton. She has taught English literature, communications and creative writing at both the University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan College. Her connection to drama is long and varied and she is utterly proud of Edmonton's reputation as a theatre town. The latest Randy Craig Mystery, The Roar of the Crowd, celebrates River City's theatre scene and sultry summers. Her full biography and bibliography is available online at janicemacdonald.net.

Susan MacGregor
Susan J. MacGregor has been a fiction editor with On Spec Magazine for over twenty years. She has edited two anthologies, Tesseracts Fifteen: A Case of Quite Curious Tales (Edge Books) and also Divine Realms (Ravenstone Books). Her short fiction has appeared in a number of different venues. Her debut novel, The Tattooed Witch (Five Rivers Publishing), the first in a trilogy of the same name, has been nominated for an Aurora award under Best Novel, English. Her blog, Suzenyms, which deals with writing and editing concerns (http:/suzenyms.blogspot.ca) is also nominated for an Aurora under Best English Related Work.

Tereasa Maillie
Tereasa Maillie is a writer and researcher. She also has a very un-secret life as a producer and playwright. Her 2012 play Emma (Gas & Light Productions) received Best Original Script at the Calgary CAT Awards. Tereasa’s writing has appeared in various poetry and short story anthologies, most recently in the Found Poetry Review, and Beyond Imagination. She has a background in historical research, having attended the MA program at the University of Alberta. She was the Historian in Residence for the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society in 2012, developing a historical program for that organization. Currently she is adapting the Chinese opera Peony Pavilion for the stage, and is writing for various blogs including Eden Keeper.

Shirlee Smith Matheson
Adventures abound in Shirlee Smith Matheson's 18 adult nonfiction books and teen novels, as she meets, researches, and writes of characters living on the edge. Shirlee was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and has since lived in all four western Canadian provinces, in Australia, and now divides her time between Calgary, Alberta, and Palm Springs. She has published numerous short stories and articles, 18 books (eleven non-fiction for adults; seven novels for juvenile/ young adult readers), and has had two stage plays produced. She offers interactive readings and writing workshops for schools, libraries, museums, various organizations, and writing festivals.

Ian Alexander Martin
Ian Alexander Martin is the Publisher / Proprietor of Atomic Fez Publishing, based in Burnaby, BC. Atomic Fez has published 11 different titles since launching in 2010; in paperback, hardcover, and DRM-free eBook formats (some titles in all three). Two titles have been finalists for international awards, and Atomic Fez itself was the first non-UK publisher to be shortlisted by the British Fantasy Society for "Best Small Press." Prior to being a book publisher, he has been a stage & screen actor, federal and provincial government employee, theatre reviewer, business owner, and professional photographer. During the day he is a Data Entry Clerk for a document management company specialising in the legal market.

Randy McCharles
Randy McCharles is active in Calgary, Alberta's writing community with a focus on speculative fiction, usually of the wickedly humorous variety. In 2009 he received Canada's most prestigious award for speculative fiction, the Aurora Award, for the novella Ringing in the Changes in Okotoks, Alberta which appeared in Tesseracts 12 (Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing) and was also reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy 9 (David Hartwell and Kathryn Kramer, ed). Additional short stories and novellas are available in various publications from Edge Press, including his two latest titles: The Puzzle Box and Urban Green Man. Randy's first full length novel, Capone's Chicago, will be available in 2014. www.RandyMcCharles.com.

Tod McCoy
Tod McCoy is a Seattle-based writer whose work has appeared in the anthologies The People’s Apocalypse and in Bronies: For the Love of Ponies, as well as on AntipodeanSF.com, Qarrtsiluni.com, and The Gloaming. He is a Clarion West graduate and the publisher behind Hydra House, a small press dedicated to West Coast speculative fiction, including the Faerie Tales from the White Forest series by Danika Dinsmore, Near+Far, a collection of short stories by Cat Rambo (which generated her a Nebula nomination), and Telling Tales, edited by Ellen Datlow, an anthology of work by Clarion West alumni.

Jodi McIsaac
Jodi McIsaac is the author of the bestselling Thin Veil contemporary fantasy series, as well as the short story A Cure for Madness, a sci-fi thriller. She grew up in New Brunswick, Canada. After stints as a short-track speed skater, a speechwriter, and fundraising and marketing executive in the nonprofit sector, she started a boutique copywriting agency and began writing novels in the wee hours of the morning. She currently lives with her husband and children in Calgary, where she is working on her next novel.

G.J.C. McKitrick
G.J.C. McKitrick lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta, with his wife. He has a B.F.A. in Drama from the University of Calgary and a Master of Christian Studies degree from Regent College in Vancouver. In the late 1980s he and his family lived for four years in rural Thailand and his second novel A Walk in the Thai Sun came out of that experience. These days he writes poetry, songs, short stories, novels, stage plays and essays under the name G.J.C. McKitrick and speculative fiction under the name T.K. Boomer. Although three of his stage plays have been produced, he has not pursued the publication of his fiction until recently. He is currently working on a science fiction epic called The Fahr Trilogy and several short stories and songs.

Joanne Morcom
Joanne Morcom is a Calgary social worker and writer who has published two poetry collections and co-authored two poetry anthologies. Her poetry also appears in a variety of print and online publications. She's a founding member of The Magpie Haiku & Tanka Poets, and belongs to The Writers Guild of Alberta, The Independent Publishers Association of Canada, Haiku Canada and Tanka Canada. Visit her at www.joannemorcom.ca.

Carol Mulholland
Carol Mulholland is a credited screenwriter currently in preproduction on a feature with Kris Kristofferson and Peter Stormare attached. Also in the works is a "creature feature" on assignment, as well as writing her own spec features. Originally from Scotland, Carol writes for both the UK and North American markets. She may write that novel one day, but for now screenwriting has Carol well in its claws.

Nina Munteanu
Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist and internationally published novelist of science fiction and fantasy. In addition to eight published novels, Nina has written award-nominated short stories, articles and non-fiction books, which have been translated into several languages throughout the world. Recognition for her work includes the Midwest Book Review Reader’s Choice Award, finalist for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award, the SLF Fountain Award, and The Delta Optimist Reviewers Choice.
Nina regularly publishes reviews and essays in magazines such as The New York Review of Science Fiction and Strange Horizons. She serves as staff writer for several online and print magazines. She currently writes for Amazing Stories and is an editor of Europa SF, a zine dedicated to informing the European SF community.
Nina teaches writing at the University of Toronto and George Brown College. Her award-nominated textbook "The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!" (Starfire World Syndicate) is used in colleges and universities throughout North America and Europe.
For more information about Nina visit www.NinaMunteanu.com.

Tina O'Connor
Tina O’Connor holds a BSc in Psychology, with a focus on Neuroscience and is published (as Tina Szgatti) in two industry neuroscience journals. More recently, O’Connor wrote an inspirational book, called Be That Girl that changed the course of her own life, becoming a full time author and CEO of her company, Be That Books Publishing. Tina’s premiere book Be That Girl, inspires women of every age to focus on their priorities, and gives real strategies to help women get whatever they want out of their lives. O’Connor’s second book, Be That Mom, is an instructional and inspirational book designed to help moms of any age relax and enjoy their time more.
www.bethatbooks.com
www.tinaoconnor.com

Elisa O'Day
A year ago, E.V. O’Day graduated from the University of Calgary with an English BA in one hand and a crumpled plan in the other. Using her Creative Writing Concentration as an anchor, she flung herself wholly into the world of dark fantasy where she travels for stories in questionable company. Right now, an isolated bounty hunter and a restless pack of werewolves each vie for her attention. When she isn’t writing, E.V. juggles a day job at a building that’s burned down twice in the past 100 years, blogs for AnxietyInk.com, reads like a madwoman, meets with ARWA (the Alberta Romance Writers’ Association), and strives to find consistent time to complete her first novel.

Avery Olive
Avery Olive doesn't kiss and tell. Except when it comes to writing about hot supernatural guys. She lives with her husband and son in Red Deer, Alberta, where she spends way too much time reading, writing and avoiding house work.
She's the author of A Stiff Kiss, a young adult novel which is a morbid twist on a classic fairytale, in reverse, and Won't Let Go, involving an amnesic ghostboy who just won't move on.
Writing always gives her the chance to live adventures untold and hopes to release many more novels in the future.
You can find Avery on many social media sites like https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Stiff-Kiss/255522414458899, Twitter (@AveryOlive), http://averyolive.tumblr.com/, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13411964-a-stiff-kiss, and on her website www.averyolive.blogspot.com

Lorraine Paton
Lorraine Paton works in a hectic office by day and writes romance novels by night. Her contemporary romance series, Morning Lake, is set in a fictional small town in Alberta. She loves bestowing happily-ever-afters on as many people--er, characters--as she can and is currently working on more Morning Lake books and a new paranormal romance series, too. Her website is www.lorrainepaton.com.

Winston Pei
Once upon a time, Winston Pei went to the University of Alberta and got himself an MA in English, studying the effect of design and print technology on literature. In what at first appears to be a strange plot twist, he now works for Edmonton-based technology advisory company Savvia as a Technology Guide and Manager of Corporate Communications, but we quickly discover that these are just his latest guises as “geek” and “storyteller.” And although this curiosity about the tools of storytelling is a strongly recurring theme, it is mere background colour for his main storyline as proud father of three kids who are all avid readers like their dad.

Sherry Peters
Hailing from Winnipeg, Sherry Peters is a writer and a certified Success Coach for writers specializing in the areas of goal setting and eliminating writer's block. Festival attendees may know Sherry best from her workshop Silencing Your Inner Saboteur. She is excited to be launching her debut novel, a YA Fantasy, Mabel the Lovelorn Dwarf. Sherry attended the Odyssey Writing Workshop and earned her M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. For more information on Sherry, visit her website at www.dwarvenamazon.com.

Michell Plested
Michell (Mike) Plested is an author, editor, blogger, closet superhero (not to mention sock herder and cat wrangler) and podcaster living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is the host of several podcasts including the writing podcaset, Get Published, (2009, 2011 and 2013 Parsec Finalist).
His debut novel, Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero was shortlisted for the Prix Aurora Award for Best YA Novel and its sequel, Mik Murdoch: The Power Within will be launched at When Words Collide 2014. He also has a collaborative Steampunk work, Jack Kane & the Statue of Liberty coming out this year.

Marie Powell
Marie Powell (http://mepowell.com/) is a professional writer based in Regina, Saskatchewan. She's the author of 15 children's books, published by Scholastic Canada, Amicus Publishing, and Brown Bear/Windmill Books. Her award-winning short stories and poems appear in such literary magazines as subTerrain, Room, and Transition. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia (UBC), among other degrees, and her articles appear in more than 70 markets across Canada and internationally. Her writing workshops are popular across Saskatchewan, and have led to a monthly freewriting club in Regina.

Mahrie G Reid
An avid reader and Nancy Drew fan, Mahrie wrote her first mystery book at age eight. Pursuing an education, a husband and kids and a busy career overtook her writing for many years. Over the years she read copiously, studied writing craft and shared her learning in workshops, conferences and courses. Mahrie always kept writing, publishing non-fiction, short stories and poetry as Mahrie Glab. She has now come full circle, returning to writing mystery novels, this time with a touch of romance. The first in the Caleb Cove Mysteries series, Sheldon Harris Came Home Dead was published in February, 2014 and the second, Katya Binks Came Home From Away in June 2014. The third in the series is due out before the end of the year. Mahrie is a member of Alberta Romance Writers Association, Crime Writers of Canada and a graduate of Calgary's Citizen's Police Academy and Private Investigation 101. You can visit Mahrie at: www.mahriegreid.com

Jodie Renner
Jodie Renner, a sought-after freelance editor specializing in thrillers and other fast-paced fiction, has published two craft-of-writing guides (both also available as eBooks) to date in her series, An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: the multi-award-winning FIRE UP YOUR FICTION (formerly titled Style That Sizzles & Pacing for Power), and WRITING A KILLER THRILLER, which appeals to writers of any genre. For more info, please visit Jodie’s author website, her editor website, or her blogs (The Kill Zone, Crime Fiction Collective, and Resources for Writers), or find her on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

G.W. Renshaw
G.W. Renshaw appeared in The Great Sperm Race as a stunt sperm and currently works at the medical school playing with the brains of students. His short story Vacation appears in On Spec's Spring 2013 issue. His short story Hic Sunt Dracones and collection Odd Thoughts are available online. The Stable Vices Affair, first of The Chandler Affairs, will be out in June. http://gwrenshaw.ca/

Tim Reynolds
Tim Reynolds is a Canadian ‘twistorian’, bending and twisting history into fictional shapes for fun & entertainment.
His debut novel, the urban fantasy, The Broken Shield, is on Amazon as a digital book. His published short stories range from lighthearted fantasy to turn-on-the-damned-lights-now horror, and include a dark, depressing view of the near future of reality TV and child-rearing. www.tgmreynolds.com/about.html
His 100-word story Temper Temper was a winner of Kobo Writing Life’s Jeffrey Archer Short Story Challenge, and most recently, his short story Why Pete? appeared in the Canadian collection Tesseracts 17.

Caroline Russell-King
Caroline is an award winning playwright, dramaturg and instructor. She has written 30 plays which have been produced all across Canada. She is a member and past vice president of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and a member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Frontenac House is publishing her new play Palliser Suite in October. www.carolinerussellking.com

Garry Ryan
Since 2004 Garry Ryan has published eight novels with NeWest Press. The second, The Lucky Elephant Restaurant, won a 2007 Lambda Literary Award. In 2009, Ryan was awarded Calgary’s Freedom of Expression Award. www.garryryan.ca .

Nola Sarina
Nola Sarina is a paranormal romance, dark fantasy, and erotica author from Alberta, Canada. She loves weaving romances that leave you breathless and challenge typical relationships with the most mind-blowing twists. Her Vesper series takes immortal creatures to a deadly, alluring new level. Represented by Michelle Johnson of Inklings Literary Agency, Nola is also the co-author (with Emily Faith) of the panty-dropping short story series The Core and The Core: Alice.

Robert J. Sawyer
Robert J. Sawyer is the author of Hugo Award-winner Hominids, Nebula Award-winner The Terminal Experiment, and John W. Campbell Memorial Award-winner Mindscan, plus Starplex, Frameshift, Factoring Humanity, Calculating God, Humans, Rollback, and Wake, all of which were Hugo finalists. Other awards: 2014 Skylark Award; China's Galaxy Award for "Most Popular Foreign SF Writer;" three Japanese Seiun Awards; thirteen Canadian Aurora Awards (plus Lifetime Acheivement Aurora); as well as Analog's Analytical Laboratory Award, Science Fiction Chronicle's Reader Award, and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, all for best short-story of the year. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name. Website: sfwriter.com.

Holly Schofield
Holly Schofield has been published in Lightspeed, AE: The Canadian Science Fiction Review and Perihelion, Specklit, and Cast of Wonders, as well as three anthologies, including Tesseracts 17. She has work forthcoming in Neo-Opsis.
She travels through time at the rate of one second per second, oscillating between the alternate realities of a prairie farmhouse and her writing cabin on the west coast.
For more of her work, see hollyschofield.wordpress.com

Jim Sellers
Jim Sellers has been a writer, producer and editor of video productions since the 1980's. His work has been on almost every network in Canada and the US including CBS, NBC, PBS, Family Channel, CBC, Global, and Discovery. After signing his first professional writing contract in 1994, Jim realized he could make a living doing something that he'd enjoyed doing all his life. Since then he's been writing for magazines, websites and the media, as well as sharing his thoughts on writing. Jim challenges myself to read more and different works and to understand the strength and differences of each type of writing, whether it is comics, graphic novels, classic fiction from other centuries, or science fiction and fantasy. Genre is only the classification; characters and story are what matters.

Brenda Sinclair
Brenda Sinclair released the first three books in her historical western romance Spirit Creek Series in spring 2014 and is currently completing book four. Believing in happily-ever-after endings, she has published eight contemporary romances, including Love To The Rescue (50% of the author’s royalties are donated to humane society shelters). She is a proud member of CaRWA and serves as the chapter’s treasurer. To learn more about Brenda and her books, check out her website at www.brendasinclairauthor.com.

Victoria Smith
Victoria Smith is an aspiring writer of humorous, contemporary romance. She has completed her first novel, nearly completed the second and is plotting three more simultaneously. She struggles with prioritization. Victoria is a member of the Alberta Romance Writers' Association, a group which has helped fuel her passion for writing. When not writing, she can be found indulging in reality t.v. She'll write a story about it one day. www.girltrieslife.com.

DK Snape
I grew up in a small town just north of Toronto. I always had a vivid imagination. Ask my mother. It’s not that I don’t like to tell the truth. But isn’t the world a brighter place when fairies and aliens populate the local neighbourhood? Being an intelligent, non-girlie girl, I didn’t fit in well with my peers. Instead I found books! I read everything I got my hands on. And I mean everything. I contracted some ugly balance-affecting disease at twelve. Stuck in bed for months, my family and neighbours rallied, bringing me books of all kinds once I finished the encyclopedia and dictionary, cover to cover. They just wanted me happy. And quiet. But boredom struck. You can’t just read all the time, I tried copying some of my favourite stories, embellishing them as I saw fit. And one day, I wrote one of my own, all by myself. Personally thought I’d done a good job. When it didn’t receive rave reviews from my family, I decided to try harder, not give up and leave it to the experts like my parents wanted. We moved to Alberta in 75. I took a long hiatus from writing stories as my kids grew up. Not from making them up or telling them. Just from writing them down. Once they grew enough, I returned to writing. I’m happy with my progress.

I’m finally ready for the world to decide.

Dara-Lee Snow
Dara-Lee Snow is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes fantasy romance as D.L. Snow and sexy, contemporary romance as Daire St. Denis. She has eleven published works to date.

SM Stelmack
S. M. Stelmack is the pen name for Serge & Moira Stelmack. They've published four full-length novels in fifteen months through kids, careers and caffeine. Last month they received the 2014 RONE award for UNDERTOW, the first in their urban fantasy thriller series, The UnderCity Chronicles.

Patrick Swenson
Patrick Swenson edited the small press magazine Talebones for 14 years, and runs Fairwood Press, a small Fantasy and Science Fiction book line. He has sold stories to the anthology Like Water for Quarks, and magazines such as Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Figment, and others. He runs the Rainforest Writers Village retreat every spring at Lake Quinault, Washington. Patrick is a high school teacher, and lives in Bonney Lake, Washington with his twelve-year-old son Orion. The Ultra Thin Man is his first novel.

Hayden Trenholm
Hayden Trenholm’s stories have appeared in On Spec, TransVersions, Neo-Opsis, Challenging Destiny, Talebones, and on CBC radio. In 2008, he won the Canadian Science Fiction Aurora Award, Like Water in the Desert. He won a second Aurora in 2011 for his short story, The Burden of Fire. His first SF novel, Defining Diana, (Bundoran Press 2008) and sequel, Steel Whispers, (2009) were nominated for Aurora Awards. Stealing Home, (2010) and received an Aurora and a Sunburst Award nomination. He won the 2013 Aurora Award for editing the anthology, Blood and Water. He is the managing editor of Bundoran Press. And recently edited the anthology: Strange Bedfellows.

Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Laura was born at a very early age and never looked back. She overcame childhood deficiencies of having been born without teeth or developed motor skills, and by the time she matured into a recognizable adult she had become a behavior analyst, an internationally-recognized and award-winning animal trainer, a popular costumer/cosplayer, a chocolate addict, and an award-winning writer. Find her at www.LauraVanArendonkBaugh.com.

Dee Van Dyk
Dee VanDyk is a professional writer living and writing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is the author of three non-fiction books (Conspiracy Theories, Hurricane Katrina Survival Stories, and Hurricane Hell) published through Altitude Publishing. Her first fiction novel (Sin Eater) was released in June 2014.
Her work has appeared in many North American magazines and publications, including PROFIT, Canadian Living, Homemaker’s, Write Magazine, Alberta Venture, FiftyPlus,  Mocha Sofa, Campus Starter, WestJet Inflight Magazine, Jetsgo Inflight Magazine, West Word, Beltline Outlook, Madame, Home Cooking, Food for Thought, Student Counsellor,  Canadian Writer’ s Journal, Avenue, Moving To, homemakers.ca, canadianliving.ca, CanLearn and Visitor’s Choice.

James Van Pelt
When James Van Pelt is not writing, he teaches high school and college English in western Colorado. His work has appeared in most of the major magazines and numerous year's best collections. His first collection of short stories, Strangers and Beggars, received a Best Book for Young Adults designation from the American Library Association. He is the author of three other collections and a novel, Summer of the Apocalypse. He and his wife spend a lot of time running Colorado trails where he has realized the truth of folk wisdom: for his wife to be safe in the event of an animal attack, she doesn't have to be able to outrun the animal; she just has to be able to outrun her husband, which she does regularly.

Diane Walton
Diane Walton has served as Managing Editor of On Spec since Jena Snyder passed along the torch. Diane also serves as a Fiction editor, something she's done since the magazine's birth in 1989. As a published writer, Diane's had stories in On Spec, Northern Frights, and Divine Realms.
Diane and On Spec are also part of the team that runs Edmonton's Pure Speculation Festival. She lives near Alberta Beach, AB. with the lovely Rick LeBlanc, two cats and four very hardy goldfish. One day, she may actually do some writing again.

Sandra Wickham
Sandra Wickham lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and two cats. Her friends call her a needle crafting aficionado, health guru and ninja-in-training. Sandra’s short stories have appeared in Evolve, Vampires of the New Undead; Evolve, Vampires of the Future Undead; Chronicles of the Order; Crossed Genres magazine; LocoThology; The Urban Green Man; and Luna Station Quarterly. She blogs about writing with the Inkpunks, is the Fitness Nerd columnist for the Functional Nerds and slush reads for Lightspeed Magazine.
http://www.sandrawickham.com
http://www.sandrawickhamfitness.com

Edward Willett
Edward Willett is the Aurora Award-winning author of more than 50 books of fiction and nonfiction. Masks (DAW), written as E. C. Blake, was shortlisted for Best Fantasy Novel in the 2013 RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice awards. Sequel Shadows launches at When Words Collide. Faces comes out next summer. Song of the Sword (Coteau) launched The Shards of Excalibur YA fantasy series in May. Twist of the Blade comes out this fall and two more next year. Other recent titles: YA fantasy Spirit Singer (Tyche), and science fiction novel Right to Know (Bundoran), whose sequel, Falcon’s Egg, arrives in 2015. Ed lives in Regina with his wife and daughter.www.edwardwillett.com.

Leya Wolfgang
Leya Wolfgang is the author of the Devil You Know Kink Club BDSM Erotic Romance Series. She is a featured author at the BDSM Writers Conference in New York this August 21-24. As one of 6 finalists for the conference's book contest, she has her fingers crossed that she gets some very good news on the 21st.

SG Wong
SG Wong is the author of the Lola Starke series of speculative, hard–boiled detective novels, as well as short stories featuring other characters and times in fictional Crescent City. DIE ON YOUR FEET was shortlisted for a 2014 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. In the guise of her alter ego, SG Wong is currently Vice President of the Get Publishing Communications Society and Co–Chair of the Words in 3D 2015 professional conference. SG Wong speaks four languages (at varying degrees of proficiency), cannot juggle, and lives in Edmonton with her family—and lots of LEGO. www.sgwong.com
Twitter: @S_G_Wong
Facebook: SG Wong

Julie Wright
Julie educates and inspires others to cultivate greater awareness of the inner workings of their minds so that they can exercise more conscious choice in all areas of their lives. She is committed to providing her audiences with the knowledge and tools they require to behave with greater choice and intention. Julie has an M.Sc. in experimental psychology and draws on her extensive knowledge of cognitive, social, clinical and organizational psychology to offer her audiences a wide-range of mindfulness-based and other cognitive training strategies to build "mind muscle."

Donna Lee Wybert
Donna-Lee Wybert is an editor who works with all kinds of written material, from the creative to the academic and anything in between. She has a weird interdisciplinary background comprising three unrelated degrees (Bachelors in Social Work and Fine Arts, and a Masters in Cultural Studies), and was a visual artist for a couple of decades before turning to words. Her editing practice runs the gamut from developmental and substantive to stylistic and copy. She loves to nurture creativity wherever she finds it. She has taught for the Professional Editing Certificate at Mount Royal University, and in spring of this year, she was an Editor-in-Residence with Wordfest.

ZEDS Comic Communication
ZEDS Comic Communication is a communications company with a twist: their business is a joke! From ghostwriting to social media to stand-up comedy training, all of their projects are infused with humour. Zoey Duncan, Eva Pea, Derek Wilken and Steele Duncan combine their creative forces to bring the skills of comedy and communication to learners and clients who are ready to laugh more. ZEDScc.com