Arindam Kalita is a 26-year-old author from a remote and economically challenged village in India. Despite English being his third language, his unwavering passion for storytelling drives him to overcome any linguistic barriers. He is the recipient of an honorable mention from L. Ron Hubbard' s Writers of the Future Contest, and his works have previously been featured in publications such as " CreepyPod," " The Afterpast Review," and " The Up and Coming." Gilbert Allen lives in upstate South Carolina, where he often writes about a gated community called Belladonna that you won' t find on any map. These stories have appeared in The Final Days of Great American Shopping (USC Press, 2016) and The Beasts of Belladonna (Slant Books, 2020). A new collection, The Beauties of Belladonna, will be forthcoming from Slant at the end of 2025. In her work The Genesis of Death, Curtis layers the Biblical creation story with myth and legend, crafting a poignant retelling that reimagines death not as a fearsome specter but as a generous force embodying the value of life.
By presenting Death as a daughter of God and a counterpart to Light, Curtis invites readers to reflect on the unseen yet ever-present forces that shape existence. Her writing encourages contemplation, urging readers to find balance within themselves-- between light and darkness, life and death. Jason A. Wyckoff is the author of two short story collections published by Tartarus Press, Black Horse and other Strange Stories (2012) and The Hidden Back Room (2016). His work has appeared in anthologies from Haverhill House, Plutonian Press, and Siren' s Call Publications, as well as the journals Nightscript, Weirdbook, and Turn to Ash, among others. His first novel, IXIXIKLIS, will be published by Grendel Press in 2025. August Reynolds is a poet and short story writer whose work has appeared in Red Cedar Review, Philologia, The Scarlet Leaf Review, In Parentheses, Blue Unicorn, Full House Literary, Red Noise Collective, Wingless Dreamer , New Note, BreadBreak Magazine, Grain, and elsewhere. He' s the author of a book of poetry titled " The Freedom of Lavenders" published by Atmosphere Press.
He' s a co-editor of a poetry collection published by Pocahontas Press which features an original forward by Nikki Giovanni, a volunteer reader for Ariel Publishing, and was a co-editor for Philologia. A first-generation, Latinx writer, Ernest Langston is the author of two novels, Born from Ashes and Beyond Everyday Secrets. His short fiction has appeared in Litro Magazine, The Plentitudes Journal, Oyster River Pages, and other publications. He holds a BA in English and a certificate in Professional and Technical Communications from San Jose State University, a certificate in Writing from the University of Washington, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College.For more information, please visit: ernestlangston.com; Instagram: Ernestlangstonmedia. Jessica Berg is the principal literary agent at Rosecliff Literary, where she champions high-stakes narratives and immersive storytelling. An award-nominated writer with an MFA from Spalding University, Berg is a proud member of the AALA and EFA.
Represented by Amy Collins of Talcott Notch, Berg' s work delves into themes of identity, resilience, and transformation. Her writing and developmental feedback have appeared in Writer' s Digest, The Louisville Review, Louisiana Literature, and elsewhere. Lauren Lang is a former broadcast journalist and current freelance photographer and videographer living in Denver, CO. In her spare time, she writes fiction, cooks, bakes, crochets hats for stuffed animals, gardens with the intent of taking pictures of the flowers should they live, and terrorizes local residents by pretending to be a wildlife photographer and running through area parks with her camera screaming, " Birds!" . Occasionally, she does actually take a picture of a bird. She can also occasionally be found in a tree with the.