Other Guests and Presenters

"Gerald L. Coleman is a philosopher, theologian, poet, and Science Fiction & Fantasy author. He did his undergraduate work in philosophy, english, and religious studies, followed by a master's degree in Theology. He is the author of the Epic Fantasy novel series, The Three Gifts, which currently includes, When Night Falls (Book One), A Plague of Shadows (Book Two), and the upcoming When Chaos Reigns (Book Three). His speculative fiction short stories and poetry have appeared in: The Cyberfunk Anthology: The City, the Roaring Lion Anthology: Rococoa, the Urban Fantasy Anthology: Terminus and Terminus 2, the 2019 JordanCon Anthology: You Want Stories?, Dark Universe: Bright Empire, Cyberfunk! by MVMedia, the JordanCon 2022 Anthology: Neither Endings Nor Beginnings, Whether Change: The Revolution Will Be Weird, and the upcoming World Fantasy Award winning Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction (2022). His essays appear in the polish language Con-Magazine: KONwersacje, Apex Magazine 127, and the Hugo nominated Fanzine: Journey Planet. His poetry collections include the road is long, falling to earth, microphone check, and Nappy Metaphysic.

He has been a Guest Author at DragonCon, Boskone, Blacktasticon, JordanCon, Atlanta Science Fiction & Fantasy Expo, SOBSFCon, The Outer Dark Symposium, World Horror Con, Imaginarium, Multiverse, and a Guest Poet/Lecturer at Berea College, University of Kentucky, Centre College (Governor’s School), Transylvania University, Western Carolina University, UNC Charlotte, Florissant College, Kenyon College, the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center.

He is a Scholastic National Writing Juror, a Co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets, an SFWA member, a Rhysling Award Nominee, and a Fellow at the Black Earth Institute. He is currently working on new editions of When Night Falls, A Plague of Shadows, and writing book three in that epic fantasy series entitled When Chaos Reigns. His newest releases include a collection of SF&F short stories entitled, From Earth and Sky, and a collection of poems and micro-essays entitled On the Black Hand Side. You can find him at Geraldcoleman.com.

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"Clint Hall is a storyteller, speaker, and podcast host. He has been writing stories since middle school, where he spent most of his time in English class creating comic books. (Fortunately, his teacher not only allowed it; she bought every issue.) 

Known for narratives that instill a sense of hope, wonder, and adventure, Clint's work has been published across a wide variety of mediums. His debut science fiction novel, Steal Fire From The Gods, was published by Enclave Publishing in November 2023. 

You can find him at ClintHall.com or at “The Experience: Conversations with Creatives” podcast, available on all major platforms."

Vincent E.M. Thorn is a Reader’s Favorite Award-winning Japanese-American author based out of Atlanta. Inspired by a vast array of works and mediums, from fairytales to massive series spanning five, ten, or fifteen doorstopper books, he enjoys hybridizing other genres into the epic fantasy mold. He made his professional debut in 2019 with the Skies of the Empire, book one of the Dreamscape Voyager Trilogy. When not writing, Thorn enjoys comic books, animation, cinema, musicals, and heavy metal.

"Jason Gilbert an author, film critic, and licensed electrician. Best known for his action-packed and often irreverent Coldstone Case Files series, Gilbert’s work has been published in multiple anthologies along with his own novels. 

He published his first book Gaslit Insurrection in 2017, kicking off the Clockworks of War trilogy. Once completed, that led to a collection of short stories placed in the same universe (The Rifle Chronicles). In 2019 Wolfbane, the first novella in the Coldstone universe was released quickly followed by Wolfmoon, Wolfsong, and Wolfheart. Due to their popularity, they were re-released as One with the Wolf: The Coldstone Case Files Volume One in 2021 and has launched as book one of his now ongoing series.  

Jason streams on twitch as Failflix, with OhHaiMark and TheGreyCat every Sunday on Terrible Movies with Wonderful People. His influences include horror cinema, bloody video games, dark beer, and heavy metal music.

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STEVE SAFFEL has been an editor at Marvel Comics, Del Rey Books, Perseus Books, and Titan Entertainment, working on science fiction, fantasy, horror, and licensed fiction, with a focus on the author’s voice, pacing, clarity, career path, concept development, and creating fiction that thrills the intended audience. He has worked with authors and illustrators including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Birmingham, Pat Cadigan, Eric Flint, Dana Fredsti, David Gemmell, Neil Gaiman, Nikki Giovanni, Christopher Golden, Jesse J. Holland, Stephen Graham Jones, Stan Lee, Robert E. McGinnis, Weston Ochse, Scott Sigler, Joe Simon, S.M. Stirling, Drew Struzan, James Tuck, Charles Vess, and Alex White. He has also developed fiction and nonfiction for Alien, Batman, the Black Panther, Conan, Gears of War, Mass Effect, Spider-Man, Star Wars, and many more.

"Paul Barrett has had multiple careers, including rock and roll roadie, theater stage manager, television camera operator, mortgage banker, and support specialist for Microsoft Excel.

This eclectic mix allowed him to go into his true love: motion picture production. He has produced two feature films (Night Feeders, Cold Storage) and two documentaries. When not producing films, he works on them in various capacities, including script supervisor, prop master, or art department. His credits include The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Uncle Frank, Outcast, and Banshee, among many others.

Amidst all this, Paul has written and produced numerous commercial and industrial video scripts in his tenure with his former creative agency, Indievision. He has six novels in print, with more on the way. Four of his novels have been made into audiobooks.

Paul is an avid board gamer, miniatures painter, movie enthusiast, and all-around nerd. Her lives in North Carolina with his film director/graphic designer husband, where they work as servants to four cats: Trixie, Buster, Yin, and Patches.

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"Mark McCray is an animation historian, podcaster, author, voice actor and television host who has worked in the entertainment business for over 20 years. McCray’s book, The Best Saturdays of our Lives which chronicles how Saturday morning became a competitive business was featured on Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast and Turner Classic Movies when McCray was invited as a special guest. 

McCray worked as a television programmer for Cartoon Network, and was a key member of the team that launched the Boomerang Network. Mark McCray also spent 12 years at Adult Swim as the senior manager of Programming Operations overseeing Adult Swim’s on-air promotions and scheduling strategy. While working at Adult Swim, McCray was invited to lend his voice to a character on the animated Adult Swim series, Gemusetto Machu Picchu!

McCray has recently penned his second novel which combines his lifelong passion for comic book heroes, true-life ghost experiences, and magic elements which come alive in his Afrofuturism novel, The Paperboy: Dimensional Adventures. When a young, aspirational superhero loses his powers, Rudolph St. Clair resigns himself to civilian life. The former hero moves his family into the perfect brownstone apartment. Rudolph soon finds out that the apartment is haunted, and he would have to fight for his survival to solve the mystery of The Paper Boy: Dimensional Adventures.

Currently, Mark McCray is the host of The Best Saturdays of our Lives Podcast along with his cohost Dan Klink. The Best Saturday of Lives Podcast was the winner and recipient of the Dilectio Sapientiae Award which was presented by The Miami International Film Festival in February of 2021. 

You can follow Mark McCray on Twitter: @ MarkMcTBSOOL & Instagram, Best_Saturdays_of_our_Lives and check out his website: www.tbsool.com

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Alexander G. R. Gideon's writing style can best be described by the phrase "and many people died". He's a multi-genre author of Historical Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Horror. As the world's only Pan Librarian Wizard, he's an expert on most things, from High Magick and spirit summoning, to eldritch texts, to looking like the Kings, Queens, and other Monarchs you know you are! As an optician, he's a master at crafting light bending wearable artifacts! No matter what you wish, Gideon has a spell, book, or word for you!