Our Authors

Megan Engelhardt is the author of the creature-centered story collection Phantom Menagerie with short fiction featured in, among other publications, Asimov’s, Daily Science Fiction, and Crossed Genres. She also co-authored horror novel The Way We Used to Walk with her good friend Mark Beall. She writes stories that are slightly sideways of normal, that explore the hidden corners of the world, and that celebrate found families of all types. When Megan is not writing at home in Ohio, she’s chasing after her four kids, reading about cryptid and alien encounters, and watching musicals with her husband.

Michael Strode is a writer and filmmaker born and raised in Hawaii, now living in Los Angeles. He received an MFA in Film Production from USC, and has written and directed several award-winning shorts, including the action/horror film Black Gulch. Despite a BA in Medieval History and Philosophy from Brown, Michael has come to terms with his love for genre fiction. Spit and Touch Iron is his debut novel.

Sophia Adamowicz is a writer and tutor based in the UK. As the co-founder of Artemis Writers, Sophia runs workshops on all aspects of the craft. Sophia is an alumna of the Faber Academy, through which she completed two long courses on novel writing. Her short stories, flash fiction and nonfiction articles have appeared in several publications, including Cunning Folk, Crow & Cross Keys, Haven Speculative, and Trash Cat Lit. Her flash fiction “Wixton Fen” was nominated for the Genrepunk Awards (2025). She lives in Cambridge with her partner, two cats, and a Bernese Mountain Dog.

J.R. Blanes lives in Chicago with his wife and dog. His short fiction has been published in several anthologies, magazines, and podcasts such as Winter in the City, Tales to Terrify, The NoSleep Podcast, Thirteen, and Creepy, among others. In between bouts of writing and dog wrestling, he plays bass guitar and records music. Portraits of Decay is his debut novel.