Authors

Olivia Charlson always been a storyteller at heart. Whether that be telling others' stories, creating creative stories or helping to fine-tune what others have written. She has specifically worked with fiction, speculative fiction, journalistic non-fiction, plays, poetry and podcast scripts. Charlson came from a bigger somewhat unimpressive city to a small mountain town for college. ​Her goal is to help create intriguing and ethical novels for young adults. She has always loved reading and writing and found skill within being an editor throughout her college career.

Mads Rios is a poet and fiction writer from southeastern Arizona, and they are graduating with a BA at Northern Arizona University in Fall 2022. They are inspired by the movement and soul of music, the beauty and mystery and dangers of the environment and the natural world, but most of all they are inspired by the people around her. In addition to writing, Mads is also an avid baker, both at home and in the workplace.

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D. M. Brightwell is a well-known romance writer amongst the writing platform Wattpad most commonly known for her complex main character archs. Her main goal is to eventually complete and publish her four book series. As well as writing, D. M. Brightwell enjoys drawing, painting, gaming and the occasional crocheting. 

Brooklyn Christofis is an aspiring lyricist currently finishing her undergraduate degree at Northern Arizona University.

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Addison writes mostly poetry and is convinced that words give people a glimpse into the soul. She always has her nose in a book and has fallen in love with the written word. She is obsessed with books, music, Reese’s peanut butter cups, sunsets, sandwiches, and oversized hoodies. She plans to publish her work and move into a career in the publishing industry. Addison will graduate with her undergraduate degree in English Literature from Northern Arizona University in December 2022.

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Chloe Felker is a poetry and nonfiction writer from Phoenix, Arizona. She has worked as a publishing intern at Pegasus Books, a graphic designer, and her very favorite, a barista. Currently, she is finishing her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing with a certificate in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about travel and does her best to write from life. Many of her pieces feature the places she loves or yearns to go and her characters are often inspired by her dearest friends. 

This is Griffin. He is an undergraduate student at NAU, an avid reader and writer, and cares deeply about community engagement and cultivating a sustainable society. Griffin views writing and reading as an interactive experience. Writing is meant to connect the reader to others or to deep issues or help them look introspectively at themselves and their community. Griffin always looks for community and perspective through discussions. If you like meeting strangers at coffee shops and engaging in esoteric conversations, hit him up on Instagram @inktaster. 

Mia Corral is an aspiring filmmaker, writer and candle enthusiast. Born and raised in Arizona, Mia has bloomed into a dedicated student and adventurer. She has written many screenplays, short stories, and participated in short films during her time at Northern Arizona University studying Creative Media and Film. In the near future, Mia hopes to attend Northern Arizona University’s graduate school to receive her MA in Professional Writing. She plans to launch her upcoming candle business including signature scents. Her favorite thing to do is to watch movies and go stargazing.

Dani Morris is a writer from San Diego, California who enjoys crafting fiction, romance, and science fiction pieces. She is a homebody who enjoys spending time with her fianceé, Cody, and her dog Charlie. Some of her other interests include playing the violin, painting, and reading. 

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Michael Thomas Villagomez is pursuing his Bachelors in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing along with a minor in Environmental Sustainability at Northern Arizona University. He currently resides in the American Southwest, having originated from the Pacific Islands. Spending equal halves of his life living and being immersed in two different worlds, his work up to this point has pulled from the various experiences and cultures throughout his life and incorporating it into his writing. 

Analise Fitzmier is pursuing her second Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in biology. Her first B.A. was achieved in 2019 and she majored in biological anthropology. She currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona with her husband and two cats, Curly and Pancake. Her writing consists primarily of fiction featuring supernatural elements. She is currently working on a queer vampyre romance novel. In her free time, she enjoys playing The Sims 4 and re-watching her favorite television shows, such as The Vampire Diaries. 

Tiana Penczar is an aspiring young adult fiction novelist from Phoenix, Arizona. When she isn’t writing, Tiana likes to crochet, play video games, read, and cuddle with her tuxedo cat Nilla.  She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in creative writing at Northern Arizona University. 

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Miku Nelinger is an aspiring writer and accidental poet currently acquiring her undergraduate degree from Northern Arizona University, majoring in English and minoring in Japanese. Whether she was a child playing with her Barbie dolls, writing fanfiction during her middle school, high school, and college years, or creating fake scenarios before falling asleep, she found comfort and passion in crafting her own stories. A hopeless romantic, she consumes and creates romantic comedy for those who yearn for love and human connection. Her poetry aims to relate to and empathize with readers on subjects like femininity, trauma, and romance.

Karissa Sweet is an aspiring feminist author from Denver, Colorado who now resides in Flagstaff, Arizona. She specializes in creative nonfiction and poetry writing, and has been writing poetry since she was a young girl. In her free time, she watches movies and plays video games like Minecraft and Lego Harry Potter. Karissa plans to return to cosmetology school immediately following her undergrad commencement this December.

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Payton Doughty is a senior at NAU, graduating in the spring of 2022. She is an English major with an emphasis in creative writing. She writes fantasy fiction, poetry, and nonfiction pieces that make her happy. 

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Melissa Wade is an English major from California. She is fascinated by the inexplicable, the historical, the paranormal, and she has a deep love for folklore. She enjoys joining all these topics in her stories. In her free time, she loves playing the banjo, drawing, and reading about history.

Diego Garcia-Vanegas is a senior at Northern Arizona University, currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing. Residing in Flagstaff, Arizona, along with his girlfriend and their cat. He is currently telling himself to stop procrastinating and get to writing.

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Juni Brown was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and now attends Northern Arizona University. One important event that happened in their life was the year they were diagnosed with Autism. It changed almost everything about their education; they were given an IEP (Individualized Education Program) plan, which gave them extra time on their homework and tests through their high school years. Constant writing is what first improved their writing skills, and inspired them to be a creative writer in the future. Their most preferred genre is fiction because fiction is the kind of reading they did as a kindergartener, and it inspired them to imagine fiction stories. Some hobbies they do outside of writing include drawing and playing the flute. They are very passionate about helping people and spending time with their family.

Rebekah was born in California but moved to Arizona at the age of 4, and hated writing as a child. It wasn’t until she hit junior high that she could finally feel the education expanding her vocabulary to a pace that really satisfied her mind. Soon she developed and saw her writing skills as a way to truly say what is on her mind, better than her verbal skills. From then on, writing was permanent and freeing, but never sharing it was noticed by the college experience of writing workshops. She focuses on fiction–fantasy, historical, realistic and crime.

Em E. Lee (Pixel) is a self-appointed professional nerd with way too many story ideas and never enough time to write them. Spends her days writing, drawing, drinking tea, reading, playing video games, watching movies and cartoons, hanging out with family and friends, and playing with her cats. A proud advocate for fanfiction and the short story. Has been telling stories since childhood and plans to tell stories for the rest of her life. Wants to demolish the starving artist stereotype. 

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Kaycee Boofer

Callia Lopez