The Reader: A Witchy Book Fair For Adults

Melinda Beatty has had years of practice trying to explain to others why she was just having an imaginary conversation between two people that don't exist, so becoming a writer seemed like the best way to stop everyone from looking at her funny. After years of narrowboat living on the English canals, she and her British husband are now back on dry land in Maryland, where by day, she's a mild-mannered indie bookseller, and by night, she wrangles words, crafts projects, and raises a Labrador and two fierce miniwomen.

Leslye Penelope has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of fantasy and romance. Equally left and right-brained, she studied filmmaking and computer science at Howard University and sometimes dreams in HTML. She hosts the My Imaginary Friends podcast, co-hosts the Ink and Magic podcast, and lives in Maryland with her feline dependents.

K.S. Shay grew up in the part of northeastern Massachusetts where half the streets are named after people who were accused of witchcraft. She loves live music, local gossip, and getting outside. You can find her across social media @ksshaywrites and at ksshaywrites.com.

Robert Plant is an author based in Maryland who writes emotionally driven fiction with a speculative twist. His novel, Dark Matter, is a chilling collection of short stories exploring technology, mortality, and the quiet terrors of modern life. When he's not writing, Robert enjoys playing hockey, reading science fiction, and exploring life’s darker corners with curiosity and heart.