Jonathan Maberry — KEYNOTE
JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, editor, and comib book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series; hist post-apocalyptic YA zombie series ROT & RUIN is in development for film by Alcon Entertainment; and his Joe Ledger thrillers are being developed for TV by Chad Stahelski (director of the John Wick movies). He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action; for adults, teens and middle grade. He is the editor of many anthologies including THE X-FILES, ALIENS: BUG HUNT, DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD, and others. His comics include BLACK PANTHER: DOOMWAR, CAPTAIN AMERICA, PANDEMICA, HIGHWAY TO HELL, THE PUNISHER and BAD BLOOD. He is the editor of Weird Tales Magazine, and the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.
CJ Leede — KEYNOTE
CJ Leede is a horror writer, hiker, and Trekkie. She is the author of Maeve Fly and American Rapture. Her debut novel Maeve Fly won the Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award and Splatterpunk Award, and earned a Bram Stoker Award nomination. When she is not driving around the country, CJ can be found in LA with her boyfriend and rescue dogs.
Celina Thompson — WELCOME SPEAKER
Celina Thompson is basically a vampire. She is a disabled author with multiple invisible illnesses which cause sunlight to be painful, require blood transfusions, and even make garlic off limits. This served as inspiration for her debut novel, Sanctuary (a gothic romance about vampires who get blood transfusions). Her passion for raising awareness for disabilities and healthcare continues with her next novel, La Mamácita Mafiosa (releasing in June of 2025). Before discovering her medical conditions, she worked in technical theatre and continues to have a deep appreciation for the arts. She loves immersing herself in telling a powerful story and transporting people to another world. Celina is a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and on the Board of Directors for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW).