Presenters

Andy Peloquin is, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist—words are his palette. Fantasy and science fiction are his genres of choice, and he loves to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of heroes, villains, and everything in between. He’s also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about his fascination for the worlds he encounters in the pages of fantasy and sci-fi novels.

Charlotte Morganti traded legal briefs for deadly secrets in her award-winning mysteries. Armed with a law degree and an MFA in Creative Writing, she crafts small-town tales where evil lurks beneath picture-perfect facades. Through her program, The Magnetic Author, Charlotte also assists new and emerging authors build their author platform and establish visibility with their ideal readers. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and the Sunshine Coast Writers & Editors Society.

Eve Silver is an award-winning author of more than twenty-five novels spanning historical gothic romance, dark fantasy, and young adult science fiction. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and has received the OLA White Pine Award, starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and recognition from the American Booksellers Association and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. She brings extensive craft, marketing, and publishing expertise to her workshops and presentations.

Jessica Rampersad is a Canadian content creator and communications professional specializing in social media strategy, storytelling, and author promotion. With a Master’s in Professional Communication and a background in publishing, she helps authors and creatives elevate their voices through strategy, storytelling, and community-building.

JF Garrard is an award winning speculative fiction writer, editor and publisher. She is the President of Dark Helix Press, host of The Artsy Raven podcast, serves as President for the Canadian Authors Association’s Toronto branch, and Deputy Editor for Ricepaper Magazine. Her portfolio of books and short fiction is listed on jfgarrard.com and you can find her on Twitter @jfgarrard, Instagram @jfgarrard, Facebook @JFGarrardauthor.

Malorie Cooper is an NYT Bestselling fiction author who was able to bring her fiction books to a broad audience and become a full-time writer thanks, in large part, to advertising on Facebook. Combined with her love of writing, she has been able to craft and tune many, many dozens of Facebook ads to provide ROI as high as 500% on items as inexpensive as e-books.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is a writer with over three decades of experience in the publishing and bookselling industry. He is the former Director of Self Publishing and Author Relations for Rakuten Kobo, the former president of the Canadian Booksellers Association, and a previous board member of BookNet Canada. Mark thrives on innovation, particularly in relation to digital publishing and new technologies he continues to mentor authors and publishers in writing and publishing opportunities under his Stark Publishing and Stark Reflections brands.

Michael Chatfield is a Canadian Army veteran and international bestselling author who writes the kind of books he always wanted to read—character-driven, gritty, tactical, and grounded in reality. With millions of books and audiobooks sold, and tens of thousands of reviews his work spans LitRPG, military sci-fi, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic survival. He writes for readers who value systems that make sense, loyalty that lasts, and power that’s earned, not handed out.

Tao Wong is a Canadian author based in Toronto, with series in the LitRPG and xianxia science fiction and fantasy markets. He has over five different series spanning a wide range of worlds, with works in audio, paperback, hardcover and ebook formats and translations to German, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages.

Tikiri Herath is an award-winning crime thriller author. She’s an adrenaline junkie who has rock climbed, bungee jumped, flown upside down in a stunt plane, and parachuted solo. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Victoria, Canada, and a master’s degree from the Solvay Business School in Brussels. She’s worked in risk management for Canada’s top federal intelligence agency and for NATO in Europe. A fifth-culture kid raised across four continents, Tikiri now calls Canada home.

Zoe York is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, often with military heroes, and always with scorching heat between the pages. Between her two pen names (she also writes erotic romance as USA Today bestselling author Ainsley Booth), she has published more than 70 books since her debut in 2013 with What Once Was Perfect.

Amanda Clarke is a freelance editor specializing in science fiction and fantasy with the occasional dive into other genres and film festival ephemera. She spends most of her time consuming stories, on the page and on the screen. When not immersed in other worlds, she can usually be found at the rink.

Genevieve Clovis, of Clovis Editorial, is a speculative fiction editor, author, and writing coach. She specializes in substantive and stylistic editing for indie authors and publishers. Genevieve takes great joy in ensuring her clients’ novels are as monstrous and diabolical as intended. When not frolicking in the woods, Genevieve runs a variety of online writers groups and dabbles in the not-so-dark bookbinding arts.

Hudson Lin writes heartfelt, gritty romances featuring queer people of color. The New York Times has called Lin’s writing “splashy and dazzling and high-intensity,” and Book Riot has said that her dramatic plot lines “would make Shonda Rhimes proud.” Based in Toronto, Lin currently serves as the Program Coordinator at the Festival of Literary Diversity and is the co-host of the Into the FOLD Podcast.

Jael Richardson is the author of The Stone Thrower: A Daughter’s Lesson, a Father’s Life, a memoir based on her relationship with her father, CFL quarterback Chuck Ealey. The Stone Thrower was adapted into a children’s book in 2016 and was shortlisted for a Canadian picture book award. Richardson holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph and lives in Brampton, Ontario, where she founded and serves as the Executive Director for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD). Her debut novel, Gutter Child, was published in January 2021 by HarperCollins Canada.

Mary Kehoe provides editing and book coaching services for fiction authors through her business, Elixir Editorial. While she loves a wide variety of genres, she is especially passionate about mystery, fantasy, science fiction and horror. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and antiquity at the University of Toronto and was a founding member and chair of the Toronto Arts & Letters Club writing group. Mary is the current programs chair for Editors Toronto and volunteers on the Editors Canada training and development committee

Rachel Wharton left her hometown at seventeen to follow her love of literature to Toronto, where she obtained a BA in English Literature and a Graduate Certificate in Publishing. Rachel spent some time working odd jobs in both Manhattan and Sydney before returning to her true geographical love, Toronto, and working with the wonderful team at Kobo Writing Life. Rachel is a huge nerd, and will talk your ear off about Buffy the Vampire Slayer while also giving you advice on how to make the most of your promotions at Kobo.

Sarah Reside has always delved into the language and structure of books and has been doing it professionally for over five years. As a copyeditor for the Senate of Canada and a story editor for indie authors and publishers, she brings a wealth of experience to authors seeking to deepen their stories.

Vilma Indra Vitols is a freelance editor and opera singer based in Toronto. I’ve been editing part-time since 2022 after completing the Editorial Skills Program at George Brown College. During my internship at Colborne Communications, I was thrown into plain language editing and have been hooked ever since. I’ve copy edited and proofread a variety of corporate documents, one book-length memoir, and one novel. As a longtime member of the Canadian Opera Company chorus, I hope to continue to tread the stage for as long as I can sing.