2025 Authors

From CPA to licensed massage therapist, to homeschooling mom and craft beer bar owner, to author, storyteller, and LGBTQ+ advocate, Jillian Abby is no stranger to making major life changes in pursuit of the most fulfilling life. Her path took her from Buffalo, to Bolivia, to Boston, and beyond only for her to learn one key life lesson: finding fulfillment is an inside job. Her debut memoir, Perfectly Queer, was released worldwide in 2023 from Hay House, hitting #1 on new release lists for LGBTQ Memoirs and Biographies, and making Good Morning America’s list of 15 delightful books perfect for spring reading. Jillian is a motivational speaker, intuitive writing coach, and corporate ghostwriter through her business, Storyteller Soul LLC. You can also find more of her quirky storytelling at Reframe with Jillian Abby online. She lives in Tampa with her wife, Jen, their two children, and their rescue pets Lava and Poe.

Steve Altier is a bestselling paranormal, mystery, suspense writer, best known for his multi-award-winning series, The Lizardville Ghost Stories. Several of his works have appeared in the national literary magazine “Story Monsters Ink.” Steve was born in a small town in central Pennsylvania, aka Lizardville, where he grew up in the old dam keeper's house. He currently lives in Florida with his wife.

Evan P. Bennett is an author and historian who is interested mostly in the intersections of work and nature. He started his career writing about agricultural history, but has more recently been interested in maritime and coastal spaces. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in history from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. in American History from The College of William & Mary. He's an associate professor of history at Florida Atlantic University, where he teaches courses in Florida history, labor history, environmental history, maritime history, and southern history. 

Gayle Brown is the author of A Deadly Game and Baskin’s Bakery. Formerly a full-time teacher, now a full-time writer, Gayle’s passion for writing started when she could hold a crayon in her hand, using the walls as her storyboard. Since then, she’s connected pen to paper and fingers to the keyboard at every given chance. Gayle is also a mentor for the writing program, The Book Incubator. She is a member of various writing organizations, including Women’s Fiction Writing Association, International Women’s Writing Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime. When not writing, mentoring or reading, you can find her spending time with her family, including a very spoiled mini-dachshund, in Florida.

L.L. Campbell is the author of the viral Tricky Magic series and Hand-Fasting and Other Hazards. She grew up in the spooky corners of Massachusetts and now lives in Florida with her forever fiancé, Chris, their land hippo Sasha, and the ghosts of their favorite furkids. A witch with too many stories and not enough time, she’s always daydreaming about new characters and the chaotic worlds they belong to. If she’s not writing, she’s probably reorganizing a playlist or pretending to be normal in public. 

Ivy Fairbanks is the author of Morbidly Yours and Heart Strings and a shameless consumer of rom-com books, hazelnut coffee, and Hozier music. Not necessarily in that order. Living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome has made her a believer in the importance of representation in romance. Fairbanks writes stories where realistic characters find love, acceptance, and their happily-ever-afters. She lives in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and son. At any given moment, she is probably trapped under a sleeping tabby cat.

Joshua Ginsberg is a writer, entrepreneur and curiosity seeker who, in 2016, decided with his wife to trade in the frigid winters of the Midwest for the year-round sunshine of Tampa Bay. He has had numerous published works of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, and has been a business proposal writer and professional resume writer for over ten years. He has also had a hand in launching multiple startups, including the web-based art leasing business which he owned and operated in Chicago. He currently lives in Tampa’s Town and Country neighborhood with his wife, Jen, and their Shih Tzu, Tinker Bell.

L.L. Kirchner is an award-winning screenwriter and Pushcart-nominated author whose life and work as an expat in Asia became the basis of two memoirs, Blissful Thinking: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution and American Lady Creature: (My) Change in the Middle East. In 2024, she released her highly anticipated trilogy, the Queenpin Chronicles, starting with her debut novel, Florida Girls, followed by Vegas Girls and Havana Girls. With vivid prose and richly drawn characters, Kirchner shines a light on the patriarchal and self-imposed boundaries women face, while celebrating the strength of those who dare to break free. 

Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author whose works include Confessions of a Grammar Queen and The Queen’s Faithful Companion. Her stories take you on riveting historical journeys that cross landscapes around the world. Eliza also published her first contemporary women's fiction novel, Rush Week, in 2025 under the pseudonym Michelle Brandon. She is the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed and is a host on the History, Books, and Wine podcast. She lives in Florida with her family.

Kerry Kriseman is the author of Accidental First Lady: On the Front Lines (and Behind the Scenes) of Local Politics, a candid memoir about her twenty-two years as a political spouse and first lady of St. Petersburg, Florida. With honesty, resilience, and humor, she shares her journey of finding her own voice while navigating family life, community expectations, and surviving cancer. She helps others tell their stories through her online course, Make Memoir Magic, and teaches at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at Eckerd College and the University of South Florida. A travel writer as well, Kerry brings destinations to life through stories that connect people, culture, and place. Whether guiding aspiring authors, teaching in the classroom, or exploring the world, she champions the power of story to educate, inspire, and entertain.

C.M. Leyva is a speculative fiction author and registered nurse who enjoys writing character-driven fiction in all genres. Her passion for science and medicine is often seen in her stories while exploring the what-if's around them. You can find her short fiction in anthologies with Outland Entertainment and FlowerSong Press, and her debut novel, The Legacies of Traitors, released August 2024. When she's not working on her next short story or manuscript, you can find her attempting home improvement projects, losing herself in a good book, or playing video games.

Lisa Malice earned her B.S. in psychology at the University of Minnesota, her M.S. and Ph.D. at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her debut novel, Lest She Forget, a psychological thriller, was a finalist in five unpublished manuscript contests. Lisa is an active member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and the Authors Guild. A native of Minnesota, Lisa lived in the Atlanta area with her husband for nearly thirty years before moving to the Tampa area in 2019 to enjoy a life of sailing, fishing, and shelling on the Florida Gulf Coast. They have two adult children and a granddog.

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance, including The Secret Book Society and The Booklover’s Library, with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. She’s been writing for over twenty years and has published with small press publishers, independently, and now through Hanover Square Press under Harper Collins. After a long career in Corporate America, she’s now a full-time author. She lives in Florida with her family.

Annette Masters is the award-winning YA author of The Hennessy Lie and Dragonfly Down. She holds bachelor’s degrees in both exceptional student education and veterinary technology, a minor in children’s literature, and certifications in copyediting. Annette has taught elementary school, worked as an intensive-care vet tech at the University of Florida and the University of Georgia Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, cofounded and managed Main Street Animal Hospital, traveled the country as a horse-show mom, and served a decade as both president and critique-group moderator of Tampa Writers Alliance. She lives and writes on a small farm in Florida.

Qilanna grew up near Akron, OH, where she learned to read by the age of four and wrote her first piece of fiction in just the fourth grade. Since then, she’s always had her face in a book and has grown to especially love stories that lean into the dark, where light always shines brightest. Now, she lives in SW Florida with her fur baby and spends her free time reading others’ books or playing one of her favorite instruments. Her obsessions include Star Wars, Doctor Who, ACOTAR, and Harry Potter, though any story with great characters, high stakes, and a little romance will excite her every time.

Cathy Salustri writes about Florida lifestyles and history. Her portfolio includes USA Today, Flamingo Magazine, Visit Florida, regional magazines, the Tampa Bay Times, Creative Loafing, and other Tampa Bay press. In late 2016, UPF published her travel narrative about retracing the WPA-era driving tours of Florida, Backroads of Paradise, and the New York Times featured it in its travel section. She next wrote Florida Spectacular: Extraordinary Places and Exceptional Lives to remind Floridians exactly how wonderful their state is. Every week, Cathy and co-host and Florida author Rick Kilby celebrate Florida travel, history, and culture on their podcast, Florida Spectacular.

Marie Still, award-winning thriller and horror author, torments her characters from Tampa Bay. She also writes women's fiction under Kristen Seeley. Her novels include My Darlings, Bad Things Happened in This Room, We're All Lying, and Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead (a Silver Falchion Award finalist). Off the page, Marie can be found attempting to corral her three mostly friendly cats for a cuddle, surviving the affection from her very cuddly 150 lb Rottweiler, or keeping up with her four children.

Laura Westley is a West Point graduate, former US Army Captain and Iraq War veteran. She is the author of War Virgin, and she is the playwright and lead performer in her musical comedy show, also titled War Virgin. Laura’s show has been featured in The Boston Globe and The Tampa Tribune, and she has been published in The Washington Post, The Hill and Military Times. Laura is also a veteran mental health advocate who speaks up for veterans and their unique mental health challenges by giving frequent speeches and making radio and television appearances.