Michael A. Stackpole is a New York Times best-selling novelist best known for his books Star Wars Rogue Squadron and I, Jedi. Mike lives in Scottsdale.
Ginger Scottis a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon-bestselling author from Peoria, Arizona. She was nominated for both the Goodreads Choice and Rita Awards, and is the author of several young and new adult romances, including bestsellers The Moon and Back, The Varsity Series, The Hard Count, This Is Falling and Wild Reckless.
Raun Melmed, M.D., FAAP, is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician, area director of Cortica Scottsdale and co-founder/medical director of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center. He is the author of the Monster Diary mindfulness series for children and of books for families impacted by autism.
Featured Authors
Vermilion H. Baine is an indie fantasy author based in the American Southwest. A former Navy Nuclear electrician, she writes fantasy, low and high, and tries to sprinkle in humor between the extreme bouts of angst.
Victoria Benoit has published three books which reached #1 on Amazon: two self-help books and a memoir. Through these books, she strives to impact people on a global scale.
Wanda Penalver Bevan is a contemporary women’s fiction author and poet. She has published three books, A Slow Dance in Memoriam, a poetry anthology, Their Souls Met in Wishton, her first contemporary novel, and The Rains of Wishton, released February 2025. Wanda was born in Ithaca, New York and now resides in Phoenix.
Michele Bledsoe is a self-taught artist and has been exhibiting her paintings and drawings in galleries for over 25 years. She is a passionate supporter of the arts and encourages creatives of all ages to express themselves and to share their gifts with the world.
Richard Bledsoe is a visual storyteller – a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University and has been an exhibiting artist for over 30 years.
Ann Bolinger-McQuade is author of the award-winning Everyday Oracles: Decoding the Divine Messages That Are All Around Us. A regular magazine contributor, workshop facilitator and radio talk show guest, Ann shares her curiosity and encourages us to tune into the guidance and support that surrounds us all.
Patricia L. Brooks is an award-winning author of three memoirs and a non-fiction book on writing memoir. She facilitates workshops at libraries and the Piper Writing Center at ASU and serves as the president/founder of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers and Brooks Goldmann Publishing, LLC.
Caren Cantrell writes entertaining books for children with subtle messages of kindness, determination, curiosity, and family. There are 10 picture books and a middle-grade science-fantasy novel.
Joseph Cazieris a Clinical Professor and Associate Director of the Center for AI and Data Analytics at Arizona State University. His research focuses on helping AI and Analytics succeed in improving society. His book from Wiley Press is Leading Analytics: The Seven Critical Tasks for Executives to Master in the Age of Big Data.
Susan Cummins Miller is a Tucson writer and a recovering field geologist, paleontologist, and educator who metamorphosed into a writer of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. She is the award-winning author of the Frankie MacFarlane, Geologist mysteries, among other works.
Tony Fuentes & C.S. Kading Tony is Mexican American Renaissance Man in Geek’s clothing. Spinning both Mexican folklore and sardonic humor into his work, he strives to give the weird and the wondrous things a place in the world for all to enjoy.
Tony Fuentes & C.S. Kading Charm has been telling stories since 3rd grade when she won an award in a district contest. She is an educator, specializing in storytelling for educators, as well as a Corporate Storyteller.
Lisa Galdoscreated BIG HUGS for Kids – Learn and Move Series to inspire children ages 3-7 to embrace movement and self-confidence while exploring the wonders of the United States. As a former court administrator, lawyer, and two-time cancer survivor, she enjoys her faith, family, friends, and an active healthy lifestyle.
Earl L. Goldmann wrote his first memoir Bounce Back at age 82, and his second at age 88. His third will be out next year at age 90. He is a partner in Brooks Goldmann Publishing, LLC, and a retired teacher and coach with wonderful stories to tell about his life in Tillamook, Oregon and playing baseball and basketball at Oregon State University.
Patricia Grady Cox loves all things southwest: scenery, culture, and history. Her novels, set in Territorial Arizona and known for exquisite descriptions of setting, great attention to historical accuracy, fast-paced action, and memorable characters, are designed to transport the reader to another place and time.
Sheila Grinellturned to fiction writing toward the end of her career in science museums; her debut novel, APPETITE, appeared in 2016, and her second, THE CONTRACT, in 2019. She gives talks at libraries and bookstores and engages with readers on social media about “writing as a second act.”
Venetia Hobson Lewis lives in Southern Arizona with her husband and three indoor cats. The author of several award-winning Western short stories, Venetia’s debut historical fiction novel Changing Woman, A Novel of the Camp Grant Massacre won the Gold Medallion for Western Traditional Fiction at the 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Awards.
Josephine DeFalco is a native Arizonan, and her books include two gardening/cooking books, and three historical novels. Find her on Facebook @BestLittleOrganicFarm .
Deborah J. Ledford is the award-winning author of the Eva “Lightning Dance” Duran suspense thriller series, including Redemption and Havoc. Part Eastern Band Cherokee, Deborah is an Agatha Award winner, Hillerman Sky Award Finalist, and 2-time Anthony Award Finalist for Best Audiobooks Crescendo and Causing Chaos from her Smoky Mountain Inquest Series.
Kristina Makansi, under the names Marie K. Savage and K. Makansi, has written or co-written young adult/sci-fi, historical mystery, contemporary romance, and multi-timeline romance. She is also a cover designer and editor with over 150 books to her name.
Janelle Molony is an internationally-celebrated nonfiction author on women, wars and the West.
Srianthi Perera is a journalist and author. She has crafted a whimsical and endearing literary novel and co-authored a book of international travel short stories. A Maiden’s Prayer: A Family Story Set in 1970s Sri Lanka is a coming-of-age novel that won two runner-up awards.
Susan Pohlman is an editor, writing coach/instructor, freelance writer, and the founder of the Phoenix Writers Network. She is the author of two travel memoirs: Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home (a Next Generation Indie Book Awards winner) and A Time to Seek: Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality at Midlife.
Dr. Marcia Reynolds is a world-renowned leadership coach who teaches in five coaching schools in the U.S., Asia, and Europe and has published five best-selling books on coaching and leadership that support her vision of a world where everyone supports expanding potential in others.
Katrina Shawver is an author, lifelong history geek, and relentlessly curious about finding unknown stories. Her first book, Henry: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America, about a Polish survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, garnered many awards and reviews.
Ashley E. Sweeney, a native New Yorker, is the Nancy Pearl Book Award-winning author of four novels, Eliza Waite, Answer Creek, Hardland, and The Irish Girl. UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Sweeney will not be able to attend the festival. Her books will still be available for purchase in the Half Price Bookstore booth.
Kathleen (K.M.) Waldvogel is a former teacher who now enjoys writing for children. Her titles include a middle-grade book, Spies, Soldiers, Couriers, and Saboteurs: Women of the American Revolution, and picture book, Whoo, Whoo, Who’s Out There.
Betty Webb is the author of 20 mysteries; the Lena Jones Arizona-based mysteries, the California-based Zoo series; and the ’20s Paris-based mysteries.
Charlotte Whitney was raised on a family farm in Michigan. She is the author of historical fiction set in the rural Midwest during the Great Depression. Her novels include A Tiny Piece of Blue (Feb. 2025), The Unveiling of Polly Forrest (2022), and Threads, A Depression Era Tale (2019).
Jason Zeitler is the author of the novel The Half-Caste and the novella Like Flesh to the Scalpel . His short stories and essays have appeared in the Journal of Experimental Fiction, Midwestern Gothic, Two Thirds North, and elsewhere. Jason lives in Tucson with his wife and son.
Helene Zupanc & Beth Valdez have been Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) for over 20 years and teamed up to write Sticky Note Mantras: The Art and Science of Choosing Your Thoughts. The book includes the powerful and inspiring wellness strategies they have used through the years.
Arizona Author Book Festival 