Calling all science fiction and fantasy lovers! Join us in our Grand Rapids events studio for a sci-fi/fantasy author panel featuring Michigan authors Andrew Reichard, Audrey D. DeBoer, and Astrid Knight.

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About The Ashes of Amori: Volume 1:

Under the surface of peace fume the ashes of war.

After fifteen years of truce with the nomadic Amorian tribes, the city-state Brisha is about to be engulfed in another war. With rumor of the rise of an old enemy thought long dead, Jakob Rook is sent north to the heart of a younger and brutally ambitious sovereignty that may either help Brisha halt an impending war or prove to be the orchestrator of events.

As Brisha prepares for siege, Sallar, an orphan newly initiated to the guard, discovers that the streets haven’t finished with him yet. Secret terrors seem to be dragging the entire city into chaos—terrors about which Sallar tries to warn his friend, Dee. But Dee has chosen her own path, and as she is drawn deeper into the mystery of what lurks below the city, she discovers that there are a few dangerous men and women at Brisha’s core who know something about Brisha itself for which nothing could have prepared its inhabitants.

About Andrew Reichard:

A long-time resident of Grand Rapids, Andrew is the author of several books including The Ashes of Amori trilogy and Vessel (a science fiction novella, published by Solum Press). Their short fiction and poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous journals, including The Collagist, Exacting Clam, Black Static, LUMINA, The Stray Branch, and many others. For the past 10 years, Andrew has worked at HarperCollins Publishing.

About Vispilio:

Robin Hood has a new name—the Vispilio, a thief by night, thought to be only a legend. Does he seek vengeance, or justice?

Antony Bronson has never known his past-as far as he knows, he's the second son of his father Bron and has lived an unremarkable life in the village of Barnswood, other than a fateful fall from a tree that caused him to lose memories. But when rumors of a lost prince-the Prince Adrian who was supposed to have died in an act of war ten years before-begin to surface among the kingdom of Southborn, Antony begins to wonder if he's been told the truth. So does Adelaide DuMont, the girl who had been destined to be the prince's beloved, and Sir John, the hated son of the former king's advisor. As Antony discovers his true identity, so does King Tanor, who will stop at nothing to make sure his crown is secure. To some a prince, to others a pretender, Antony must forge his own destiny-as the true king of Southborn, or as an enemy of the people. A thrilling adventure of political intrigue, royal drama, and a romance as old as Robin and Maid Marian.

About Audrey DeBoer:

Audrey D. DeBoer is a Grand Rapids, Michigan native and has been writing for as long as she could read. Vispilio is her debut novel. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s a marketing copywriter. DeBoer and her husband Jerry live in GR with their beloved cat, Scout.

About Perception Check (The Mages of Velmyra Saga: Book One):

Violet Spence wants nothing more than to have a normal life. After witnessing her childhood best friend get abducted by monsters, that’s easier said than done. Though it’s been a decade since then, Violet cannot seem to move forward. Her only solace is Mages of Velmyra, a tabletop roleplaying game filled with goblins, fairies, and all-powerful magicians. But of course, that’s all fantasy.

Or, so she thought. As it turns out, the land of Velmyra is very real and the home of the monsters that took her best friend.

With the help of her friends (and the creator of the game itself), Violet must navigate the once-fictional creatures and powerful mages of Velmyra to retrieve a set of ancient relics—all in the hopes that the journey will lead her back to her friend. But for Violet, fighting monsters and magic workers doesn’t seem nearly as terrifying as confronting her own demons. And she’ll soon realize fighting the battle within herself can be just as tough as those fought against demigods.

About Astrid Knight:

Astrid Knight is a speculative writer who loves to explore mental health and LGBTQ+ identity through the lens of fantasy and all things fantastical. They are best known for their novel Perception Check, the first book in the Mages of Velmyra Saga. They also have published works in anthologies such as Tales From the Year Between and Welcome to Simmins, Detective Spencer. If you would like to know more about their works, please visit astridknight.com or almost any social media site @astridkwrites.