Guests of Honor
Wesley Chu
Author Guest of Honor
Wesley Chu is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve published novels, including the Tao, Io, and Time Salvager series. He was the 2015 winner of the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. His debut, The Lives of Tao, won the American Library Association’s Alex Award, and was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction. He is the coauthor of the Eldest Curses series with Cassandra Clare. Robert Kirkman tapped Chu to write The Walking Dead: Typhoon, the first Walking Dead novel set in Asia.
Chu is an accomplished martial artist and a former member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has acted in film and television, and has worked as a model and stuntman, and recently returned from summiting Kilimanjaro. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Paula, and two boys, Hunter and River.
Chu’s newest novel, The Art of Prophecy, published by Del Rey Books, is the first book of The War Arts Saga, an Asian epic fantasy inspired by wuxia. The series is currently in development at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
This is the Chu’s first appearance as the JordanCon Author Guest of Honor.
wesleychu.com
https://www.facebook.com/wesleychuauthor/
Omar Rayyan
Artist Guest of Honor
Having created illustrations for many publishers, including Simon & Schuster, Random House and Hyperion/Disney, Omar’s primary market was geared towards children’s and young adult’s magazine and books, doing cover and interior illustrations. He also illustrated several children’s picture books.
Other genres he has worked in include the gaming market, creating card art and illustrations for several prominent gaming companies, and he was also among the talented artists who contributed concept art and created the look for the motion picture “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”
In 2017 he self-published a personal project, an illustrated art book that explores the 19th century narrative poem “Goblin Market” written by Christina Rossetti. Currently, while being kept busy creating new card art for the Magic: the Gathering folks, Omar’s attention has also been leaning more towards creating paintings of whim and fantasy made to indulge his own personal tastes and humors, doing work for private art collectors and galleries. He enjoys looking to the past for inspiration and guidance from the great oil painters of the Northern Renaissance and the Romantic and Symbolist painters of the 19th century.
This is Rayyan’s first appearance as the JordanCon Artist Guest of Honor.
www.studiorayyan.com
facebook.com/orayyan
instagram.com/omarrayyanart
JordanCon Guests
Aleron Kong
African-American Physician Aleron Kong, Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author of The Land.
Barbara Evers
From the Dark Corner of SC, Barbara V. Evers writes fantasy with matriarchies & unusual animals.
Blue Cole
Blue Cole is the Mayor of Sharpsburg, Georgia. Find his novels & more at www.bluecole.com.
Darrin Kennedy
Darin Kennedy, Doctor by Day, Novelist by Night. Author of Fugue & Fable, The Pawn Stratagem, Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, and The April Sullivan Chronicles.
David Ekrut
David Ekrut, PhD, is a scientist who dabbles as a fantasy novelist, journalist, and medical writer.
Elizabeth Murphy-Spivey
Elizabeth is an ADHD-fueled historical costumer whose family of three lives in Chattanooga.
Gerald L. Coleman
Gerald L. Coleman is a coffee, style and bourbon loving, philosopher, theologian, poet & SF&F author.
Jason Denzel
Jason Denzel lives in Northern California. He is the author of The Mystic Trilogy and founder of Dragonmount.
Jenn Lyons
Two-time Astounding Award finalist Jenn Lyons is the author of the fantasy series A Chorus of Dragons, from Tor.
Kelley M. Frank
Kelley M. Frank creates creepy paintings, cover typography, and mixed media — MorbidSmile.com
Kevin Pettway
Kevin Pettway wrote the 5-book Misplaced Mercenaries series with a new extended universe on the way!
M. M. Schill
M. M. Schill is a writer, artist, and associate editor for Pseudopod.
Matt Dinniman
Matt Dinniman from Gig Harbor, WA is the author of the best-selling Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
Michael Livingston
Michael Livingston is the author of Origins of the Wheel of Time.
Milton J. Davis
Milton J. Davis is an award winning Black Speculative Fiction author/editor and owner of MVmedia, LLC.
Paige L. Christie
Paige L. Christie is author of The Legacies of Arnan fantasy series. PaigeLChristie.com
Preeti Chhibber
Preeti Chhibber is the co-host of Tar Valon or Bust and the author of a middle grades Spider-Man trilogy.
Ramón Terrell
Ramón Terrell is an actor and author of epic fantasy and fantasy humor based in Vancouver, BC.
Rey Nichols
Rey Nichols is an urban fantasy writer and self-proclaimed board game aficionado.
Sam R. Kennedy
Sam R Kennedy is a fantasy & sci-fi illustrator of more than 100 games & 50 book covers.
Sarah Madsen
Sarah Madsen is an author and TTRPG designer. Her first novel, Weaver’s Folly, is available now.
Sheree Renée Thomas
Sheree Renée Thomas is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning short story writer, poet, and editor.
Vincent E. M. Thorn
Vincent E.M. Thorn is a biracial Japanese-American fantasy author of the Dreamscape Voyager Trilogy.
Ashley Chappell
Ashley Chappell writes satire and young adult fantasy filled with magic, mayhem, and monsters.
Bill Bridges
Bill Bridges is a writer and game designer, known for White Wolf’s World of Darkness and Fading Suns.
Cecilia Dominic
Cecilia Dominic is a sleep psychologist and USA Today bestselling steampunk & urban fantasy author.
David B. Coe
David B. Coe/D.B. Jackson is an award-winning author of lots of stuff, and an editor of other stuff.
Dennis Medbury
Dennis Medbury is the author of the Secrets of the Runestones series.
Ellie Raine
Ellie Raine is the author of the NecroSeam Chronicles, a Writer’s Digest 1st-place winning fantasy.
James Nettles
James Nettles is a sci-fi and fantasy author and educator on business for creatives.
Jeff Hayes
Founder and CEO of Soundbooth Theater, narrator of Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Jenn Northington
Jenn Northington is the cohost of Tar Valon or Bust, an anthologies editor, and a lifelong book nerd.
Kelly Lynn Colby
Kelly Lynn Colby writes fiction and helps others do the same at Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing.
Kyoko M
Kyoko M is the author of The Black Parade urban fantasy and the Of Cinder and Bone sci-fi series.
Martin Powell
Martin Powell has written for Disney, DC, Dark Horse, and more.
Mel Todd
Mel Todd, prolific author of the Kaylid & Twisted Luck series. Action, adventure, and LGBTQ themes.
Michael Mammay
Michael Mammay is a science fiction author who wrote the Planetside series from Harper Voyager.
Nicole Givens Kurtz
Nicole Givens Kurtz is an award-winning author. She writes cyberpunk, neo-noir, and weird westerns.
October K. Santerelli
October K Santerelli is a fantasy author and LGBTQ+ sensitivity reader from Denver, CO.
Patrick Dugan
Patrick Dugan is the award-winning author of Storm Forged and 3D printing enthusiast.
R. R. Virdi
R.R. Virdi is a USA today bestselling author, a two-time Dragon Award, and Nebula finalist.
Rosemary Williams
A JordanCon regular since 2016, Rosemary Williams is an author, costumer, and podcaster from Kansas.
Sarah J. Sover
Sarah J. Sover is a genre-blurring fantasy author who also contributes to Writer’s Digest Magazine.
Sargon Donabed
Sargon Donabed is a writer & professor of history & cultural studies at Roger Williams University.
Tamsin Silver
Tamsin Silver is a NM author who writes historical & urban fantasy. www.tamsinsilver.com
Wayland Smith
Wayland Smith’s a figment of his imagination & writer with many odd ideas, some even published.
