Jesús Canchola Sánchez had his first short story published at the age of 7 in his Chicago elementary school newspaper. His debut novel is Escape From Natura Met (2025). He received the Hispanic Playwrights in Residence award by INTAR Theater and won the Pregones Theater Asunción Playwrights Competition. He's the author of the children's book Pepito Has A Doll/Pepito tiene una muñeca (2021). Canchola Sánchez was a producer on the morning talk show Las Comadres con Gloria B (2008-2010) that aired on Telemundo 47 in the tri-state area. He is the writer/director of the Mexican feature film Bittersweet Waters (2019). As an actor, he appeared on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien "Conando" sketches and danced on Bhangra Dance Workout of Massala Productions. He was on stage at the Public Theater in 365 days/365 plays, Pregones Theater, Fringe NYC and played Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream directed by Stuart Vaughan at the Lucille Lortel Theater.

FindJesús Canchola Sánchez and his books on his website here: https://www.jesuscancholasanchez.com/

David Shactman is an expert in national health policy and medical tourism. After careers in real estate and retail, he studied health policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Following graduation, he worked on clinical practice guidelines for the U.S. Agency of Health Care Policy and Research. He then joined the research faculty at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. While there, he co-edited two collections, “Regulating Managed Care” and “Policies for an Aging Society.” Mr. Shactman has published scholarly articles in peer reviewed journals and has delivered conference speeches, academic lectures and Congressional testimony.

His fiction work entitle Mortal Choices highlights the pitfalls of kidney transplants and organ trade. Find David and his book here: https://davidshactman.com/

Liisa Kovala is a Finnish Canadian author and book coach. Her debut novel, Sisu's Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022), received a Literary Creation Project Grant from the Ontario Arts Council (OAC). Liisa's first book, Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award and published in Finland under the title Stutthofin selviytyjä (Docendo, 2020). Her most recent historical novel, Like Water for Weary Souls (House of Karhu, 2025) received a Literary Creation Project Grant from the OAC and was released in October 2025.​

Find Liisa Kovala and her books on her website here: https://www.liisakovalabookcoach.com/