Marianne (she/her) is the author of twelve books for children and adults with an emphasis on women's history. Her book Frontier Grit, released in 2016, was nominated for an Amelia Bloomer award by the American Library Association. Marianne holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has taught writing at a number of colleges and universities. When she moved to Astoria with her two teenage children in 2017, she felt for the first time she was truly home.

Deb (also writing as Vanessa Lind) began publishing in 1997 and now has over 25 books with traditional and independent presses. During her 36 years in Alaska, she co-founded 49 Writers, a statewide writing center. She enjoys writing about strong women from the past, especially those who’ve got a secret or two, and she likes to keep readers turning pages with characters who aren’t easily forgotten. She has a serious book-buying problem, never turns down a cup of tea, and gets her best ideas while walking her boxer dog at the beach.

Ren McKeon is a small business CFO, helping female entrepreneurs grow into a deeper relationship with their numbers. Through her client work, coaching, classes and writing, she encourages a holistic view around finances, with a focus on values and people first. Her career has included classic corporate accounting as well as entrepreneurial ventures in copywriting and metalsmithing. New to Astoria in 2022, Ren is originally from New York and her favorite things currently include houseplants, this wild coastal weather, learning and writing.

Logan Garner lives and writes in Warrenton, Oregon. With a background in conservation, science communication and grant management, he works as the Youth Programs Manager for the Local Workforce Development Board. His poetry and fiction have been featured in the Elevation Review, Flying Island, The Purpled Nail, and others. The 2023 recipient of the Neahkahnie Mountain Poetry Prize, his first poetry collection is Here, in the Floodplain (Plan B Press, 2023).

Asher Finch is a student at Oregon State University, pursuing a BA in Creative Writing. Asher’s writing can be found in Rain Magazine, and their poem “The First Year Without” received an honorable mention for the 2025 Neahkanie Mountain Poetry Prize. When not in class or writing, Asher can be echo-located via their laugh to the nearest bookstore or lost at the beach with their chihuahua, Aziz.