LibertyCon 38: Full Schedule

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10:00am EDT

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

How do you manage a party of free-wheeling murderhobos, whether they're players in a game or characters in your novel. When the shortest point from A to B is killing everything and everyone in their path, how do you keep them inside the limits... or should you even bother? Kal Spriggs (moderator)

Moderators

Kal Spriggs

Author

Kal Spriggs is a US Army combat veteran, gamer, and science fiction and fantasy author. He has visited over 35 countries and has worked in a variety of industries including environmental remediation, farming, civil engineering, the military, and transportation. Kal has drawn upon... Read More →

Guests

Justin Watson

Author

Justin Watson was a field artilleryman in the United States Army for ten years. He deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. He doesn’t count his deployment to Kuwait, but his wife sure does. Medically retired from the Army due to wounds sustained in Iraq, he now lives in... Read More →

William S. Frisbee

Author

Marine. Veteran. Martial artist. Gamer. Consultant. Father.

William S. Frisbee was forged in the Cold War, tempered in a Marine SOC unit, and reborn as a storyteller, he blends battlefield grit with boundless imagination. From Jules Verne to galactic wars—he’s lived the stories he now writes... Read More →

James Schardt

Author

James Schardt is a 21 year veteran of the US Army as an AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter Armament Systems Repairer and a graduate of Austin Peay State University. He lives in Kentucky with his wife and too many cats. He enjoys shooting muzzleloaders, painting toy soldiers, and miniatures... Read More →

Jamie Ibson

Author

Jamie Ibson is a medically retired redcoat from north of the ice wall. He's edited six anthologies for Chris Kennedy Publishing and now two for Baen, and is one of Buff Orpington's two editors for bringing his memoirs to light for the first time.

Nathan Balyeat

Author

A USMC veteran, Nathan has written the fantasy short stories in the "Fellblade" and "Powers of the Night" settings and is working on a science fiction novel based on the life of the William Marshal. He has a degree in history and his hobbies include weightlifting, martial arts, and... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

11:00am EDT

The Allure of Dark Fantasy

Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event)

What is the core of our fascination with dark fantasy? Is it the imagery? The shiver down the spine that follows the finely crafted word? Join our intrepid panel as they explore all it's alluring aspects.

Moderators

Tim Akers

Author

Tim Akers is a fantasy novelist, a gamer, and utterly unemployable in the traditional sense. His novels include the dark fantasy Wraithbound, lighter portal series Knight Watch, and high action hard magic world of Bladecaster. He lives in Chicago with his indefatigable wife and a... Read More →

Guests

Cassandra Morgan

Author

Cassandra Morgan is an award-winning, multi-genre author residing in NW Ohio with her husband, daughter, and five ferocious felines. She is best known for her Silver Fox Mysteries series. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, trying new foods, hitting the movies, and wrangling... Read More →

Claire Merrick

Author

Tired of writing about bad news as a broadcast TV producer, Claire Merrick began using her free time to write urban fantasy stories, set to be released in 2025. Merrick's work is inspired by her love of small town mill smokestacks and the secrets they hide.

Michael Bielaczyc

Artist, Gaming

Michael Bielaczyc has been working professionally in the art field since 2001 when he founded Aradani Studios with his brother Paul. Together they have exhibited across America selling both their artwork and costuming. He works in many mediums from oil paint to latex prosthetics... Read More →

Tamara Lowery

Author

Tamara Lowery, author of The Adventures of Pigg & Woolfe serial and the Waves of Darkness series, is a native of Chattanooga. She writes pirates that aren't nice and vampires that don't sparkle as well as high-flying steampunk adventure.

Dane Clark Collins

Author

Dane Clark Collins is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, horror and the occasional nonfiction currently living in the Nashville, TN area. He is also an experimental, atmospheric psych rock musician, and some of his work can be found at https://www.creativegrimoire.com/.

Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Literary/Publishing, Panel

11:00am EDT

Wait, Are We The Bad Guys?

Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

Wait, Are We The Bad Guys?: How to use MilSF to explore themes around insurgencies and ethics. Understanding rebellion and insurgency is at least as important as understanding institutionalized militaries. From Revolt in 2100 to Andor, plucky revolutionaries are painted as the “good guys.” When are MilSF revolutionaries the “bad guys?” Are they ever? Should they be? What does this tell us about ourselves?

Moderators

Andy Presby

STEM

Andy Presby is a NASA engineer and retired US Navy submarine officer. He consults on future technology for Joelle Presby and other science fiction authors. He has degrees in spacecraft systems engineering and astronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Guests

Al Hagan

Author

Al Hagan is a retired IT project manager. His career also included a four-year tour of duty with the Marine Corps and a number of years in the intelligence community, working in Washington, D.C. and in foreign countries.

Wil McCarthy

Author

Engineer/Novelist/Journalist/Entrepreneur Wil McCarthy has been a professional writer since the mid-1980s. He is a former contributing editor for WIRED magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel (previously SciFi channel), where his popular "Lab Notes" column ran from 1999 through 2009. A lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he is a two-time winner of the AnLab award, and has been a finalist... Read More →

Daniel Kemp

Author

A couple history degrees, the Army, and a turbulent personal life inspired the Athenaeum Inc military thriller trilogy at Cannon (Door Number Three, Doubling Down and Triple Play). He’s also done shorts on everything from the sinking of the Bismarck to feeding dragons.

Kevin Ikenberry

Author

Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer. As an adult, he managed the U.S. Space Camp program, two Challenger Learning Centers, and served on active duty in space operations before Space Force was a thing. He’s an international bestselling science fiction... Read More →

J.P. Chandler

Author

J.P. Chandler was born and raised in California, where he lived with his wife of many years until relocating to Utah in 2025. He uses writing in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy as his excuse for pursuing various interests. He first started writing fiction when he was fou... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

12:00pm EDT

The Romance of Steampunk

Saturday June 27, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

Dan Hollifield moderates this panel discussion on the myriad worlds of the Steampunk genre.

Moderators

Dan Hollifield

Author, Publisher

Dan L. Hollifield is the author of the ‘Mare Inebrium Spaceport Bar’ series of short stories. Other works include the “Adventures of Tom Darby” ongoing series of stories, one of which is titled ‘Abducted,’ and is available on Amazon. Further Tom Darby stories are awaiting... Read More →

Guests

Philip Ligon

Author

Philip Ligon has been trying to satisfy the writing bug that took hold since before he can remember. He fell in love with science fiction and fantasy in high school and began dabbling with writing fantastical stories, a passion which continues to this day. Adding an engineering background... Read More →

Mark Huston

Author

Mark Huston is a Chicago based author. He is published in Eric Flint's Ring of Fire Series and is a long-time contributor to the Grantville Gazette. His first novel, "Up-time Pride and Down-time Prejudice", was a Dragon Award Finalist. His work has also appeared in F&SF. Mark is and... Read More →

Matthew Skaggs

Author

Matthew Skaggs has Noir, SF, both Traditional and Weird Westerns, Steampunk, GameLit, and Alt-History short stories in print. So far. When not traveling, taking photos, researching, or writing, he relaxes in the Florida Panhandle sunshine with his totally awesome wife, their Swamp-doodle... Read More →

Geoffrey Mandragora

Author

Geoffrey Mandragora is a storyteller, not an author. He refuses to take himself seriously, or write anything too serious. His work is exciting, scary, and thrilling; but overall he strives to make his books fun, both to write and read. Which is why he writes in different genres.

H.P. Holo

LibertyCon 38 Master of Ceremonies, Author

H.P. Holo grew up in a family where it was dangerous to say, “I’m bored.” She’s also an incorrigible smart aleck. So when her parents told her to fix her boredom by reading a dictionary, she did. And then, just to be extra sassy, she began writing novels that required them... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

1:00pm EDT

Vampires in Pop Culture - Heroes or Monsters?

Saturday June 27, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

Vampires in today's Pop Culture are portrayed in strikingly different ways. Can their reputations truly be rehabilitated? Our panel of authors who write vampires will tackle the core of the argument - are they Heroes or Monsters?

Moderators

Geoffrey Mandragora

Author

Guests

Jay Peterson

Author

Jay Peterson has been everything from a nightclub bouncer to a chess coach. He once considered taking over the world, but balked once he had a look at the paperwork involved. His debut novel, Renfield Blues, was released in 2023. A sequel, Ghost Light, is currently in the works.
When not writing, Jay is a film and TV actor, usually known for playing supernatural creatures. He most recently appeared in Red One, The Piano Lesson, and The Conjuring:The Devil Made Me Do It... Read More →

Julie Frost

Author

Julie Frost is an award-winning author of every shade of speculative fiction. She lives in Utah with a herd of guinea pigs, her husband, and a “kitten” who thinks she’s a warrior princess. She enjoys birding, and is on a quest to photograph 500 bird species in a calendar year... Read More →

William Lehman

Author

William Lehman can’t stay out of hot water… or cold water, either. After retiring from two careers in and around submarines, and a decade as a Reserve Police Officer for the City of Bremerton, Washington, (where far more things go on than you’d think) he’s traded in his police... Read More →

Tamara Lowery

Author

Karen Bogen

Author

A cat-loving native of Texas, K.B. Bogen is a self-confessed knit-/yarn-aholic. She spends much time knitting something (with the help of her three cats), inventorying her stash (also with the help of the cats), or fondling yarn anywhere within driving range (the cats don’t like... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

1:00pm EDT

What's New from Raconteur Press

Saturday June 27, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

CC - Ballroom E (Main Event)

Ian McMurtrie (aka Lawdog) will moderate this roundtable on what's the year holds in store for Raconteur Press.

Moderators

Ian McMurtrie

Author, Publisher

Born on the island of Malta to an Oklahoma oil engineer and a Texas school teacher, author Ian McMurtrie a.k.a. LawDog was raised in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. He has been a soldier, an EMT, a volunteer fireman, a short-order cook, the world's worst rodeo clown, and a peace... Read More →

Guests

Bill Willingham

Author, Artist

Bill Willingham has been writing and drawing professionally for close to 50 years. His best known comic book creations have been his Elementals and Fables series. Recently his forthcoming sword and sorcery prose novel trilogy called Outrider has been announced by Raconteur Press... Read More →

Chris DiNote

Author

Chris “MOGS” DiNote retired from the United States Air Force as a full colonel with 25 years, 7 months, and 29 days of service, but who's counting? He deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Noble Eagle, served in South Korea and Germany. Chris is a graduate... Read More →

Jonna Hayden

Artist, Author, Publisher

Jonna Hayden is a professional Costume Designer, clothing historian, and long-time SF geek. After many years of hiding in the Science Fiction section of the school library, she found her tribe when she attended Orycon 5. She builds shows for the Opera, Ballet, and anyone else who... Read More →

Rita Beeman

Publisher

Rita Beeman lives with her wiener dogs in Texas, where she loves to tend plants that thrive on her level of neglect.

Spearman Burke

Author, Editor

After retiring from a globe spanning career of swashbuckling adventure in the U.S. Marine Corps, Spearman Burke decided to try his hand at this GI Bill thing he had been hearing about. He earned an interdisciplinary degree in English Literature and Creative Writing with a minor in... Read More →

Nick Nethery

Author, Editor

Nick Nethery writes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, westerns and whatever else presents a challenge or will entertain his friends and family. He has been published by the United States Naval Institute, Foreign Policy, Dragon Soul Press, and Raconteur Press, among others. He works... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
CC - Ballroom E (Main Event) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Literary/Publishing, Panel

2:00pm EDT

Orchetypes

Saturday June 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

Orchetypes: A discussion of orcs throughout fantasy, including their historical origins, interspecies relations, phenotypes and roles in classic and current fantasy.

Moderators

Brian Gifford

Author

A 27 year veteran, Cannon author Brian Gifford is a science fiction and fantasy nerd of the highest order. A lifelong student of physics and the arcana of IT alike, Brian spent a lifetime accumulating his unique view of the world. Unfortunately, he now insists on sharing it with... Read More →

Lucas Marcum

Author

Lucas Marcum is a critical care nurse practitioner, Army reservist, and independent author. Since high school, he has written recreationally; but never really took the idea of publishing a book seriously until 2017, when he wandered into a Facebook group curated by and populated with... Read More →

Guests

BK Gibson

Author, Gaming

Ben Gibson is a writer, reviewer, and publisher of TTRPG adventures under Coldlight Press, releasing multiple award-winning modules for a decade. Along with his wife, Karen, he also writes fiction under the pen name B. K. Gibson, including short stories for Raconteur Press and Autarch... Read More →

Tony Andarian

Author, Publisher, Andarian Publishing

Tony Andarian is the author of the Sanctum of the Archmage epic fantasy novels and games. They are published by his personal imprint, Andarian Publishing.

Invested from a young age with an overactive imagination, he's had a lifelong love of science fiction, fantasy, computer gam... Read More →

Rob Howell

Author, Publisher

Rob is the the creator of the Firehall Sagas, a contributor in Luke Gygax’s World of Okkorim, and an author in the Four Horsemen Universe. He writes epic fantasy, space opera, hard-boiled detective stories, alternate history, and whatever else seems fun.

His parents discovered b... Read More →

Tim Akers

Author

Saturday June 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

2:00pm EDT

The Mystique of the Paranormal

Saturday June 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

Come explore the mystique of the paranormal - apparations, esp, auras, clairvoyance, pschokinesis and why it still fascinates us. Debi Chowdhury (mod)

Moderators

Debi Chowdhury

Professional Panelist

Member of International Costumers Guild, Sick Pups and Noel. Worldcon Masquerade Judge 2023 Chicago, Worldcon Masquerade CoDirector Helsinki 2017, Asst Director Worldcon Masquerade london 2014, Masquerade judge at Philcon, Balticon, Masquerade staff at many conventions. Costume panelist... Read More →

Guests

Rob Reed

Author

Rob Reed writes science fiction, fantasy, mysteries and thrillers. His fiction has been featured in the best-selling anthologies “Forged in Blood” and “Freehold: Resistance,” both edited by Michael Z. Williamson.

Rob co-edited (with Amie Gibbons) and published the urban... Read More →

David (Brena) Bock

Author

David Bock (also listed under the nom de plume Brena Bock) is a proud member of #TeamAndMore in several anthologies, including Space Force: Building the Legacy, Can't Go Home Again, and Saint's of Malta. Other stories are in the works along with a full length novel.

Louise Herring-Jones

Author

Louise Herring-Jones writes speculative fiction including science fiction, fantasy, historical fantasy, and alternate mystery. Her stories, appearing in fourteen anthologies, include “The Poulterer’s Tale” in God Bless Us, Every One—Christmas Carols beyond Dickens (Voodoo... Read More →

Gregory Radabaugh

Author

Greg Radabaugh, an author published by Raconteur Press and others, retired from the US Department of Defense after a 44-year career. He now works as a consultant for various commercial and government entities. Prior to his retirement, he was a member of the Department of Defense Senior... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

3:00pm EDT

Tales of the E4 Mafia

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

The E4 Mafia isn’t a myth. They’re how tasks get handled. Rank says one thing. Reality says another. Meet the folks behind the stories.

Moderators

Keith Hedger

Author, Guest

Keith Hedger escaped Iowa at 19 to serve in the US Army which led to his (current) career in information technology. When not saving other people's data, he enjoys exercising, fishing, and hunting. He lives in Pella, Iowa with his wife. Fortunately, she tolerates his workouts and... Read More →

Guests

Daniel Kemp

Author

Michael LaVoice

Author

Michael LaVoice is a Science Fiction/Fantasy writer. He is the author of the Galaxy’s Most Wanted series from Aethon Books, the Gladius Leagues series from Chris Kennedy Publishing, as well as the upcoming SARCOM series with co-author Peter Stanley. He has multiple short stories... Read More →

David Hensley

Author

David Hensley is an East Coast Hepaw born and raised in southwest Colorado. The town of Dolores, to be specific. He’s been to a lot of places and done a lot of things since then, including cowboying in the Utah desert, twenty years as an Aviation Structural Mechanic for the United... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

3:00pm EDT

The Art of Editing for Anthologies

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

The Art of Editing for Anthologies explores the nuances that make it different from say, editing short stories and examines factors such as continuity, time lines, history, and co-dependency, depending on the type of anthology you are writing for.

Moderators

Jamie Henson

Editor

Jamie Henson is the founder of Alpha Mercs, a private fellowship of writers forging craft, resilience, and timeless virtues. Together they stand for what storytelling was—and must be again. The forge is lit. Join the fellowship at omicronstation.com.

Guests

Amanda Montandon

Author, Editor

Amanda Montandon is a Colorado mountain girl living in North Carolina with her husband, author Kal Spriggs, their son, & 4 mischievous felines. A Jane-of-All-Trades, she has experience in law enforcement, veterinary care, private security, & more. She runs her own editing business... Read More →

Daniel M. Hoyt

Author, STEM, Past Special GoH

Daniel M. Hoyt is a systems architect for trajectory physics software, when not writing or wrangling royalty calculations. Dan has appeared in premier magazines like Analog and several anthologies, notably the recent Paladins of Valor and Bonds of Valor, with connected stories in... Read More →

Shari Robb

Editor

Shari Robb is a loving wife, mother, technical writer, and counselor. She has worked as an editor for political campaigns, multiple non-fiction books, and shorts from the Alpha Mercs. Her work as a freelance editor includes multiple SF/Fantasy anthologies, including game fiction... Read More →

Laura Begley

Editor

Laura has one husband (author Ted Begley), five cats, and a comfy chair from which she enjoys working as a copy editor for Raconteur Press. Laura has been specializing in editing the boys adventure books along with almost a dozen anthologies. She’s a little shy, but enjoys meeting... Read More →

Debbie Reynolds

Author, Editor

Debbie Reynolds is a writer, dreamer, and voracious reader who has always lived in the wilds of northern Pennsylvania. She works as an editor and proofreader for Sunbury Press and does freelance work when time permits. Her first book, Mending Shattered Dreams, a memoir, will be out... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

3:00pm EDT

Writing for Kids and Young Adults

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event)

What captures the imagination of the young and turns them into lifelong readers? How is writing for kids and young adults different from writing for adults (and not just the obvious i.e. the avoidance of "adult" content) Come join our panelists to explore what makes for good children's literature.

Moderators

Nick Nethery

Author, Editor

Guests

Janet Spaulding

Editor

Janet has taught English for over twenty years She holds a Doctorate in Creative Invective as well as a black belt in sarcasm. All her puns are 100% intentional. In addition to teaching and editing, she has been a military contractor, a mortgage officer, a stand-up comedian and a... Read More →

K.B. Carlisle

Author

KB Carlisle is a husband, father, panda enthusiast, former time traveler and professional desk chair warmer.

His debut novel The Book of Rose won the 2024 Imadjin Award for Best Young Adult Novel.

Check out all of his work at kbcarlisle.com.

Cedar Sanderson

Author

Cedar Sanderson is a multifaceted creator whose work spans both the literary and visual arts. Cedar is celebrated for her engaging storytelling and her ability to captivate audiences with her vibrant imagery and thoughtful narratives. Her work not only entertains but also invites... Read More →

Jared Austin

Author

Jared Austin is a young adult science fiction author who lives in the Rocket City—Huntsville, Alabama. With the Space City series, he hopes to show and inspire his daughter and son, as well as all of his readers, that science and technology are not dull subjects, but gateways to... Read More →

Laura Montgomery

Author

Laura Montgomery practices space law and writes science fiction. She writes space opera, lost colony worlds, and bourgeois legal science fiction. Her most recent novel, Planting Life, has been nominated for the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Prometheus Award.

In her legal practice she specializes in regulatory space law, with an emphasis on the FAA’s commercial space transportation regulations and the Outer Space Treaties. She spent over two decades in the FAA’s Office of the Chief Counsel working on space regulatory issues, and ta... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Literary/Publishing, Panel

4:00pm EDT

Historical Research and How it Affects Worldbuilding

Saturday June 27, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event)

Historian Daniel Butler will moderate this discussion on historical research and how it affects worldbuilding

Moderators

Daniel Allen Butler

Author

Daniel Allen Butler is a best-selling author, historian, and college-educated semi-professional beach bum. His previous works include "Unsinkable"--the Full Story of RMS Titanic; The Day the Lusitania Died; Warrior Queens - The Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in World War II; The Age... Read More →

Guests

G. Scott Huggins

Author

Having been born in California and raised in Kansas, Scott Huggins grew up as confused as one might expect. He began writing whilst traveling in post-Soviet Russia and Germany, and was one of the 20th Century’s last Writers of the Future (1999). The future arrived immediately thereafter... Read More →

S.M. Stirling

LibertyCon 38 Special Guest of Honor, Author

S.M. Stirling was born in France in 1953, to Canadian parents -- although his mother was born in England and grew up in Peru. After that he lived in Europe, Canada, Africa, and the US and visited several other continents. He graduated from law school in Canada but had his dorsal fin... Read More →

Matthew Skaggs

Author

Daniel Kemp

Author

Saturday June 27, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Literary/Publishing, Panel

4:00pm EDT

The Worlds of Edie Skye and Jacob Holo

Saturday June 27, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

Come join our Masters of Ceremonies as they discuss the literary Worlds of Edie Skye and Jacob Holo

Moderators

H.P. Holo

LibertyCon 38 Master of Ceremonies, Author

Jacob Holo

LibertyCon 38 Master of Ceremonies, Author

Jacob Holo has been a recreational geek since childhood, when he discovered Star Wars and Star Trek, and a professional geek since college, when he graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in Electrical and Controls Engineering. He started writing when his parents... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

4:00pm EDT

Worst Writing Advice

Saturday June 27, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

Kal Spriggs moderates a panel discussion going over some of the worst writing advice we have ever received, much of it from professional writers, editors, and publishers. We'll talk about what the advice was, why it was bad, and what to do instead.

Moderators

Kal Spriggs

Author

Guests

Amy DuBoff

Author

A.K. (Amy) DuBoff is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling indie author and screenwriter. She’s a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy in all its forms, including books, movies, shows, and games—and if it involves outer space, even better! Bringing her love of the... Read More →

Terry Maggert

Author, Editor, Publisher, Past GoH

Terry likes dragons, caffeine, space, giraffes, and books; order unimportant. He's the author of the Backyard Starship, Gold Medal Marine, Messenger, and Starcaster series, with more on the way. Join the gang on Facebook at the Cosmic Cantina for a laugh or three, and say hello if... Read More →

Jason Cordova

Author, Editor

National bestselling author Jason Cordova is both a John W. Campbell Award and Dragon Award finalist (though not in the same year). He is the author of Mountain of Fire, To Tread Obsidian Shores (w/ Melissa Olthoff), and Monster Hunter Memoirs: Fever (w/ Larry Correia), and edito... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

5:00pm EDT

Destroyer of Worlds

Saturday June 27, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

LGOH Nicholas Sansbury Smith will moderate "Destroyer of Worlds", an in-depth look at writing post apocalyptic fiction.

Moderators

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

LibertyCon 38 Literary Guest of Honor, Author

Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Hell Divers series. His other work includes the Extinction Cycle series, the Trackers series, and the Orbs series. He worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster planning... Read More →

Guests

Chris Woods

Author, Past Special GoH

Christopher Woods, writer of fiction, teller of tales, and professional liar was born way too long ago to be talking about it and has spent the majority of his life with a book in hand. He is known for his popular Soulguard series and creating the shared universe in The Fallen World... Read More →

M.D. Boncher

Author

As an author, artist and musician, M. D. Boncher has lead a “Writer’s Life”. With several careers in many varied industries from security to hospitality to trucking logistics providing him a wide breadth of experience with the human condition from which to draw on for his work... Read More →

Sarah A. Hoyt

Author, Past LGoH

Sarah A. Hoyt writes... Almost everything. And has. But this last year she's been wrestling with a monstrous-size space opera. She lives with her husband and a plethora of cats. Sons and daughters-in-law sometimes visit.

Sarah has published, she thinks, about fifty novels. She doesn't want to count. Don't make her count. She has won the Prometheus Award, the Dragon Award and been a finalist for the Colorado Book Award and the Mythopoeic. If she looks at you cross-eyed, it's because she'd rather be... Read More →

Marina Fontaine

Author

Marina Fontaine is a Russian by birth, an American by choice, and a writer of
optimistic fiction.

She uses her experience of living in a totalitarian society to demonstrate how human yearning for freedom and love endures in the darkest of circumstances.

Her dystopian works incl... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

5:00pm EDT

On Writing Boy's Adventure Books

Saturday June 27, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

On Writing Boy's Adventure Books - Raconteur Press authors discuss the art of writing adventure books for boys. Chris DiNote hosts.

Moderators

Chris DiNote

Author

Guests

Nick Nethery

Author, Editor

Rita Beeman

Publisher

Rita Beeman lives with her wiener dogs in Texas, where she loves to tend plants that thrive on her level of neglect.

Fred Phillips

Author

Fred Phillips has been writing stories since elementary school. Back then, he pecked them out with two fingers on a turquoise Remington manual typewriter he found in his grandparents’ closet. In those days, they were about thinly veiled versions of his friends and himself saving... Read More →

Laura Begley

Editor

Janet Spaulding

Editor

Saturday June 27, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

5:00pm EDT

Putting the Science in Science Fiction

Saturday June 27, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 3 (Workshop Track)

Wil McCarthy hosts "Putting the Science in Science Fiction," a discussion on how to translate technical and scientific fact into accessible fiction.

Moderators

Wil McCarthy

Author

Guests

James P. Nettles

Author

With a 30-plus-year career in consulting, Nettles has advised a diverse range of clients, from startups to Fortune 100 companies in financial technologies, media, entertainment, and green technologies. His work focuses on privacy, futurism, and disruptive technologies, exploring how... Read More →

Fred Hughes

Author

The International Bestselling Amazon Author of seven books of 'The Prince of Britannia' series. I'm currently working on my new series, 'The First Solar War.'

Having served 20 years in the US Navy, most of it on submarines, I developed a great appreciation for the written word... Read More →

Devon Eriksen

Author

Devon Eriksen is a recent Chattanooga transplant, marksman, and life-long reader, with a particular fondness for classics from the golden age of science fiction. After growing up with images of the galaxy brought home by his JPL engineer father, he spent most of his career as a software... Read More →

Stephanie Osborn

Author, STEM, Past SGoH

Few can claim the varied background of award-winning author Stephanie Osborn, the Interstellar Woman of Mystery. Veteran of more than 20 years in the civilian space program, as well as various military space defense programs, she worked on numerous space shuttle flights and the International... Read More →

Karl Gallagher

Author, STEM

Karl K. Gallagher is a systems engineer, currently performing data analysis for a major aerospace company. In the past he calculated trajectories for a commercial launch rocket start-up, operated satellites as a US Air Force officer, and selected orbits for government and commercial... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 3 (Workshop Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Literary/Publishing, Panel

6:00pm EDT

Spec-Ops in Spaaaaaaace!

Saturday June 27, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

Spec-Ops in Spaaaaaaace!: The popularization of Special Operations military formations continues, even though they represent a small minority of the world’s military forces. How can speculative Mil SF inform readers/watchers of the strengths and weaknesses of these “high-speed, low-drag” groups? Which MilSF properties incorporate SpecOps realistically? Can SpecOps over-exposure translate into humor for MilSF?

Moderators

Rick Partlow

Author

Rick Partlow is an Army veteran with a degree in History from Florida Southern College. He is the author of 51 military SF and space opera novels, including the Dragon Award finalist Direct Fire.

Guests

LL Richman

Author

L.L. Richman has a diverse career background, having spent more than a decade working in radiation physics, and twice that as a director of film and video. Richman is also a pilot and has close ties to the special forces community.

Richman's series feature the pulse-pounding act... Read More →

Casey Moores

Author

Casey Moores was a USAF rescue/special ops C-130 pilot for over 17 years- airdropping, air refueling, and flying into tiny blacked-out dirt airstrips in bad places using night vision goggles. He’s been to those places and done those things with those people. Now he lives a quieter... Read More →

Mike Massa

Author, Past GoH

Mike Massa has lived an adventurous life, including stints as a sailor, a banker, and a tech-head. He's lived outside the US for several years, beyond the usual military deployments. Mike writes novels and shorts in MilSF, SF, Fantasy, Horror, and non-fiction.

A lover of Liberty Con, he has been attending since 2007. Mike is married with three sons, and a growing cohort of grandsons, who check daily to see if today is the day they can pull down the old lion. Not yet... Read More →

Kevin Ikenberry

Author

Saturday June 27, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

6:00pm EDT

What's New in Paranormal Romance?

Saturday June 27, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

Gini Koch will moderate this roundtable discussion on what's new in Paranormal Romance.

Moderators

Gini Koch

Author

Gini Koch started writing in the American Southwest as something to do in between staring at pictures of good-looking leading men, but now sweats out the words, both literally and figuratively, in Hotlanta and dreams of dry heat.

She has over 70 titles but is best known for her... Read More →

Guests

C.V. Walter

Author, Editor

Get ready to blast off into a galaxy of romance with C.V. Walter, the mastermind behind the pulse-pounding alien love story, “The Alien’s Accidental Bride”! This interstellar indie sensation is just the beginning – C.V. is currently crafting a whole universe of out-of-this-world... Read More →

Lydia Sherrer

Author

Award-winning and USA Today-bestselling author of snark-filled adventures, Lydia Sherrer thrives on creating stories you love to love, and hate to leave. She is the author of the bestselling urban fantasy Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus universe of books featuring several series, which... Read More →

Nancy Northcott

Author

Nancy Northcott has loved comic books, mysteries, fantasy, history, and romance since childhood. A sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, she combines the action and high stakes she loves in the books she writes.

On the way to becoming a published author, she taught courses... Read More →

Lyndie Ferguson

Author

Lyndie Ferguson is the author of the Urban Fantasy Series, THE ANGELQUEST CHRONICLES. She loves paranormal books and movies with quirky characters and larger-than-life storylines. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel and spend time with her family.

Saturday June 27, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

7:00pm EDT

World Building for Horror and Urban Fantasy

Saturday June 27, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

Sam Robb moderates this panel discussion on the requirements of good world building for realistic horror and urban fantasy.

Moderators

Sam Robb

Author

Sam Robb is an urban fantasy writer from Pittsburgh who draws inspiration from back alleys, graffiti, and urban exploration. He’s published in his flash fiction collection, One October Night, as well as multiple anthologies, and edited the Stories in the Key of Tull anthologies... Read More →

Guests

Lyndie Ferguson

Author

Claire Merrick

Author

April Kelley Jones

Author, Editor

April Jones has navigated countless fictional worlds as a writer, editor, and teacher. When not wrangling words or cats, she’s learning languages and traveling the world. She lives in South Carolina with her favorite people and felines. Her latest project is Hell’s Judgement... Read More →

Jay Peterson

Author

Megan Miller

Author

Megan Miller holds a Masters of Science from NC State University and is a proud PhD dropout from the University of Arizona at Tucson. She is currently the Executive Director of one of the largest non-profits fighting food scarcity in western North Carolina. A mother, stand-up comedian... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

8:00pm EDT

Black Swan Events Are Everyday - Living in a White Swan World

Saturday June 27, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

Writing exceptional or unusual events into Mil/SF is easier when the real world is so unpredictable, so often. Panelists discuss how White Swan mentality reflects on works/events past and how it affects their writing.

Moderators

James P. Nettles

Author

Guests

James S. Aaron

Author

James S. Aaron's most recent novel is Retreat Hell, coming soon from Aethon Books. He served in the U.S. Army as an operator and battery commander for the Patriot missile system. Now he wrangles chickens in Oregon. Learn more at jamesaaron.net.

Fred Hughes

Author

Wally Waltner

Author

Wally Waltner is a tech consulting executive and gentleman science fiction/fantasy author. Born and raised on a farm in South Dakota, his early creative muses led him down a musical path and earned music scholarships and eventually a BMus degree in brass performance from Saint Olaf... Read More →

A.G. Thompson

Author

Reared on a West Texas ranch, A.G. Thompson is a veteran of the US Air Force, having served during the Cold War and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both English Literature and History from the University of Louisville.

He has been a competition shooter for around a decade, is an avid reader (as most authors are), and is extremely knowledgeable in military history, especially as regards World War II. He is retired from a 29-year career at UPS, a devoted cat-person with a pair of large four foot... Read More →

Stewart Cobb

STEM

Stewart Cobb designs satellite navigation systems for a living and reads SF&F for inspiration. He earned a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and holds more than a dozen patents. He's been an Air Force officer and a flight controller for the Space Shuttle, but hasn't yet reached orbit... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

8:00pm EDT

What Makes for a Good Editor?

Saturday June 27, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom C

What are the skillsets that make for a good editor? Editor's across several areas dish on the essential skills that are across the board.

Moderators

Patricia McIntosh-Mize

Editor

Patty McIntosh-Mize is a lifelong nerd-girl and freelance editor. Most recently, she edited Theft of Fire, the amazing debut novel in the Orbital Space series by Devon Ericksen (now available in audiobook form!). When not editing, she knits and enjoys spending quality time with the Best Husband Ever... Read More →

Guests

Jesse James Fain

Author

Jesse James Fain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy Author, Editor, and retired powerlifting champion. Jesse’s extensive experience in martial arts and weapons training leads to vibrant martial tales of revenge and combat that bring a taste of reality to fictional battles, along with... Read More →

Megan Sloane

Editor

Megan Sloane is an editor of prose and comic book stories. She is a senior editor at 1First Comics and received her editing certificate from the University of California: Berkeley. Yes, she will receive your (written) comic book pitches and evaluate your comic sample pages.

Amanda Montandon

Author, Editor

D. Jason Fleming

Author, Editor

—

Debbie Reynolds

Author, Editor

Saturday June 27, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

Literary/Publishing, Panel

9:00pm EDT

Writing for the Comics

Saturday June 27, 2026 9:00pm - 10:00pm EDT

M - Plaza Ballroom A/B

How different is writing for the comics than say writing for anthologies? Insiders provide how it is done.

Moderators

Nancy Northcott

Author

Guests

Sarah A. Hoyt

Author, Past LGoH

John Ringo

Author, Past LGoH

John Ringo's science fiction is action-oriented and abounding in characters to root for. He is the creator of the New York Times best-selling military science fiction series The Posleen Wars, with over one million copies in print. Ringo is also the author of the far-future science... Read More →

David Boop

Author

David Boop is a Denver-based speculative fiction author & editor. He’s also an award-winning essayist, and screenwriter. Before turning to fiction, David worked as a DJ, film critic, journalist, and actor.

David’s novels run the gamut, such as the sci-fi/noir She Murdered Me with Science, the Weird Western, The Drowned Horse Chronicle, and Rippers Resurrected:The Soul Changers, a historical, dark fantasy. Dave recently had a tribute collaborative mosaic novel come out in the late... Read More →

Bill Willingham

Author, Artist

Megan Sloane

Editor

Saturday June 27, 2026 9:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

Literary/Publishing, Panel

10:00pm EDT

Masters of Military Science Fiction

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00pm - 11:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event)

The Masters of Military SF discuss their craft. Mike Massa moderates.

Moderators

Mike Massa

Author, Past GoH

Guests

David M. Weber

Author, Past LGoH

David Weber was born in Cleveland a long, long time ago and grew up in rural South Carolina. He was a bookworm from childhood, blessed with a father who collected autographed copies of every E. E. Smith hardcover and introduced him to Jack Williamson at the tender age of 10, and a... Read More →

John Ringo

Author, Past LGoH

Charles E. Gannon

Author, Past LGoH

Dr. Charles E. Gannon is best known for the Caine Riordan series of hard sf novels, which include multiple best-sellers, 4 finalists for the Nebula, 2 for the Dragon, and a Compton Crook winner. His epic fantasy series, The Vortex of Worlds, has also been an awards finalist and a... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 5 (Main Event) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Literary/Publishing, Panel

10:00pm EDT

The Art of Interviewing

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00pm - 11:00pm EDT

CC - Ballroom E (Main Event)

Jonathan Koan will host "The Art of Interviewing" with fellow seasoned interviewers, and discuss how to formulate and conduct an insightful and entertaining interview.

Moderators

Jonathan Koan

Professional Book Reviewer

Guests

Roger and Janet Carden

Gaming

Roger and Janet Carden are the husband-and-wife team behind The Halfling and the Spaceman: Journeys In Active Fandom. (2022-present) The Halfling and the Spaceman is a podcast featuring a series of conversations with creators as they detail their personal journey from becoming inspired... Read More →

Gary Poole

Editor

Gary Poole is the founder and longtime host of Robot Battles, has edited three national bestselling anthologies set in John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" universe (which a fourth coming in 2023), and runs the Southern Fandom Resource Guide website.

And if that wasn't enough, he has been in radio for over thirty years (currently hosting a popular morning show in Chattanooga), is the managing editor of a longstanding alt-weekly news site, is a developmental editor for Baen Books, has voiced over 3,000 radio and television commercials... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
CC - Ballroom E (Main Event) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Literary/Publishing, Panel