Contributors

Joan McNerney has been the recipient of three scholarships. She has recited her work at the
National Arts Club, New York City, State University of New York, Oneonta, McNay Art
Institute, San Antonio and the University of Houston, Texas. Published worldwide in over
thirty five countries, her work has appeared numerous literary publications. Four Best of the
Net nominations have been awarded to her. The Muse in Miniature, Love Poems for Michael
and At Work are available on Amazon.com A new release entitled Light & Shadow explores
the recent historic COVID pandemic.

Joanne Macias is a multi-disciplinary creative, having featured in both online and print publications including Living Stories, Best of Times, The Sour Collective, Five Fleas Poetry, Short Stories Unlimited, Eloquentia and many more. Focusing on no set genres, she loves to challenge reader perception through unique scenarios in everyday settings. If not writing, she is either teaching poetry or being distracted by the neighbour’s cat. Follow her adventures at @joanne_macias_writer

Jodi Di Menna grew up near Lake Erie in the southernmost part of Ontario. She works as a writer and editor in Ottawa where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Joe Luscombe lives in Leeds, UK. A journalist-turned social worker, he likes stories that explore both language and feeling. Joe has appeared in Dark Mountain magazine, so is excited about appearing in DarkWinter. Dark Side and Dark Star magazine have yet to return his phone calls.

Joel Robert Ferguson is a Nova Scotian poet of working-class settler origins who lives in Winnipeg, Treaty One Territory. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, The Columbia Review, Prairie Fire, Queen's Quarterly, & Riddle Fence, and his debut collection, The Lost Cafeteria (Signature Editions 2020), was awarded the Lansdowne Prize for Poetry.

John Armstrong lives in England.But his heart resides in many places; On a boat, In the South of France,Ireland and always within what he would call ‘The Silent clouds of nothingness’.His work often invokes dreamlike imagery, themes of memory, loss, and transformation..Armstrong’s earliest work was poetry written at 15 years old for ‘The Young socialist newspaper’ His most recent title and first book is ‘The Seduction of an English Twat Magnet’.A lover of dystopian science fiction( favourite book ‘The Time machine’ ) ‘The Mary Maker, The Sorrows, and The Half-Moon Choices’ is Armstrong’s first short story.His hobbies include; Growing Cosmos flowers and seeing them survive past the first frosts.Exploring Holland on an old bicycle.Photography and astronomy. And of course reading, a lot of Dickens, because why not? Instagram: #johnarmstrongwrites

John Ganshaw graduated with his BS in Leadership Development from NYU; after a 31-year career in banking, John retired early to follow a dream. John spent five years living in Cambodia, owned a successful boutique hotel, and established an NGO to give back. John saw the hurt this world brings and started to write about his life experiences in 2021. Since then, John has published over eighty poems and essays. John continues to share his stories and hopes to share his unpublished memoir.

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in New World Writing, River And South and The Alembic. Latest books, “Bittersweet”, “Subject Matters” and “Between Two Fires” are available through Amazon. Work upcoming in Rush, White Wall Review and Flights.

John RC Potter is an international educator and gay man from Canada, who lives in Istanbul. He has experienced a revolution (Indonesia), air strikes (Israel), earthquakes (Turkey), boredom (UAE), and blinding snow blizzards (Canada), the last being the subject of his story, “Snowbound in the House of God” (The Memoirist, 2023). When in high school John had the opportunity to interview the Nobel Prize winning author, Alice Munro, who resided in his hometown. It inspired John to begin creative writing, and is the subject of his story, “In Search of Alice Munro” (Blank Spaces, 2023; Bosphorus Review of Books, 2022). His poems and stories have appeared in a range of magazines including Blank Spaces, Memoirist, Plenitude, Fragmented Voices, The Write Launch, Literary Yard, Bosphorus Review of Books. John is working on a novel-in-progress set in WWI-era Canada, ‘Blood from a Stone’. John RC Potter – Author Website (author-blog.org)

John Timm writes in several genres. His literary fiction appears in 300 Days of Sun, Bartleby Snopes, Euphemism, Flint Hills Review, and elsewhere. When not writing, John teaches foreign languages and communications.

John Zedolik is an adjunct English professor at Chatham University and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and has published poems in such journals as Abbey (USA), The Bangalore Review (IND), Commonweal (USA), FreeXpresSion (AUS), Orbis (UK), Paperplates (CAN), Poem (USA), Poetry Salzburg Review (AUT), Third Wednesday (USA), Transom (USA), and in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2019, he published his first full-length collection, entitled Salient Points and Sharp Angles (WordTech Editions), which is available through Amazon, and in 2021 he published another collection, When the Spirit Moves Me (Wipf & Stock), which consists of spiritually-themed poems and is also available through Amazon. He recently published his third collection, Mother Mourning (Wipf & Stock), again, available on Amazon. John's iPhone is his primary poetry notebook, and he hopes his use of technology to craft this ancient art remains fruitful.

John-Paul lives in St. Catharines, Ontario with his wife and two children. He’s been writing for years and is a fan of Sci-fi and fantasy. His stories have appeared in the Niagara-On-The-Lakes’ Writers Circle’s anthologies Beginnings and Endings and Journeys as well as on sites such as Commuter Lit, DarkWinter Lit, The Writer’s Journal, and Jerry Jazz Musician. He is a person of few words, so he enjoys writing short stories and novellas the most.

Jonathan Worlde’s novel Latex Monkey with Banana was winner of the Hollywood Discovery Award. He has over thirty short stories published in various journals, including Trembling with Fear, Cirque Journal, Raven Review, Mystery Tribune, Stupefying Stories, Daily SF and Metastellar. In his spare time he performs blues as Paul the Resonator; his CD is Soul of a Man.

Joseph Clegg's fiction and poetry have most recently been published by Impspired, Confluence and Avatar Review, and he writes about jazz and hip hop for BRICK. He is co-organiser of two literary critique groups based in Amsterdam. Find him on Instagram @cleggjjg and at www.cleggjjg.com

Joshua St. Claire is an accountant from a small town in Pennsylvania who works as a financial director for a large non-profit. His haiku and related poetry have been published broadly including in The Asahi Shimbun, Frogpond, Modern Haiku, The Heron’s Nest, and Mayfly. He has received recognition in the following international contests/awards for his work in these forms: the Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Award, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational, the San Francisco International Award for Senryu, the Touchstone Award for Individual Haiku, the British Haiku Society Award for Haiku, and the Trailblazer Award.

Joyce Bingham is a Scottish writer who enjoys writing short fiction with pieces published by Molotov Cocktail, Ellipsis Zine, FlashBack Fiction, VirtualZine, Funny Pearls and Free Flash Fiction. She lives in the North of England where she makes up stories and tells tall tales. @JoyceBingham10

Julie Allyn Johnson is a sawyer's daughter from the American Midwest whose current obsession is tackling the rough and tumble sport of quilting and the accumulation of fabric. A Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, her poetry can be found in Star*Line, The Briar Cliff Review, Phantom Kangaroo, Lyrical Iowa, Moss Piglet, Cream Scene Carnival, Coffin Bell, The Lake, Haikuniverse, Chestnut Review and other journals. Julie enjoys photography and writing the occasional haiku, some of which can be found on her blog, A Sawyer’s Daughter.

Justin Muir is a writer from Ontario, Canada. He is a recent graduate from Trent University. He mainly writes horror novels or whatever interests him in that given moment. When he is not writing, he's failing to square the circle.

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Late blooming author K.D.Straus has been, what her clients cheekily refer to her as a ‘hairapist’ for over thirty years. It is in the Waterloo Region that her miniature English Bull Terrier generously shares his home with she and her husband.

K.C. Hill is an accredited blogger, eclectic artist and hybrid writer who has been living abroad since 2002. Having taught EFL and Creative Writing for several years, she launched Great Storybook in 2014, which though archived since 2018 is visited 30,000 times a month. Some of her writing has gotten published and awarded, some of her artwork has been sold in galleries. K.C. is ever working to hone her craft and has just submitted her first novel of Magical Realism to a literary agent. Sign up for K.C.’s The Morning Buzz at www.KC-Hill.com and follow her on Twitter @KC_Hill_.

Kara’s poetry has appeared in Anti-Heroin Chic, Autumn Sky Poetry DAILY, Bards Against Hunger Pennsylvania Anthology, GrassLimb, Skinny Poetry Journal, and others. Kara’s earlier poetry has appeared in regional publications such as Pennsylvania Poetry Society anthologies as well as Yorkfest Literary Competitions in her hometown of York, Pennsylvania where she currently resides. Her first collection of poems, Where the Compass Points, is forthcoming.

Karen Quickley is an emerging American poet and writer. Her work has been featured in numerous print and online publications and has been nominated for Best of the Net. She lives in northern Indiana with her two favorite pussycats. More at karenquickley.net and apoetinlove.substack.com.

Karen Schauber's flash fiction appears in ninety-five international literary magazines, journals, and anthologies, with a Pushcart, Best Small Fictions, and four Best Microfiction nominations. She is editor of the award-winning flash fiction anthology The Group of Seven Reimagined: Contemporary Stories Inspired by Historic Canadian Paintings (Heritage House, 2019). Schauber curates Vancouver Flash Fiction, an online resource hub, and Miramichi Flash, a monthly literary column. In her spare time she is a seasoned family therapist. https://KarenSchauberCreative.weebly.com

Karen Wolf is a Pushcart Prize nominee. She has been published in Rocking Poems in Honor of Walt Whitman’s 200th Birthday, Chaleur Magazine, Adanna Journal, Ground Fresh Thursday, Silkworm 12, and many others. Her chapbook, THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2018. She says that poetry soothes the savage beast and opens her eyes to the beauty that abounds within the world.

Karly Foland is originally from Omaha and has spent over a decade living in Africa, Asia, and Europe. She recently moved from Abuja to Brussels and lives with her husband, newborn, and the two cats they rescued from the streets of Rabat. Her short stories have appeared in print in Best Climate Change Stories and online in Unleash Lit, Panorama, Gargoyle Magazine, and soon in Black Hare Press.

Residing in Southern Ontario, Karolina Bednarek, also known as Sunset Queen on social media, is a poet, photographer, blogger, book and film reviewer, and is an aspiring novelist. She enjoys experimenting with language, painting with words and blending poetic form with emotional depth. With a deep connection to nature, relationships, and her inner voice, her work reflects an ongoing exploration of the world around and within.

Katey Taylor is a San Francisco Bay Area based writer. Her recent personal essay was an editor’s pick for SWAAY Women’s Magazine. She’s an author of two young adult novels and was featured in Young Entertainment Magazine. She’s represented by Serendipity Literary Agency. Visit her at www.kateytaylor.com.

Katherine Hunter is a Namibian illustrator, graphic designer and writer with an interest in fantasy-based creations that draw on southern African narratives and spaces. She loves stories that prompt questions with unclear answers. Katherine obtained her BA in Visual Communication (Illustration) from the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, then continued her studies by completing her Honours in Illustration and her Master’s in Art Education at the Stellenbosch University. Her artwork, published in Doek! Literary Magazine, was shortlisted in the 2021 and the 2023 Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards. Her short story, Eat or be Eaten, appears in Now Now, the 2023 Doek Anthology. Katherine can be found at maan.atelier.na on Instagram.

Kathleen Chamberlin is a retired educator living in Albany, New York. Her writing has appeared in both print and online journals and in several print anthologies, the most recent of which is CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: Attitude of Gratitude. In addition to writing, she enjoys gardening, genealogy, and grandchildren.

Kathleen is currently a 7th-grade American history teacher. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Villanova University in 2000 and a Master's Degree in Education with a concentration in social studies from Monmouth University in 2007. When Kathleen is not working or writing, she spends her time on the Jersey Shore with her husband and two daughters.

Kathy Pawluk lives in the prairies and has a Bachelor of Arts from University of Saskatchewan.
She will be devoting more time to her writing now that she is retired. Kathy began writing in
her teens and writes mainly short stories. Her work is inspired by her favorite author Raymond
Carver.

Kati Bumbera is a video game writer who’s happiest in the mountains with a notebook in her backpack. Snow and ice are her favourite things to write about. She has short fiction published in The Fabulist, Roi Faineant, The Fantastic Other, The Disappointed Housewife and The Selkie. She lives in France and occasionally posts as @KatiBumbera.

Katie Cossette (she/her) was shortlisted for our 1st Anniversary Poetry Contest. She is a Montreal based writer pursuing her BA in Honours English Literature. Her work has appeared in Toil and Trouble Lit, DarkWinter Lit, Dollar Store Magazine, and elsewhere. Katie is also the co-founder/co-editor of Crab Apple Literary. You can find her on Instagram (nerd.i.am) and Twitter (cossette_katie).

Katie McCall writes uncanny, gothic fiction and her short stories have been published in Short Beasts, Flash Fiction North, Supernatural Tales, and Ghostlight, with more due to be published this year. Her first full-length novel is out on submission, and she has just finished writing her second book, a folk horror tale. Follow her on Instagram for further spooky musings @katiemccall_author

Kayleigh Kitt lives in the Midlands, UK with her husband and an ageing tabby cat who thinks it’s a dog. When she’s not writing, she knits novelty hats, or is lacing up her walking boots. Kayleigh’s had work published in Flash Fiction North, Bangor Literary Journal, Meditating Cat Zine, On The High journal, Active Muse, The Hooghly Review, Witcraft and CNF in Across the Margin.

Published in 100+ lit mags across five continents, Keith Hoerner (BS, MFA) is founding editor of the Webby Award recognized Microfiction e-zine/print anthology The Dribble Drabble Review as well as the author of two books. He lives in Southern Illinois.

Keith Nunes (Aotearoa-New Zealand) has had poetry, fiction, haiku and visuals published around the globe. He creates ethereal manifestations as a way of communicating with the outside world.

Kelleigh Cram resides in a small town near Savannah, Ga. Her work has been featured in Ponder Review.

Kendra Whitfield lives and writes on the southern edge of the northern boreal forest. When not writing, she can be found basking in sunbeams on the back deck or swimming laps at the local pool. Her poetry has been published by Beyond the Veil Press and Community Building Art Works.

Kenneth M. Kapp lives with his wife in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writing late at night in his man-cave. He enjoys chamber music and mysteries. Please visit www.kmkbooks.com. His stories have appeared in more than ninety publications worldwide.

Kenneth Pobo has two collections forthcoming: At The Window, Silence (Fernwood Press) and Raylene And Skip (Wolfson Press).

Kenneth Vincent Walker is a "New Formalist" poet, spoken word artist, performer and author of Borderline Absurd (An Exercise in Rhyme and Reason), published by Poem Sugar Press/ Community Arts Ink, 2015. Originally from Buffalo, NY, and completing his higher education in Canada, Kenneth currently resides in South Central Pennsylvania where he performs his eclectic brand of poetry throughout the region along with his many published pieces in various literary journals, webzines and blogs. Also one of Kenneth's specialties is dark poetry and his podcasts may be accessed on Spotify.

Kerstan Batchelor is poet and writer native to Tennessee.

Kevin’s work has appeared in a variety of anthologies, magazines, and e-zines, and he enjoys writing in multiple genres. You can learn more about Kevin by visiting his website at http://www.kmhopson.com.

Kevin Lynch is the author of “Tabloid Baby,” a fictionalized account of his experiences working as a staff reporter for The National Enquirer. He currently owns and operates a private investigation agency in Florida where he lives near the beach with his dog, Gonzo. He is currently working on a collection of short fiction.

K. R. Wilson’s debut novel An Idea About My Dead Uncle won the inaugural Guernica Prize in 2018 and was published in 2019. His latest novel Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia was longlisted for the Leacock Medal for Literary Humour. His work has also been published in The Temz Review, Syncopation Literary Journal, Bywords and the flash fiction anthology This Will Only Take a Minute. He lives in Toronto.

Kim Fahner lives and writes in Sudbury, Ontario. Her newest book of poems, Emptying the Ocean, will be published this October by Frontenac House. Kim is a member of the League of Canadian Poets, the Ontario Representative of The Writers' Union of Canada (2020-24), and a supporting member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Kim may be reached via her author website at www.kimfahner.com

Kim Morton is a fiction writer and reader from Delaware USA, small wonder of the world. She is currently typing away at a novel about Black women and the Great Migration. There might also be a cult. Find her on Twitter @superkimtendo.

Krista Kulisch is a writer living in Los Angeles. She recently completed her MA in English and now spends her free time reading the pile of books next to her bed. She is currently working on a collection of poetry and prose that examines childhood, trauma, motherhood, and joy.