Author Zaq Baker discusses his debut novel, Unspectacular. This family dramedy is about young people trying to balance a music career with family struggles and everyday life. The story is told in two primary narratives: Mae, a twenty-year-old music student who doesn’t really want a career in music but who is expected to be next big thing; and Ajay, a software engineer and skilled drummer who struggles to balance the job at which he is expected to excel with the music career he desperately wants. Zaq Baker has written what he knows. He’s been singing and writing songs since he was fifteen. A professional musician and songwriter, Zaq plays in about ten different bands, so writing Unspectacular began as a private, creative project just for himself.

Author Mima Tipper discusses her debut young adult contemporary romance novel, Kat’s Greek Summer. Rising high school freshman, Kat, is dragged off to Greece for a vacation to meet her extended family, ruining Kat’s own summer plans of training for the cross-country team and preparing for a successful transition into high school. Mima describes Kat’s Greek Summer as high-stakes odyssey for her main character—one of pursing dreams, discovering love, owning her heritage, and finding her own voice. For this story, Mima drew upon her own memories of the summer following her eighth-grade year, as well as summers she spent in Greece with her extended family.

Author Richie Billing discusses his new fantasy novella, Together We Rise, a story about revolution against a corrupt government in a world were life has become a fight for survival. Richie took inspiration from real-world events and the plight of many around the globe. This story is told from multiple points of view—workers, healers, children, police officers, criminals, and so on. Each chapter follows a different character, and the story unfolds like a baton relay race, with each character handing off to the next, chapter by chapter, until we see the entire story unfold. Richie also used AI to create a soundtrack to accompany this novella.