About the panelists:
AMBER D. LEWIS (she/her) is a highly combustible combination of caffeine, mismatched coffee mugs, and shiny things. In her spare time (and, quite frankly, when she’s supposed to be doing other things) she writes fantasy and other stories.
DOMINIC LIM’s (he/him) debut novel, ALL THE RIGHT NOTES, has been named a 2023 best book by USA Today, Harper’s Bazaar, Goodreads, BookRiot, Library Journal, Booklist, and Entertainment Weekly, who called it “a swoony, joyful rom-com to take readers into a love story worthy of a Broadway stage.” He is a member of the Writers Grotto and is a co-host of the long-running Babylon Salon reading and performance series in San Francisco. Dominic holds a Master of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, is an alum of Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, and has sung with numerous professional early music and choral ensembles. As a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association he has performed Off-Broadway and in regional productions throughout the US. He works as a paralegal for a biotech company in the Bay Area and lives in Oakland with his loving and supportive husband, Peter, and their whiny cat, Phoebe.
Lambda Literary Fellow JEN ST. JUDE (they/them) grew up in New Hampshire apple orchards and now lives in Chicago with their wife, daughter, and dog. Their debut YA novel, IF TOMORROW DOESN'T COME, was published by Bloomsbury Children's (US) and Penguin Random House (UK) in 2023.
KARA JORGENSEN (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary, neurodivergent oddball with a penchant for all things antiquated, morbid, or just plain strange. A lover of history and science, Kara melds their passions through their 9, going on 10 historical-paranormal books, and graduated in 2016 with an MFA in Creative and Professional Writing. When not writing, they can be found hanging with their dogs or begging their students to cite their sources.
MATTHEW HUBBARD (he/him) writes the kind of stories he wished he’d had as a teen in rural Alabama. He grew up on a mountaintop farm and knows more than he is willing to admit about small towns. He studied English, marketing, and psychology in college and has spent a majority of his life speaking up to make a difference. When he isn’t writing, Matthew can be found on a hike in search of breathtaking views, reading as many books as he can get his hands on, and cheering for his favorite hockey team. He lives in Chattanooga with his husband, their dogs, Layla and Phillip, and Jay Gatsby the cat. THE LAST BOYFRIENDS RULES FOR REVENGE is his first novel.
About the moderator:
KARIN YUNG (she/her) is a highly-caffeinated overly-anxious ball of chaos disguised as a single mom and podcaster. She spent her childhood escaping to the different fantasy lands created by books and film. This girl mom currently lives in the Bay Area with her overly dramatic Tiny Human™️ who keeps her constantly on her toes. When not podcasting, Karin spends her free time watching her latest TV obsession or tearing through books like there is no tomorrow. She is currently juggling multiple writing projects because her brain can’t ever focus on one thing at a time.