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JOANN GARZA-MAYBERRY
Joann Garza-Mayberry grew up in San Antonio, Texas and had a successful career as a Texas Game Warden stationed in Caldwell County from 2004 up until her retirement in August 2024. Joann has appeared on multiple episodes of the Animal Planet Series, Lone Star Law. You can hear her speak about her career as a game warden on Season 2 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Podcast, Under the Texas Sky. Joann enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband Mark and their children, Job and Vida. Joann enjoys community outreach and has written children’s books that share important lessons from some of her own youth interactions as a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officer: Joey Takes a Shot at Hunting, Will and Emma Go Boating, and Callie Catches a Lunker Fishing. A portion of the sale of each book is donated to the Texas Game Warden Association, for youth hunting and fishing programs. |
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ADRIANNA CUEVAS
Adrianna Cuevas is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. After teaching Spanish and ESOL for sixteen years, she decided to pursue her passion for storytelling. Adrianna currently resides outside of Austin, Texas, with her husband and son where they enjoy hiking, traveling, and cooking lots of Cuban food. She writes middle-school fantasy books full of humor and heart. Adrianna Cuevas is the author of the Pura Belpre honor book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, the Edgar Award winning The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, and many other popular middle grade titles. |
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KAREN MACINERNEY
USA Today bestselling author Karen MacInerney is the housework-impaired creator of multiple mystery series, and her victims number well into the double digits. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her sassy family and a menagerie of animals, including Dog #1 (a spoiled labradoodle named Tristan) and Dog #2 (a rescue Bichon-mystery mix named Little Bit). When she's not chauffeuring children or coming up with creative ways to kill people, you can usually find Karen hiding away with a book, dodging laundry, or playing in the kitchen. (No fatalities on the last two fronts—at least not yet.) She also teaches writing classes. |
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JESSE SUBLETT
Jesse Sublett is an Austin, Texas based author, musician and all-around character in the Live Music Capital of the World. The Austin-American Statesman recently referred to him as “one of Austin’s best living writers." He began writing short stories and novels in the mid-eighties while still playing full time. Sublett is the author of 16 books, including fiction and nonfiction. He is best-known for his nonfiction books Last Gangster in Austin: Frank Smith, Ronnie Earle, and the End of a Junkyard Mafia, 1960s Austin Gangsters, and his crime and cancer memoir, Never the Same Again: A Rock ’n’ Roll Gothic. |
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DANIELLE BELLENY, M.SC.
Danielle Belleny is a San Antonio-raised science educator, birder, cemetery birder, and author based in San Marcos, Texas. In 2020, Danielle along with other members of Black AF in STEM created #BlackBirdersWeek, a week-long celebration of Black nature enthusiasts. In 2022, Danielle published her first book, This Is a Book for People Who Love Birds. For seasoned spotters and backyard hobbyists alike, this charming guide offers an accessible look at the irresistible world of birding. A Junior Birder's Handbook, published in November 2023, is a beautifully illustrated kid's guide to birds and their habitats, perfect for budding birders whether they live in a city, suburb, or rural area. Other work by Danielle centers the biological importance of cemeteries and encourages a shift in North American death culture. Her writings can be found in Birding and Vermilion Flycatcher. Danielle currently works as a staff wildlife biologist at Plateau Land and Wildlife Management. |