Leona R. Wisoker writes a variety of speculative fiction, from experimental to horror, from fantasy to science fiction. She also loves to edit (her own and other people’s work), read, and drink good coffee and better whiskey. In her less-than-abundant spare time, she is a wild garden warrior, an adventurous cook, and a champion catnapper, especially if sunbeams are available.
Leona’s novel, Lies of Stone, is a finalist for this year’s Webster Award.
J. Yamil is a writer and TTRPG designer based in Durham, NC. He lives with his partner and their trio of feline familiars.
He has worked with Stiff Whiskers Press, Goodman Games and Newsarama, where he has showcased his versatility and creativity. He has served as a lead admin for the Gongfarmer’s Almanac for 2024 and 2025. Yamil has participated in panels discussing diversity at the table and RPG safety tools at various conventions such as GaryCon and ConCarolinas.
He is currently hard at work on various projects for 5e, Dungeon Crawl Classics and Weird Frontiers.
Meryl Yourish has managed to turn her love of cats and reading fantasy into creating a fictional world where cats have human intelligence and magical powers. It’s no coincidence that some of the major Catmages look remarkably like cats that are or were in her life. The Catmage Chronicles series is the first published part of that world.
When she’s not writing about Catmages, she’s working on fantasy novels.
Meryl sometimes calls herself “a one-woman publishing house.” She has an extensive background in typesetting, desktop publishing, editing, copy editing, proofreading, and web production, as well as a smattering of programming. But her true love has always been the written word, both writing and reading.
She is currently writing a three-part sequel series to The Catmage Chronicles and a standalone Catmage novel set in 19th century Russia is in progress. There is also a dragon fantasy trilogy in the works when the Catmage stories are done.
Meryl lives in Richmond, VA, and can often be found at RavenCon, either as a fan or a guest.
Over the years, Virginia has been fortunate to have several great local conventions. ShevaCon was one that I tried to attend whenever possible, but in reality I ended up only attending sporadically throughout the Nineties. I started attending on a regular basis in 2002, when I began publishing Nth Degree. By my second appearance there as a guest, I was getting to know the staff pretty well. In 2005, when I was starting to organize the first RavenCon, word got to me that a few members of the ShevaCon staff were retiring and might be interested in helping out. I, of course, took them up on their offer. This was when Doris and Mike Manning became part of my family.
Ever since the first RavenCon, Doris ran our Registration Desk. She was always the first person you would see when you arrived at the convention; greeting people, handing out badges, and answering everyone’s questions. Doris embodied a quiet efficiency that kept us running smoothly. She loved her con family, cats, unicorns, books, and the Muppets; not necessarily in that order.
In January of 2014, Doris had a routine run-in with con crud. Her doctor screwed up and put her on an antibiotic that after a mere four doses pretty much shut down her kidney function. The nephrologist she was refered to proceeded to put her on a treatment plan with no better than a 50% chance of success. Several years of illnesses and treatments followed; around and around. Through it all, her loving husband and her convention friends kept her spirits up and she stayed her ever-positive self through it all—leg ulcers, treatments, more con crud, treatments, the COVID years, more treatments…
The last time she walked was July 12, 2021. She walked into the hospital under her own power, had one more surgical debridement there, and then got shipped to a nursing facility in Charlottesville where she ended up at the UVA Medical Center and woke up a week later… to the sound of a dialysis machine… mittens on her hands… and a promise that if she held still just a few minutes more the ventilator would be taken out. From that moment until the day that she passed, Doris fought. She had so many things that she still wanted to do, including getting back to see her convention family. The day before she passed I watched her make plans for long-term treatments and listened as she laid out plans for beating her illness and getting out of bed again.
Needless to say, there are bills and insurance is neither quick nor efficient nor kind. We’ve designated Doris as our 2024 Charity Auction recipient to help with the bills she left behind and to help make things easier on her husband, Mike Manning. Doris never missed the Charity Auction; she loved the crazy unpredictable stunts that would happen during the Auction and she always helped keep it running efficiently so it’s only fitting that we give her a good send off this year.
–Fearless Leader
In 2023, our Charity Auction supported ReEstablish Richmond.
ReEstablish Richmond was chosen to honor Lelia Taylor. Lelia was the owner of the Richmond-based Creatures ‘n Crooks Bookshoppe. She was also a part of RavenCon from the beginning, a yearly presence in our Vendors’ Room until she finally retired after many years of bookselling. She supported many of our RavenCon authors early in their careers, carrying their books in the Vendors’ Room and in her Richmond store, recommending them to readers looking for new SFFH.
Besides her passion for books (and cats, scented candles, Thin Mints, gourmet snacks, nightshirts depicting kittens, Christmas ornament shops, friendships that lasted for decades, and playing mahjong on her computer), Lelia financially supported a long list of charitable organizations that she felt very passionate about.
Founded in 2010, ReEstablish Richmond is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on helping refugees settle into Richmond while maintaining ties to their home culture. For the past two decades, they have developed programs related to housing, agriculture, transportation independence, employment, independence, health and wellness, economic empowerment, and community engagement. Their primary focus has been on connecting Richmond’s newest neighbors to life-building tools and resources, helping their integration into the community to be a positive and empowering experience.
If you would like to make a donation to ReEstablish Richmond you can do so through this link.
In 2017, our Charity Auction supported the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA). The Interstitial Cystitis Association is the only nonprofit charitable organization dedicated solely to improving the quality of healthcare and the lives of people living with interstitial cystitis (IC). IC is a recurring pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort in the bladder and pelvic region, often associated with urinary frequency (needing to go often) and urgency (feeling a strong need to go). IC can affect anyone. More than 12 million people in the US have IC, including two members of the RavenCon staff.
If you would like to make a donation to the ICA you can do so through this link.
2016’s Charity Auction was held in support of the Dialysis Patients Citizens’ Education Center. The Center is dedicated to improving kidney patients’ quality of life and reducing the occurrence of ESRD (end-stage renal disease) through education and by developing awareness of dialysis and kidney disease issues, improving the partnership between patients and caregivers, and developing favorable public policy solutions.
We chose this organization in honor of our good friend and co-conspirator, Ed Pope. Ed passed away on March 18th, a mere six weeks before the convention that he was looking forward to so much. Ed was our friendly Con Suite host—always smiling, always friendly, always positive. His one and only job at the convention was to make people feel welcome. Nobody did it better.
In 2016, RavenCon’s Charity Auction supported the Dialysis Patients Citizens Education Center. The Center is dedicated to improving kidney patients’ quality of life and reducing the occurrence of ESRD (end-stage renal disease) through education and by developing awareness of dialysis and kidney disease issues, improving the partnership between patients and caregivers, and developing favorable public policy solutions.
The Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) Education Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the affiliate organization of Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC). Founded in 2012, the Center is led by a board of directors composed of 10 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, including six currently on dialysis and four transplant recipients.
In the opening months of 2016, we lost our good friends Ed Pope and Bud Webster. Our donation to the DPC was made in their names.
RavenCon chose the Richmond Animal League (RAL) as 2015’s charity in memory of our late Vice Chair, John Patrick Jones. John was very fond of animals and RavenCon was happy to support one his favorite organizations.
Since 1979, Richmond Animal League has been finding homes for homeless dogs and cats in the Richmond area.
For many years they rented a kennel in Chesterfield County. In 1987 the property was sold to a residential developer and they were asked to leave the facility. In spite of this setback, they continued to care for many needy animals and boarded them at veterinarian offices and foster homes. Their goal was to raise enough money to build a brand new facility.
After seven years of fundraising activities and the generosity of their community, their dreams became a reality! In May 1994, they opened their new kennel near Chesterfield Towne Center. This facility can house up to 30 dogs, and 60 cats and kittens.
Since their facility opened, they have helped thousands of animals. They found homes for over 1,700 animals last year.
Though there is now a small staff of eight full-time employees, RAL has always been led by a volunteer board dedicated to reducing euthanasia rates in their community.
In 2009, they saw the great need for a low-cost, high-volume spay neuter clinic on the south side of the James. A year later, they opened an onsite clinic. The Loving Spay & Neuter Clinic provides low-cost services to municipal shelters, rescue groups, and private pet owners, as well as free services for feral cats. Free spay and neuter services are available for pet owners who meet low-income guidelines.
Their history continues to be written as they grow.
RavenCon chose the Foundation Fighting Blindness as 2014’s charity.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness is dedicated to funding innovative research to find preventions, treatments, and cures for inherited retinal degenerative diseases that lead to blindness and affect more than 10 million people in the United States.
The urgent mission of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc. (FFB) is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher Syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.
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