Author: ravenchair (Page 6 of 16)

Uncle Grayhawk

March 29, 2026 / ravenchair

Uncle Grayhawk originally hails from south-central New Jersey (not far from Philly) and is a former professional theater technician who now makes a living as a senior Windows admin for a secret branch of the federal government that resides within the walls of NOAA.

Or something like that.

More than 40 years ago, Uncle Grayhawk opened a Christmas present to find a blue and white box sporting a picture of a dragon, bearing the title of “Dungeons & Dragons”. This jump-started a long time love affair with TTRPGs, spending much of his time in the DM’s chair. In the early 90s, he was introduced to fan conventions and began volunteering, mostly in the realms of gaming, Security/Public Safety, and Operations.

Now, nearly three decades later, Uncle Grayhawk has served on the demo teams for several game companies, helped run more conventions than he cares to remember, amassed what can only be described as a ridiculous number of board games and TTRPGs, and acquired an equally absurd repertoire of stories that he uses to entertain and educate. He has contributed to a few RPG supplements, playtested several board games, and dabbled in podcasting. He holds a BA in Communications & Theater Arts from McDaniel College, is the parent of two adult geeks, and runs a weekly online D&D game.

You can find his ramblings on the web here: linktr.ee/unclegrayhawk.

Jason Hansa

March 29, 2026 / ravenchair

Always interested in science fiction, Jason Hansa began writing while serving on active duty in the U.S. Army. Retiring from the Army in 2018, he currently has multiple published science fiction stories set in the BattleTech (MechWarrior computer game) universe, most of them in collected anthologies available on Amazon or the Catalyst Game Labs store. Originally from Illinois and an eternal Cubs fan, Jason now lives in Virginia with his wife and two children.

John G. Hartness

March 29, 2026 / ravenchair

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, a righter of wrong, defender of ladies’ virtues, and some people call him Maurice, for he speaks of the pompatus of love. He is also the award-winning author of the urban fantasy series The Black Knight Chronicles, the Bubba the Monster Hunter comedic horror series, the Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter dark fantasy series, and many other projects.

In 2016, John teamed up with several other publishing industry professionals to create Falstaff Books, a small press dedicated to publishing the best of genre fiction’s “misfit toys.” Falstaff Books has since published over 350 titles with authors ranging from first-timers to NY Times bestsellers, with no signs of slowing down any time soon. He is also the founder of the SAGA Genre Fiction Writers’ Conference, where students hone their business and craft skills to write better books and make more money.

In his copious free time John enjoys long walks on the beach, rescuing kittens from trees and playing Magic: the Gathering. John’s pronouns are he/him.

Morgan Hazelwood

March 29, 2026 / ravenchair

Morgan Hazelwood writes from her lair in Northern Virginia. She’s been sharing Writing Tips & Writerly Musings since 2015, first as a blogger, then as a streamer and podcaster as well. With nine fully drafted manuscripts and a stack of rejection letters, she does have one published short story, “Just a Hike In The Woods” by the Dark Recesses Webzine in January of 2022. When not writing, you can find her devouring book series on her kindle, learning to scroll saw, or feeding her webcomic addiction. She is also a volunteer for local writing conventions and was a voice actor for Anansi Storytelling—a fairytale audio drama podcast.

Sean Heare

March 28, 2026 / ravenchair

A longtime denizen of fandom, Sean Heare has spent four decades volunteering, matchmaking, and—on memorable occasions—commandeering entire conventions before cheerfully handing them back by Sunday morning. He has served as board member, treasurer, and con chair; built a reputation for high‑energy, audience‑first panels; and collected improbable stories along the way, including nearly becoming an Author GOH without a book and being mistaken at a wedding for Grig “Punkie” Larson. Raised on Star Trek, Ray Bradbury, and Douglas Adams, Sean brings a wry, welcoming voice to both the stage and the hallway track, blending deep genre love with just enough chaos to keep things lively.

Between sessions, expect surprise no‑quarter pillow‑fight challenges and his late‑night sci‑fi trivia melee, Alien Peril. On panels, he’s a cheerful agent of mischief who delights in sparking spirited, good‑humored debates and making room for fresh voices. Offstage, Sean binges speculative TV, hoards board games, and routinely loses at Texas Hold ’Em with suspicious luck.

Above all, he champions the inclusive, ever‑weirder joy of fandom—celebrating the community that welcomes the gleefully odd, the endlessly curious, and anyone ready to laugh at the improbable. If there’s music, he’ll dance; if there’s a game, he’ll play; and if there’s a crowd, he’ll make sure everyone’s invited.

Heather Curatola Heckel

March 28, 2026 / ravenchair

Heather Curatola Heckel is a role-playing game author and designer. She is best known for her contributions to several White Wolf Publishing RPG sourcebooks and supplements, including the Children of Gaia Tribebook , Umbra: The Velvet Shadow, and Digital Web. She is known for creating Alexis Hastings, the narrator of the first edition Sons of Ether Tradition Book. She has been actively involved in the role-playing community for over 35 years and takes great pride in her extensive role-playing game collection (including the game Rus, which most people have never seen).

She has been an editor, independent publisher, and cover designer and is working on writing her first novel. She currently teaches sociology at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA, focusing primarily on popular culture, fandom, AI, social media, and virtual communities.

Helen of Joy

March 28, 2026 / ravenchair

By day, I wrangle teenagers as a Career and Technical Education teacher in a small rural high school. By night, I turn into a Crafting Necromancer, conjuring creations out of recycled fiber, paper, resin, filament, electronics, fabric, and occasionally old mail (okay, frequently bills). My newest obsessions are cosplay and sending Happy Mail—because who doesn’t love a mailbox full of joy?

I’m a proud Cat Person =^.^=, currently under the benevolent reign of Gandalf (a regal Persian) and his sidekick Bookstahoodah (a tuxedo mischief-maker). For balance, I also have a Yorkie named Shostakovich who insists on being the dramatic lead in the ongoing sitcom that is my household.

I believe in kindness, creativity, and the power of meeting other kind, creative people—preferably over tea, good conversation, and spirited debate… like who the best Doctor was, and why it is Tom Baker.

Alexandra Higgins/The Platypus Princess

March 28, 2026 / ravenchair

Alexandra Higgins (aka the Platypus Princess) is a self-taught singer/songwriter whose folk-indie sound evokes the spirit of Joan Baez (direct quote heard randomly and unprompted at every performance!). Her voice, often described as angelic, carries melodies that mix ethereal beauty with sharp wit and compassionate wisdom. Inspired by video games, movies, comic books, and disability advocacy, she blends cosplay, wordplay, and colorful guitar play—with a pinch of sass.

Hiphopmcdougal

March 28, 2026 / ravenchair

Hiphopmcdougal are many things. Time travelers. Check. Space adventurers. Check. Cryptid hunters. Check. Pizza lovers. You better believe it! For over 15 years, Hiphopmcdougal has journeyed across the globe and the cosmos on countless missions and quests. Along the way, they’ve amassed not only regional recognition, but many tales of fortune and glory. Come listen as they recount these extraordinary deeds through music and song. But be warned, the unexpected awaits! Werewolves, rubber ducks, flying bags of Cheez-its, these are just a few of the possibilities that await you.

Hiphopmcdougal is the musical duo of Charlie Hodgson and Julian Biggs. Their latest album, The Adventures of Hiphopmcdougal, is now available on Spotify, Bandcamp, and Apple Music.

Nate Hoffelder

March 28, 2026 / ravenchair

Nate has been helping people fix broken tech since 2010. He turns broken down WordPress sites into sites which convert visitors into superfans, also builds sites from scratch, and helps authors with their social media and newsletters.

When he’s not volunteering with writing groups, he writes bad jokes on Facebook and creates memes and graphics. His current obsessions include repairing and selling model trains, designing con badges, and finding novel uses for a thermal postage printer.