Los Angeles native Jeri Westerson writes a Tudor series, the King’s Fool Mysteries, and a Sherlockian pastiche called An Irregular Detective Mystery. She wrote fifteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mysteries, a multi-nominated series. She also wrote several paranormal series and standalone historicals. She has served as president of the SoCal chapter of Mystery Writers of America, president and vice president for two chapters of Sisters in Crime (Orange County and Los Angeles), is a member of the LA Sherlockian scion of the Baker Street Irregulars, and a founding member of the SoCal chapter of the Historical Novel Society.

On April 25, 2024, the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California, was the home of the 40th Writers of the Future Awards and 35th Illustrators of the Future Awards. I wrote up the event for The Geekiary, but there were some interviews that didn't quite make the final cut. So, consider this a 'behind the scenes' extra for the Awards.

J. Caroline Toy (she/her) is Learning Experience Manager in the Center for Learning & Teaching at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, and Adjunct Professor in the College's humanities Core. Her research and teaching focus on religion, popular media, and fan cultures, specializing in how fans use types of ritual and narrative practices that are traditionally associated with religion. Trained as a scholar of folklore and religion, she is also interested in religion in public space and protest in the United States, and changing rural and urban experiences of place.

She has published in venues including The Journal of Fandom Studies, Transformative Works and Cultures, Understanding Religion and Popular Culture (2nd ed.), and the Humanities Commons, and has appeared on the Mugglenet podcast Reading, Writing, Rowling (now Potterversity). Caroline is a huge (HUGE!) Doctor Who fan and a lifelong Trekker, has an "It's complicated" relationship with Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and will try basically any mystery novel. When not geeking out, she paddles dragon boats and spoils her cat, St. Alia of the Eighteen Knives. You can find samples of her work at Academia.edu.

interview, acafan, J. Caroline Troy, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, religion, Neil Teixeira

This episode's guest is Andrea Davis. Her background is in the film & television industry where she's worked on both television series & movies, from creating/designing costumes & specialty wardrobe, building sets & displays and making props. Additionally, she has crafted numerous costumes, accessories, props and set pieces for commission work. She has a degree in Fashion Design and is a La Cordon Bleu trained chef.

This episode's guest is Michaela Weissburg, an LA native. Mickie and I worked briefly together at a media organization in the YouTube space.

After working in the field for 6 years, Michaela’s experience in VFX production management has given her depth as well as breadth of knowledge. From zombies, to vampires, to aliens, to dragons, there has been no shortage of cool stuff for her to work on.

And while not all of it is exciting, she takes pride in her small efforts to create a product that ends up being greater than the sum of its parts. It all starts with a story, a lot of teamwork, and a little bit of magic.

This episode's guest is author, screenwriter, and lapsed academic J.M. Frey. She has a BA in Dramatic Literature and an MA in Communications and Culture and has discussed all things geeky through the lens of academia.

J.M. grew up in the comic book convention circuit, consuming copious amounts of scifi and Japanese TV, spending all her pocket money on manga, and honing her skills as an award-winning cosplayer. And all the while watching her fellow fans – which later became the basis for her academic studies in theatre, performance, sociology, anthropology, and gender.

J.M.'s also a professionally trained actor who takes absolute delight in weird stories, over the top performances, and quirky characters. She’s played everything from Marmee to the Red Queen, Jane Eyre to Annie, and dozens of strange creatures and earnest heroines as a voice actor.

This episode's guest is Myke Dodge Weiskopf. I met Myke through KCRW's Independent Producer program, as he's the senior producer in the Music Department. He's been publicly writing, thinking, and obsessing about music since age 13, when he published his first fanzine on a hand-me-down Apple IIe and a dot-matrix printer.

He is the founding producer of KCRW's Lost Notes (which I reviewed on my website), and – as he writes on his website -- makes beautiful and atmospheric audio stories. A love of sound is the fundamental through-line in his life and work. When he's not producing audio, he's an avid outdoorsman, and has worked as a fire lookout under the US Forest Service and volunteered on backcountry trail restoration projects deep in Los Padres National Forest.

Josephine Green Zhang is a storyteller who aspires to empower characters to rise above their circumstances and create their own happy endings – with a special focus on misfits and flawed, funny women. Josephine has been a tv writer on Season 2 of Hulu's "Dollface" and on Seasons 2 and 3 of "First Wives Club" on BET+. She has also developed an unproduced, animated action kung-fu fantasy for Netflix and written two unproduced feature films for Universal.  She is a rotating podcast host for WGA's Third and Fairfax -- interviewing other TV and feature screenwriters about their journeys and work behind the scenes. And when she's not geeking out on story, she is otherwise chilling with her dog, cat, and husband near Pasadena, California. (Recorded prior to the writer's strike.)