Kalisha Buckhanon is a writer, speaker and commentator creating stories and media about African-Americans, women, love, and justice. She is the author of SOLEMN, CONCEPTION and UPSTATE. Her latest novel, SPEAKING OF SUMMER, pulls readers into a woman's quest for answers and justice for her sister's disappearance from Harlem, sparking revelations about women’s lives in America and how they survive.

Gari Hart is a Chicago based author and musician. His articles and essays has appeared Examiner, Chicago Literati, and Chicago Burlesque. His first novel was Concealed Weapons, his second novel remains unfinished. Currently, he is finishing a collection of short stories to be self-published.