Meet the #ZapWhamPow Council
Casey Jones
AKA - write.with.caseyjones
Casey is a hectic, chaotic millennial that doesn't know how to sit still. When she's not at her desk, fully immersed in the wonderful world of books, she can be found on the pool deck working with collegiate athletes as a springboard diving coach.
An an indie author and freelance developmental and line editor, Casey still pinches herself when she looks back and thinks about the path her life has taken. From teaching to bartending to personal training to biology labs, she feels like she's dabbled in so many things that all eventually brought her to where she is today.
Personal Statement:
"If you had asked me five years ago where I saw myself in five years, never in my wildest dreams would I think this is the life I'd be able to build for myself. I cannot imagine a world when I don't have my authors, my friends, and my #ZapWhamPow community with me every step of the way where we are chatting and laughing and building each other up every single day. Writing, and being fully immersed in the bookish space, is no longer something done in isolation, and I am so thankful for the people the universe decided to put in my path. It's a privilege to be with others who intrinsically understand the chaos in our minds when a new plot bunny takes hold, and when self doubt and imposter syndrome rear their ugly heads, I know I have an entire community ready to lift me back up."
#ZapWhamPow was born from looking to have fun within a creative process that can be filled with doubt while also building a community of humans who understood in a way others couldn't.
Kevin Michaud
AKA - CoastalWizard
Kevin is a southern transplant originally from Connecticut and has settled outside of Charlotte, NC. He is a writer, father, cat rescuer, and avid supporter of indie authors. He has found and followed many indie author's stories on booktok and avidly seeks out to support them with ARC and beta reads.
Kevin's writing started early, in the age of text-based-games (MultipleUserDungeons) where he actively designed spaces for other players to GO NORTH/SOUTH and explore. He joined, moderated, and even administrated several collaborative writing forums over the years. He is also a storyteller in the form of table-top role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons.
Personal Statement:
"I believe that creative energy is what makes the world go 'round. Growing up as a reader, I could get lost in the pages. I am amazed at musical, artistic, and even physical abilities of my fellow humans. I love the spark of energy and inspiration that grows in me each time I experience something new. I feel incredibly lucky to grow up in the information age, to be able to experience so much, and continue to do so on a daily basis. In that same vein, I feel lucky to know a creative soul like Casey, and when she expressed a desire for the #ZapWhamPow challenge, I knew I wanted to throw any support I could into it as well. Creating, sharing, and experiencing new things is such a fulfilling goal in life. Everyone who does it deserves the greatest support."
Taleah Cox
AKA - T. E. Cox
Taleah was born in Utah, USA and raised in an extremely conservative culture. She started writing at the ripe age of eleven, eagerly putting pencil to paper, and her first (and still favorite) reader is her younger sister. As she entered college, writing became a hobby while she focused on studying. She obtained two BAs and an MA - accomplishments she's incredibly proud of because they broke the dictates of her society and upbringing.
Most days, you can find Taleah writing, swearing, and/or obsessing over a story. She writes fantasy novels and poetry (but don’t worry, she won’t ask you to read the latter!) A pantser ‘till death, she’s just as shocked as her readers when the characters do something horrible. She loves to read fantasy, classics, and web comics, eagerly looking forward to book club when she can talk about her latest read. She currently lives in Japan with her Ancient-Greek-stoic-philosopher-reborn-in-a-Japanese-body husband.
Personal Statement:
“The journey I’ve traveled, from who I was raised to be vs. who I actually am, is enough to earn me bonus points from a certain fellowship with a shiny ring. There’s nothing more beautiful than authenticity and personal growth, and I believe sometimes people, like stories, take a few drafts. I love being part of the #ZapWhamPow community where we rejoice in the victories, both in life and on page. Afterall, creating – and living – is courageous!”
Siren Bard
AKA - SirenBard
You would think Siren Bard writes Horror. A lover of all things spooky, from Halloween, books, special effects, movies and cemeteries she haunts to take pictures of, there is nothing that scares her! She could info dump about how the goriest scene in a movie from the 80's and 90's was made, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was a frequent flyer in her book bag with its dog eared pages and worn cover. Yet, despite her love of all things macabre, she could never shake her love of fantasy and a good old fashioned happily ever after.
Siren wrote her first full length novel at the age of twelve. The story started as a thriller that morphed into a fantasy world housed in a five subject college-ruled notebook that had seen better days and quite a few spaghetti stains. As the years went by, she would turn that adolescent tale into a series that may, or may not, someday be re-written with a little less cringy angst. By the age of 22, she had written numerous stories, naively queried publishing houses without a literary agent (for context late 90's libraries weren't particularly helpful and neither was AOL), had a short story of hers published in a Romanian Sci-Fi/Fantasy magazine, and started the first draft of Faith in the Fallen - a story collabed with the love of her life.
Now at 45, she has embarked on the self publishing journey for her latest WIP: Goddess Ascent - a fantastical world that has taken four years of world building, rewrites, and drafts to compile into something that feels publish worthy. The tale spans time and distance with inspiration taken from a life well lived and full of adventures!
Outside of her literary adventures, she's a mom of two amazing, creative humans who have inspired a few characters, has three fur babies with Wolf guest staring in Goddess Ascent, and married the love of her life, who is her driving force to publish. She loves all stories and plenty have crossed her kindle and hands since she was three and begged her parents to take her to the library for more.
AKA - CaraMeldapesAuthor
Cara Meldapes
Cara was born and raised in New York City and flourished under the extensive NY Public Library system, where the local librarians quickly knew her by first name. Her love of reading fantasy started young and has only grown since. With more than 15 moves under her belt before the age of 30, she finally calls the Philly area home, and is quickly becoming a familiar face at the local library. When she isn’t roaming the shelves, she’s at home with her partner, a clowder of cats and a gremlin that pretends to be a dog.
Cara first started writing in middle school and hasn’t stopped since. With multiple complete books under her belt, her current work Starlight’s Promise is the first she is trying to get traditionally published. When Cara isn’t writing the whopping 15 book series she’s been crafting for the last two years, she’s wrangling plot bunnies in the romantasy, fantasy, space opera, or contemporary romance spaces.
Personal statement:
“I’ve been looking for a supportive, focused, and community-oriented space for a long time now, and consider myself so fortunate to have found #ZapWhamPow. Creating is a need, and it’s so validating being in a space with so many other people who have that same drive. Making is no longer a solo activity, and having a community to lift each other up and celebrate our wins is critical.”