Rachel M. Friars:

Rachel M. Friars (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on neo-Victorianism and adaptations of Jane Eyre. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, popular culture, and the Gothic. Her academic writing has been published with Palgrave Macmillan and in The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies and is forthcoming from Crime Studies Journal and Edinburgh University Press. She is a reviewer for The Lesbrary, the co-creator of True Crime Index, and an Associate Editor and Social Media Coordinator for PopMeC Research Collective. Rachel is co-editor-in-chief of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and regularly publishes her own short fiction and poetry. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads.  (Photo by Meghan Burry)

Jesyka Traynor:

Jesyka Traynor (she/her) is a PhD Candidate in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and MA in English Literature and her work examines contemporary Californian literature, with a focus on representations of the Californian landscape and mythology by Californian authors. Jesyka also does research on true crime. Her work on women in twenty-first century true crime has been published in Crime Fiction Studies. Jesyka serves as an editor of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and is the co-creator of True Crime Index. She is also an Assistant Editor with PopMeC Research Collective. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads. 

Connor E.R. DeMerchant:

Connor E. R. DeMerchant (he/him) is a historian from Kingston, New Brunswick, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History and a Master’s in History from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In the fall of 2021 he will be pursuing a PhD in history at the University of New Brunswick – Fredericton in the field of Caribbean history. Connor enjoys researching all aspect of Victorian Britain and its global empire, with his MA thesis focusing on Queen Victoria’s interest and impact on music during her reign. When not being an academic, Connor enjoys doing genealogy, rug-hooking, and thrifting. 

Rachel Roth:

Rachel is an author and poet living in South Florida. A graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s in English and a Certificate in Creative Writing, she’s written for several horror anthologies and literary journals including 101 Horror Proof, Pandemic Unleashed, and Darkness Wakes. The horror story, The Undead Redhead: The Girl in the Mall is her debut novel.