Shadow Lab, Volume Two: A Blackstone Publishing Anthology

Brendan Deneen, a former Scott Rudin Productions, Miramax/Dimension, and Macmillan Publishing exec, joined Blackstone in 2021 as an editor and launched the company’s in-house film/TV division. Deneen has set up Blackstone IP with Amazon Studios, Netflix, Paramount, NBC/Universal, A&E, Lionsgate, AMC, Legendary, Amblin, Imagine, and Skydance, among many others. As an author, Deneen has had sixteen books published, including Alien: Uncivil War, Guardians of the Galaxy: Annihilation—Conquest, Green Arrow: Stranded, The Island of Misfit Toys, Morbius: Blood Ties, Flash Gordon: The Mercy Wars, and Night Night, Groot.

Gemma Amor is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Dear Laura, Cruel Works of Nature, Till the Score Is Paid, and White Pines. She is also a podcaster, illustrator, and voice actor, and is based in Bristol, in the UK. Many of her stories have been adapted into audio dramas by the wildly popular NoSleep Podcast, and her work has also been featured on shows like Shadows at the Door, Creepy, and The Grey Rooms. She is a cocreator, writer, and voice actor for the horror-comedy podcast Calling Darkness, which also stars TV and film actress Kate Siegel. Heavily influenced by classical literature, Gothic romance, tragedy and heroism, she is most at home in front of a fire with a single malt and a dog-eared copy of anything by Angela Carter.

K. R. Blair, a minister’s daughter raised in the church, is now a screenwriter and novelist who specializes in dark, female-driven genre fiction that she’s certain will eventually get her excommunicated (though she’s glad it hasn’t happened yet). She is the author of two novels, The Beckoning Shadow and Unchosen. She is also a writer and executive story editor for Marvel’s Loki on Disney+, as well as the writer of the upcoming TVA series from Marvel Comics. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, four children, two dogs, four cats, and a handful of daddy longlegs with whom she’s reached a truce.

Adam Godfrey is the author of the sci-fi horror thriller novel Body of Water, horror novella Narcissus, and has published numerous short stories spanning genres of horror, thriller, and science fiction. He has worked for the United States Department of Defense as a cybersecurity risk management professional for over twenty-five years. Adam and his family live in Chesapeake, VA.

Nic James is a writer of screenplays, short stories, and novels. Her work often blends dark humor with surreal settings and offbeat characters. She currently lives in Arizona with her two Scottish Terriers and growing collection of mannequins.

Ari Marmell is the author of the Mick Oberon urban fantasy series, the Widdershins YA fantasy series, and many others, alongside novels in Magic: the Gathering and the video game Darksiders, as well as writing for several roleplaying games.

Faith Merino is the author of Cormorant Lake, which was longlisted for The Center for Fiction’s 2021 First Novel Award. Her short stories have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, The Indiana Review, Uncharted Magazine, and more. She is a former Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, with an MFA in fiction from UC Davis, and she currently teaches English at Folsom Lake College.

David Moody grew up in Birmingham on a diet of horror and pulp science fiction books and movies. He worked for financial institutions before giving up his day job to write about the end of the world for a living. He has written a number of horror novels, including Autumn, which has been downloaded more than half a million times since its publication in 2001. He lives in the United Kingdom with his wife and a houseful of daughters and stepdaughters, which may explain his preoccupation with Armageddon.

Noah Pohl is originally from coastal Massachusetts and earned a BA in Literary Arts from Brown University. A finalist for the Nancy D. Hargrove Editors’ Prize in Fiction, his work has appeared in Litro Magazine, The Jabberwock Review, The South Dakota Review, Passages North, Post Road, Eclectica Magazine, and The New Ohio Review. He lives and works in Southern California.

Diana Olney is a Seattle based author whose work has appeared in publications by WordFire Press, Small Wonders Magazine, The British Fantasy Society, Crystal Lake Publishing, Memento Mori Ink Magazine, and others. She is also the creator of Siren’s Song, an original horror comic book series written and illustrated by an all-female team. Visit her website dianaolney.com or find her on Instagram @dianaolneyauthor for updates on her latest tales.

Kylee Shimomura’s works range from short stories to sketch comedy, and she’s currently working on her first novel. When not staring at blank word docs, she spends her time playing board games with friends, cuddling her dogs, and coloring outside the lines. She lives in California

Soneela Nankani is an award-winning narrator with over three hundred titles in many different genres including Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, and Nonfiction. She has garnered sixteen Earphones Awards, nominations for Audie and SOVAS awards, and was recently awarded AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voice Lifetime Achievement Honor. Her audiobooks have been featured in Best Audiobooks lists by AudioFile magazine and the Washington Post, among others. In her spare time, she loves to read (yes, really), learn languages, try new recipes, and travel. She lives in the DC area with her husband and two mischievous daughters.

Joe Hempel, best known for his rich narrations, has entertained listeners with over one hundred audiobooks in genres ranging from horror and mystery to science fiction, romance, and personal development.

As a full-time audiobook narrator, Christian Leatherman has been fortunate enough to perform in many genres-fantasy, romance, sci-fi, nonfiction, and mystery/thriller-to bring life to complex worlds and characters ranging from a Southern android assistant to an early twentieth-century kid from Brooklyn who ran away from home. He never would have guessed that his previous life as a forensic science student and a beer/malt biologist might have prepared him with the medical and forensic jargon all too common in police-procedural thrillers and dense nonfiction but, here we are! Though tasting beer for a living was enjoyable, Christian couldn't ignore his creative voice screaming at him to utilize the acting and vocal performance chops he had developed but put aside for far too long. Making the leap into audiobook narration was the missing catalyst to fulfilling his true artistic passion: performing engaging stories and breathing life into beautifully-written characters who yearn for a voice. With an enthusiasm for taking on multiple genres, unique vocal variation, and a youthful sound, Christian can't wait to energize your next great story!

January LaVoy, winner of numerous awards for narration, was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine in 2019. She is an American actress best known for her character Noelle Ortiz on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. In addition to working extensively in narration and television, including roles on Law & Order and All My Children, she has worked on and off Broadway as well as in regional theater.

Roger Clark is a professional actor and voiceover artist who lives in New York City. He is best known for his award-winning portrayal of Arthur Morgan in the 2018 blockbuster game Red Dead Redemption 2. He has performed in over forty-five countries.

Lisa Flanagan is a classically trained soprano, comedian, voice-over artist, and Earphones Award–winning narrator.

Sarah Skaer is a talented actor and audiobook narrator with a professional background in both theater and film as well as a decade in teaching the movement arts. She brings both energy and thoughtfulness to the characters she portrays on the page.

Hillary Huber is one of the most successful voice talents in Los Angeles. Recent books read for Blackstone Audio include Him, Her, Him Again, the End of Him by Patricia Marx, A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read, and A Map of Glass by Jane Urquhart.

Marni Penning co-founded Fahrenheit Theatre Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was renamed the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in 2006. While she also performs in contemporary plays and comedies, her stage career has included more than fifty productions of Shakespeare’s plays.

Emily Lawrence, an actor and writer, is passionate about bringing stories to life. She has narrated more than 425 audiobooks, many of which were USA Today or New York Times bestsellers, and has also worked in film, television, and theater.