We started as 20 writers

Meet Our Founder

Kyra Wilson Cook is a mother, entrepreneur and sometimes-preacher. She spends her time gathering community, contemplating the possible, discerning truth, and imagining the future—as much as she can in fiction. A native Marylander who has spent her adult life in Massachusetts, Kyra sets her stories in New England, but writes them with her Southern cadence and Mid-Atlantic worldview. In her fiction, she seeks to write stories featuring children of color who can traverse many worlds with the savvy to code-switch, challenge, and triumph as they go. She writes under multiple pen names, including K. Onley for middle-grade and K. W. Onley for adult fiction.

Kyra is a proud graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is studying Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Maryland, College Park’s Do Good Institute. She is a graduate of Grub Street’s Short Story Incubator and has enjoyed taking many workshops through Grub Street. She’s also attended workshops through One Story and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. Kyra is a member of the We Need Diverse Books Black Revisions Workshop 2022 cohort and the Viable Paradise 2022 Cohort.

Kyra currently serves on the board of The Writers’ Loft, a writing community in Hudson, Massachusetts, which was the fiscal sponsor for the Guild in early 2022.

When she is not leading or writing, Kyra knits, quilts, and embroiders.

Photo credit: Jessica Cronin Photography

Heather Gerry Kelly wears many hats, but her favorite is a tiara. You’ll find her managing the Writers’ Loft, Little Book Locker (getting books into the hands of vulnerable children), Pocket Moon Press, and Rocky Point Press. She writes everything from Picture Books to Romance and mentors authors along the way. Discover the Writers’ Loft illustrated anthologies for children and her workbook, Jumpstart Your Writing in 30 Days. Remember, writing, and publishing are too hard to do alone! Find your community. heatherkellyauthor.com 

Danni Foley is an avid gamer and writer with a background in accounting (of the non-spicy variety). She has recently added the title of “student” as she pursues her MFA in Creative Writing at UMass Boston. Her current passion project is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign based on Greek mythology. Danni serves as the Guild’s treasurer.

Shawn P Zimmerman’s D&D character sheet would require at least 6 multi-classes.  Husband, father, reader, writer, software tester, cook. He is interested in learning all the things he doesn’t know, so that list will continue to grow.

John Walters is a science fiction writer, part-time sustainability professional, parent, and a writer. When he’s not writing, parenting, or writing, you can find him playing tabletop games, hiking, exercising, or playing pickleball.

Steff Higgins makes media and writes for kids. They directed and produced the documentary The Gay Marriage Thing and are currently working on an LGBTQ themed middle-grade novel. Steff is committed to creating media for and about underrepresented young people. Steff serves as the Guild’s clerk.

Sonia Grace spends a lot of time yelling about injustice. In her spare time she writes novels, goes on adventures, and tries to get kidnapped by faeries. She has never commandeered a Greek fishing boat in the dead of night.