Christopher Castellani is the author of six books, most recently the novel Last Seen. His previous book is Leading Men, a novel about Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo, for which he received Fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, and MacDowell. Leading Men is currently being adapted for film.

A former librarian, Jenn McKinlay is a The New York Times bestselling author, who writes in multiple genres—mystery, romance, and fantasy. Her latest book is Booking for Trouble. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process.

Noted American businessman Bob Rich is an avid outdoorsman and the author of five books, including Fish Fights, The Fishing Club, and The Right Angle. His novel, Looking Through Water, was awarded a gold medal by Readers’ Favorite in the category of Southern Fiction and has been made into a film now streaming on multiple platforms, including Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play.

Mirta Ojito has worked at the Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, and The New York Times. She received an Emmy for the documentary Harvest of Misery and a shared Pulitzer in 2001 for a series about race in America. She author of two award-winning nonfiction books. Deeper than the Ocean is her debut novel.

Karen Dukess is the author of The Last Book Party and Welcome to Murder Week, a “ … delightfully funny and heartfelt new novel,” (The New York Times). She is also the host of The Castle Hill Author Talks, a series of virtual and in-person interviews with some of today’s most exciting authors.

Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. They are The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today international bestselling authors with over two million copies sold worldwide. Their latest book is The Next Mrs. Parrish. Their previous book, The Last Mrs. Parrish, was a Reese’s Book Club pick.

Sarah Stewart Taylor is the author of the Sweeney St. George series and the Maggie D’arcy mysteries. She has been nominated for multiple awards, including the Dashiell Hammett Prize and the Sue Grafton Memorial Award. Her latest book, Hunter’s Heart Ridge, the second in new series, is set in Vermont in the 1960s.

Robert W. Fieseler will speak about his book, American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives, a history of how Black activists and gay teachers were targeted by a legislative inquest in Florida in the 1950s and how the story was recovered and revealed after authorities tried to hide it.

Nicholas Boggs is the New York Times bestselling author of Baldwin: A Love Story, the first major biography of the iconic figure in over three decades. He also co-edited a new edition of Baldwin’s collaboration with French artist Yoran Cazac, Little Man, Little Man: A Story of Childhood (2018). He is the recipient of a 2023 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and fellowships from the Leon Levy Center for Biography, the Scholars-in-Residence program at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Gilder Lehrman Center and Beinecke Library at Yale, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell. Most recently he was the 2024-2025 John Hope Franklin Fellow at the National Humanities Center.

Dr. Mader will discuss the changes in the Florida Keys’ fauna and flora over recent decades, highlighting the impact of invasive species. Notable invaders include the Green iguana, pythons, Lionfish, Cuban tree frogs, Haitian curly-tailed lizards, Myna Birds, and Monk parrots. Invasive plants like Australian Pine and Brazilian Pepper trees also pose significant threats. Each new species, regardless of size, harms the sensitive ecosystem of the Keys.

Dr. Spadaro will discuss applying new technology, novel methods and materials, and classic ecological theory to the holistic restoration of Florida’s Coral Reef. In collaboration with multiple nations and institutions, he is working with large native crab that have the potential to facilitate dramatic, large scale coral restoration.

Dr. Jack Stein Grove will be drawing from 50 years of research and adventures in the Galapagos Islands, Dr. Grove will discuss the natural history and incredible wildlife of the enchanting archipelago.