The Fiction Sessions

Ariadne Blayde is a New Orleans-based author and playwright. Her debut novel, ASH TUESDAY, is out from indie press April Gloaming. Her short fiction has won the Tennessee Williams Saints & Sinners Fiction Contest and the Quantum Shorts People’s Choice Prize, she has twice been a finalist for the Patty Friedmann Fiction Competition, and her work has been published in various anthologies. Her play "The Other Room" is performed internationally. She writes speculative fiction, historical fiction, and work focusing on social and environmental justice. Ariadne moonlights as a ghost tour guide in the French Quarter. www.ariadneblayde.com

Marlana Botnick Fireman (she/they) is a queer, Jewish writer in New Orleans. In 2024, she completed her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans. Their work is found in the Southeast Review, Reckon Review, and elsewhere. Marlana can be found on Instagram and Substack: @firelightdisco

UL Press will publish Jon’s comedy memoir Hear This! in 2026. His thriller The Gemstone Peridot and comic noir You’ve Got To Be Killing Me! are in the New Orleans Public Library system. He lives with his girlfriend and their blind cat, who edits most of his work.

Amber Sanchez is a fiction writer from the "Witch City" of Salem, Massachusetts. When she's not doing preservation work, she loves reading ghost stories and learning about lesser known historic events. 

Deanna Brauer writes intergenerational dramas infused with magical realism, cultural texture, and characters wrestling with inherited wounds. With an English degree, a Master’s in Counseling, and years of experience as a mental health therapist, she blends craft, psychology, and emotional truth in her work. 

Megan has been writing since childhood, when her uncle printed her first story for family and friends: Squirrel’s Day, a daring tale about a mischievous rodent named Ned. Nowadays, she focuses on short stories while flirting with writing a novel. She’s grateful to Third Lantern Lit for bringing us together.

Varg Lycegenes (they/them) is a queer writer based in New Orleans. They enjoy using speculative fiction as a lens to explore the thornier side of humanity. Varg is passionate about building secondary worlds, drawing on both their love of history and experiences growing up overseas for inspiration

Lucie, born and raised in New Jersey is now living life in New Orleans. She began her writing journey after discovering Third Lantern Lit and is currently revising her first novel. In her spare time, she dances with Move Studio and eats carbs covered in cheese.