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Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes award-winning author, publisher, screenwriter, and podcaster Tony Acree as a Spotlighted Guest! Tony is the author of the award-winning Victor McCain thrillers. Two streaming shows, one based on his Victor McCain thrillers, and the other on his Samantha Tyler thrillers, will be produced by Dark Harbor Pictures. In addition, his screenplay, Songs of Bloody Harlan has been optioned for the silver screen by Jamezz Hampton and 1209 Productions. Tony’s award-winning publishing house, Hydra Publications, features several imprints spanning several genres of fiction in addition to poetry! A member of the Imagination Hall of Fame, Tony is the host of the IndependentRead More →

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Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes award-winning, bestselling author Virginia Smith as a Spotlighted Guest! Virginia has written over fifty books with sales exceeding 2 million copies worldwide. Her novel, Guilty Secrets, was produced as a full-length movie and is now streaming on Lifetime. Virginia has received a number of awards, including two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit. In 2025 she was inducted into Kentucky’s Imagination Hall of Fame. She is the President of Bluegrass Writers Coalition, and serves on the World Fantasy Award admin committee. We are honored to have Virginia participate with us for our 13th year, taking place July 17-19, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky! For furtherRead More →

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Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes author Ava Cuvay and author Marilyn Barr as Official Panelists! As Panelists, Ava and Marilyn will be participating in our extensive panel and workshop programming during our 13th year, July 17-19, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky! We invite you to explore their individual guest pages, which can be accessed by clicking on the graphic banners below!Read More →

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In: Author Guests, Editor Guests, Imaginarium, Official Guests, Publisher Guest, Spotlighted Guest

Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes award-winning author, editor, and publisher Stephen M. Vest as a Spotlighted Guest! Stephen is the editor and publisher of Kentucky Monthly magazine, which won the Governor’s Award in the Arts (Media) in 2005. Founded in 1998, Kentucky Monthly has more than 100,000 readers. Stephen is the author of Unexpected Inheritance, a memoir about being raised by older parents and a hard-to-please grandmother, two collections of his columns, and the publisher of the anthology Kentucky’s Twelve Days of Christmas. A frequent speaker, Vest is also an adjunct professor of communications at Campbellsville University, Eastern Kentucky University, and Midway University. We are honored to have Stephen participate with us forRead More →

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In: Actor Guests, Author Guests, Editor Guests, Filmmaker Guests, Imaginarium, Official Guests, Podcaster Guest, Poet Guest, Publisher Guest, Spotlighted Guest

Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes award-winning author, poet, editor, publisher, filmmaker, and actor Katerina Stoykova as a Spotlighted Guest! Katerina is the founder and senior editor of Accents Publishing, where she has selected, edited, and published close to 100 poetry collections. Her works as an author include Between a Bird Cage and a Bird House (University Press of Kentucky, 2024) and The Poet’s Guide to Publishing: How to Conceive, Arrange, Edit, Publish and Market a Book of Poetry (McFarland, 2024). Katerina acted in the lead roles for the independent feature films Proud Citizen, Fort Maria and Other Houses. all three co-directed by Thom Southerland. Katerina alsoRead More →

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Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes author and poet Maxwell I. Gold as a Spotlighted Guest! Maxwell has an extensive body of work comprising over 350 poems since 2017. His writings have earned a place alongside many literary luminaries in the speculative fiction genre, appearing in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies. Maxwell’s work has been recognized with multiple nominations including the Eric Hoffer Award, Pushcart Prize, Rhysling Award, and Bram Stoker Award. Maxwell also currently serves as the Executive Director for the HWA. We are honored to have Maxwell participate with us for our 13th year, taking place July 17-19, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky! For furtherRead More →

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In: Book Coach Guest, Editor Guests, Imaginarium, Official Guests, Spotlighted Guest

Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes book coach and editor Nicole Whisler as a Spotlighted Guest! Nicole is the founder of Fantasy Footsteps, a book coaching program designed to help writers craft stories that resonate! Nicole leads a thriving Facebook community for fantasy writers and has been recognized as a leading book coach by the Coach Foundation. She has presented for David Farland’s Apex Writers and coached writers at David Rank’s annual Novel Bookcamp in Wisconsin, in addition to being a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and Professional Editors Network. We are honored to have Nicole participate with us for our 13th year, taking place JulyRead More →

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In: Actor Guests, Audiobook Narrator Guests, Author Guests, Imaginarium, panelists

Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes author Andrea Jenelle, and actor, audiobook narrator, and voice over artist Anna Delphine, as Official Panelists! As Panelists, Andrea and Anna will be participating in our extensive panel and workshop programming during our 13th year, July 17-19, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky! We invite you to explore their individual guest pages, which can be accessed by clicking on the graphic banners below!Read More →

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In: Imaginarium, Sponsors

Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes From the Ground Up Books as an Official Sponsor! From the Ground Up Books has two locations in Kentucky, in Shepherdsville and La Grange! In addition to being an independent bookstore, they also have multiple support programs for authors, including the Pen Crafters Mentorship Program, author services, writing workshops, and author events! We are honored to have From the Ground Up Books as an Official Sponsor and invite you to learn more about them at their official site, at https://www.fromthegroundupbooks.com/ If you would like to join us as an Official Sponsor, visit: https://www.entertheimaginarium.com/become-and-imaginarium-2026-sponsor/Read More →

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Imaginarium 2026 proudly welcomes award-winning, bestselling author DiAnn Mills as a Spotlighted Guest! The author of nearly fifty novels, 8 non-fiction books, and numerous collections, DiAnn is internationally known and celebrated for her action-packed, suspense-filled novels! Her novels have consistently landed on bestseller lists including CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly, and have won prestigious awards such as the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol awards. An active member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a former director of BlueRead More →