Plot Twist: The Villain is Straight

Join us for Plot Twist: The Villain is Straight, a panel on queer mysteries and thrillers!

The event will include a moderated discussion of the authors talking all things thrillers followed by book signing. 

The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides support services to LGBTQ+ homeless and at-risk youth.

10% off all bookstore sales at the event will be donated. There will also be raffle prizes, with 100% of raffle ticket sales being donated. 

Erik J. Brown is the internationally-bestselling author of All That's Left in the World and the sequel The Only Light Left Burning. His books have received starred reviews from Kirkus, The Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books, and ALA Booklist. He lives in Philadelphia with his family.

Jenna Voris writes books about ambitious girls and galaxy traversing adventures. She was born and raised in Indiana—where she learned to love roundabouts and the art of college basketball—and now calls Washington D.C. home. When she’s not writing, she can be found perfecting her road trip playlists and desperately trying to keep her houseplants alive. Follow her online @JennaVoris and at jennamvoris.com.

E.R. Hawthorne writes sapphic thrillers and romances where danger and desire go hand in hand. Her debut novel, Dangerous Illusion, will be released by Bella Books in 2026—the first of a trilogy that captures espionage, family secrets, and forbidden love from the Cold War to the modern day. She gravitates toward stories that ask how people hold on to love when the world is falling apart while trying to save what’s left. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually buried in personal research projects, experimenting in the kitchen, or over-caffeinating while plotting her next story.