AJ Jordan

Principal Author, Founder

AJ Jordan, a former collegiate athlete, successfully transitioned from his status as a high-achieving real estate professional to the literary world. During his real estate career, he represented 1,436 transaction sides totaling $397.4 million in sales. His exceptional performance earned him a ranking in the top 200 by Real Trends and recognition in the Wall Street Journal for completing 317 transactions in 2017.

However, AJ's heart always belonged to literature. With a double major in Anthropology and Psychology, he gained insight into human nature, myth, and culture, elements that can be found in his storytelling. Leveraging his real estate achievements, he retired early to follow his dream of writing a fantasy novel series. Founding Brightstone Books, AJ is now committed to bringing his unique vision to the dark fantasy genre and redefine how storytelling is done.

Charlotte Askew

The Second Voice

Charlotte is a writer, former Play Therapist, and neuroscience-based Mindset Coach who completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology in 2020, graduating with First-Class Honours and the University Medal. Currently, she is the 2024 W. Morgan and Loue Claire Rose Fellow at Texas State University, where she is completing an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction). Her writing has received significant recognition, including the Queensland State Library Young Writers' Award, the Lorna McDonald Essay Prize, and Varuna Residential Fellowships, as well as winning second place in the Furphy Literary Awards in 2025.

Raised on the rugged West Australian coast, Charlotte writes about class, anxiety, and rural communities. She applies her unquenchable interest in human behavior to the characters of the Mystic series.

Lauren Barnes

The Architect

Born in Midland, Texas, Lauren found her early escape in fantasy, a doorway into worlds far beyond the dust and mesquite trees of her home. Driven to understand the actual world, she majored in International Studies at Baylor University. Her journey took her overseas to Taiwan, where she served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant for two years. She returned to the U.S. to complete her Master's degree at Stanford University, supported by a prestigious federal language and area studies fellowship. At Stanford, she deepened her appreciation for Taiwan, researching the Japanese colonial period and the conflict between identity formation and nationalism.

Lauren brings fluency in Mandarin, academic rigor, and a fascination with fantasy to the world of Atha.

Katrina Pelayo

The Grand Chamberlain

Katrina Pelayo is an arts and entertainment specialist based in Manila, Philippines, with over a decade of experience in project management, strategic marketing, and publishing. A graduate of the University of the Philippines Los Baños with a major in writing under the Communication Arts program, she has worked directly with major global entities including Cirque du Soleil, Fuerza Bruta, Broadway Asia, and Music Theatre International. As Media Manager at Silverlens Galleries (Manila/New York), she led the creative team and managed the production of over 70 print and digital publications.

Katrina’s love for books began at age five with Grimm's Fairy Tales. Today, she demands complex narratives—if there are no convoluted magic systems or smart-mouthed spaceships, she likely won't get past chapter one.

Hans Slechta

The Loremaster

As the resident Loremaster, Hans brings an extensive academic background to the cultural and linguistic worldbuilding of the Mystic universe. He graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Linguistics from Cornell University, where he also studied physics, archeology, and music. He continued his studies at the University of Georgia, earning an MA in Historical Linguistics and mastering languages such as Sanskrit, Gothic, and Old Church Slavonic.

Additionally, Hans holds an MS in Software Development from Boston University. While he has studied over a dozen real-world languages, he draws inspiration from constructed languages like Tolkien's Sindarin and Star Trek's Klingon. An avid fan of Garth Nix and Brandon Sanderson, Hans is dedicated to applying his expertise to the lore of Brightstone Books.

Gabriella Katschke

The High Scholar

Gabriella Katschke serves as High Scholar, bringing a strong background in creative media and community building to the team. She graduated Cum Laude from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Communications and a minor in Psychology. During her time there, she focused on writing and design, with several of her projects displayed across campus and used for university social media.

For the past two years, she has managed social media and community engagement for a small business. A lifelong fan of The Legend of Zelda, Gabriella is dedicated to fostering a safe, growing community for fantasy lovers at Brightstone Books, helping readers find a world worth exploring in Mystic.

Emma Macdonnell

The Master of Revels

Emma MacDonnell is a passionate storyteller serving as Master of Revels and Sage. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a Minor in Environmental Policy from the University of South Florida. With a deep appreciation for the power of language and a curiosity to push the boundaries of narrative, Emma brings a thoughtful, empathetic approach to every project.

Whether she is writing, editing, hosting literary events, or testing new ways to tell a story, she applies care and imagination to her work. When she is not immersed in reading or writing, you will likely find Emma at the barn spending time with her horse.

Eliza Tool

The Sage

Hailing from River Falls, Wisconsin, Eliza brings a refined literary perspective to the team as a Sage. She holds a BA in English: Creative Writing & Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For Eliza, the fantasy genre is essential; she believes that while imaginary, fantasy stories parallel our world and help us process real experiences through narrative bonding.

Her primary goal at Brightstone Books is total audience immersion. She is dedicated to ensuring that every aspect of the Mystic series is vivid and precise, allowing readers to feel fully connected to the story. Through interactive elements and detail, she hopes each reader feels represented and immersed in the Mystic universe.

Rayna Kyrie

The Master of Revels

Rayna Kyrie is a multidisciplinary artist. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design with an illustration emphasis from Utah Valley University. With the skill to see worlds woven from words, Rayna creates digital illustrations that are impactful and emotionally resonant, often inspired by her experience running games as a Dungeon Master in the TTRPG community. She believes fiction has the power to forge bonds between people and elevate our own world.

Rayna is now committed to directing visuals for Mystic, bringing the world of Atha to life, when she isn't immersed in video games or caring for animals.

Ben Judd

The Luminary - Character Focus

Ben Judd is an award-winning 2D and 3D character artist with over a decade of illustration experience. He holds a Bachelor's in Game Design and Animation and has worked on multiple popular properties such as Star Wars, Hogwarts Legacy, the Last Epoch and others. Ben's free time is spent being a husband, father of two, and a martial arts instructor. Ben is always looking to use his 2D and 3D character art skills on new and exciting projects that connect story driven art and mature craft.

Jude Frappier

The Luminary - Environment Focus

Jude Frappier is a visual-audio artist from Montreal, Quebec, whose background in plein-air painting and experience creating AAA game trailers in both 3D and 2D have shaped his keen eye for image-making across technologies in the age of AI. He has collaborated with Altar Creative on marketing assets for Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six franchises, as well as on trailers for Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight, recently published by Microsoft, among other projects in the gaming industry.