Avril Adams has been writing short stories for a number of years in various genres. Her most recent publication credit is “The Lowriders” in the Sisters In Crime/LA anthology Last Exit to Murder. “The Lowriders” is a short story about a young Mexican American man coming of age the hard way in Los Angeles at the beginning of World War II.

Avril’s background is in English literature and agricultural science, which may seem a strange combination for some, but it fuels her passion for both legs of literature—the abstract and the real world. She also has a passion for art, animals, antiques, true crime television, landscape design, and films.

She’s currently working on a crime novel with a female African American protagonist who takes on all kinds of shadowy figures in high places. Avril is delighted that her short story “A Wedding in Little Tokyo” is a finalist in the 1st annual Little Tokyo Historical Society’s short story contest.

Updated December 2014

After graduating from San Diego State University, Jeridel Banks went to Japan as an English teacher, manga podcaster, magical realism book reviewer, and Japanese culture blogger (jadesescape.wordpress.com). She is the author and illustrator of Ang Nanay Ko ("My Mother" in Tagalog) and The Ends Don't Tie with Rabbits.

Updated November 2014

Rubén “Funkahuatl” Guevara is a native Angelino and over the past 50 years has worked as a musician, record producer, journalist, poet, film actor, playwright-performance-theater artist, teacher, and activist. He is a UCLA graduate in World Arts & Cultures and lives and works in Boyle Heights. www.tantrikfunk.net.

Updated October 2014

Ernest lives in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. In addition to his dental practice, he writes from time to time for Historic Racing Magazines. Ernie has written the first cookbook on the food and cuisine of the Kingdom of Bhutan- “Foods of the Kingdom of Bhutan” and the book was for Charity and for the Bhutan Foundation in Bhutan.

Updated October 2014

Kiyoshi Parker was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He shares heritages with two countries: America and Japan, and spends time between the two whenever possible. He taught himself Japanese in his late teens. He has some critical success as an author with his novelette, The Death of Death, currently available on Amazon. His other full length novella, Autonomously Yours, is also available on Amazon, and he is currently working on several more short stories and another full length fantasy novel. He enjoys graphic design, television, and film.

Updated June 2015

Dmitri Ragano has wandered the world in his quest to become a story-teller. He grew up in Pittsburgh and lived in Japan for five years working as a journalist, translator, and technology consultant. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Irvine. His latest novel is The Fugitive Grandma.

Updated November 2014

Chester Sakamoto is a self-proclaimed bibliophile and avid reader. A 26-year-old native of Los Angeles, he is currently in pursuit of an M.A. in English with an emphasis in American Literature. He enjoys singing, food, cinema, and frequent trips to independent bookstores.

Updated July 2015

Satsuki (Suki) Yamashita works for Kondo Wealth Advisors and also runs her own Outdoor Advertising Consultancy. Her parents lived and worked in Little Tokyo for many years, and the family used to meet every Sunday for dinner.

Updated October 2014