2024 Author Expo Author

Dallas Anne Duncan grew up near Augusta, Georgia. She holds two degrees from the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the first in animal science with a meat science emphasis, and the second in agricultural communication. Dallas is no stranger to the publishing world thanks to her her print journalism background, but “Bright Star”, book one in "The Meridian Trilogy", was her first full-length novel. She now resides in Athens, Georgia, with her three cats — Arya, Captain, and Marline — which are incredibly helpful in writing book three in "The Meridian Trilogy".

Set in both the American South and the fictional world of Heáhwolcen, the series stars a sassy Georgia-born college student who learns that she's perhaps not nearly as human as she's been led to believe. "Bright Star" follows Bridgette Conner as she begins to tackle an uncertain, constantly changing present based on a past she didn't know was hers to claim. The world in which Bridgette grew up is very different from the possibilities she's now presented with — if she is willing to join forces with Elves and Fairies, witches and Sanguisuge coteries, Tieflings and Baetalü, to make possibility reality.

When Dallas set out to finally bring what is now this trilogy to life, she wanted to create a fantasy series that was relatable not just because of character traits, but because she craved fantasy that felt familiar. She wanted diction and idioms that represented the Deep South sayings she grew up with, and to challenge her readers' worldview — to learn about inclusivity and the opportunities for a better world, and to quote real-life organization Bitter Southerner, a Better South. In "The Meridian Trilogy", Bridgette is introduced to values of the kind of world she wishes very much that she could bring back to her native Earth, and the kind of world worth fighting for.

When she’s not writing book three or working her W-2 job, you can find Dallas with either a camera or a pair of knitting needles in her hands. She is a very proud Dawg fan; enjoys whiskey, steak, and craft beer; spends far too much {or perhaps not enough!} time in coffee shops; and routinely runs out of true crime documentaries to watch on Netflix.