Christina Kann

co-founder, communications director, editor

Writing, editing, project managing, marketing, administration, and more -- having spent a lot of time working for small businesses, Christina has worn many hats. She founded Deus Ex Media, a podcast network, and hosts and produces several podcasts. Christina's life outside of work involves travel, hiking, swimming in the James River, writing fantasy novels, playing with her four cats, gardening, trying new coffee and beer joints, and seeking out Little Free Libraries. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, next to Byrd Park with her husband and their cat menagerie.
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favorite genres: science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, magical realism, and anything with vivid characters

Mary-Peyton Crook

co-founder, public relations director, editor

Mary-Peyton does lots of things at Wildling, but her absolute favorite part of the job is when the first page of a new manuscript hits her heart like lightning, and she gets to spend the next year or so obsessing over it until it’s a dazzling little book in its author’s hands. When she’s not at Wildling, she’s hanging out with her family and her three dogs (yes, it’s too many dogs) and taking in some of life’s greatest pleasures: an afternoon spent reading by the river, a soft matte cover on a thick trade paperback, the overwhelming sense of gratitude she feels for the people in her life, slices of a perfectly ripened summer tomato, and every single episode of Parks and Recreation.

favorite genres: middle grade, magical realism, family stories, fantasy, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, short stories, and books that can surprise her, even after all these years of reading

Grace Ball

co-founder, operations manager, editor

Grace was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and has spent the last several years living in Richmond. She received a degree in English literature from the University of Virginia and began working in independent publishing in 2015. At Wildling, Grace chats with authors, edits manuscripts, and generally manages operations. When she's not doing any of those things, you can find her baking a cake, hanging out with friends, or vehemently refusing to close a tab on her computer she’s had open since 2019.

favorite genres: young adult, new adult, mystery, fantasy, romance

Michael Hardison

co-founder, creative director, designer

​With nearly ten years of experience in independent magazine and book publishing, Michael has had the opportunity to work on various genres, from non-fiction to sci-fi. The fuel that keeps him going is seeing how excited authors are when their passion project is finally brought to life and in their hands. When he's not designing books, you can find Michael out on the town with friends in search of new cuisines and experiences around Richmond. When he's at home, you can find him trying out new recipes (Have we mentioned that he loves food?), binge-watching the latest tv shows, and re-watching Golden Girls for the umpteenth time (You should see his collection of Golden Girls memorabilia!). If you asked him what his favorite part about being a book designer is, he will tell you that there is never a dull moment because every project is unique and has its own voice, so with every book he gets to jump into the mind of a different person.

 favorite genres: suspense/thriller, mystery, horror, fantasy