Chris Ams is a multidisciplinary artist, singer-songwriter, and founder of Paper Bread Studio. Based in Beacon, New York, he has shown his work in galleries and public art shows across the Hudson Valley and New York City, creating fine art, illustration, and immersive installations. His practice is grounded in connection and a belief in the transformative power of creativity. He is excited to have illustrated The Pioneer for Echoes of Rylomi and hopes it inspires readers to embrace the power of their own creative spirit and dreams.

Becky Eaton is a Beacon-based art director, graphic designer and writer. She's worked in media for over 20 years, using design to help a variety of magazines, brands and non-profits connect with their audiences. While her work usually focuses on lifestyle, fashion, beauty and tech, this is her first deep dive into science fiction.

Chris Gardella is a New York native and art director located in the Hudson Valley. He aspires to create well crafted, considered work that communicates effectively and pushes boundaries wherever possible. 

Currently living in Beacon, NY and can be found getting snacks for his 7 yr old, making art with junk toys and recording music in his spare time.

Allyn Peterson is an educator, enchanted father, and irreverent thinker. He’s worked the lives of a sales rep, a neurosurgery lab tech, a massage therapist, a school teacher, a private tutor, and now that of a regularly humbled entrepreneur.

Allyn’s learning about whole-person wellness spans decades of reading and reflection rooted in both Eastern and Western traditions. A pivotal moment for Allyn occurred several years ago when a simple storytelling game became the unintended balm for his son’s persistent nightmares.

Since then, the magic of Rylomi has only grown.

Lily Piyathaisere (she/her) is an art director and artist based in Beacon, New York. She employs a multidisciplinary approach to design, working in print, digital, and environmental design. She has 16 years of experience working professionally as part of design studios, in-house, or start-ups, as well as independently. Her current role is as a Sr. Art Director of Events and Experiences at Okta. She is committed to creating engaging experiences that bring consistency and clarity to brands of all shapes and sizes.

In her off hours, she can be found experimenting with various art materials with her husband, working on Bloom–an ever-evolving art project for kids, chasing Asian cuisines in the Hudson Valley, lying in bed and raising a 7-year-old, which often feels like negotiating with a lawyer all day. 

José Sheehan-López is a writer, editor, and publisher based in Beacon, New York. His fiction gravitates toward horror, fantasy, and speculative fiction. His nonfiction has appeared in ReelArc, Hemp Connoisseur Magazine, Toy Origin, and elsewhere.

In 2025, he founded Burden Lake Press, an independent micropress focused on comics, fiction, and art. Its first publication, Echoes of Rylomi, was developed in association with Rylomi, LLC, with José serving as editor-in-chief and helping develop the project from concept through publication.

José is also co-owner of Stanza Comics, a forthcoming comic shop in Beacon where he has helped develop a growing comics program that includes a monthly graphic novel book club and comics workshops for kids. In August 2026, that programming expanded into a weeklong comics intensive, which José developed and led, helping thirteen young cartoonists create original comics for an anthology he edited and lettered, due out this October. Separately, he served as Narrative Director for the weeklong Rylomi Camp at the Randolph School, leading sessions in character development and storytelling.

Raised in Harlem, José lives in Beacon with his wife and two children, where he divides his time between work, parenting, and always, always reading.

Joe Vergolina is a local writer/researcher specializing in 19th-century military history and eco-horror cinema of the 1970s. Joining the carnival circuit at the tender age of 12, he followed a circuitous route in search of action and intrigue, eventually landing him in Beacon, NY in 2007.

You may know Joe Vergolina as the host of the Gladys Radio Hour (on the Ground Community Radio from 2015-2018) or as the co-founder/Publisher of Gladys, the Beacon paper of record from 2012-2015. Or maybe you've seen him driving down Main Street playing Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans" way too loud.

Coulter Young is a multifaceted artist, illustrator, curator, and educator based
in Beacon, NY. Coulter's diverse experience includes illustration, set design, oil painting, assemblage, art curation, and leading community-based art projects. As a member of the Garrison Art Center and an art educator teaching Pre-K through 8th grade at the Garrison school, Coulter actively contributes to the art community. Coulter has also shared artistic insights as a guest lecturer and visiting artist at The Harvey School in Katonah, NY, and as an artist-in-residence at Covenant of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, CT. 

Coulter's work has seen the pages of numerous publications, including the American Spectator, Blue Ridge Outdoor Magazine, and Chronogram. Coulter's artistic footprint extends to collaborations with the Latin Grammys, moe., Sony 550, and TransWorld Snowboarding, among others.