D. J. MacHale is an award-winning writer, director, executive producer and creator of a number of television series and movies, including Are You Afraid of the Dark?; Chris Cross, which received a CableACE Award for Best Youth Series; Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective; The Strange Legacy of Cameron Cruz; and many Afterschool Specials. He brings to WordFest his most recent novel, The Pilgrims of Rayne, the eighth book in his New York Times bestselling young adult Pendragon fantasy series. The story follows Bobby Pendragon through his adventures in the tropical world of Ibara, where he discovers that the leaders of Ibara are keeping a devastating secret from their people.