Meet the Team
List of Services
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Renee April - Creative DirectorList Item 1
With over a decade of experience in all corners of publishing, Renee created SkyNation Publishing to seek and uplift stories that need to be told.
With a passion for intriguing characters, tense story arcs, and imaginative worlds, Renee oversees the creation of each book, from submission to post-publication.
She works full-time in the video game industry, and has a yearning for whimsy that only books and games can fulfill.
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Ash - Finance Officer
Ash is a chartered accountant with a love of books. While the authors of SkyNation deal with letters, he handles our numbers and manages the boring stuff.
Growing up, Ash loved all medieval and Roman history books, growing into fantasy with Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and expanding from there into science fiction.
Nowdays he loves seeing settings that show how their worlds work without needing to obviously point out the "rules" by weaving it into the story.
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Paris Thompson - Senior EditorList Item 2
As a devoted lover of escaping reality, Paris always has a book in hand, reading aloud on her phone, or taking shape on her laptop.
She is guided by her passion to create a nurturing space for authors to prosper and shine as they entrust her with their written worlds.
She enjoys anything fictional but has a soft spot for romantasy and found family tropes.
When she isn't reading or editing, she is learning Italian or crocheting.
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Alhena - Junior Editor/Intern
Eagerly awaiting graduation day for her Bachelor of Creative Writing (with an eyebrow raising Minor in Mathematics), Alhena has continued with SkyNation Publishing after completing her university placement.
Raised by fairy tales, epic fantasies, and perilous science fiction, she has an insatiable craving for new worlds, captivating characters, and daring adventures. She thrives in the spaces between creation, in the questions and tangents of bringing a narrative to life. Driven by curiosity and compassion, she strives to nourish every page trusted before her.
When Alhena doesn’t have her nose in a book, a game, or a half-finished project, you’ll find her living out her knightly and princess dreams being completely chivalrous in a buhurt lyst.
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Jarrod - Scientific Consultant – Astrophysics & TechnologyList Item 3
With a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in astrophysics, Jarrod has spent years exploring the mysteries of the universe, including the discovery of his first exoplanet in 2022.
His research in material sciences for air and spacecraft, combined with his work using space-bound satellites to study distant worlds, gives him a well-rounded background in both technology and astronomy.
He joined SNP in early 2025 and quickly found his place helping authors bring scientific depth and realism to their stories.
A lifelong sci-fi and fantasy enthusiast, Jarrod loves dissecting the science behind space operas and epic worlds alike.
When he’s not reading or consulting, you’ll find him chatting with friends about new discoveries or getting lost in Tolkien’s legends.
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Kurtis - Data Scientist / Scientific Consultant - Biology & Ecology
Kurtis is a lifelong learner with a fascination for science and technology. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Data Science. Kurtis has experience in a wide variety of scientific fields, including plant biology, riparian and desert ecology, and hydrology.
In addition to his love for science, Kurtis is also an avid book-reader so he joined SNP in 2024 as a scientific consultant to work with authors on the biology and ecology in their stories; this includes helping authors design ecosystems that complement their worldbuilding.
In 2025, he stepped into a data scientist role at SNP, where he now designs and oversees the collection of bibliographic, readership, book sales, and market-behaviour datasets. These data are used in statistical and machine learning methods to generate insights and help the team to decide which direction to take SNP.
Outside of work, Kurtis enjoys reading novels such as Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.