Re (‘Ray’) Gwaltney is an author, sensitivity editor, and writing consultant hailing from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. After developing POTS as a teenager, Re coped with their new normal by feeding their mind with fantasy of all kinds—novels, television, movies, or video games. When they first realized that anyone can put their words to paper, a fire sparked that couldn’t be stopped. They wrote their (‘sh*tty’) first novel while juggling a Bachelor’s of Social work and many, many doctor visits, then went on to develop their craft through over a decade of trying, failing and trying again.
As an Editor….
Re draws from their training from Meredith College’s accredited Bachelors of Social Work program, their work in advocacy and community building, and their personal life experiences to sensitivity edit on the topics of disability, LGBT+, hospice and death, and more. They have worked for over 3 years with clients big and small, indie and traditional, including large publishing houses such as Penguin Random House Canada. Re’s approach is one of compassionate skill-building and collaboration without judgement, providing expertise and feedback without overpowering the author’s vision for the project.
As an Author….
Re’s work spans several genres, as well as fiction and nonfiction, though they primarily find themself returning to Horror and Fantasy. They love to dig into the darker things in life and pull out the painful and the beautiful in their inescapable Venn diagram. In 2022, Re won the Don Hodge Memorial Scholarship to attend Superstars Writing Seminars, and their debut short story Feast of the Old Hag is featured in Camden Park Press’ October 2023 Anthology, They Hunt by Night. From there, they have continued to publish short stories in various anthologies and continue to seek representation for larger projects.
When not writing, Re reads Tarot for self and others, plays video games, and raises adorable dogs. They participate in community-making and care networks, always operating from the values of justice, interconnection, and interdependence. Their focus, as of now, is the development of Disability Justice and human dignity within their community.