Who are the 4 Horsemen? They are skilled professionals with a tenacious drive to not only reach for new heights, but reimagine the publishing industry.
Erika Lance, Chief Executive Officer
Erika Lance is the CEO and Founder of 4 Horsemen Publications and its imprints since January of 2020. She started both these presses under the belief that the publishing world needs to change in how it treats authors, artists and readers. Erika has over 25+ years of corporate and international public company experience in the HR, Legal, SASS and IT sectors.
She is the host of the Drinking with Authors podcast, which has over 300+ episodes that showcase authors that are just starting out to those who have been published for decades. As an author with both fiction and nonfiction works, she writes horror/suspense/thriller as Erika and humorous romance and erotica under the pen name Dalia Lance.
Dr. Jenifer Paquette, Lead Editor
As Lead Editor for 4 Horsemen Publications, Dr. Jenifer Paquette loves helping authors polish their prose to a lustrous sheen. She spent decades teaching English in higher education exploring the history of the English language as well as the intricacies of grammar rules (#OxfordComma). When she isn’t debating what part of the punctuation gets italics when foreign and English words mix inside dialogue, Dr. Paquette spends her time writing fantasy and paranormal romance novels as JM Paquette. When she isn’t writing, she can be found dissecting grammar, defending fantasy, discussing Tolkien, editing books, guest co-hosting the podcast Drinking with Authors, reading books with happy endings, and watching Russian dragon shifter movies.
Mimi Francis, Author Relations & Distribution Coordinator
Mimi—aka the author Carebear—is the woman behind the scenes, making sure books and authors are well taken care of. As the author liaison, she bridges the gap between creative vision and practical execution, working with the production team and authors to bring books to life. She oversees all book uploads, manages print and inventory ordering, and helps keep 4HP running smoothly. Whether she’s troubleshooting a platform hiccup, answering last-minute questions, or supporting teammates wherever needed, Mimi brings both industry know-how and an author’s perspective to the table—because she understands just how much heart goes into every book. And when she’s not helping other authors get their stories into readers’ hands, she’s at her desk writing her own stories under the watchful eye of her ever-present Shih Tzus.
Chelsea Burton Dunn, Marketing & Strategic Coordinator
Chelsea is one of the strategic partners to the CEO, working at the crossroads of creativity, communication, and operations. With years of experience in social media marketing for various companies and years spent in customer-centered industries, she is passionate about building collaborative systems that support both creators and teams. She believes publishing should feel human, not transactional, and that strong relationships make better books. When she’s not coordinating the moving pieces of the company, she can usually be found with a cup of coffee, a color-coded list, and at least three ideas she hasn’t written down yet.
Jon Sayago, Web Developer
Jon Sayago has worked in web development for over a decade. An avid reader and author himself, he loves being able to bring his expertise to the 4 Horsemen team. He spends much of his free time gaming and listening to silly podcasts. He is also tired of writing this bio in the third person.
Morgan Moreau, Marketing Communications Specialist
Morgan works closely with the Marketing & Strategic Coordinator to develop dynamic campaigns and visually engaging graphics for 4 Horsemen Publications. She contributes to the creation of taglines, campaign themes, and promotional materials that help bring each project to life. Morgan also assists in producing One Sheets and other marketing assets designed to support and equip authors for success. In her (rare) downtime, Morgan can usually be found dreaming up ideas for more books and more creative projects.
Valerie Willis, Co-Founder
Valerie Willis has been a founding and pivotal part for 4 Horsemen Publications. Helping found 4HP in 2020, she’s become quite the brick house bringing on 12 plus years’ experience in publishing, design, and writing. Winning book awards and teaching workshops are only some of her passions, but she enjoys helping writers become authors. Nothing is more rewarding than the first time an author gets a physical copy of their book, their work, their dream in tangible format. Blinded by the light of her desire to set new standards for the industry, she rides on her black steed, a heavy muscled Percheron of compassion worthy of a Viking warrior. Now she’s off to new frontiers but remains an author, volunteer, and adviser with 4HP.
