Our Team
Blake Malliway, President
Since a young age, Blake Malliway (he/him) has been passionate about collecting and reading books. This quality combined with his deep interest in the magical arts have no doubt contributed to the manifestation of Crossed Crow Books. When he's not neck-deep in work, he can usually be found getting lost in his personal book collection, wandering through the woods, strolling through a cemetery at midnight, or running off to Cornwall to recharge his magical batteries. He lives in Highland Park, Illinois, just north of Chicago, with Feens, his spoiled black cat.
Wycke Malliway, Vice President
Wycke Malliway (he/him) is a full time Witch and a part time person. He has been practicing Witchcraft in one way or another since a very early age. Concocting spells, potions, and talking to trees was practiced right alongside learning his ABCs. As he grew in his Craft, he gained special interest in folk magic, traditional Witchcraft, herblore, and crossroads pacts. When not spending time on Witchcraft, he is often sharpening his skills in nerdcraft through illustration, watching cartoons and movies, or reading comics.
Francesca Vitali, Marketing & Publicity Manager
Francesca Vitali (she/her) is a Chicago-based Witch with Michigan roots, and growing up around the flora and fauna of her small rural town set her on her magical path at a young age. Francesca has been practicing Witchcraft officially since she was 13 years old, but figures she’s probably been doing magic her entire life and comes from a long line of Italian Catholic Stregas. A professional actress and singer in a former life, she now spends her days as the marketing and publicity manager for Crossed Crow Books. When not working alongside our Crossed Crow authors, she can be found reading three books at once, foraging for herbs with her Irish Wolfhound, and cultivating a handmade army of long Furbies.
Gianna Rini, Senior Book Designer
Award-winning photographer and practicing Witch Gianna Rini (she/they) is thrilled to be bringing her designs to print with the wonderful team at Crossed Crow Books. As an avid reader and researcher, Gianna’s goal is to bring alive the essence of a book through art as well as text. When not at work, she is often known to be hiding under a pile of blankets, in the dark corners of a candlelit room, or surrounded in foliage.
Lucas Lona, Sales Manager
Lucas Lona (he/him) is a Chicago based occultist, primarily focused on the practice of Infernal and Angelic magic, coupled with an intense study of Western ceremonial magic systems and various forms of Witchcraft. He is constantly developing new theories and diving into experiments focused on finding methods of expressing magic in new ways in the current era. Outside of occultism, Lucas is still a man of many magics: he's been a performance magician since the age of five (primarily with playing cards), is a writer and actor, and is always down for a good game night!
Angelique Marchese, Project/Operations Coordinator
Born and raised in New Orleans, Angelique Marchese (she/her) has been surrounded by the occult and Witchcraft her entire life. Coming from a long line of oneiromancers, she is most interest in sleep magic.
Now living in Chicago, Angelique can be found wandering Rogers Park making friends with the local pets and wildlife. In her free time, she enjoys playing DND, Magic the Gathering, and watching Star Trek.
Lee Anderson, Senior Editor
Lee Anderson (they/them) was raised in the Pacific Northwest, where they grew up running through forests and reading everything they could get their hands on. Now, they have an MFA in Creative Writing and live in Chicago but have retained a deep curiosity and excitement about the world. They are particularly interested in divination (having learned about the subject from their grandmother at a young age), folklore, and animism. When they're not tinkering with words, you can find them tending to their houseplants, making fancy coffee drinks, and caring for their cat named Pretzel.