Author Profiles

Ohio has a rich literary heritage as well as some wonderful contemporary authors. Learn more about them here! You can sort by various categories and see who has participated in our annual book festival by using the category search on the left, or search by keyword (including partial author names) by using the search field on the right.

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Photo of Holly Brians Ragusa

Holly Brians Ragusa

Holly Brians Ragusa (she/her/hers) is an interdisciplinary writer, poet, speaker, community activist and author of MET THE END (Nov 2022) named CITYBEAT STAFF PICK BEST TRUE-CRIME MEMOIR THAT CUTS AWAY SENSATIONALISM 2023. Other books include DYING TO KNOW MYSELF IN TIME and INVERSE; INFORMED THOUGHTS BY AN UNFIT POET. Contributor to Psychology Today and Opinion contributor to The Cincinnati Enquirer, HBR serves a range of nonprofits, hosts writing workshops and lives in historic Over-the-Rhine, sharing space with her husband, mother, three cats, one dog, and (sometimes) two grown children.…

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Holly Brians Ragusa (she/her/hers) is an interdisciplinary writer, poet, speaker, community activist and author of MET THE END (Nov 2022) named CITYBEAT STAFF PICK BEST TRUE-CRIME MEMOIR THAT CUTS AWAY SENSATIONALISM 2023. Other books include DYING TO KNOW MYSELF IN TIME and INVERSE; INFORMED THOUGHTS BY AN UNFIT POET. Contributor to Psychology Today and Opinion contributor to The Cincinnati Enquirer, HBR serves a range of nonprofits, hosts writing workshops and lives in historic Over-the-Rhine, sharing space with her husband, mother, three cats, one dog, and (sometimes) two grown children. Learn more at Hollybriansragusa.com

Photo of Merrill Rainey

Merrill Rainey

Growing up, Merrill Rainey spent most of his Saturday afternoons drawing, watching monster movies, and going on imaginary adventures. Today, he is a cowboy-boot-wearing, picture-book-creator and paper-toy-maker. Merrill’s work focuses on exploring creativity and imaginative play. His current titles include Roar! I’m a Dinosaur (winner of the Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Board Book of 2022), Oink!…Read More

Growing up, Merrill Rainey spent most of his Saturday afternoons drawing, watching monster movies, and going on imaginary adventures. Today, he is a cowboy-boot-wearing, picture-book-creator and paper-toy-maker. Merrill’s work focuses on exploring creativity and imaginative play. His current titles include Roar! I’m a Dinosaur (winner of the Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Board Book of 2022), Oink! I’m a Pig, and the Color, Cut, Create series. His newest illustrated title, Giants Are Very Brave People, written by Florence Parry Heide, is a reimagined classic picture book about a little giant that learns to be brave with the help of a new friend. Merrill also works for many children’s magazines like Highlights, Ranger Rick, and Humpty Dumpty. You can see more of his work at littlerainey.com or follow him on instagram @littlerainey.

Ted Rall

An award-winning cartoonist, graphic novelist, and essayist, Ted Rall was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Kettering, Ohio. Rall has been a political cartoonist and op-ed columnist for United Press Syndicate since 1996, his work appearing in more than 100 newspapers around the country, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Village Voice.…Read More

An award-winning cartoonist, graphic novelist, and essayist, Ted Rall was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Kettering, Ohio. Rall has been a political cartoonist and op-ed columnist for United Press Syndicate since 1996, his work appearing in more than 100 newspapers around the country, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Village Voice. He serves as President of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Rall has twice won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and in 1996 was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in editorial cartooning. Visit his website: http://rall.com/.

Photo of Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Cuban-born Raul Ramos y Sanchez grew up in Miami’s cultural kaleidoscope before becoming a long-time resident of the U.S. Midwest. After a successful career in advertising that included founding an ad agency with offices in Ohio and California, Ramos turned to more personally significant work. Works of fiction by Raul include the Class H Trilogy (America Libre, House Divided, and Pancho Land), the coming of age novel, The Skinny Years, and Mustang To Paducah.…Read More

Cuban-born Raul Ramos y Sanchez grew up in Miami’s cultural kaleidoscope before becoming a long-time resident of the U.S. Midwest. After a successful career in advertising that included founding an ad agency with offices in Ohio and California, Ramos turned to more personally significant work. Works of fiction by Raul include the Class H Trilogy (America Libre, House Divided, and Pancho Land), the coming of age novel, The Skinny Years, and Mustang To Paducah. The author and his work have been featured on television, radio and print publications across the country along with a host of online media sources. Visit Raul on his website, http://www.raulramos.com/.

Photo of Matt Rapposelli

Matt Rapposelli

Matt Rapposelli has been a leader in southeast Ohio’s dining scene since 1982 and is known for developing destination dining experiences, including the award-winning Big Chimney Baking Co. and the Lake Hope Lodge. He is the executive chef of Kindred Spirits, the restaurant for the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio.Read More

Matt Rapposelli has been a leader in southeast Ohio’s dining scene since 1982 and is known for developing destination dining experiences, including the award-winning Big Chimney Baking Co. and the Lake Hope Lodge. He is the executive chef of Kindred Spirits, the restaurant for the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio.

Photo of J. L. Raynor

J. L. Raynor

Jason is originally from Brooklyn, NY. He is an author, actor and speaker. He is also a proud graduate of Bowling Green State University. One of his favorite topics to teach is Trauma Informed Approaches. His goal is to eliminate victim blaming, and to teach others how to identify signs of trauma in others.Read More

Jason is originally from Brooklyn, NY. He is an author, actor and speaker. He is also a proud graduate of Bowling Green State University. One of his favorite topics to teach is Trauma Informed Approaches. His goal is to eliminate victim blaming, and to teach others how to identify signs of trauma in others.

Photo of Mark Rea

Mark Rea

For more than 30 years, Mark Rea has been a writer, journalist, editor and columnist at newspapers and magazines for such companies as Scripps-Howard and McGraw-Hill. Throughout the course of his career, Rea has won several writing awards, including several national first-place honors from McGraw-Hill in 2002 and 2003, and an honorable mention in 2004 from the Football Writers Association of America.…Read More

For more than 30 years, Mark Rea has been a writer, journalist, editor and columnist at newspapers and magazines for such companies as Scripps-Howard and McGraw-Hill. Throughout the course of his career, Rea has won several writing awards, including several national first-place honors from McGraw-Hill in 2002 and 2003, and an honorable mention in 2004 from the Football Writers Association of America. In 2009, he authored the book The Die-Hard Fan’s Guide To Buckeye Football.

Rea is the managing editor emeritus of Columbus Sports Publications, a Columbus, Ohio-based firm that publishes sports-related fan newspapers including Buckeye Sports Bulletin and manages the Internet website BuckeyeSports.com. Rea and his wife, Lisa, reside in Washington Court House and have a daughter Jessica, who is currently a graduate student working on her Ph.D. in psychology at Ohio State.

Photo of Kerry Rea

Kerry Rea

Kerry Rea lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and their small army of dogs. She grew up in Youngstown, Ohio and graduated from The University of Notre Dame. She believes that happily ever after is always possible. Learn more at her website: https://www.authorkerryrea.com/Read More

Kerry Rea lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and their small army of dogs. She grew up in Youngstown, Ohio and graduated from The University of Notre Dame. She believes that happily ever after is always possible. Learn more at her website: https://www.authorkerryrea.com/

Photo of Mary Reed

Mary Reed

Mary Reed is a writer and photographer based in Athens, Ohio. She is the author of Hocking Hills Day Hikes, Hiking Ohio, Hiking West Virginia and more. Her work has appeared in Backpacker, Ohio Magazine, Ohio Today and other publications. Learn more at maryreed.biz or follow her on Instagram @maryreedhikes.Read More

Mary Reed is a writer and photographer based in Athens, Ohio. She is the author of Hocking Hills Day Hikes, Hiking Ohio, Hiking West Virginia and more. Her work has appeared in Backpacker, Ohio Magazine, Ohio Today and other publications. Learn more at maryreed.biz or follow her on Instagram @maryreedhikes.

Photo of Kiya Renae

Kiya Renae

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kiya Renae attended the University of Cincinnati where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Criminal Justice concentration). During her studies in undergrad, she was offered multiple opportunities to model that she declined in order to fully focus on her degree. However, after being unsuccessful in finding a job following graduation, she took on some of the modeling opportunities that had been previously offered which later afforded her music video opportunities and magazine spreads with well known artists.…Read More

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kiya Renae attended the University of Cincinnati where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Criminal Justice concentration). During her studies in undergrad, she was offered multiple opportunities to model that she declined in order to fully focus on her degree. However, after being unsuccessful in finding a job following graduation, she took on some of the modeling opportunities that had been previously offered which later afforded her music video opportunities and magazine spreads with well known artists. Unfulfilled in the industry, and still in search of her ultimate purpose, Kiya Renae enrolled in the Northern Kentucky University where she found herself torn between continuing down the career path of “modeling” or furthering her education. She decided to pursue her degree, earning a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (MSIO) and close the chapter on modeling. Kiya Renae chose the Psychology field in hopes of learning more about herself, personal growth and development. Being raised by a single mother in a family that applauded academia, Kiya Renae was often thought of as the family rebel. Although never leaving her academic roots; piercings, tattoos and urban modeling were far outside of her conservative upbringing. Her search for herself in these two separate yet equal worlds has heavily influenced her creative writing style in expressing the feelings of being torn in searching for your identity. Prior to releasing ‘Through Her Own Eyes: This Is Only the Beginning’, Kiya Renae has often been asked to write and speak at small engagements because of her unique ability to communicate effectively yet in a way that people can both understand and relate to. After releasing ‘Through Her Own Eyes’, a year later she continued to share her introspection with her release of ‘It’s Ok To Be Broken’. While she chose not to release her titles as a series, ‘It’s Ok To Be Broken’ picks up where ‘Through Her Own Eyes’ left off. With the continued support and positive feedback, Kiya Renae has no plans to stop sharing nor to stop encouraging through her gift of writing. Still working towards living in her purpose, Kiya Renae decided to pursue her Doctorate in Leadership Studies and in the midst took on the challenge of releasing her third text, ‘UnRefined’ which she documents is the most personal, most emotional text that she has yet to release. Frequently faced with the unprecedented ups and downs, ‘UnRefined’ is a documented journey to self-love. Kiya Renae states “I hoarded this text because I had to prepare myself for the level of transparency and to be honest, I thought I would be in a different space literally and figuratively by the time I decided to publish.” ‘UnRefined’ is a show of raw appreciation for the self. Too often people neglect the being within; Kiya Renae wants you to be still, get to know yourself, accept yourself and love yourself; journey with her in her latest release, ‘UnRefined: Still Learning, Still Growing’.