Ohio 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.
If you would like to know which Ohio authors and illustrators are available for school and library visits or workshops, visit our School & Library Visits page here.
We continue to add authors, so check back soon!
Rob Boley
Rob E. Boley grew up in Enon, Ohio, a little town with a big Indian mound. He later earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He’s the author of THE SCARY TALES series of dark fantasy novels featuring mash-ups of classic fairy tale characters and horror monsters. His fiction has appeared in several markets, including A cappella Zoo, Pseudopod, Clackamas Literary Review, and Best New Werewolf Tales. His stories have won Best in Show in the Sinclair Community College Creative Writing Contest and the Dayton Daily News/Antioch Writers’ Workshop Short Story Contest. In 2016, he founded Howling Unicorn Press with his wife, Megan Hart. He lives with Megan and his daughter in Dayton, where he works for his alma mater. Each morning and most nights, he enjoys making blank pages darker. You can get to know him better by visiting his website at http://www.robboley.com.
Dr. Helen Bond
Dr. Helen Bond is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Howard University. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from The Ohio State University, a Master’s in Communication from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Human Development from Virginia Tech. Dr. Bond has published widely including articles in the Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide, International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, Journal of Transformative Education, Handbook of Research on Culturally Aware Technology, and the Weekly Journal of Higher Education published by the Association of Indian Universities. She also published chapters in the following books: Pathways to the Holocaust and the award winning Evoking Genocide chosen as the “Outstanding Academic Title” for 2010 by Choice Magazine, the leading journal of librarians around the English-speaking world. She grew up on a farm in Ohio, but now lives outside the Washington DC metro area.
Lindsay Bonilla
Lindsay can’t remember a time in her life when she’s wasn’t immersed in a world of stories. She spent most of her childhood devouring books, crafting characters and settings in her notebook, and acting out her own stories. Today Lindsay shares her love of stories and the stage through her company, World of Difference Ltd., where she performs interactive folktales while teaching about foreign countries and cultures, inspiring the imagination and promoting a love for learning and literacy. Lindsay uses a unique blend of storytelling, theatre, and creative drama which ensures that audience members never just sit there but instead become active participants and co-creators of the performance, leading to an unforgettable story experience!
Lindsay is an avid writer, having written poetry, picture books, skits, magazine articles even screenplays. She has four published children’s books (Lily and the City of Light, Lily and the Return to Htrae, ‘Twas the Year Christ Left Christmas, and O Christmas Tree) and two DVD films, Flight to India and Voyage to Russia, based on some of her most popular storytelling programs.
Lindsay graduated from Northwestern University, where her studies focused on theatre, creative dramatics, storytelling, and world religions. Before founding her own company, she performed and taught locally for such organizations as Magical Theatre Company and Malone University. She also spent a year and a half in Madrid where she toured Spain and Portugal with Interacting, an audience-participatory theatre company that used interactive performances to teach English to speakers of other languages. Lindsay’s love for world travel has taken her to five continents, and she has performed and taught in such places as Ghana, Haiti, Argentina and most recently, Guatemala and El Salvador.
Lindsay believes that “every story makes a world of difference,” and she brings this belief and approach to every performance and project that she undertakes. Lindsay loves that this most universal of art forms improves listening skills, deepens self-understanding, increases empathy for others, leads to innovation in problem-solving and builds stronger communities.
website: http://www.LindsayBonilla.com phone: (330) 858-0761 email: info@lindsaybonilla.com
Louise Borden
Dianne Borsenik
Dianne Borsenik is active in the northern and central Ohio poetry scenes and regional reading circuit. She is a member of the Ohio Poetry Association and Literary Cleveland. Her performances in 2019 include “We’re No Angels” at Speak of the Devil in Lorain, Ohio, 2 Chefs & a Beat – “Poetic Justice Edition” at Porco Lounge and Tiki Room in Cleveland, Ohio, the Sun & Moon Poetry Festival in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and the Edith Chase Symposium Resurrection River Poetry Reading in Kent, Ohio. Her poems have appeared in hundreds of journals, anthologies, and magazines, and in numerous projects and art gallery events. Two recent books are Raga for What Comes Next, and Heaven We Haven’t Yet Dreamed, both from Stubborn Mule Press. In 2011, Borsenik founded NightBallet Press, and has since published over one hundred titles for poets throughout Ohio and across the United States. Lit Youngstown printed her poem “Disco” on their tee shirts, which makes her feel like a rock star. Learn more at http://www.dianneborsenik.com.
Diana Bosse
Diana Bosse has jotted notes in her diary, written hundreds of grocery lists, and published a few articles in company newsletters as well as The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Island Packet, Ladies Home Journal and Women’s Day. Publishing and SELLING a “real” book is a big deal for her.
Diana grew up on a cul-de-sac in a small mid-western town in what she refers to as “the last great era to be a child” – the 1960’s. She attended grade school and high school where she “didn’t learn a thing, but had a great time”, then went on to drop out of graphic design school in the early 1980’s.
For twenty-five years she worked in the corporate world for the same company where she made a decent living without a college degree and was able to travel to amazing cities like Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Seattle and Hong Kong on the company dime. Not too shabby for a kid that thought Gatlinburg, Tennessee was the edge of the earth.
Diana currently does meaningful work for an incredible organization – the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Cincinnati.
She lives in Loveland, Ohio with her tolerant husband, Steve, and equally tolerant cat, Madison Grace. All three enjoy spending as many weeks as possible in Maddy’s big litter box by the sea, Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Tim Bowers
Tim Bowers is an American illustrator of children’s books, known for his humorous and whimsical characters. Three of his children’s book titles have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list. Bowers has created hundreds of greeting card illustrations, including many top selling cards. Tim is also an award winning Fine Artist, creating finely detailed Miniature Paintings. He and his wife, live in Ohio and have four grown children and three grandchildren.
Shawn Boyd
Shawn Boyd was born and raised in Whitehall, Ohio, where he still resides. Shawn served as a combat communications specialist in the U.S. Army Reserves. He has been a Deputy Sheriff for over twenty-five years, spending time working in the jail, court services, community relations, and as the Deputy assigned to the Children’s Services Intake building. He helped create and taught a program about gangs and gang awareness for almost ten years.
Shawn and his wife Kathy have been married for twenty six years and have three children, Ashley, Andrew and Shawn Ryan. They are also blessed with two granddaughters and four grandsons. The publishing of this book culminates a life-long dream. “Special thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged me along the way, even when I was ready to give up on myself.”
Susan Bradley
First and foremost, I’m a Mom. My second passion is books. I love mystery/thriller/suspense novels. My first novel, Unraveled, was released Spring 2013 from Evernight Teen. The sequel, Uncovered was released in July 2014. I have a MFA from Seton Hill University.
Read MoreFirst and foremost, I’m a Mom. My second passion is books. I love mystery/thriller/suspense novels. My first novel, Unraveled, was released Spring 2013 from Evernight Teen. The sequel, Uncovered was released in July 2014. I have a MFA from Seton Hill University.
Dustin Brady
Dustin Brady writes funny, action-packed books for kids. Although he regularly gets locked out of his own accounts for forgetting passwords, Dustin still remembers the Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Genie code for infinite lives (it’s SLXPLOVS). Dustin lives in Strongsville, Ohio, with his wife, kids, and a small dog named Nugget.