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.
- You are searching within category(ies): School Visit
Robinson Lizano Briceño
Robinson Lizano Briceño is a journalist, professor, and writer. He immigrated to the United States from Venezuela in 2018. He is the author of the books Manual de Géneros Periodísticos, La Maldad: Sicarios, Pranes y Otros Monstruos: Crónicas de Primicia, and Los Crímenes que Apagaron la Música, whose English version, Crimes That Turn Off the Music, was published in November 2023. He is an educator at La Jornada in Hilliard, through the National Youth Advocate Program. He has lived with his family in Marysville, Ohio, since 2021.
Scott Longert
Scott Longert is a graduate of the Ohio State University and has his M.A. in American History from Cleveland State with an emphasis on the post-Civil Wars years to the Great Depression.
Scott is a retired Park Ranger from the James A. Garfield National Historic Site where he specialized in Civil War talks concerning General Garfield and major battles of the war.
Scott has been writing about Cleveland baseball history for over thirty years and has five books published to date, his latest Cy Young: An American Baseball Hero released in June 2020.
A sixth book, Victory on Two Fronts is due for an early winter 2022 release.
Scott has taught part-time at Cuyahoga Community College, offering courses in several aspects of Cleveland baseball history. He lectures regularly at local libraries and community groups. Scott was recently interviewed for the upcoming documentary, War on the Diamond, a study of the rivalry between the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees.
Victoria Lowery
Her teachers said, “Vivid imagination”, “Creative”, “Excellent writing”. But before becoming a best-selling author, Victoria Lowery has been a tennis player on the men’s team in college, a live talk show host, Make-A-Wish Ambassador, and ran a shelter for injured animals out of her home. Curiously, it was Victoria’s work as CEO of a state nonprofit that showed her it was time to return to her first love and write. During board meetings her mind filled with thoughts like: “Why don’t others see his real agenda.” “What makes that person’s opinion more easily accepted?” “Why isn’t she expressing her ideas?” Victoria boiled the answer to each of these questions down to one very powerful word – emotions. Whether it be fear of rejection or plans for revenge, emotion can unknowingly drive the course of business, the country, the universe, of our destiny. While Star Trek brings us new worlds to explore in space, Victoria believes our own inner space will prove to be the true final frontier. Following a never-ending urge to help others harness the strength of their emotion, Victoria threw caution into the wind and left her business management career. You can connect with Victoria and find her publications at VictoriaLowery.com
Tammie Lyon
Tammie Lyon is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children. Her first authored picture book, Olive and Snowflake, was released to starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Let's Hear It For Almigal was recently awarded the Mom’s Choice Award Gold Medal Winner.…
Read MoreTammie Lyon is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children. Her first authored picture book, Olive and Snowflake, was released to starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Let’s Hear It For Almigal was recently awarded the Mom’s Choice Award Gold Medal Winner. My Pup and Bugs In My Hair have both been included on the list of the “Top 100 Best Children’s Books” by the Bank Street College of Education. She is known for her work on the Eloise series for Simon and Schuster as well as her new series, Katie Woo, published by Stonearch Books. Visit her online at http://www.mbartists.com.
KaraLynne Mackrory
Award winning author KaraLynne Mackrory is no newbie to the writing world. She made her debut as an author at the tender age of thirteen when she wrote her first set of bad poems. Angsty, emotional, and filled with teenage drama, they were unbelievable disasters. Such contributions to the literary world were so terrible that today they are kept behind lock and key to protect others from their awfulness. As a young adult she steered clear of soap opera-inspired works and achieved a degree in social work. It was not until her late twenties that she returned to her roots in writing. Since then she has published four Jane Austen-inspired novels so full of romantic sensibilities as to give you a toothache and a grin and hopefully a few contented sighs. Her book Haunting Mr. Darcy won a 2015 IPPY Bronze Medal in the category of Romance. Visit her online at karalynnemackrory.merytonpress.com.
Erica Magnus
A first generation American, Erica Magnus grew up in rural Connecticut’s natural beauty, delighting in her three freedoms; exploring nature’s wonders barefoot whenever possible, fulfilling her deep love for drawing in color or with sticks in the dirt if that was all at hand, and satisfying her endless passion for stories. Her Norwegian family kept their European culture and values their cornerstone through good times and bad. For them, creative expression was assumed and expected. ! Later, these forces all came together when Erica began her career in publishing. Picture books proved a good home for her wide range of freelance art skills as author and illustrator, and illustrator for others, for over 22 years. She continued to write and illustrate them until her passions for stories drew her to film as storyboard, concept, and creature design artist. Moving to LA to work and live led to exciting creative collaborations in television. She also applied these skills to graphic novel development projects for professional writers. ! Teaching art classes throughout her career continues, providing many opportunities to contribute what she has learned. But most of all, Erica is happy to return to Athens County, Ohio, where she lives again near family and grandchildren, good neighbors and old friends. Her journey brought her back to publishing too. Now her three freedoms bring daily delights once again and a new old way to share them.
Charles Malone
Charles Malone grew up in rural Northeastern Ohio, headed west to the Rockies, came back to the Great Lakes, and has loved all of it. His first full-length collection, Working Hypothesis, is out with Finishing Line Press in 2020. His chapbook “Questions About Circulation” was published by Driftwood Press as part of the Adrift Chapbook Series. He edited the collection “A Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park” with Wolverine Farm Publishing and has work recently published or forthcoming in Hotel Amerika, The Best of Boneshaker: A Bicycling Almanac, The Sugar House Review, The Dunes Review, and Saltfront. Charles now works at the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University coordinating community outreach programs.
Allison and Wayne Marks
English majors who met in a college Chaucer class, husband and wife Wayne and Allison Marks share a love for words and revel in a tale well-told. They enjoy spinning tales from the porch of their 100-year-old home in Akron, Ohio, where they raised twins, Elliott and Claire.
Jennifer Maschari
Jennifer Maschari is a classroom teacher and the author of THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE and THINGS THAT SURPRISE YOU. She is hard at work on her next middle grade novel with Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins. Jennifer lives in Ohio with her husband and stinky (yet noble) English bulldogs, Oliver and Hank.
Olivia Matthews
Olivia Matthews is the mystery pseudonym of national best-selling author Patricia Sargeant. Patricia writes romance as Patricia Sargeant and Regina Hart. As Olivia Matthews, she’s written the Sister Lou Mysteries, Peach Coast Library Mysteries, and the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries. Patricia’s work has been reviewed in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal, and RT Book Reviews. Patricia was drawn to write romance because she believes love is the strongest motivation. Her mysteries put ordinary people in extraordinary situations to have them find the Hero Inside. For more information about Patricia and her work, visit PatriciaSargeant.com.