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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Shelley Costa
SHELLEY COSTA is a 2004 Edgar Award nominee for Best Short Story, and 2014 Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel (You Cannoli Die Once, Simon and Schuster). She is the author of Basil Instinct (Simon and Schuster, 2014), Practical Sins for Cold Climates (Henery Press, 2016) and A Killer’s Guide to Good Works (Henery Press, 2016). Shelley’s short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Blood on Their Hands, and The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories. She teaches fiction writing at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Visit her at http://www.shelleycosta.com.
Bill Cotter
Bill was cooked slowly and evenly in the warm embrace of midwest suburbia. After studying art in Baltimore, he then moved to New York City where he found work as a pre-K art and music teacher. In between fingerpainting and singing songs he wrote and illustrated is debut book “Don’t Push the Button!” which has gone on to be a USA Today bestseller. Bill has since moved back to his hometown of Cleveland and spends his days drawing, playing music, and daydreaming.
Cynthia Crane
Cynthia A. Crane, Ph.D. is the author of All About Winston Churchill (Cardinal Press) and the acclaimed historical nonfiction, Divided Lives: The Untold Stories of Jewish-Christian Women in Nazi Germany (St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan), and is Associate Professor of English at the University of Cincinnati, BAC. Her poetry, nonfiction, and book reviews have appeared in various publications, such as Mid-American Review, Popular Culture Review, History Magazine, and H-Net.…
Read MoreCynthia A. Crane, Ph.D. is the author of All About Winston Churchill (Cardinal Press) and the acclaimed historical nonfiction, Divided Lives: The Untold Stories of Jewish-Christian Women in Nazi Germany (St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan), and is Associate Professor of English at the University of Cincinnati, BAC. Her poetry, nonfiction, and book reviews have appeared in various publications, such as Mid-American Review, Popular Culture Review, History Magazine, and H-Net. Crane has appeared on national radio and television programs, including C-Span Book-TV, and is a sought after speaker, having given nearly one hundred public presentations. Among her awards, she has received a Fulbright Scholarship, a Holocaust Education Foundation Summer Institute Fellowship, and a P.E.O. National Scholar’s Award.
Kambri Crews
Kambri Crews once lived with her deaf parents in a tin shed in Montgomery, Texas. She now owns and operates Ballyhoo Promotions, a PR and production company in New York City specializing in stand up comedy. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Burn Down the Ground (Random House) and a renowned storyteller. She has performed on The Moth, Literary Death Match, Risk! and Mortified and has appeared at SXSW Comedy, UCB Theatre, Gotham Comedy Club. Also a public speaker, she has given speeches at the University of Texas, Texas Book Festival, University of Oregon, SXSW (South by Southwest), DeafHope, and many other schools, colleges, book festivals, and events.
Pam Croft
Pam Croft is a retired manager of a military surplus store. After her 25 year career of being store manager she sorely missed it.
She decided to open up her own little store at a local flea market plaza and carry on her love for the military surplus.
When she is not working she loves to travel and enjoys spending time with her husband and cat, Thomas.
She resides in Sugar Grove and can be contacted at bookiesdogtags@gmail.com
Angela Crook
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Angela Crook lives in Shaker Heights with her son, and three crazy kitties. She served eleven years in the United States Air Force. She is a proud member of a writer’s group of two other up-and-comers (the Literary Llamas) who meet once a month to critique, encourage, and revel in the pursuit of literary greatness. She has three self-published novels: Fat Chance, Chasing Navah, and Maria’s Song. Her short story, Bitter, is featured in the anthology Cleveland Noir (August 2023). Her first traditionally published novel, Hurt Mountain, was released on March 1st, 2024. Angela can be found on Facebook at @AngelaCrookAuthor, on Instagram as @Angela__Crook, or Threads @Angela__Crook
Thomas Crowl
Thomas Crowl is an avocational historian who has published two previous books, Murder of a Journalist (published by Kent State University Press) and Opdycke’s Tigers in the Civil War. His articles have appeared in Timeline, Echoes, History Magazine, and the Central States Archaeological Journal.
Paisley Cruz
Paisley Cruz grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ever since she could remember, her imagination has taken her on amazing adventures. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she’d end up an author.
As a teen, Paisley began writing love stories and hasn’t really stopped over the years. Writing has been the only consistent activity in her life. As a young adult, Paisley’s dreams wavered from becoming a nurse to pursuing a music career. Instead, she settled on being a stay at home mom and an awesome wife.
Paisley is married to the love of her life and best friend, Mr. Cruz. Together they have two amazing little boys, three rescue cats, and a rescue beagle named BoBo.
When Paisley isn’t running her boys to and from sports, she is either writing or taking in a Cincinnati Reds game.
Dan Cryer
Dan Cryer, a former book critic at Newsday and Pulitzer Prize finalist, is the author of “Being Alive and Having to Die: The Spiritual Odyssey of Forrest Church.” He has contributed to “The Salon.Com Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Authors” and “Good Roots: Writers Reflect on Growing Up in Ohio,” and to many publications, including The New Republic, Salon, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Plain Dealer, and The Boston Globe. A graduate of The College of Wooster, he earned a PhD in U.S. history at the University of Minnesota.