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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Christina Consolino
A graduate of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) with a BA in French and PhD in physiology, Christina Consolino taught college-level anatomy and physiology for close to twenty years before concentrating her passion on writing and editing. She’s the author of Rewrite the Stars and The Weight We Carry, and she’s co-author of Historic Photos of University of Michigan. She lives in Kettering, Ohio, with her husband, four children, and a rotating cast of pets. Learn more at https://christinaconsolino.com/
Renee Casteel Cook
A Buckeye not by birth but by choice, Renee Casteel Cook is a Columbus-based author of culinary history and travel titles, including The Columbus Food Truck Cookbook and Ohio Ice Cream: A Scoop of History. Her passion for writing and chocolate are equally matched, making this book a labor of nothing but love. Eternally impressed at the drive and dedication of food-focused entrepreneurs and the continuing commitment of generational family-run businesses, Renee strives to successfully share their stories, capturing a curated selection of legacies both established and developing. Her hope is to inspire future creators of all types to take the leap toward what they love.
Amanda Nicole Corbin
Amanda Nicole Corbin is an Ohio-based poet who has had her work published in The Notre Dame Review, The London Magazine, Door is a Jar, and more. Her work was nominated for Best Microfiction 2024. Her debut full-length collection, addiction is a sweet dark room, (Another New Calligraphy, 2024) focuses largely on her journey and struggles with mental health and addiction. She is currently working on a full-length manuscript around the topics of bodily autonomy, loss, and early motherhood. Find her on Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram at @ancpoet or at http://www.amandanicolecorbin.com
Kevin Cordi
For over twenty years, Dr. Kevin Cordi has told stories in over forty states, England, Singapore, Scotland, and Japan. His story work has been commissioned by the National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame, Newsweek, and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As a story teacher he is considered one of the “nation’s primary advocates for youth storytelling!”
Kevin listens everywhere he goes.…
Read MoreFor over twenty years, Dr. Kevin Cordi has told stories in over forty states, England, Singapore, Scotland, and Japan. His story work has been commissioned by the National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame, Newsweek, and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As a story teacher he is considered one of the “nation’s primary advocates for youth storytelling!”
Kevin listens everywhere he goes. He keeps an ear to the ground so that he can hear the stories of America and beyond—he tells the stories he hears. He shares the stories of people such as Mooney Warther, considered the greatest wood carver in the country and the legendary Chocolate Bar Bomber and his air drops during the Berlin Air Lift. He listens and he tells the stories he hears. He uses his experience and critical listening skills as the landscape for teaching and developing stories. He believes good storytelling begins with effective listening. He has worked as an actor, teacher, door-to-door salesman (at age 14), disc jockey and gas station attendant. He believes this only enriches him as a storyteller and story teacher.
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.
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
Nathan Crook
Nathan C. Crook, Ph.D., is a cultural anthropologist and Assistant Professor of English and Agricultural Communication at The Ohio State University’s agricultural campus located on the northern end of Ohio’s Amish Country in Wooster. A native to the western United States, Crook is an intrepid traveler and researcher who has been engaged in researching and writing about culinary history and traditions in the Midwest and Ohio for the past decade. He and his family reside in Bowling Green and are active members of their community. He can frequently be found collaborating with the Wood County Historical Museum, attending local art events, and supporting his daughters as they participate in the Bowling Green Bobcat Band and swim team.