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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Terri-Lynne Smiles
Possessing “a native talent for imaginative storytelling” (Midwest Book Review) and being “skilled at crafting a nuanced page turner” (The Kirkus Review), Terri-Lynne Smiles creates novels filled with realistic characters, a quick pace, and a puzzle for the readers and characters to chew on. Her writing is diverse, ranging from The Rothston Series (2012-2016), a set of young adult/new adult urban fantasy novels, to Mirror Protocol (2016), a psychological murder mystery without a murder, to the sci-fi thriller Sarandipity (in development), set in a future in which sources of strife have been banned on Earth and humankind is spread across the stars.
Raised in a family of educators, Terri is passionate not only about writing but also teaching the craft. While she speaks on and teaches a wide variety of topics, her favorites include How to Develop a Plot; Crafting Believable Heroes and Villains; Pacing and Tension; and Race in Non-Racial Fiction. She has appeared at book clubs, participated in panels across the country, and has taught workshops at a variety of venues such as the Thurber House, the Upper Arlington Public Library, and the creative writing conference Imaginarium.
Terri-Lynne is committed to the charitable sector, serving as board chair for the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations as well as volunteering with numerous community organizations.
For more information or to contact Terri-Lynne, see her website at http://www.terrilynnesmiles.com.
Larry R. Smith
Larry Smith is a native of the industrial Ohio River Valley having grown up in Mingo Junction, Ohio, the second of four children. His father was a brakeman on the railroad of Weirton Steel where the author worked two summers to help pay for college. A graduate of Mingo High School, Muskingum College, and Kent State University, Smith taught at Bowling Green State University’s Firelands College from 1970 to 2012.
Smith has received fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and was a Fulbright Lecturer in Italy. His photo history of Mingo Junction appeared in the Images of America Series. He was the first poet laureate of Huron, Ohio, and is a founder and director of The Firelands Writing Center and Bottom Dog Press. He and wife Ann live along the sandy shores of Lake Erie in Huron, Ohio, and are the parents of 3 adults and have 8 grandchildren.
A.V. Smith
A.V. Smith is an athlete turned writer. With a passion for storytelling, he paints with words that captivate readers. Smith writes on an emotional level to empower readers to engage in deeper conversations about their past, their relationships, and their connection with the Universe.
With his first book, Madison: God’s Fingerprint 1.618, he won the 2019 Author Academy Award for Best Romance. Book two in the Madison series: Madison: In the Presence of God, reached #1 Best Seller, and the third installment, Madison: Vengeance Is Mine also achieved #1 Best Seller ranking. Book four, Madison: Upon This Rock is set to release January of 2025.
Smith took a break from romance and focused his literary talent on crime and social issues that divide our society with OHIO 10 and OHIO 10 II. Both books garnered #1 Best Seller upon release.
Normal Chaos: Ledoma (Book 1) is his first Fantasy Fiction book. He strives to push the boundaries of creativity, realizing there is no box in writing fiction or our shared journey.
Through life and love, he has learned our steps are temporary, yet the journey intensely meaningful. This understanding led him to donate a kidney to his younger brother. As the father of three children, his desire is to see his children overcome the fear of success by being the best version of themselves. He strives to lead by example, at times falling short, but understanding human beings are still a work in progress. When he is not engaged in his passion, you can find him with a fishing pole in his hand, attending a local artist event or somewhere deep in the woods hiking and enjoying the gift of nature. Learn more about A.V. Smith and his work at avsmithbooks.com
Lucy A. Snyder
Lucy A. Snyder is the author of 15 books and over 100 published short stories. Her most recent titles are the apocalyptic horror novel Sister, Maiden, Monster and the collection Halloween Season. She lives near Columbus, Ohio with a jungle of houseplants, a clowder of cats, and an insomnia of housemates. You can learn more about her at http://www.lucysnyder.com and you can follow her on Twitter at @LucyASnyder.
Jennifer Sommer
As a children’s librarian for twenty years, Jennifer Sommer’s annual Halloween Mad Scientist’s Lab was always her favorite program for the ghouls and gals. Jennifer’s culinary witch skills improved each year as new, scary, and surprisingly tasty additions were added to her Witchy Kitchen Cookbook. Every Creature Eats includes just a few of the creepy edible treats. Learn more at: https://jennifersommer.weebly.com/
Amy Spears
Amy Spears (she/her) graduated from Denison University with a degree in cinema and creative writing. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, where she is in her second decade as a skater with Ohio Roller Derby. She spent several years active in the leadership of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association and has given presentations, workshops and talks about the sport at Pecha Kecha Columbus, the Roller Derby World Summit, and Rollercon. Her digital essay (with Julie Driscoll) “Worlds Collide! facebook, family & George Costanza” was published in Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion, and her prose and poetry have appeared in Columbus Alive, Lynx Eye, and Wine X. A self-described “collector of hobbies,” she’ll try just about anything once.
Tricia Springstubb
Tricia Springstubb is the award-winning author of fiction for readers of all ages- picture books, chapter books, middle grade and early young adult novels. Her newest book, How To Tell A True Story, is a suspenseful story about the slippery nature of truth, especially in the light of social media. She lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries and conferences. Visit her online at triciaspringstubb.com
Sarah Stankorb
Sarah Stankorb is a journalist, essayist, and the author of Disobedient Women. She was born near Youngstown, Ohio, and often found escape in books. She studied world religions and philosophy at Westminster College, a place surrounded by rolling Pennsylvania farm country. A chance to study abroad in Northern Ireland, then Israel further opened her eyes to how faith (and conflict) can shape people’s everyday existence. She earned her master’s degree from University of Chicago’s Divinity School, where she studied ethics and South Asian religion and history. Hundreds of her pieces have been featured in publications, including: VICE, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and others. Her beat spans religion, politics, gender, and power, but is informed by questions of basic morality. She’s more fun than all this sounds. Sarah lives in Ohio with her husband and two children, and she writes a few times a month about the quirks of American faith at In Polite Company via Substack.
Dorri Steinhoff
Dorri Steinhoff grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago where she developed a love of nature, art and architecture. She met Joe Kuspan while in graduate school in Cincinnati. Their common interest in art and architecture led to numerous design and renovation projects including two boutique shops in the Short North Art District of Columbus, Ohio and five central Ohio homes. They are currently enjoying watching the seasons change at Glenbrow with their two daughters, Maren and Sofia, while continuing to restore the 1964 Glenbrow tower.
Aileen Stewart
Aileen Stewart is the award winning author of the Fern Valley Series which includes Fern Valley, Return to Fern Valley, and Cooking in Fern Valley, as well as the new Quack and Daisy Picture Book Series, a public speaker, amateur photographer, a blogger, and SCBWI member. In addition, she hosts writing workshops for children in first to sixth grade, offers library and school visits, and speaks at events. She resides in lovely Shelby, Ohio with her beautiful daughter, wonderful husband, and their crazy cats Max, Daisy, and Fluffy. Her motto is “Kids Who Read Can Do Anything!”