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): Nonfiction
Bob Hunter
Bob Hunter was a sportswriter for the Columbus Dispatch for more than forty years, including the last twenty-four as sports columnist. He is the author of nine books, including Thurberville, Saint Woody, Chic and A Historical Guidebook to Old Columbus. He is a native of Hamilton, Ohio, and a graduate of Ohio University.
Annie Hunter Eriksen
Annie Hunter Eriksen is from Wooster, Ohio. Originally from Columbus, she came for the College of Wooster (’13), but stayed after falling in love with Wooster’s undeniable charm and realizing this town has the best ice cream in the world. Annie lives and breathes comics, cats, and coffee and had her first son in November 2022, whom she named after a superhero. Along Came a Radioactive Spider is about famed Marvel artist Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man. This is her second book. Find Annie at http://www.aheriksen.com and on Instagram at @ah_eriksen.
Rebe Huntman
Rebe Huntman is the author of My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle (Monkfish Book Publishing Company, February 18, 2025). She is a memoirist, essayist, dancer, teacher, and poet who writes at the intersections of feminism, world religion and spirituality. For over a decade she directed Chicago’s award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its dance company, One World Dance Theater. Huntman collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, has been featured in Latina Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and The Chicago Tribune, and has appeared on Fox and ABC. A Macondo fellow and recipient of an Ohio Individual Excellence award, Huntman has received support for this book from The Ohio State University, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center, and Brush Creek Foundation. She lives in Delaware, Ohio and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Teshauna L. Isaac
Author Teshauna L. Isaac was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, to the parents of Eugene and Maxine Isaac. She is the second oldest of three children. Teshauna gave her life to Christ and was baptized at an early age at St Mark’s Baptist Church, under the leadership of the late Pastor I.J. Johnson. Elder Isaac accepted her calling and on September 28, 2014, she was licensed to preach the gospel. On July 30, 2017, she was ordained as an elder by the authority and order of the State of Ohio Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship Int’l. Teshauna walks in her purpose and calling as an intercessory prayer leader and teacher.
Elder Isaac attended and graduated from Jesup W. Scott High School. She went on to attend The University of Toledo, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She recently graduated from Spring Arbor University with a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health and released her first published book BLACKOUT (May 2022). She currently works full-time at Goodwill Industries of NW Ohio as the Program Manager for the Stay the Course reentry program. More recently she has started a new career as a Multisystemic Therapist at the Zepf Center.
She is the proud mother of two sons, Darius and Greg, one daughter, Jazmin, and grandmother to London. Her interests include exercising, reading, traveling, shopping, listening to music, spending time with her family and friends, volunteering in the local community, and serving at her local church. Learn more: http://teshaunaisaac.com/
Maria Isabella
Maria Isabella, author of the hugely popular new cookbook, In the Kitchen with Cleveland’s Favorite Chefs, is an award-winning freelance writer with more than 30 years’ creative experience in advertising, marketing, and publishing. She possesses a degree in Communication from Cleveland State University and is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the James Beard Foundation, and Les Dames d’Escoffier. Maria is also a cooking instructor and contributes as both a focus group member and recipe tester for Bon Appétit, Zagat, America’s Test Kitchen, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and General Mills. She is a frequent featured speaker and appears regularly on TV and radio talk shows. Maria is currently working on two new books, both about food, of course. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at a cooking school with her husband of 35 years, trying out new recipes, and baking with her grandchildren.
Judy Orr James
Judy James retired in 2016 from the Akron-Summit County Public Library where she was employed for more than 35 years. In 2001, she was hired as manager of the Special Collections Division to create a new department at Main Library devoted to local history and genealogy. She received her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Kent State University, and is also a graduate of the National Archives Modern Archives Institute. The Special Collections Division maintains one of the most comprehensive genealogy collections in the state of Ohio, along with a growing collection of local history materials, including the archival collections of the Summit County Historical Society. Special Collections also coordinates the Summit Memory Project (http://www.SummitMemory.org), a collaborative, digital “scrapbook” of Summit County history. During her time at the library, Judy collaborated with numerous community and professional organizations including the University of Akron, Summit County Historical Society, Summit County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, Cascade Locks Park Association, and the City of Akron, among others. In 2010 she received the Akron Women’s History Project Woman of the Year Award for Innovation. Judy was born and raised in Akron and is married to Jeff James, a local attorney. They have two grown children.
Richard O Jones
After twenty-five years writing the first draft of history as a writer and editor for his hometown newspaper, the Hamilton Journal-News, Richard O Jones left the grind of daily journalism in the fall of 2013 for a life of true crime. He is the author of two books on the History Press imprint, Cincinnati’s Savage Seamstress: The Shocking Edythe Klumpp Murder Scandal (October, 2014) and Ohio Bluebeard: The Strange Confessions of Alfred Knapp (Spring, 2015), and maintains the True Crime Historian blog, where he remembers the scoundrels, scandals and scourges of America’s past and publishes the Two-Dollar Terror series of novella-length ebooks. Mr. Jones, a creative writing graduate of Miami University, Ohio, spent most of his career as an arts journalist and has won numerous awards for his reviews and profiles. In 2004, he was named a Fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts Theatre and Musical Theatre program at the Annenberg School of Journalism. The Ohio Associated Press named him Feature Writer of the Year in 2011. Since leaving the newspaper world, Mr. Jones has become an active member of his local history community as a board member of the Butler County Historical Society, a member of the History Speakers Bureau and a regular presenter at Miami University in a program titled “Yesterday’s News.” The Michael J. Colligan History Project of Miami University presented Mr. Jones with a Special Recognition for Contributions to Public History for his coverage of the Centennial Commemoration of the Great Flood of 1913. Visit him online at http://www.truecrimehistorian.com.
Inez Heller Jones
From a very young age, Inez Heller Jones loved to read and write. As the youngest of eight children, many days found her reading under the large kitchen table, completely covered by the tablecloth, where she engrossed herself in faraway places while hiding from her siblings! Her avid love of reading later led her to write short stories, poems, and articles. In 2013, she self-published They Call Me Blessed! her true, inspirational journey of prayer, faith, and endurance during one of the most difficult periods of her life. In 2017, a dramatized version of this story was produced by Unshackled for radio audiences worldwide. The episodes are available for listening at Unshackled.org as a series entitled “Inez Jones, Part 1” and “Part 2.” In 2024, the book was republished with the assistance of a professional publishing company.
A central Ohio transplant from west Michigan, some of Inez’s many accomplishments included Michigan Women’s Commission Honoree for leadership in state, business, education, government, and community service; Chairwoman of the Muskegon Heights Michigan Education Assessment Program Task Force; Muskegon County Museum Trustee; Legislative Committee Chair of the Muskegon County Black Women’s Political Caucus; and three time candidate for the Ninety-Second District state house seat. In They Call Me Blessed! Inez is introduced to readers as wife, empty nester, single mom, and in-home caregiver.
https://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=they-call-me-blessed
Mark Sebastian Jordan
Based in the central highlands of Ohio, Mark Sebastian Jordan is published internationally as a music critic, is a specialist in the history of murder and mayhem in rural Ohio, and is known far and wide as a poet, storyteller, and humorist. His books include The Ceely Rose Murders at Malabar Farm (2021), The Witch of Mansfield (2023), Slammer: Private Dick (2017), Murder Ballads: American Crime Poems (2014), and The Book of Jobs (2010). He has contributed to such notable anthologies as I Heard a Cardinal Sing: Ohio’s Appalachian Poets (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions), Eclipsing the Dark (Ohio Poetry Association), Gas Station Famous (OAC Books/Spartan Press), and Buzzkill Apocalypse (Night Ballet Press).
Bradwin Jordan
Brad Jordan is a dedicated family man, coach, and avid sports enthusiast hailing from Toledo, Ohio. Brad is married to his lovely wife, Lisa, and they have been together for 23 years. Together, they are blessed with three wonderful children, Delaney, Julian, and Landon.
As a sports coach, Brad has a passion for helping others achieve their goals and reach their full potential. He has coached a variety of sports at different levels and has garnered a reputation for being an excellent motivator and mentor. When he is not on the field or court, Brad enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports, reading, and traveling. He believes that these activities provide him with a well-rounded perspective on life and help him to stay grounded.
Brad currently resides in Wapakoneta, Ohio, where he continues to be an active member of his community. He believes that it is important to give back to those around him, and he frequently volunteers his time to help those in need. Overall, Brad Jordan is a dedicated family man with a passion for sports and helping others. His love for life and his commitment to his family and community make him a truly inspiring individual.
Brad Jordan is an experienced customer service and recruiting professional with a Master of Business Administration degree. He has a successful track record in developing and executing strategies for both B2B and B2C companies, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. He is a collaborative leader who thrives in fast-paced environments and has a passion for driving growth and achieving business objectives. Brad’s expertise has helped numerous companies achieve significant success in their respective industries. Brad has been conducting presentations and workshops throughout the United States over the last 20 years. Brad has a passion to educate himself and others on the topics of leadership, soft skills, and emotional intelligence. He has mentored countless people over the years, and he has the passion and drive to motivate others to succeed.