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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Marie Weller
Marie Weller and Paula Vertikoff are a dynamic duo committed to promoting social-emotional wellness for
children and the adults who support them. With a combined experience of fifty years in the field of education,
they have witnessed firsthand what research has confirmed – social emotional wellness plays an integral role in
academic achievement and overall success in life.
Their beloved “Cranium Critters” picture book series introduces two endearing characters who explore the
fascinating world of the brain and its crucial role in managing emotions, fostering focus, and accomplishing
goals. Scout, the brain’s safety pup, imparts valuable lessons to children on calming their minds and effectively
managing their emotions through mindfulness and other evidence-based techniques. Einstein, the brain’s head
thinker and problem solver, equips children with skills to overcome distractions and stay focused on what truly
matters.
Driven by their passion for empowering young minds, Marie and Paula founded Cranium Kids Media, to share
video lessons, stories, blog articles, and activities to help young people learn little life lessons and develop big
life skills needed to lead happier, healthier lives.
For more information and to explore their enriching content, please visit their website at
https://craniumkidsmedia.com/, and subscribe to their YouTube channel, which features additional video
lessons: https://www.youtube.com/@CraniumKidsMedia/videos.
They also offer valuable resources for educators on their Teachers Pay Teachers page:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Cranium-Kids-Media.
Connect with them on Facebook or Instagram for updates and insights: @craniumkidsmedia and
@cranium.critters.
Marie resides in Columbus, Ohio, with her loving husband and takes pride in being a mother to three grown
children. Paula calls Hilliard, Ohio, her home, where she lives with her husband, two sons, and a feisty beagle
named Mila, who served as the inspiration for Scout, the brain’s safety pup.
Katie & Carrie Weyler
Sisters, Katie and Carrie Weyler, are lifelong residents of Ohio. Growing up, they lived on a small farm in the country with a horse, a goat, several adopted dogs and cats, and a couple of pigs that they showed in 4-H. This inspired their love for animals, nature, and exploring the great outdoors. Through their Charlie Tractor picture books, they hope to encourage all children to explore nature and spend time outside with the people they love. Visit them online at: https://charlietractor.com/
James A. Willis
Not since the Headless Horseman went charging through Sleepy Hollow has something come out of the Hudson highlands of upstate New York as thrilling and chilling as author and paranormal researcher James A. Willis. Fueled by a steady diet of Boo Berry cereal, Creepy Magazine and late-night Vincent Price movies, Willis soon developed a taste for the unexplained and quickly began seeking out all things strange and spooky.
When he wasn’t trying to coax the boogeyman out from under his bed for a photo shoot, Willis pondered such eternal questions as what happens to us when we die, is there life on other planets, and what possesses someone to decorate their house with 1,001 milk jugs?
In 1999, after spending more than fifteen years chasing after ghosts and visiting crybaby bridges, Willis moved to Ohio and founded The Ghosts of Ohio (ghostsofohio.org), a nationally recognized paranormal research organization. Willis has grown the organization to well over 35 members in three divisions throughout the state: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
In 2004, in what seemed to be destiny, Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman, the brains behind the Weird U.S. series of books, approached Willis and asked him to contribute to their latest volume. To date, Willis has been involved with six books in the Weird U.S. series. He is the co-author of Weird Ohio (2005) and Weird Indiana (2008) and was also a contributing author to Weird U.S. (2004), Weird Hauntings (2006), Weird US II: The ODDyssey Continues (2008), and Weird Encounters (2010). Willis’ unique and offbeat writing style was officially recognized in 2006 with his induction into the Grand Order of Weird Writers.
In addition, Willis has been a contributing author to several books in the Armchair Reader series, beginning with Weird, Scary & Unusual (2008) and continuing with several books released in 2010: Armchair Reader Goes Hollywood, Armchair Reader’s All about Ohio, and The Mammoth Armchair Reader. 2011 marked the release of Willis’ latest collaboration with Armchair Reader, Haunted America. For 2012, Willis released Haunted Indiana, his first work with Stackpole Books. In the fall of 2012, Willis’ The Big Book Of Ohio Ghost Stories was unleashed. Willis’ latest book, Ohio’s Historic Haunts, was released in late summer of 2015.
A sought-after public speaker, Willis has given presentations throughout the United States, during which he has educated and entertained tens of thousands of people of all ages in crowd sizes ranging from 10 to well over 600. He has also been featured in more than 50 media sources, including CNN, USA Today, Columbus Business First, Midwest Living, The Canadian Press, and even the Kuwait Times. He is also currently a contributing author to Mysteries Magazine.
Willis currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and daughter, a Queen-loving parrot, and two narcoleptic cats. Visit him online at http://www.strangeandspookyworld.com.
David Wilson
TBA Graphic Novel - HarperCollins, 2024
Great Lakes Tarot Deck - Belt Publishing, 2022
Play Like A Girl Graphic Novel - HarperCollins Sept. 2022
The Everyday Web Comic Collection - Belt Publishing 2020
The Disposal of Dead Ned Feature Film (Winner, Best Dark Comedy - Poor Life Choices Film Fest)
Rust Belt Arcana - Belt Publishing 2018 SOCIAL
Instagram: @downpourdw
Twitter: @downpourdw
Vimeo: vimeo.com/davidjohnwilson
Spam Newsletter: tinyletter.com/DavidWilson Check out his website: https://www.workdavidwork.com/Read More
David Wilson assumes many roles—illustrator, designer, writer, and filmmaker. For work or speaking inquiries please contact: David@workdavidwork.com
PROJECTS
TBA Graphic Novel – HarperCollins, 2024
Great Lakes Tarot Deck – Belt Publishing, 2022
Play Like A Girl Graphic Novel – HarperCollins Sept. 2022
The Everyday Web Comic Collection – Belt Publishing 2020
The Disposal of Dead Ned Feature Film (Winner, Best Dark Comedy – Poor Life Choices Film Fest)
Rust Belt Arcana – Belt Publishing 2018
SOCIAL
Instagram: @downpourdw
Twitter: @downpourdw
Vimeo: vimeo.com/davidjohnwilson
Spam Newsletter: tinyletter.com/DavidWilson
Check out his website: https://www.workdavidwork.com/
Donte Woods-Spikes
Donte Woods-Spikes began working with youth in the Near Eastside of Columbus Ohio in 2011.
His first youth project, A Talk With Our Sons consisted of youtube video interviews with young
Black male youth and life experiences within the city. As the project gained recognition,
Woods-Spikes was selected to give a TEDxColumbus Talk titled Young Black Men Not Left Out
Again.
Woods-Spikes also mentors young children. He created a documentary titled Donte &
Day’Mariah, which highlighted his journey mentoring a young Black girl and the dynamics and
benefits of cross gendered mentorship.
Woods-Spikes worked at a community center then transitioned into the columbus city schools
as a teachers aid for 3 years. 1 of those years taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic
which inspired him to write his book So. Long. Unfinished Good-byes with the Children of
COVID-19. His time is now devoted to professional development and contract work with schools
to create diverse inclusive environments for all children.
Donna Wyland
Donna Wyland is an award-winning author, editor, and coach whose personal essays and poetry have appeared in numerous collections and magazines. She is the author of picture books, ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus, Your Home in Heaven and If I Could Ask Jesus; gift book, Surrender; and a novel, Autumn’s Harmony. Through her written work, Donna seeks to entertain and encourage readers to draw near to God to experience freedom, forgiveness, peace, love, and the hope of eternal life in heaven.
Katherine Ziff
Katherine Ziff developed ArtBreak while working as an Ohio-licensed professional school counselor. At present she teaches in the graduate online counseling program at Wake Forest University. She also maintains a child therapy practice in Athens, Ohio. Ziff holds a doctorate in counselor education from Ohio University. She is also an exhibiting artist.