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.
Richard Hague
Richard Hague (born 1947) is an American poet and writer.
J. A. Hall
J. A. Hall was born and raised in Athens County, Ohio. She has a PhD in Communication Studies from Ohio University. She is the owner of Little Meadow Farm, which is a private sanctuary that gives animals of all shapes and sizes forever homes.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall is an author and children’s book editor. She received a BA in English/creative writing from Miami University in Ohio. She’s a former book reviewer for the Ohioana Quarterly and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. When not writing, Andrea can be found crafting, baking, and reading. Raised in Ohio, Andrea currently lives in Chicago.
Blaine Paxton Hall
Blaine Paxton Hall was born in Cambridge, Ohio and grew up in Chicago and Woodstock, IL. He is the author of Hestia’s House, a literary memoir with the overarching theme of home.
Including historical photos, his memoir documents his growing up in the Woodstock Children’s Home–which had a historical connection to Orson Welles.
But the challenges of being abandoned by his parents and having to provide for all his college education could not have prepared him for the existential struggles of his medical, surgical, legal and social gender transition in 1983 at age 31. He was the first to transition in NC, going his trajectory, where he’s lived since July 1981. See hestiashouse.com.
His childhood and early adulthood experiences gave rise to his developing keen intuition into the suffering of others; and he became a highly accomplished trailblazer, not only in his life, but also in his medical career. He is the Founder of the American Academy of Nephrology PAs (May 1997) and the Founder of the Duke Adult Gender Medicine Clinic (Jan 3, 2018). See: https://pahx.org/bios/hall-blaine-paxton/
Upon concluding his clinical and teaching activities at Duke University Health System, he founded The School of Athens, an adult academy which, in the classical liberal arts tradition, provides educational experiences to inspire lifelong learning in the pursuit of the most noble ideas, artistic and intellectual accomplishments of mankind. See: theschoolofathens.net
The theme of home has been pervasive throughout Hall’s life. In December 2020, Ohio became the second-to-the-last state in the Union to allow one to amend the gender marker on one’s birth certificate. Working through Probate Court in Guernsey County, Ohio, Mr. Hall was finally able to obtain his amended birth certificate in December 2021. He framed his coveted, new birth certificate in white, to signify innocence, rebirth and hope. And he displays it right next to his original, handwritten, Cambridge Ohio, 1952 birth certificate. He is equally proud of both.
Eileen Hammond
Eileen Curley Hammond is an author who left a successful marketing career in the insurance industry. When she retired early, she pursued her first love, writing. And when deciding what to write about, there was only one choice for her, murder mysteries, because she was and is a big fan of Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew) and Agatha Christie (Miss. Marple/Hercule Poirot). Eileen lives in Ohio with her husband and two adorable cats. She also has a pond with assorted koi and minnows that is heavily protected from predatory herons in the area. Eileen and her husband love traveling, especially to national parks, and spending time with family and friends. Learn more at: https://www.eileencurleyhammond.com/
Anietra Hamper
Anietra Hamper is an award-winning published travel writer and photographer and owner of ThreeWordPress.
Her travels take her around the world covering destinations, adventure travel and fishing for regional and national publications including AAA, USAToday, Game & Fish, PlanetWare.com, FIDO Friendly magazine, TourismOhio.com, Columbus Parent Magazine and official Visitor Guides for several counties in Ohio. Anietra’s quick rise in the travel writing industry led to her admission into the prestigious Society of American Travel Writers.
As a Columbus, Ohio native and owner of ThreeWordPress, Anietra writes corporate marketing content for websites, blogs, videos and Apps. She is also an executive speech coach and on-camera talent for corporate videos as well as commercials and television shows.
Before starting her own business, Anietra spent nearly 20 years as a top-rated television news Anchor and Emmy nominated investigative Reporter. Her stories ranged from investigations into the dangers of commercial popcorn flavoring to interviewing presidential candidates to pulling 9G’s in an F-16 fighter jet with the U.S. Thunderbirds.
Anietra has won numerous industry awards for travel writing and television news reporting. She is also a recipient of the YWCA Women of Achievement Award, Jefferson Award and Congressional Award.
Anietra and her dog Sunny live in Gahanna.
Eric Hanna
Eric Hanna, born in Youngstown, Ohio, was a walk on basketball player at the Ohio State University (1994-95, 1996-98) who earned a scholarship for his senior season, making the first start of his entire life in the last game at historic St. John Arena on February 28, 1998. Eric was a two time Academic All-Big Ten selection (1997-98), Fred Taylor Award Winner (1998) and John Havlicek Award Winner (1998). He currently teaches American History at Shanahan Middle School in the Olentangy Local School District where he has earned the Battelle for Kids Celebrate Teaching Distinguished Educator Award in 2013. Eric has been an assistant coach at Capital University (1998-2001, 2002-2009) and at Vassar College (2001-2002). Currently the youth basketball director for the Plain City Area Ball Association, Eric has continuously coached basketball at every level from kindergarten to college since his collegiate playing experience. Eric earned the 2019 Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal for Non-Fiction Sports Books for his publication of Fight to the End.
Pauletta Hansel
Larry C. Hansgen
Larry Hansgen and his wife Marty live in northeast Columbus. Before retiring he worked in sales and sales management. He also worked in radio as a disc-jockey and weekend newsman, and was a freelance sports writer in the early 1990s. In addition to The Ohio State University Buckeyes, he is an avid Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns fan. Since retiring he has been active as an actor in community theatre. A Buckeye Remembers is Larry’s first book to be published. His memoir as a lifelong Buckeye fan intertwines everyday life in Columbus, Ohio, with the excitement of following Ohio State athletics. Larry brings his readers an enjoyable perspective and recollection of the ups and downs of the university’s gridiron and hoops.