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): Fiction
Valerie Reynolds
Valerie Reynolds is a prolific author with a passion for storytelling that spans both fiction and children’s literature. Her debut novel, In the Middle of Wanting, published by Windy City Press in 2015, captivated readers with its evocative narrative and rich character development. Additionally, Valerie has authored two beloved children’s books, The Joys of Being a Little Black Boy and The Twirl of Being a Little Black Girl. These vividly-illustrated works celebrate the lives of remarkable Black individuals, weaving together history and inspiration to create unforgettable stories that resonate with young readers. Beyond her literary accomplishments, Valerie is a seasoned integrated marketing and communications and PR professional. She collaborates with mission-driven organizations to craft compelling narratives, generate media coverage, and develop strategic communications plans that elevate brands and foster positive public perception. As the co-founder of Hurston Media Group, she spearheads initiatives aimed at amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities, both through marketing services and publishing endeavors. With over two decades of experience in public relations, Valerie understands the profound impact of media on shaping societal narratives. Her strategic approach has garnered coverage in esteemed outlets worldwide, including NBC Nightly News, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Slate, Huffington Post, Five Thirty-Eight, and Hindustan Times. Additionally, Valerie’s own writings have graced the pages of publications such as Indigo, the Chicago Defender, the Chicago Observer, and Oyez Review, the literary magazine of Roosevelt University. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Valerie holds an MBA in Marketing from American InterContinental University, a Master of Journalism from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from The Ohio State University. Her diverse educational background underscores her multifaceted expertise and unwavering commitment to storytelling and advocacy.
Emilie Richards
Emilie Richards has written more than seventy novels, including series romances, romantic suspense, futuristic fantasy, paranormal, mysteries, and single title women’s fiction. Her novel series include the Ministry is Murder, the Shenandoah Album, and the Goddesses Anonymous novels. Richards is also a quilter and has published five Quilting Along With Emilie Richards books to complement the books in her Shenandoah Album series.…
Read MoreEmilie Richards has written more than seventy novels, including series romances, romantic suspense, futuristic fantasy, paranormal, mysteries, and single title women’s fiction. Her novel series include the Ministry is Murder, the Shenandoah Album, and the Goddesses Anonymous novels. Richards is also a quilter and has published five Quilting Along With Emilie Richards books to complement the books in her Shenandoah Album series. Her books have been published in more than sixteen languages in more than twenty countries, and eight have been made into movies for German TV. Richards is a past winner of the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award, the highest prize given to romance authors. She grew up in Florida but lived in Cleveland for twelve years where she raised her children and continued her prolific writing career. Richards has worked as a therapist in a mental health center, a parent services coordinator for families enrolled in Head Start, and in several pastoral counseling centers. Married to her college sweetheart, Richards recently returned to live in Florida. Visit Emilie’s website, http://emilierichards.com/.
Natalie D. Richards
New York Times Bestselling Author Natalie D. Richards is the author of nine “page-turning thrillers” (School Library Journal), including Five Total Strangers (2020) and Seven Dirty Secrets (2021). Four Found Dead (2023) is her ninth bone-chilling novel. Her first middle-grade novel is called 15 Secrets to Survival and has been hailed as, “a teamwork oriented update to Hatchet.” A champion of literacy and aspiring authors, Richards is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writing groups. She lives in Ohio with her three children and (very) large dog, Wookiee. Visit her at http://www.nataliedrichards.com.
Lisa Karon Richardson
Influenced by books like The Secret Garden and The Little Princess, Lisa Karon Richardson’s early stories were heavy on boarding schools and creepy houses. Now, even though she’s (mostly) grown-up she still loves a healthy dash of adventure in any story she creates, even her real-life story. She’s been a missionary to the Seychelles and Gabon and now that she and her husband are back in America, they are tackling a new adventure–starting a church planting Central Ohio. Lisa is the author of several published novellas and novels. You can find her online at http://www.lisakaronrichardson.com and http://www.inkwellinspirations.com.
Debbie Rigaud
Debbie Rigaud is a New York Times bestselling co-author of the Hope series (with Alyssa Milano) and The Sister Switch (with Sarah Mlynowski). Her notable young adult novels A Girl’s Guide to Love & Magic and Simone Breaks All the Rules are colored with sights and sounds of metro NYC, where she was born and raised. Debbie now lives with her husband and children in Columbus, Ohio, where she records her impressions of Midwestern life onto new pages. You can visit her at DebbieRigaud.com or on Instagram @FroAndABow.
Mark Rigney
Mark Rigney’s stage plays have been produced in twenty-three U.S. states (including off-Broadway) plus Australia, Austria, Canada, Hong Kong, Nepal, and New Zealand. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and his published plays are available from Playscripts, Inc., Next Stage Press, Heartland, and multiple editions of Smith & Kraus’s The Best Ten-Minute Plays. His novel Vinyl Wonderland arrived from Castle Bridge in June 2024, and in non-fiction, he is the author of Deaf Side Story: Deaf Sharks, Hearing Jets and a Classic American Musical (Gallaudet). Nearly seventy of his short stories have found print, in venues ranging from literary (Witness, The Best of the Bellevue Literary Review) to fantasy and horror (Lightspeed, Cemetery Dance, Unlikely Story, Wyldblood, Black Static). When nobody’s looking, he adds to his collection of antique brewery items, gardens, and laments that his body won’t let him continue playing ultimate (Frisbee) tournaments. His website, which includes links to many of his (free!) online stories, is markrigney.net.
Jim Roberts
Jim Roberts grew up in rural East Texas. After college, he lived and worked briefly in Houston before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio in the early 1980s to pursue a business career. Now a full-time writer, he and his wife, the artist Donna Berry Roberts, split their time between Ohio and Texas, depending on whim, changes in the weather, or the beckoning of distant haints. His fiction has appeared in Prime Number Magazine, Rappahannock Review, Snake Nation Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, and The Arlington Literary Journal (ArLiJo). His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and twice named to the finalist list for the Screencraft Cinematic Short Story Award. Of Fathers & Gods is his first book.
Margaret Rogerson
Mar Romasco-Moore
Mar Romasco-Moore is the author of the novels Deadstream (forthcoming 2025), I Am the Ghost in Your House, Krazyland, and Some Kind of Animal, as well as the multimedia flash fiction collection Ghostographs. They teach writing at Columbus College of Art and Design. Learn more at: https://marromascomoore.com/
Emilia Rosa
Emilia Rosa was raised in Brazil. During her childhood she lived in Rio de Janeiro, where every sunny weekend was generally spent at the beach. Having moved to South of Brazil, she holds fond memories of summer vacations spent with her married sister in Rio, which also involved many hours at the beach. Her love for the sea and Rio de Janeiro, as well as that city’s history, permeates the pages of her first fiction book, “Finding Cristina.” During her teens she avidly read in Portuguese, Spanish, English, French and Italian. A few years ago she developed a love for murder mysteries written during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Emilia moved back to the United States several years ago. She has published poetry and is finishing Finding Cristina: A New Life, the sequel to Finding Cristina. Her readers can contact her on Facebook/Instagram/Goodreads (Emilia Rosa Author), and Twitter (EmliaURosa1).