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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Susanne Jaffe
Susanne Jaffe is a former New Yorker who was a long time-editor and executive in publishing. She was the editor-in-chief of Avon Books; senior vice-president of Simon & Schuster; editor-in-chief of a division of Random House. Along the way she edited everything from true crime to historical romance, celebrity fiction, mysteries and thrillers.
In July 2001, Susanne became the executive director and creative director of Thurber House, the nonprofit literary center in Columbus, where she moved to and still lives. She resigned in 2016 to concentrate full-time on her writing.
Susanne had two new novels published in January 2017: La Patrona and Her Mother’s Daughter. Both are available as ebooks, as are four additional novels that were originally traditionally published. For reviews of the two new books, please go to: http://www.amazon/author/susannejaffe.com.
In addition to her writing, Susanne teaches creative writing and is a ‘book doctor’ and editor on a freelance basis.
Susanne considers herself above all a storyteller, someone who wants to engage the reader on a journey with characters they can emotionally relate to.
For more information about Susanne and her books, and to follow her blog, go to: http://www.susannejaffe.com.
Michele Jakubowski
Raised in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Michele Jakubowski has the teachers in her life to thank for her love of reading and writing. While writing has always been a passion for Michele, she believes it is the books she has read throughout the years, and the teachers who assigned them, that have made her the storyteller she is today. Her books include the Sidney & Sydney and Perfectly Poppy series as well as The Sleuths of Somerville and Ashley Small and Ashlee Tall. Michele lives in Powell, Ohio, with her husband, John, and their children, Jack and Mia.
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.
M. C. Jeter
M. C. Jeter is the indie author of The Gems, a new adult fantasy novel. She is set to graduate from the Ohio State University in May 2024 with a BS in Neuroscience and a minor in American Sign Language. For fun, M. C. likes to read, write, dance, sing and play on her Nintendo Switch. As of right now, M. C. has many diverse stories bouncing around in her brain that she is so excited to share with the world. M. C. Jeter began writing her debut novel in fourth grade and as she grew, her main character did too. From starting at 10 years old to ending at 17, Ruby, the main character of The Gems, will take you on an adventure full of love, regret, and challenges.
Jeffrey A. John
Jeffrey Alan John, Ph.D., is an author and freelance writer who experienced journalism as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and public relations writer before entering a life in academia, which he continues as a Professor Emeritus at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He is the author of Lab Rats Can’t Say No: a story in the future, a science fiction mystery, and co-author with the late Frank L.…
Read MoreJeffrey Alan John, Ph.D., is an author and freelance writer who experienced journalism as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and public relations writer before entering a life in academia, which he continues as a Professor Emeritus at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He is the author of Lab Rats Can’t Say No: a story in the future, a science fiction mystery, and co-author with the late Frank L. Johnson of A Bird in Your Hand: A story of ambiguous justice, a true-crime tale. Dr. John enjoys tennis, fly fishing and restoration of a decrepit Triumph TR3 sports car in his spare time. He and his wife Karin Avila-John live in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District. Learn more about Dr. John at his website http://www.wordwritesshop.com and visit him on Twitter at @Jeffrey23671313
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.
Mabel C. Jones
Mabel C Jones is a Christian author who has been writing poetry and plays for her church and to encourage her friends and individuals for many years. I have appeared at various local churches reading my poetry as a narrator for both praise dance and choir concerts for many years. A couple years ago I decided to take many friends’ advice and put my poetry into a collection. I am presently working on putting together a volume two, also. I enjoy writing and encouraging others with my gift of poetry. And the delight in their eyes when they read it lets me know I have been a blessing to them…well, that is my thankful moment!
Saeed Jones
Saeed Jones was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up in Lewisville, Texas. His work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and GQ, and he has been featured on public radio programs including NPR’s Fresh Air, Pop Culture Happy Hour, It’s Been A Minute with Sam Sanders, and All Things Considered. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, and tweets @TheFerocity. Learn more at: https://www.readsaeedjones.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