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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Dinara Mirtalipova
Dinara Mirtalipova is an award winning folk artist with big passion for folklore storytelling, modern children’s books, and classic fairytales. In her work Dinara uses bright primary color palette and embellishes her designs with bold folk floral patterns. Dinara is a traditional artist who paints by hand and prefers mediums like gouache and pencils on paper, printmaking and block printing. Currently, Dinara is an Assistant Professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art where she teaches Illustration, and also paints away from her home studio in Northeast Ohio, working on collaborations and commissions.
Tonya Mitchell
Ever since reading Jane Eyre in high school, Tonya has been drawn to dark stories, particularly of the Gothic variety. Her influences include Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker. More contemporarily, she loves the work of Shirley Jackson, Agatha Christie, Victoria Holt, Margaret Atwood, and Laura Purcell. When she landed on a story about a woman who pretended to be insane in order to write a newspaper story, she knew she’d landed on something she was meant to write. Tonya received her BA in journalism from Indiana University. Her short fiction has appeared in The Copperfield Review, Words Undone, and The Front Porch Review, as well as in various anthologies, including Furtive Dalliance, Welcome to Elsewhere, and Glimmer and Other Stories and Poems, for which she won the Cinnamon Press award in fiction. She is a self-professed Anglophile and is obsessed with all things relating to the Victorian period. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society North America and resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and three wildly energetic sons.
J. P. Mitchell
J.P. Mitchell is an educator, writer, speaker and creator whose passion is to help leaders to link vision to opportunity through the power of words. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and independent publisher of Sweet Fire, an empowerment anthem for girls and women. On J.P.’s favorite things list are good music, engaging conversation, and the great outdoors. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and two children.
Dia Mixon
Dia Mixon has a passion for introducing children to new languages and cultures. As a Spanish teacher, with a Master of Education in Bilingual-Bicultural Education, she continues to seek new ways for readers to build cultural awareness and connect with the characters she creates. Dia published her debut children’s book, One Whole Me, in 2021, and promptly released her second book, When I Feel at Home, in 2022. Her upcoming project, The World That I See: Europe is inspired by her beautiful, neurodivergent child and is set to release in February 2025. She currently teaches high school Spanish in her hometown, Columbus, Ohio. Learn more at: https://www.el-mundo-mixon.com/
Wes Molebash
Wes Molebash is the creator of several popular webcomics, most notably You’ll Have That (Viper Comics) and Molebashed (self-published). He has also created cartoons for companies and organizations such as the Ohio State University, Target, and PBS Kids. Travis Daventhorpe for the Win! is his debut graphic novel. Learn more here: https://www.wesmolebash.com/.
Nicholas Money
Nicholas Money is a biologist and Western Program Director at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is a popular teacher and an international expert on fungal biology. He has authored a number of popular science books, including “The Rise of Yeast: How the Sugar Fungus Shaped Civilization” and “The Selfish Ape: Human Nature and Our Path to Extinction.” His books are noted for blending first-rate science with stories of irresistible human interest.
Denise Monique
Denise Monique is a Self-Published Author, located in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a licensed social worker and loves to travel as much as possible. Each year, she travels to a place she has never been before. Other hobbies include reading, sometimes as much as a book a day. Growing up, Denise would win the summer reading club each year for having read the most books. Her nickname was One-Hundred due to her educational efforts. Her dad gave her his own nickname of Squirrel, as she was a tomboy growing up and could be found in a tree most days. Denise is very passionate about helping others find the light within themselves to start their path to better lives. She kept her story in for so many years, as she didn’t want to hurt the very people that hurt her. She has learned to view her mistakes as learning lessons and strives for greatness in life. Denise lives by the motto that anything that disturbs her peace has got to go!
Bayyinah Monk-Nduaka
If you know Bayyinah, you know that her greatest passions in life are family & friends, travel, writing, cooking, entrepreneurship and helping others. It is Bayyinah’s desire to connect people with their life’s passion and calling through living a happy and whole life through food and healthy relationships. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Bayyinah began writing at the age of twelve and in 1994, she won a scholarship to attend Young Writer’s at Kenyon College. There she honed her writing passions. Eventually she took advanced placement and college preparatory literature and writing courses. And in 2003, Bayyinah graduated from Otterbein University with B.S. in Business and Economics. Later, in 2006, she received her A.A. in Mortuary Science from Briarwood College. Inspired by her mother and family, Bayyinah is a self-taught cook. Her passion is creating recipes, cooking good food and feeding her family and friends. In 2015, Bayyinah became a two-time Amazon best selling and award winning author. When Bayyinah is not working, writing, cooking or world traveling – she is somewhere having a good ole’ time with her husband Obinna Nduaka and family. She currently reside in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area. Learn more at: https://www.gimmethatrecipe.com/
Jess Montgomery
Jess Montgomery is the author of the Kinship Historical Mysteries, set in 1920s Appalachian Ohio and inspired by Ohio’s true first female sheriff. Under her given name, she writes the “Level Up Your (Writing) Life” column for Writer’s Digest. She was formerly a newspaper columnist, focusing on the literary life, authors and events of her native Dayton, Ohio for the Dayton Daily News.…
Read MoreJess Montgomery is the author of the Kinship Historical Mysteries, set in 1920s Appalachian Ohio and inspired by Ohio’s true first female sheriff. Under her given name, she writes the “Level Up Your (Writing) Life” column for Writer’s Digest. She was formerly a newspaper columnist, focusing on the literary life, authors and events of her native Dayton, Ohio for the Dayton Daily News. She is a three-time recipient of the Individual Excellence Award in Literary Arts from Ohio Arts Council, a two-time recipient of the Montgomery County (Ohio) Arts & Cultural District (MCAD) Artist Opportunity Grant, and has been a John E. Nance Writer in Residence at Thurber House (Columbus, Ohio). Learn more at: https://jessmontgomeryauthor.com/
Michael H. Moore
Michael H. Moore is a U.S. Navy veteran, whose life journey has been deeply shaped by his years of service and his love for the sea. As a sailor and war veteran, he knows firsthand the resilience, courage, and faith required to navigate turbulent waters—both literal and figurative. These experiences form the heart of Sailor’s Compass, where Michael shares the hard-won wisdom, he gained on his journey through service and self-discovery. Michael’s voice is that of a seasoned navigator and a compassionate guide, blending insights from the seas with a deep understanding of life’s unpredictable currents. Whether sharing stories of faith, resilience, or the power of inner peace, he invites readers to join him in exploring the depths of their own journeys. Through Sailor’s Compass, he offers readers more than just guidance; he offers companionship, encouragement, and a steady hand to hold through life’s storms. Learn more at: https://www.michaelhmoore.life/