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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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.
Brad Ricca
Brad Ricca is the Edgar-nominated author of six books, including the new graphic novel (with artist Courtney Sieh) Ten Days in a Mad-house and the Ohioana Award winning Super Boys. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Learn more at: https://www.trueraiders.com/
Marci Rich
Marci Rich has published poetry, essays, and journalism, and earned honors from organizations and publications as varied as the Academy of American Poets, the Abiko Quarterly for James Joyce Studies (Japan), BlogHer, Huffington Post, and the Press Club of
Cleveland, from which she has twice won Best Freelance Writer in Ohio awards in its All Ohio Excellence in Journalism competitions in 2018 and 2019. The latter awards recognize her local history feature series, “Look
Back, Elyria,” which she writes for the Chronicle-Telegram and which forms the basis of Looking Back at Elyria: A Midwest City at Midcentury, her first nonfiction book. A graduate of Oberlin College, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in English with a creative writing specialization, Marci has also studied memoir writing at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown,
Massachusetts. She also earned an associate of arts degree from Lorain County Community College. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Theta Kappa, the Authors Guild, the National Society of Newspaper
Columnists, the Press Club of Cleveland, Literary Cleveland, James River Writers, and the Lorain County Historical Society. A chapbook of her poems, Lights and Shadows, was published by Bottom Dog Press in
1985 under her former name, Marci Janas.
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.
David Rickert
David Rickert grew up in Columbus, Ohio surrounded by stacks of MAD Magazines, Calvin and Hobbes collections, and Walt Disney comics. He spent most of his free time learning about sable hair brushes, non-repro blue pencils, and Bristol boards so he could pursue a career drawing a comic strip. He went to Ohio State University instead to pursue a degree in education, but never gave up on the dream! He drew a daily strip in The Lantern (OSU’s school newspaper) for most of his college years. After earning a teaching degree and working a few years in the classroom, the itch to create comics resurfaced. He headed back to the drawing board (literally) to create educational comics, selling them on the Teachers Pay Teachers marketplace. Educators from around the world have enthusiastically embraced his comics as an effective way to teach difficult language arts concepts, especially with reluctant readers and English language learners. When he’s not drawing comics, David likes to do yoga, play guitar, and read.
Conlee Ricketts
Conlee Ricketts has been an educator for over 30 years with her BSEd in Secondary Mathematics Education from The Ohio State University, and her MEd in Administration/Teacher Leader from Wright State University. Conlee’s honesty and humor helps you examine fears and vulnerabilities in a safe lighthearted way. Her life has been about surviving awkward social situations and problem solving. She is an expert at finding options, organizing a plan, and quieting over-active mind chatter long enough to calm the chaos of an incredibly human and messy life. She lives in Bexley, Ohio with her daughter, father, and a myriad of pets and their associated dirt.
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.
James Alan Riley
James Alan Riley is an American poet whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals and magazines. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, two Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowships from the Kentucky Arts Council, and an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Ohio Arts Council. Riley received his Ph.D. from Ohio University. He is a Professor of English at the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY.