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.
Cantly Elliott
Cantly Elliott is an author and creator of Blaze Review, a media group based in Columbus, OH. Cantly published his first book, Benched: Underrated Players and Teams in History in 2023. His Blaze Review platform hosts several podcasts centered around sports, music and movies. He was inspired to write his book after watching ESPN’s docuseries, The last Dance. There have been a lot of great players throughout the history of the NBA that never won a championship because of greats like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and others. Elliott felt it was important to tell their story and highlight them.
In his spare time, Cantly enjoys working on his business, spending time with family and friends, watching sports, and shopping for records and books.
Mary Ellis
Mary Ellis is a former schoolteacher turned USA Today bestselling author who’s written twenty-six novels including Amish fiction, historical romance, and suspense. Her first mystery, Midnight on the Mississippi, was a finalist for the RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award and a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award. Her latest series is the Bourbon Tour Mysteries from Severn House. Book two, One Hundred Proof Murder released August 3, 2021. Her latest Amish novella is Missing available on Amazon Kindle. She enjoys gardening and bicycling and lives in Ohio with her husband and dog. http://www.maryellis.net or http://www.facebook.com/Mary.Ellis.Author
Federico Erebia
Federico Erebia is a retired physician, woodworker, author, poet, and illustrator. He received a BA from the College of Wooster, and an MD from Brown University. He will receive the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Exceptional New Writer. Other distinctions for his debut novel, Pedro & Daniel (Levine Querido 2023) include: 2024 Ohioana Book Award, finalist; 2024 Massachusetts Book Award, longlist; 2024 Américas Book Award, Commended Title; 2024 Bank Street BEST BOOK; 2023 Kirkus BEST BOOK; and starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Shelf Awareness. He and his husband live near Boston, Massachusetts. https://fjebooks.com/index.html
Alex Erickson
Alex Erickson is the author of both the Bookstore Café and the Furever Pets mysteries. When he’s not writing, he enjoys spending his time gaming or playing music. He lives in Ohio with his wife, son, and their three crazy cats. He can be found online at alexericksonbooks.com/
Kelcey Ervick
Kelcey Ervick is the author and illustrator of the graphic memoir, The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law That Changed Women’s Lives, winner of a 2023 Ohioana Book Award. She is the author of three other award-winning books and co-editor of The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Graphic Literature. Kelcey has a PhD from the University of Cincinnati and is a professor of English at Indiana University South Bend. Learn more about her writing and art at kelceyervick.com
Terry W. Ervin , II
Terry W. Ervin II is an English teacher who enjoys writing fantasy and science fiction. His science fiction novels include Relic Tech and Relic Hunted (Crax War Chronicles), and Thunder Wells, a post-apocalyptic alien invasion novel. Genre Shotgun is Terry’s short story collection. It includes SF, mystery, horror/suspense and inspirational tales.
Terry’s post-apocalyptic fantasy series, First Civilization’s Legacy, includes Flank Hawk, Blood Sword and Soul Forge. His newest series (Fantasy/LitRPG) Monsters, Maces and Magic includes Outpost, and Betrayal.
He is currently working on Relic Shield, the third novel in the Crax War Chronicles and Guild, the third installment in the Monsters, Maces and Magic series.
To contact Terry or to learn more about his writing endeavors, visit his website at http://www.ervin-author.com.
Harmony Evans
Harmony Evans lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a single mom to a beautiful daughter who makes her grateful for life daily. Evans is an award-winning author for Harlequin Kimani Romance, the leading publisher of African-American romance. Evans was a 2012 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards Double-Finalist (“First Series Romance” and “Kimani Romance”), and was the recipient of the 2013 Romance Slam Jam Emma Award for “Debut Author of the Year.” She is a member of Romance Writers of America. See more at http://www.harmonyevans.com/
Tom Ewing
Tom Ewing was the guitarist/lead singer of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys for ten years. He is the editor of The Bill Monroe Reader and wrote the “Thirty Years Ago This Month” column for Bluegrass Unlimited.
Kathy Fagan
Kathy Fagan is the author of Bad Hobby and Sycamore, a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Award, as well as four previous collections including The Charm, the National Poetry Series-winning The Raft, and Vassar Miller Prize-winner MOVING & ST RAGE. A former NEA fellow, she is currently the Director of Creative Writing and the MFA program at Ohio State University, and Poetry Editor for OSU Press. Her website is http://www.kathyfagan.net.
Donna Farland-Smith
Donna Farland-Smith is an Associate Professor of Science Education in The School of Teaching & Learning at The Ohio State University. Her research that focuses on students’ perceptions and attitudes toward science and scientists as well as the characteristics of scientists that most positively affect the girl’s perception of scientists. She has over a decade’s experience in the classroom and previously taught science all grades K-12. She is co-author of two books for teachers through NSTA Press, Eureka! Science Alive through Scientists’ Stories and Intermediate Science Activities and Eureka! Science Alive through Scientists’ Stories and Primary Science Activities.