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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Joy M. Kiser
Joy M. Kiser was born in Akron and grew up in Norton, Ohio. She began her professional career as the librarian for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 1995. In 2001, she moved to the Washington, DC, area to become the librarian for National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). She is currently employed as a writer/editor for the U.S.…
Read MoreJoy M. Kiser was born in Akron and grew up in Norton, Ohio. She began her professional career as the librarian for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 1995. In 2001, she moved to the Washington, DC, area to become the librarian for National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). She is currently employed as a writer/editor for the U.S. Department of Justice. (Photo credit to Gary Higgins of the Patriot Ledger.)
Matt Kish
Matt Kish has spent his whole life in the Midwest, moving often and taking on a variety of jobs. He has mowed lawns at hospitals, washed dishes at a pizza place, cooked in a college cafeteria, taught high school English, worked retail at a bookstore, and served as a hospital registrar. Finally, after earning a graduate degree in library science, he became a librarian.…
Read MoreMatt Kish has spent his whole life in the Midwest, moving often and taking on a variety of jobs. He has mowed lawns at hospitals, washed dishes at a pizza place, cooked in a college cafeteria, taught high school English, worked retail at a bookstore, and served as a hospital registrar. Finally, after earning a graduate degree in library science, he became a librarian. In 2011 Kish added illustrator to his list of accomplishments with the publication of Moby Dick in Pictures: One Picture for Every Page (Tin House Books). His take on Melville’s classic novel—Kish’s favorite since he was a child—won him wide acclaim with organizations from The Huffington Post to PBS. His illustrations have also appeared in The Desert Places (Curbside Splendor Publishing, 2013) and The Graphic Canon, Vol. 2 (Seven Stories Press, 2012). Visit him at http://www.spudd64.com/.
Katrina Kittle
Katrina Kittle’s newest novel, Morning in This Broken World, released September 1, 2023 and was an Amazon First Reads pick for August. Katrina is the author of four other novels for adults—Traveling Light, Two Truths & a Lie, The Kindness of Strangers, and The Blessings of the Animals—and one novel for tweens, Reasons to Be Happy. The Kindness of Strangers was a BookSense pick and was the Fiction winner for the 2006 Great Lakes Book Awards. She teaches creative writing in the Dayton area and online for Word’s Worth Writing Connections, is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Dayton, and is a frequent public speaker. She lives near Dayton with her fella, quirky cat, sweet beagle, and out-of-control garden. For more information on Katrina or her books, or to sign up for her fun, monthly newsletter, visit Katrinakittle.com.
Lisa Klein
Lisa Klein, a former English professor, is the author of historical novels for young adults. She has two grown sons and lives in Columbus with her husband when she’s not time-traveling. Find more of Lisa at her website, http://www.authorlisaklein.com/.
Read MoreLisa Klein, a former English professor, is the author of historical novels for young adults. She has two grown sons and lives in Columbus with her husband when she’s not time-traveling. Find more of Lisa at her website, http://www.authorlisaklein.com/.
Sophia R. Klein
Sophia Klein wrote her first book, turtle tide, as a gift for her younger brother, Caleb at age 14. She was motivated by her love of marine see life and the hope for a better future for both humans and see life. Her fascination began at the age of seven when she watched the “dolphin tale “movies and learned the inspirational stories of the dolphins, winter and help. She has since journeyed each summer to Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida to attend camps to learn about marine life and aspires to make working On the preservation of marine life partOf her future. Her love of art started is lifelong and she began studying art at four years of age. She has been studying art through community courses at Columbus College of Art and design since age 8 and continues now at age 14. This book is a culmination of her passions for marine life, preservation,storytelling, art and a love for family that she hopes all children will love and be inspired by.
Sophia R. Klein
Sophia Klein wrote her first book, turtle tide, as a gift for her younger brother, Caleb at age 14. She was motivated by her love of marine see life and the hope for a better future for both humans and see life. Her fascination began at the age of seven when she watched the “dolphin tale “movies and learned the inspirational stories of the dolphins, winter and help. She has since journeyed each summer to Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida to attend camps to learn about marine life and aspires to make working On the preservation of marine life partOf her future. Her love of art started is lifelong and she began studying art at four years of age. She has been studying art through community courses at Columbus College of Art and design since age 8 and continues now at age 14. This book is a culmination of her passions for marine life, preservation,storytelling, art and a love for family that she hopes all children will love and be inspired by.
Brian A. Klems
Brian A. Klems is a writer, husband, perennial fantasy sports underachiever and father of three lovely little girls (who, thankfully, look like their mother). He’s also the online editor of Writer’s Digest magazine and proud graduate of the journalism school at Ohio University. His parenting humor book Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl: A Dad’s Survival Guide to Raising Daughters was called a “laugh-out-loud book” by the Chicago Tribune. It was also endorsed by humor writing legend Dave Barry. You can read more from him on his popular parenting blog (TheLifeOfDad.com) and connect with him on Twitter (@BrianKlems).
Artie Knapp
Ohio writer Artie Knapp is the author of over 40 published children’s literature works that includes books, videos, stories and poems. His children’s stories have been featured in several course books by HarperCollins, Orient BlackSwan, Oxford University Press, Pearson Education, and The Chart Institute in Japan, among others. Additionally, Artie’s work has been published in various magazines and newspapers, as well as online publications. Among his writing credits are the children’s books Stuttering Stan Takes a Stand and Living Green: A Turtle’s Quest for a Cleaner Planet, a shortlist finalist for the Green Earth Book Award. He is a member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and graduated from Ohio University. Artie lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife and daughter. To learn more about Artie and his work, visit him online at http://www.artieknapp.com.
Faith (FM) Knight
FAITH (FM) KNIGHT writes middle grade, young adult and new adult fiction. She is a former TV news reporter and digital producer. She is also the cousin of legendary children's book icon Virginia Hamilton. Her debut YA historical novel, As Gray As Black & White, received critical acclaim from Publisher's Weekly's indie arm BookLife.…
Read MoreFAITH (FM) KNIGHT writes middle grade, young adult and new adult fiction. She is a former TV news reporter and digital producer. She is also the cousin of legendary children’s book icon Virginia Hamilton. Her debut YA historical novel, As Gray As Black & White, received critical acclaim from Publisher’s Weekly’s indie arm BookLife.
She enjoys cooking, sewing and Bible education. She is from Yellow Springs, Ohio and now lives in North Carolina with her husband. You can find her books at https://therealknightauthor.com.
Mary Knight
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Mary has always enjoyed the power of a good story, whether it’s been as a children’s librarian, a freelance writer or a writer-in-residence teaching kids how to write. Several years ago, she decided to go back to school to learn how to write a novel. After graduating in 2013 from Spalding University’s MFA program in Writing, Mary completed her middle grade novel, SAVING WONDER, found the agent and editor of her dreams, and is now a published author with Scholastic.
Of all the things she appreciates in life, she especially values loving kindness, a good laugh, the wisdom of young people, and the ability to see the world through another person’s eyes. She believes this last quality, empathy, is the key to not only being a good friend and an awesome person, but being a good writer as well. “I must first step into the minds and hearts of my characters to discover their viewpoints,” she says. “Only then can I find the words to create their world.”
Mary and her husband now live in Lexington, Kentucky with their two cats.