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.
Hal McCoy
Hal McCoy is a native of Akron, Ohio and an honors graduate from the Kent State University School of Journalism. He lives with his wife, Nadine, and two dogs, Cooper and Paige, in Englewood, Ohio.
McCoy has been an award-winning sports journalist for 53 years and has covered major league baseball and the Cincinnati Reds for 43 years. He has won 48 state and national writing awards and has been named Ohio sportswriter of the year 13 times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In 2002, McCoy was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. and is the only non-Cincinnati resident who is a member of the Cincinnati Journalists Hall of Fame.
Tiffany McDaniel
TIFFANY McDANIEL is the international bestselling author of Betty, The Summer that Melted Everything, and On the Savage Side. Her newest book, A Sky Full of Dragons, is the first book in her new Middle Grade fantasy series, The Wand Keepers, releasing August 27, 2024. Drawing from her Cherokee heritage, she is a poet, a novelist, and a visual artist. She is the winner of over a dozen literary prizes, including the Guardian’s Not the Booker, the Ohioana Reader’s Choice Award, Friends of American Writers Chicago, the Society of Midland Authors, and the FNAC. She lives with cats and a dog surrounded by the trees and wildlife that she loves. When not writing, she may be found in the garden or walking in the woods. Tiffany was awarded the prestigious title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in July 2021. Learn more at: https://www.tiffanymcdaniel.com/ and follow Tiffany on Instagram @authortiffanymcdaniel
Mindy McGinnis
Mindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy. While her settings may change, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. Learn more at: https://www.mindymcginnis.com/.
Jennifer McGowan
Jennifer McGowan was born in Ohio, grew up in Montana, and studied in Paris. She has held numerous writing jobs over the years, but author is by far her favorite. A past Romance Writers of America Golden Heart winner, Jenn is the author of the Maids of Honor series, which currently includes Maid of Secrets (2013) and Maid of Deception (2014).…
Read MoreJennifer McGowan was born in Ohio, grew up in Montana, and studied in Paris. She has held numerous writing jobs over the years, but author is by far her favorite. A past Romance Writers of America Golden Heart winner, Jenn is the author of the Maids of Honor series, which currently includes Maid of Secrets (2013) and Maid of Deception (2014). She lives and writes in Ohio, and you can connect with her online at JenniferMcGowan.com, find her on twitter via @Jenn_McGowan, or visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferMcGowan.
Tanny McGregor
Internationally-known teacher and conference speaker Tanny McGregor brings over 30 years of professional experience to her popular sessions. Her workshops are known for their creative and engaging style. Originally an elementary school teacher, Tanny has served as a literacy coach, gifted intervention specialist, and preK-12 staff developer. She is the author of three books, Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading (Heinemann, 2007), Genre Connections: Lessons to Launch Literary and Nonfiction Texts (Heinemann, 2013), and her newest release, Ink & Ideas: Sketchnotes for Engagement, Comprehension, and Thinking (Heinemann, 2019). Tanny was also a contributor to the seminal work, Comprehension Going Forward: Where We Are/What’s Next (Heinemann, 2011). In addition to writing and consulting, Tanny serves as a teacher on special assignment for West Clermont Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her husband Miles have four daughters and four grandsons. Follow her on Twitter @TannyMcG!
Thomas Scott McKenzie
Raised on a thoroughbred horse farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, Thomas Scott McKenzie received a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Mississippi. He is the author of Power Chord: One Man’s Ear-Splitting Quest to Find His Guitar Heroes and the co-author of The Man Behind the Nose: Assassins, Astronauts, Cannibals, and Other Stupendous Tales. McKenzie’s work has appeared in Tin House, Laptop, Premier Guitar, Stuff, The Aethlon: Journal of Sport Literature, Columbus Monthly, Salon.com, MTV’s The Hive, and others. He has been a reviewer for PopMatters.com, a staff writer for the longest running internet drama Crimescene.com, and a contributor to TechCrunch.com. He founded and runs Slushpile.net, a books and publishing blog.
Claire McMillan
Claire McMillan is a novelist, most recently of Alchemy of a Blackbird, published by Atria/Simon & Schuster in July of 2023. She is also the author of The Necklace, which was published by Touchstone/Simon & Schuster in 2017, as well as Gilded Age, published by Simon& Schuster in 2012. A native of Pasadena, California, she practiced law in San Francisco for six years before moving to Cleveland in 2003. As well as a JD, she holds an MFA in creative writing from Bennington College. She was named the Cuyahoga County Public Library Writer in Residence for the 2017-2018 year. During that time, she taught four classes on craft that were open to the public at the Skirball Writing Center. Additionally, she held monthly office hours for aspiring writers that were open to the public. She was also a Writer in Residence onsite at the Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, Massachusetts. Her enthusiasm for her time there led to her being asked to serve as a Trustee on the Board of the Mount, where she still serves today. McMillan currently lives on her husband’s family farm outside of Cleveland, Ohio with their two children.
Wendy McVicker
Wendy McVicker, 2020-2022 poet laureate of Athens, Ohio, is a longtime Ohio Arts Council teaching artist. Her most recent chapbook, Zero, a Door, was also published by The OrchardStreet Press (2021). She loves collaborating with other artists, and performs with instrumentalist Emily Prince under the name “another language altogether” whenever she gets the chance. Stronger When We Touch is her first full-length collaboration with another poet.
Tim McWhorter
http://www.timmcwhorter.com (website)
@Tim_McWhorter (Twitter)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tim-Mcwhorter-author (FB page)
tm5to1@live.com (email)
Laura Meckler
Laura Meckler is national education writer for the Washington Post, where she covers education across the country as well as national education policy and politics. She previously reported on the White House, presidential politics, immigration, and health care for the Wall Street Journal, as well as health and social policy for the Associated Press. Her honors include a Nieman Fellowship and Livingston Award for National Reporting, and she was part of a team that won the George Polk Award for Justice Reporting. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two sons. Learn more: https://www.laurameckler.com/