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.
- You are searching within category(ies): Fiction
Lissa Bryan
Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist who recently discovered the cure for athlete’s foot … though only in her head. Real life isn’t so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing. She is the author of four novels, Ghostwriter, Under These Restless Skies, The End of All Things and its sequel, Land of the Shadow. She has short stories in Romantic Interludes and Tales from the End. More of Lissa may be found on her website, http://www.lissabryan.com/.
Kinley Bryan
Kinley Bryan applied her love of writing to the world of corporate communications before her fascination with historical fiction became too great to ignore. Her debut novel, Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury, is set during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913. It was inspired by stories of her great-grandfather Walter Stalker, who was at the helm of the four-masted schooner Golden Age, his wife Annabel serving as ship’s cook, when the storm hit. Kinley graduated summa cum laude from Kent State University with a degree in English, and earned a master’s degree in communications management from John Carroll University. Her love for the inland seas swelled during the years she spent in an old cottage on Lake Erie. She now lives with her husband and children on the Atlantic Coast, where she prefers not to lose sight of the shore.
Carla Buckley
Carla Buckley is the author of the novels The Things That Keep Us Here and, Invisible. The Things That Keep Us Here was nominated for a Thriller Award as a best first novel, was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award for fiction in 2011, and has been a favorite with book clubs around the country.…
Read MoreCarla Buckley is the author of the novels The Things That Keep Us Here and, Invisible. The Things That Keep Us Here was nominated for a Thriller Award as a best first novel, was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award for fiction in 2011, and has been a favorite with book clubs around the country. In her novels, Buckley balances the intricacies of family dynamics with the terrifyingly real threat of new technology – pandemic viruses (The Things that Keep Us Here) and nano-techonology (Invisible). Buckley was born in Washington, D.C. She grew up overseas, but returned to Washington for high school and college. She has worked as an assistant press secretary for a U.S. senator, an analyst with the Smithsonian Institution, and a technical writer for a defense contractor. She serves on the Board of the International Thriller Writers as Vice President of Awards. She now makes her home in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, an environmental scientist, and their three children.
Gary Buettner
From Gary himself: “Who writes this stuff? Me. My name is Gary Buettner (Bit-ner) and I’ve been writing spooky stories since junior high, but I’ve been making up my own superheroes and stories since I was a little kid. Once, I even won a ten-speed bike by making up my own superhero for a contest on the back of a cereal box! I studied creative writing in college at Indiana University where I won a couple awards for my stories. I love everything about Halloween and sometimes I like to make stuffed toy monsters. When I was thinking about new monsters to make, I drew a picture of Frankenstein’s goldfish. Before I had a chance to sew it, I started wondering who would take care of such a crazy fish and the idea of a paranormal petsitter was born. I have four kids and I live with my family in Indiana. In fact, Mina from Monster Pets is named after my oldest daughter, Mina.”
Check out his website: https://gbuettner.wixsite.com/monsterpetsbooks
John Bullock
John Bullock is English and has an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Virginia. His stories have appeared in the Antioch Review, Fifth Wednesday, the Laurel Review, Prague Review, Clackamas Literary Review, in the anthology Open Windows III, and in other journals. He teaches high school English in rural Ohio. Mark Small: This is Your Life is his first novel.
Tamara Bundy
Tamara Bundy, a graduate of the Ohio State University, is a former columnist for the Cincinnati Post. She teaches English at Miami University where she received her Master’s Degree. Tamara is the author or co-author of seven non-fiction books. Her middle grade novel, Walking with Miss Millie (Nancy Paulsen/Penguin) won several awards including the Ohioana Award for Middle Grade/Young Adult Fiction and has landed on many state reading lists. Her second middle grade novel, Pixie Pushes On recently released from Paulsen/Penguin. Bundy’s debut picture book, Lullaby Prayer, releases in November 2020 by Harper Collins Christian.
E.A. Burnett
E.A. Burnett is an epic fantasy author who writes evocative tales set in lush worlds full of magic, animals, and strong female protagonists. Her passion for nature and experience working with wildlife shines through in fantastical worlds where animals and humans are close-knit. Silverglen and Isle Of Wings are two standalone novels set in the same universe—one full of magic and shapeshifters. Of Gryphons And Runes is the start of a new epic fantasy trilogy in a world created by Enchanters—one where humans are bound to other life forms. Her shorter works received an Honorable Mention (2013), a Silver Honorable Mention (2022), and a Finalist Award (2016) from the international L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Today, Burnett lives in the beautiful forests of Ohio with her husband, two little people, two corn snakes, and two rambunctious Labradors. Visit her at her website: https://www.eaburnett.com/, on Instagram (eaburnett_author) or Facebook (eaburnett.author).
Marcy Campbell
Marcy Campbell is an author of picture books and middle-grade novels, which have earned praise from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, School Library Review, The Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and many others. She is the recipient of multiple book awards, including the Ohioana Award for Juvenile Literature. Her picture books have been selected for the Junior Library Guild and named a Best Children’s Book of the Year by Bank Street College and National Public Radio. Her debut middle-grade novel, Rule of Threes, was selected by the State Library of Ohio for the Choose to Read Ohio list for 2023-2024. Marcy’s books have been translated into eight languages. She lives in Ohio with her family and multiple furry and feathered companions. Visit her at marcycampbell.com.
Judy Carey Nevin
Twice in my life, I received a fortune from a fortune cookie that read “You are a lover of words. You will someday write a book.” I never expected that fortune to come true, but here I am! My writing process is pretty messy-I go for a long time without any good ideas, then I’m struck with something that won’t let go, and I stay up way past my bedtime to get it just right. My sensibilities lean toward texts for the very young, especially preschool. I spent some of the best years of my career as an editor at Viking Children’s Books, where I specialized in picture books and easy-to-read books. I enjoyed very much bringing books into the world and am very proud of my books, What Daddies Like (Spring 2017) What Mommies Like (Spring 2018), and All Kids are Good Kids (Spring 2019). I’m currently a library director in Ohio, where I live with my nerdy professor husband, our bookworm of a daughter, and our crazy pooch.
More information about me and my books can be found at http://judycareynevin.com